Thanksgiving Dinner Planning

Planning to host a thanksgiving dinner? Worried that you might fall short of time? The solution is to plan perfectly so that you get ample time to entertain the guests and enjoy their company. Planning early and doing things in stages enable you to make the thanksgiving dinner a huge success. This also helps you to remember the things which worked last time and the changes you would like to incorporate this time. The key to this success is to start the preparations just when it is ought to be. It includes sending invitations, taking the headcount of the guests, preparing the menu, scheduling the timings, cross-checking the list, delegating the responsibilities and so on. So, keeping these issues in mind, plan a thanksgiving dinner with a perfect list and plan. This avoids fretting at the last moment for things which you forgot. Check some of our tips to get some ideas on Thanksgiving dinner.

Start Preparation After Halloween
As soon as Halloween passes which falls in the month of October, you can start preparing for your thanksgiving dinner. This includes listing the number of guests who will be attending the dinner. By this way, you can plan the thanksgiving budget accordingly.

Send Invitations
As soon as you prepare the guests to be invited for the dinner, ensure you send out thanksgiving dinner invitations to your guests. Moreover, ask your guests to respond to the invitation by a specific date.

Prepare The Menu
Once the guests respond, ensure to check with them, their food specifications and dietary needs through a courtesy call. Some of them might be vegetarians and you can plan the menu accordingly, ensure your vegetarian menu is not limited to salads. For those who are sensitive to gluten, you can prepare a gluten-free pumpkin pie recipe. It is also good to have a list of menus in the initial stages of planning the menu so that you get plenty of time to decide on it. If you have some nearby restaurants that are specialized in a food item, you can purchase it from there. You need not follow a typical thanksgiving dinner as you can dare to be different.

Check the List of Essentials
Two weeks prior to the Thanksgiving Day, cross-check the list of recipes which you are preparing for Thanksgiving Day. Ensure you have all the utensils and pots which you need for the D-day. In case, you do not have any of the items, you can consider purchasing some of them. It would also be good if you check the head count of the guests once more to avoid further confusion.

Delegate Work
You might be the best on managing things; but there are others who are better than you in some jobs. Never hesitate to delegate the responsibilities to your friends, hubby or relatives. It is essential to set realistic expectations on oneself as never over commit thinking that you can do everything by yourself. If your guests offer to bring something, such as appetizers or beverages, do not hesitate to take it up. This helps in saving your valuable time still allowing the guests to contribute. Consign someone to bring toys or board games which make the kids occupied. Assigning the dusting and cleaning work to your hubby or children would relieve you from that task and avoid fretting on it at the last moment.

Schedule The Timings
Cooking preparations doesn't get over easily as there is lot to be done. For every work, it's good to have a time table. For example, if you require 30 minutes to prepare a sweet potato casserole, plan it for 45 minutes which provides you that additional time. This gives you the time to breathe or take a break. The same rule is applicable for every work. If you are making pie, make the dough a week before the Thanksgiving Day and freeze it till you are ready to use it.

Practice Beforehand
Some of the dishes which you are planning for the thanksgiving dinner might be new to you. So, to make the dishes and the dinner false proof, ensure you practice making it beforehand. Once you have prepared the dish already, things will be easier on Thanksgiving Day.

Plan For Appetizers
Never forget to plan for some appetizers which are basically the entertainers or time savers. These appetizers hold the guests when they arrive at your house. As your presence is more required at the kitchen, they entertain and delight the guests while you make the way for the main dishes.

Thanksgiving Day is an occasion for social gathering and feasting. Hope this article familiarizes you with the tips which you can implement to make this day a huge success!