This is just a little reminder for everyone to take your turkeys out to start thawing Friday or Saturday if it is about a 20 lb turkey. I would start thawing all turkeys at the latest on Sunday. I like to have my turkey thawed at least a day or two ahead of time so I can get it all prepared, in the pan and ready to just pull out and stick in the oven. I have so many things to do the day before Thanksgiving that this is one less thing to worry about.
For all you new or inexperienced cooks be sure to take out the “guts” or giblets as most people call them and neck which are usually stuffed inside of the turkey.
If you are needing to dry bread for your stuffing lay it out this week end to get good and dry. Break it up, place it in the bowl you are going to be mixing it in and have that much done ahead of time.
This week end get your linens for the table washed and ironed and your silverware and dishes organized.
Do as much as you can ahead of time. Clean the veggies for the relish dish and salads or sides on Wed.
If you are making something like a sweet potato casserole get it all prepared and ready on Wed. so all you have to do on Thanksgiving is to pop it in the oven.
If you don’t want to be mashing potatoes two minutes before you sit down; mash them and place them in a crock pot on low to keep warm. You can keep them in there beautifully for 1 hour but no more because past that they get “yucky” fast.
Most of all for you new cooks or those of you doing your first Thanksgiving don’t panic. It is really no different or harder then any other regular meal, you just are maybe preparing more of everything.
If you are really nervous do a trial run this week end. Practice by roasting a chicken, making mashed potatoes, do one or two sides and a dessert. It’s just like a mini Thanksgiving.
If something goes wrong and most of us have had something happen once in awhile just laugh about it. It usually is the Thanksgiving everyone will remember and they will remember it with fond happy memories. It will give you something to tell your future daughter in law, granddaughter or daughter about.
I remember being so scared my first Thanksgiving cooking alone. My friend who was older and going to be one of my guests told me how on her first Thanksgiving everything was perfect, the table looked great everyone was laughing, joking and enjoying the food but half way through the meal she noticed something - she had forgotten the turkey. She had set it on top of the fridge to move it out of the way for a minute and had left it there. No one either didn’t notice or were too polite to say anything.
Things happen but you will do fine.
Jill
This is a great and inspirering story. I hope everyone takes the time to read it. We never can evaluate the power of our own actions.
Thanks! This year we moved out to the country, so we’ve been raising our own turkey. Wednesday is “D Day” for the turkey, and we couldn’t be more nervous about it! I’m looking forward to having everything else as simple as possible!! Of course, if things go badly with the bird, we may be eating pizza on Thursday instead, lol.
That is too funny. I could see my kids and grandkids with a turkey we had raised. They would either kidnap it and try to hid it in their room until after Thanksgiving or would be throwing their bodies over it to save it.
Our animals sleep in the house with us sharing an electric blanket. I could see us trying to eat one. HA!HA! Good luck! I’m not sure if I should pray that all goes well on Wed. or that you’ll be eating pizza on Thursday, lol.
Jill
That’s a nice story. I remember you posted it or sent it some time ago. Maybe you could repeat it once in a while. It’s a good lesson. Thanks!
my boyfriend stuffs our turkey with with sliced apples/onions/celery and oranges and a stick of butter and tops it with cumin/salt pepper and rosemary and bakes it yams with the skins on. This is the best way I have ever had turkey. NO stuffing or gravy needed. We boil the carcas for soup stock. enjoy
Thank for you for the “When a Queen rides by” story. It sounds exactly like something Queen Elizabeth I would do (remember her saying she had the body of a woman, but the heart and stomach of a king?) Sometimes in trying so hard to contribute we forget to be LADIES. What husband wants to come home to the comfort of a simlilar being in his home/kitchen/bed? We need to rember that we are the only ones who will apply the white table cloth, crystal, boo-boo kises, home made cookie, negligee, as appropriate. I remember Christian Writer Elizabeth Elliot describing a female (?Missionary?)pilot who said that the more she was a lady, the more they were gentlemen. By the way, I am a former Senior Counter Intelligence Analyst and present Human Resources Leader.
Over the years we have tried NOT to overdo our turkey dinner. I fix a very simple meal of turkey, potatoes, salad (fruit or veg) home made cranberry sauce. I have nixed the stuffing, relish tray, cracker and cheese plates and even cut down on deserts offering pumpkin pie. apple pie and cookies. This way food is not wasted and people can enjoy the meal without overdoing it. Everyone has walked away very happy and satisfied that they enjoyed a great meal without over stuffing themselves and it has saved their waistlines!
Don’t feel that you have to have every type of food offered for your one meal! Spending so much time cooking and cleaning up after wards is very exhausting! Be simple in your meal planning this way you actually have time to enjoy the meal you worked so hard to cook and the family and friends you’ve cooked it for. Don’t be afraid of asking others to pitch in either. If they offer a dish accept the offer! If they don’t offer a dish suggest one! After all isn’t this what being frugal is all about? Enjoy!
One year my dad brought home a turkey. He said it was for dinner. Our turkey lived a long life and died of natural causes!!!
An idea for leftover stuffing -
By trying this, I found that leftover stuffing tastes good when used in place of breadcryumbs in various recipes.
I put some in the meatballs that I made to go with slow cooked spaghetti sauce.