Thanksgiving Week

Tomorrow will be the beginning of the week of Thanksgiving and I am far from where I anticipated I would be in my planning. Due to a slight intervention of my husband being in the hospital for a few days...my schedule has been altered!

I did manage to sit down and make all my lists for the week...plan my menu...make my shopping list...schedule my cooking...! But usually I have sent a Thanksgiving dinner invitation by email to all my family and friends...I haven't even started that yet...and to top it off my computer hard drive crashed a couple of weeks ago and left me with only a partial lists of email addresses. So this evening I will be making a few calls and composing an email to get those two items completed.

Today...I did most of my shopping and have most of the groceries I will need for my dinner. I have my table decorated and all my dishes washed and ready to set the table.

Thanksgiving Dinner 2008

Roasted Turkey and Dressing with Gravy
Smoked Ham
Citrus Cranberry Sauce
Mashed Potatoes with Cream
Baby Green Beans with Caramelized Onions and Bacon
Baked Corn Casserole
Sweet Potato Crunch
Honey Wheat Rolls
Caramel Pumpkin Pie
Gran’s Fudge Pie
White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

When I make my shopping list I like to categorize so that it is easier to shop.

Shopping List

Vegetables

Russet Potatoes

Sweet Potatoes

Green Beans

Corn

Onions

Green Peppers

Red Peppers

Celery

Fruit

Cranberries

Lemons

Limes

Oranges

Raspberries

Meats

Turkey

Ham

Bacon

Dairy

Milk

Buttermilk

Whipping Cream

Butter

Eggs

Cream Cheese

Cheddar Cheese

Staples

Flour

Sugar

Brown Sugar

Cornmeal

White Chocolate

Cocoa

Bittersweet Chocolate

Spices and Seasonings

Poultry Seasoning

Sage

Thyme

Juniper Berries

Cinnamon

Nutmeg

Allspice

Vanilla

Salt

Peppercorns

Miscellaneous

Pepperidge Farm Cookies

Tea

White Wine

It's always necessary for me to schedule my cooking so that I can get everything done and ready to serve my dinner around 2:00 P.M. So I begin cooking at least by Tuesday. I use Monday to put the finishing touches on cleaning my home and getting my table set.

Cooking Schedule

Tuesday

Cranberry Sauce

Cornbread for Dressing

Biscuits for Dressing

Pie Crusts

Wednesday

Cheesecake

Pumpkin Pie

Fudge Pie

Brine Turkey

Sweet Potato Casserole

Smoke Ham

Saute Onions and Celery for Dressing

Thursday

Roast Turkey

Mashed Potatoes

Baked Corn Casserole

Bread

Dressing

Gravy

With all my lists done...I feel like I've got a good start on the holiday!

Getting Ready for Thanksgiving

Have you started planning your Thanksgiving holiday...? Are you cooking for your family and/or friends? Are you dreading and stressing out over the entire ordeal...or do you find yourself feeling overwhelmed and a little apprehensive....?

Don't make the prospects of cooking all that food ruin your holiday. Its possible with a little planning and preparation to have a wonderful holiday!

First of all ....make a list....I make several lists to get me through the cooking.

I usually have around 15 for Thanksgiving dinner. We have family and friends...! I love to invite anyone who doesn't have a place to share the holiday. To me that's the spirit of the season! So it is imperative to be well prepared and have a plan.

The first thing you should do is plan your menu. Then make a shopping list followed by a schedule of preparing all the food. I try to start cooking at least several days before my meal. There are several things you can prepare ahead of time.

The most logical and smartest move you can make is to shop early...don't wait until the weekend before Thanksgiving or a couple of days prior to the holiday. Shop at least the week before...even if you are buying a fresh turkey...the stores get them in about a week before Thanksgiving. If you must wait for lack of room in your refrig...do all of your shopping the week before and pick up your turkey on Tuesday or Wednesday. You might have to wait in line at the checkout....but you won't be frantically running through the aisles at several stores trying to find all of your ingredients for the meal.

I thought it might be fun for you to follow me through all of my Thanksgiving process. So over the next couple of weeks...we will plan...make lists....shop....and cook ....together....!

Looking forward to you joining me.....Leah