Thanksgiving Dinner - Planning Ahead For Stress-Free Holiday Hosting

Believe it or not, if you're the host, it's time to plan your Thanksgiving Dinner! I'm a natural procrastinator, so I've learned the hard way that planning ahead really is the best way to keep the holidays stress-free. You'll even be able to spend time with your guests without worrying about the meal. And your guests will appreciate a host who is relaxed and enjoying the day with them.

Go ahead now and confirm who will be coming for dinner and if they are bringing a date. Knowing about how many people you are cooking for, you can still plan a little extra just in case and have plenty of food if you extend a last minute invitation. You might also ask your guests if they have any dietary restrictions so you can be prepared if somebody has an allergy or health condition.

A few years ago, my husband suggested we order the turkey from a restaurant and then focus on the sides and dessert at home. The only thing I had to do to the turkey was warm it up and it didn't take up my oven all day! It worked so well, it is now part of my regular Thanksgiving Day plan. If you are making the turkey yourself, consider asking a guest to bring some sides or order dessert from your favorite bakery. Anything to feel like it's not all on your shoulders!

Two weeks before Thanksgiving, you should finalize your menu. Choose one or two recipes that you love and can make totally from scratch. These are the ones you can brag about to your guests. The rest can have a couple of ingredients that can come from a box or can. Nobody will know and now is not the time to be Superwoman. Double check your pantry for basics like sugar, flour and chicken stock, you'll need more than you think. Chances are there are some spices like Nutmeg and Allspice that you don't use often, so make sure you have enough. If you are a traditionalist, you might be planning a menu that includes turkey, stuffing, candied yams, some variety of green bean casserole, homemade rolls, pumpkin pie, etc. Want more variety? Go ahead and mix it up!

If you bake your own dinner rolls, make them now right up to the point where you place them on the baking sheet, then cover the whole pan with plastic wrap and put them in the freezer. You can pull them out Thanksgiving morning and they will thaw and rise by dinnertime. Short on space? After they are frozen, remove them from the pan, put them in a zip-lock bag and then back in the freezer.

Don't wait for the weekend before Thanksgiving to do your grocery shopping! Do it as soon as your menu is planned so you're not tempted to change your mind. Plus, you can skip the crowds and make sure the store has all of your ingredients in stock. There's nothing more frustrating than going from store to store looking for one major ingredient the day before you're hosting dinner.

Don't forget dessert. If you do your own baking, choose something that you can make at least two days before serving. If baking isn't your thing, now is the time to place your order at your favorite bakery. You will have a hard time ordering desserts from a popular bakery the same week as Thanksgiving, it's one of the busiest weeks of the year!

The Saturday before Thanksgiving, do any house cleaning that needs to be done, including washing the china, silverware and stemware you plan to use for dinner. Go ahead and set the table, put out the candles, vases and any other decorative items you want to use. Review your menu, noting the cooking times and temperatures for all of your dishes and plan your oven space accordingly.

Two days before Thanksgiving, make your desserts. This is often the most time-consuming part of preparing for a big dinner, especially if you are making more than one or two desserts for your guests. By making them ahead, you give yourself a little breathing room.

The day before, prep everything else so there are no surprises on Thanksgiving Day if you forgot an ingredient and the store is closed. If you plan this step properly, you can complete this in less than two hours. First, gather all of your ingredients on the counter, start the cornbread for the stuffing, boil the eggs and wash the vegetables. Next, peel and slice the potatoes. For mashed potatoes, put them in the pan, cover with water and put them in the refrigerator. For candied yams, spray your baking dish with non-stick spray, arrange the slices, add the other ingredients, cover and put in the fridge. Do the same thing for your other side dishes, getting everything completely prepped. The cornbread should now be ready to mix with the other ingredients for the stuffing, cover and put in the refrigerator. Use foil to cover your dishes and write in sharpie on top with the cooking time and temperature.

It's Thanksgiving Day! Your kitchen is clean and the table is set. You're a relaxed, stress-free host! All you have to do now is put your dishes in the oven and then enjoy spending the day with your guests! Happy Thanksgiving!

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PETA Banned Thanksgiving Ad "Grace"

NBC passed on airing a PETA commercial on turkey cruelty during its Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, the animal cruelty activist groups says. The commercial shows a girl saying grace before her families Thanksgiving feast. During her prayer, she tells her family -- as PETA describes it -- "exactly like it is for turkeys who are killed for holiday meals." PETA says that NBC first asked for more information to substantiate the claims. The groups says it provided the network with a New York Times article on the abuses turkeys face, but the article provided was actually an op-ed piece from 2003 by Patrick Martins, the director of Slow Food USA NBC ultimately rejected the ad, PETA says: Thanksgiving can be the scariest time of year if you're a turkey. More than 45 million of these fascinating birds are killed to disgrace Thanksgiving tables each year. In hopes of empowering kids everywhere to speak out as their families adorn their Thanksgiving tables with dead birds, PETA offers its Thanskgiving ad, 'Grace.' In the ad, you hear from one straightforward little girl as she tells it exactly like it is for turkeys who are killed for holiday meals when asked to say grace around her family's dinner table. Despite the fact that it contains nothing graphic, NBC has rejected the ad, which was submitted to air during the iconic Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. When not forced to live on filthy factory farms, turkeys spend their days caring for their young, building nests, foraging for ...

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THANKSGIVING 2009

Heres video of Thanksgiving 2009 at Janet and Dennis' house. In attendance were Dale and Kayla with Lyric, Al and Izel, Rick and Julie, Celess, Jennacy, Michelle and Robert with Matthew, Al, Dennis and Janet. There was turkey and ham, dressing, green bean casserole, cesar salad, rolls, pumpkin-egg nog pie, pumpkin pie, pecan pie, deviled eggs, mashed taters, fruit salad, crackers and dip, and olives. Probably forgot something... Everyone had a god time and almost all the food was gone at teh end. Happy Holidays!

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Thanksgiving with the Van Gogh-Goghs

Enjoy a delicious Thanksgiving spread with your favorite dorks. The Van Gogh-Goghs present to you video from their annual Thanksgiving day dinner.

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a special HOLIDAY episode

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Thanksgiving Dinner and The Green Bean Casserole

You have a decision to make this holiday season, are you going to eat nutritionally, keeping those calories in check or throw caution to the wind and have an extra piece of pumpkin pie?

I considered titling this article... "Uncle Bill and The Second Piece of Pumpkin Pie", but he swore he'd disown me if I did. Settling on the tamer choice "Thanksgiving Dinner and The Green Bean Casserole", I began to wonder if one could have a satisfying (for everyone involved) Thanksgiving dinner, while also making the meal nutritious.

These views may seem diametrically opposed, but with a bit of planning, it's possible to have the best of both worlds. Our plan is to prepare a meal that is both enjoyable to eat, and nutritional sound, something you are proud of, and your guests... well they'll be asking for seconds.

Variety is the spice of life, and it's no different on Thanksgiving. While turkey is the tradition, let's build some variety into our meal. Not only will this provide your guests with a culinary delight, you'll also be giving them a feast for their eyes. So what does that mean?

Well one of my favorites and standard Thanksgiving fare is the green bean casserole. The recipe is fairly standard; mushroom soup, 3 or 4 cups of green beans, a little pepper, milk and, to kick up the calories a notch, a brimming cup or more of French fried onions. Seasonings to taste could be garlic, onions, parsley, sprinkled with bread crumbs. Depending on how you personalize things, the calories per serving aren't that bad, anywhere from 80 to 100. Seconds anyone?

While that sounds great (I'm getting hunger pangs) consider also a green bean salad. It fits with tradition, while giving your guests a choice of something different. Prep is a snap; green beans, boiling salt water (sea salt of course), a touch of vinegar, a little vegetable oil, onions (don't let them catch you crying), some dill and a wee bit of sugar.

Having variety will encourage your guests to sample small portions (they simply have to taste those yams), instead of loading up on one high calorie yummy. Preparing your meal this way provides complex nutrients and scintillating flavors to please the discriminating palate.

Go slow. It always amuses me to listen as conversations go from animated to silence as the meal is served. Then pick up again as the plates are cleaned. Uncle Bill (name changed to protect my uncle's ego) heads back for seconds, while the kids start eyeing the pumpkin pie and cool whip. Instead of rushing toward the second helping or desert, encourage some conversation, thus slowing things down. Why? It gives your brain time to catch up. It takes approximately 15 minutes for your brain to process the information that "you are full and satisfied". If during those 15 minutes you have that second piece of pie, or heaping helping of dumplings, you'll find yourself stuffed and uncomfortable.

While we're all thankful for the food, take a moment to be thankful for your family and friends and the blessings we've received throughout the year. Family and friends are the true spice and variety of life.

When you have food, remember those who are hungry.

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