Tips For A Stress Free Thanksgiving

I'm hosting a small Thanksgiving this year, which I am happy to do. 

As soon as I said yes, several blogging opportunities have come up along with additional work responsibilities. 

I'm feeling a little swamped but that is okay. 

The more I had to do during my college years, the more productive I seemed to be. 

I'm counting on that in this situation. 

Here are some tips to help relieve Thanksgiving stress.

Decorate early.

The house is already decked out with turkeys and cornucopias. 

The pumpkins from Halloween continue to be put into service. 

Shop early for the food that is nonperishable.

You will avoid the crowds and you'll have time to remember what you forgot.

 Was I able to get our bird on sale?

No.

The sales on Turkeys will start either next week or the week after but I don't want to shop with every Tom, Tim and Ted Turkey. 

 I shopped in the evening hours and had the store almost to myself. 

There is a peace in knowing that I have most of the fixings for a Thanksgiving meal.

Before the big day, I'll pick up the perishables.

I'll shop late in the evening when the store is less crowded. 

Stuffing the bird is messy. What can I say?

 Stick with tried and true recipes that you've made over and over. 

There is less stress when you know how to prepare a dish.

There is less stress when you know the ingredients by rote.

 Have your guests contribute to the meal. 

Our family always shares in the preparation. 

We will have leftovers!

 Get out and organize your serving dishes and silver. 

 Polish your silver before hand. 

I use ordinary Comet for my thrifted silver and baking soda for precious items.

  

It's frustrating to pull out a black silver butter dish only to realize that your guests are almost at the door.

This has happened to me.

I'll pull out my platters and bowls early in the week and stack them on the buffet.
Don't like silver?
The thrift store has a continuous supply of crystal for not a lot of money.  

Know your dishwashers.

 

 I have the best family of dishwashers on the planet.

My siblings and I always jumped in and cleaned up after the meal. 

My kids do the same thing.

Finally, distract the first person that walks in the house. 

They are the only ones that will notice the fur ball in the corner. 

The other guests that enter the house notice the guests not the cleanliness of the house.

Genius!

Have a wonderful week, my friends.
Are you hosting Thanksgiving?

Katie 

Mocksgiving and Stuffing Recipe

I told you about our dinner party.

It has been ages since we've had anyone over.

It was a big success.
I was calling it "Mocksgiving" because it was a mock Thanksgiving dinner. 
In hind sight I should have called it "Friendsgiving." 
I hope our friends know that I wasn't mocking the wonderful traditions of Thanksgiving Day.

Everything went pretty well until Bill showed one of our new friends the kid's closets upstairs. What? It is a well know fact that I'm a stuffer. He has lived with me and our closets for 31 years. I'd just thrown a stack of blankets in there along with the lamps, pictures and knick knacks that don't have a home right now. 

Do you throw things in the closet right before guests come over?  

How embarrassing.

The second thing that didn't go so well was the nest chargers.

The men stripped theirs off of the table in short order after Bill led a rebellion of de-nesting. 

We ladies stubbornly stuck to using our chargers.  

Oh well.
It was cute but I'll probably never use them again. 
Too messy and the plate sort of slid around inside the nest.

Anybody need a gently used wreath?

Because now I have 6 of the same size.

Our guests said the food was really good.

I promised to share our stuffing recipe with you.

Yankee Stuffing.

I package Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoned Classic Stuffing 
1 cup of Johnsonville sweet Italian sausage (3 links)
I medium apple should equal about a cup 
(I used a Honey Crisp)
1 cup celery
1 cup onion
Dice everything and add it to the stuffing.
Melt 5 tablespoons butter
1 bullion cup dissolved in a cup of water.
Add additional water to desired consistency. It might seem a little dry but it will moisten as the apples cook down.
Put some in the bird. Stuffing the bird seems a little invasive and gross. I felt like I should say excuse me. 

We use a roaster to free up space in the oven. A little butter smeared over the top of the turkey browns it enough. We don't eat the skin. If it doesn't brown, it isn't a big deal.

Put the rest of the stuffing in a casserole dish.
Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees until warm.


Dressing is the preferred turkey accompaniment here in the south. 
Personally I can't abide the taste of it and Bill remembers feeling crushed at seeing a perfectly good pan of cornbread mixed with "gross stuff" as he recalls it. 
He is a stuffing convert.
Which do you prefer? Stuffing or Dressing?
I hope you are having a great day.
Katie