Oh no... I've been asked to host... THANKSGIVING!!

[blackforest]

Don't sweat it! We are up to over 40+ when everyone one on DH's side of the family shows up, and then we turn around and do MY side of the family on the following day, ususally 15 or so.

-Use paper everything!
-Have people bring stuff, even if it is ice or some buns for sandwiches later. Pop or drinks too!
-Lable everything (platters, spoons etc.). At the last minute everyone wants to know where ? is or which bowl gets the green beans? I use post-it notes inside the bowls and it is self-explanitory.
-Use ready to eat stuff. Our families happen to like Stove Top stuffing and jarred gravy. We leave the specilaty food items to the person who is the best at it. My DSIL's baked rice, another DSIL's Killer Brownines, my DM's pumpkin pie.
-Clean, but don't go crazy! I used to clean everything! Now, if the the floors are swept and there are clean handtowels we're good to go!


Good luck! My first T'giving I was a wreck, but all everyone talked about was how nice it was for everyone to get together!

 

[Crystal0608]

I've cooked a turkey once, turned out perfect, but partially through I found a bag of gizzards or something tied up in the neck. I threw it away & didn't metion a thing . The Reynolds big turkey bag kept it moist. I also peeled back the skin & buttered it & rubbed some herbs & s&p, then did the same on the skin & put an peeled onion you know where (throw away afterwards). The skin was awesome! I used a gravy pack that you just add water too, I added a couple spoons of drippings for the homemade taste . I've also made a couple hams that were really good, a guy I worked with told me to make x's all over the top of the ham & baste it with pineapple juice & brown sugar frequently, I forgot the cloves. It glazed very well.

My mama & grandma made the best stuffing with pepperidge farm bread crumbs, diced celery, & diced eggs in a dish separate from the bird. I also request cranberry salad every year- very easy to make & soooo good.

Any veggies you use could be chopped & frozen ahead of time. You can also purchase peeled boiled eggs at the grocery store for about the same cost as a dozen raw. DD loves deviled eggs & they are served at Thanksgiving, but I always peel them badly. All I do with these are slice in 1/2 & mash the yolks with mayo, mustard, & sp. The Oreida Steam n Mash have $1 coupons out .

 

[irish dancer]

Last year was my first time cooking Thanksgiving too and the in-laws were coming so I was doubly nervous.

I HIGHLY recommend www.flylady.net. It is an organization/cleaning type website but she has a Thanksgiving Menu Mailer that I found invaluable. It includes a timeline starting two weeks out all the way up to getting dinner on the table. I followed the plan and everything worked out pretty good with little stress, there was one minor emergency. I had put the turkey in the fridge to defrost 2 days before but when I took it out to prep it for the oven it was still icy and a little frozen . Warm water to the rescue and the crisis was averted and everything came out Ok.

In order to budget I'd say start planning early and get things on sale, everything from food to decorations.

Have fun!

 

[luckey-lasvegas]

Look on the bright side.. if you screw it up they won't ask you to do it again !

 

[2bearsmom]

Crystal0608, just a quick tip when hard boiling eggs, just add some vingegar to the boiling water and it will help the shells slide off when peeling!

 

[CrAzY4DL]

My solution for perfectly peeled boiled eggs is to peel them when they are still hot. I let the eggs sit in the hot water but off of the burner for 5-10 minutes, then lift each one out with a big spoon, blast it under cold water for a second so as to not burn myself, tap the whole egg repeatedly until it is all cracked and everything slides off usually in one or two pieces. I LOOOOVE devilled eggs but always peeled the ugliest darn eggs until started doing this! And vinegar didn't work for me. SAD!

 

[KigerKat]

One thing that I've noticed is in the weeks before Thanksgiving, the coupon inserts in the paper have coupons for all kinds of things you're going to need: napkins, gravy, stuffing, turkey, and all kinds of baking items!!

 

[hentob]

I love the Alton Brown turkey recipe from food network .com
You have to soak the turkey overnight.
If you don't have a meat thermometer go ahead and get one.

Use your crock pot to keep a side dish warm. Consider borrowing one if you don't have one.

Cook as much as you can ahead and freeze it.

Good luck!!

We do this one and OMG! People are already talking about T-Giving b/c of this turkey It is a hit

 

[NaplesRI]

One thing I found I have to do is prepare what dish I am going to use to serve which item. I line up the serving dishes and put a note in them as to what they are for, and have the serving utensil right with it. That way I know I am not forgetting to serve something, and I know I have a server for it.

I also worked with a list so I would remember everything. The microwave is such a help for those make ahead heat up items.

Another thing we did last year- we made a menu like you might see in a restaurant. Since we were serving quite a few items- and not everyone might like everything, it let them know what was coming so they could determine how much room they wanted to save for other food. We also put a little message on it expressing our thanks for them sharing this day with us, and put some Thanksgiving clipart on it. It was really cute and everyone commented on how great it was.

The thing I was most nervous about was my gravy and it tuend out fine. Whew! It will be busy- but try to relax and enjoy- it is a day to give thanks so take time to enjoy yourself.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

I have a really good tip, but some people might think I'm terrible! I've cooked lots of turkeys before. I can do the whole meal. But, last year I just didn't want to so I bought an entire meal pre-cooked! We have a Mimi's Cafe near us that was offering complete turkey dinners. It came with a turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn bread, gravy, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie and whipped cream. It said it would feed 8-10. We only had 6 people but we had lots of leftovers. The entire meal was $89. I figured it would cost close to that to buy all the ingredients plus my time for cooking. All I had to do was transfer the food into oven-safe dishes and heat it up. I took about an hour total. My family loved it and I enjoyed hanging out with my kids and watching parades all day instead of cooking and messing up my kitchen.

Many of the grocery stores in our area also offer pre-cooked holiday meals. I think I'll look into another for Christmas!

 

[NotUrsula]

What on earth is all this talk about eggs? Must be some kind of regional thing, I guess, but I've been cooking for Thanksgiving for 40 years now and I've never cracked an egg that day unless it was going into a cake the night before.

First off, turkey is not difficult. It's easy, but the key is in the prep work, not the cooking. If you are a total amateur, realize that the organs are inside the turkey in a bag; you are meant to cook those separately the night before for stock (you don't have to, but that's why they are there), so you should remove them from the bird before the bird is cooked. There are lots of different prep techniques, including brining. If you have a butane cooker set up, you can also deep-fry your turkey; men love to do that, and a fried turkey is WONDERFUL. My family went to frying about 15 years ago, and we don't roast anymore. (Note that frying is dangerous, it MUST be done outdoors with a bit of distance from the house, and little kids must be kept out of the way.)

Gravy is always an issue fraught with arguments over technique, and traditional gravy is a heart attack on a plate. I ditched that YEARS ago, and I now use powder gravy packets. Instant gravy is fat-free and you don't have to worry about over-salting it, either. I just add in the chopped giblets that I cooked the night before, and no one has ever had the gall to challenge me over it. Having several packets around helps with the day-after sandwiches, too.

Also, as someone else said, to heck with that 4 am business. Have DINNER, not lunch. More time to cook and a decent night's sleep fosters a much less stressful atmosphere. Also, the relatives who drive you crazy will be present for a much shorter time period.

 

[Crystal0608]

What on earth is all this talk about eggs? Must be some kind of regional thing, I guess, but I've been cooking for Thanksgiving for 40 years now and I've never cracked an egg that day unless it was going into a cake the night before.

Think I started it, lol. I'm in NC & there are always deviled eggs & diced eggs in stuffing & potato salad at T'giving.

 

[mitchwebb]

Thanksgiving is my holiday to host and I'm lucky that my sisters and brother always ask what they can bring. We have been doing it for over ten years and have it down. We do the turkey (usally two, one smoked and one baked) the veggies, mashed potatoes (make the day before and add cream cheese with chives) stuffing and rolls. Mom and the girls make pumkin pies the night before, brother makes his famous pecan pie and brings wine. Oldest sister it the salad queen (always some new fancy salad) and youngest sister loves doing a appetizer. We have other guest some bring wine some just show up hungry.

Must say I got quit a bit of ribbinb this year when I informed them we would be at WDW for Thankgiving. A couple wrote to ask us what time they should show at our Villa.

If anyone asks what they can bring don't be shy. My family loves to contribute and we all have a holiday we host and know how much it helps.

 

[Poohs Corner]

I have a really good tip, but some people might think I'm terrible! I've cooked lots of turkeys before. I can do the whole meal. But, last year I just didn't want to so I bought an entire meal pre-cooked! We have a Mimi's Cafe near us that was offering complete turkey dinners. It came with a turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn bread, gravy, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie and whipped cream. It said it would feed 8-10. We only had 6 people but we had lots of leftovers. The entire meal was $89. I figured it would cost close to that to buy all the ingredients plus my time for cooking. All I had to do was transfer the food into oven-safe dishes and heat it up. I took about an hour total. My family loved it and I enjoyed hanging out with my kids and watching parades all day instead of cooking and messing up my kitchen.

Many of the grocery stores in our area also offer pre-cooked holiday meals. I think I'll look into another for Christmas!

Not terrible not at all.. We did this one year, when my husbands 90 year old grandmother wanted us to eat Thanksgiving dinner at her house the year we took a trip up to Iowa. It was very nice and we just added a couple of things to it.. Easy Peasy!!! Love it!! And we got to spend all that special time with his Grandmother and she wasn't wore out from cooking.. It was a win win.

We pretty much dont bake turkeys anymore.. We deep fry them. . They cook so much faster, and since its being cooked outside, that frees up my oven for other things to be cooked. So JUICY and TASTY.. Not OILY (like one would think.. lol) I always buy two Turkeys (on sale) and then some whole chickens, and cook them all one after each other, so I can get the most use out of the peanut oil..

Good Luck, I am sure you will be fine.. I remember my first Turkey Day meal that I cooked MANY MOONS ago.. and it was just me and my husband.. I wanted everything to be just PERFECT... Over the years I have learned, to enjoy and not stress..

Oh yea and we do DINNER too... That way there is no getting up at 4am and I can take my time during the day

 

[nicolemomof4cuties]

Don't worry! You can do it! Fry the turkey! It is the best and you don't have to do it the men can deal with it! LOL! I have been hosting our family's Thanksgiving for the past 5 years and it is a bit hectic but with a few people helping out it isn't too bad. My DH is the 2nd oldest of 12 children and my family comes over also so we usually have about around 35 people or so. Maybe more maybe less. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday and I picked up some super cute pilgrim Minnie, Mickey, and Pooh's and a Turkey EEyore that I decorate with. i also have some Minnie and Mickey Pilgrim Salt and Pepper shakers. we have some nice Harvest color table cloths and runners and really pretty center pieces.

 

[nicolemomof4cuties]

We always use pretty paper pplates and napkins for easier clean up and and we don't eat until around 2 or 3 pm and then it is like non stop eating......LOL! We have Like a smorgasbord that would put Golden Corral to shame but Thanksgiving themed...HAHA!

 

[barbarabini]

relax ;>
Turkey - its like a big chicken - easy to cook - just find out about defrosting times. I stuff it with herbs, apples and lemons.
Make ahead stuffing and other casseroles and pop into oven that day -- easy peasy.
the pasta course: , you can make a bolognese or vodka sauce the day before and cook the macaroni that day.

No need to get up at the crack of dawn, just plan slightly ahead. set table the night before

 

[merekc]

I skimmed other responses, so I apologize if this is a repeat.

Potatoes can be peeled and chopped the day before for your mashed potatoes. Cover them in water, drain and put in fresh water the day of.

Last year, someone posted on another thread that mashed potatoes can be made early in the day and kept warm in the crockpot. We tried it and that was the best tip ever.

I second who ever said come up with a spreadsheet. The first year we had to do Thanksgiving after my grandma died, my sister and I made a list of what needed to be made and when. We also included any special instructions and whose responsiblity it was. It saved us. We were then able to tweek it and put it in our notes for the future. We actually had a second condensed list that gave us a quick timeline. Like this.

7:00 preheat oven to 325 for Turkey
7:30 put Turkey in oven
9:15 put in Ham

You get the idea. Hope this helps.

 

[englishteacha]

We have a giant family Thanksgiving, and until I was married, I'd never actually had a hot Thanksgiving meal! When you're trying to feed 40 people (and that's just immediate family-I'm one of 8 kids), you can't keep everything hot unless you do a buffet, and even then it's tricky.

Do what you can ahead of time. I make a Thanksgiving meal for just DH and me. We have a lot of leftovers! I only make our favorites-turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and rolls or homemade bread. Sometimes I make squash or carrots for me, but DH doesn't care for them. I buy a frozen Sara Lee pie, which is really quite tasty! I make homemade pies for our family Thanksgiving (the Saturday after), so I don't bother to make homemade for us when a frozen one is delicious.

Honestly, I think I'd rather go out to eat on Thanksgiving, but I can't convince DH. This year we're invited to a friend's house on Thanksgiving itself, but I may end up cooking the turkey and bringing it. The hostess is less of a cook than I am, and her hubby is a vegetarian.

 

[robsmom]

Definately put a turkey lifter under it. I makes it so much easier to get it out of the pan.

For budget decorations, go to Big Lots. Joanne's has some great sales right before the holiday. Rite Aid just had 50% off there fall decorations.

Are you from Toledo, Ohio? If you are ~ I am your neighbor!

What exactly is a turkey lifter? where do you get them. I have never used one but it sounds like a great idea.