So this year, instead of heading over the river and through the woods to Grandma’s house, you have decided to host Thanksgiving at your place. Awesome–now what? If this is your first time hosting the big holiday gig, we have 4 things you need to know:
Make a Plan
Once you have determined how many guests you will have, create a menu and keep it simple. Thanksgiving is no time to try new, complicated dishes–stick to things you know and don’t be afraid to ask for contributions (see below). In addition to planning out the meal, you need to also consider things like event flow–especially if you are working in a small space. “You can do a beautiful party in a small space by utilizing all of your sitting areas,” says Debi Lilly. Consider where you would like guests to sit, where you want to set the food and even where people can grab a drink or cocktail. Click here for a complete Thanksgiving timeline and checklist.
Delegate, Delegate, Delegate
Yes, you may want to try and impress everyone with your great culinary skills by making everything on your own, but don’t. TheKitchen.com suggests that it’s actually OK to be “shameless about delegating the parts of the meal that stress you out” so you can actually enjoy the day as much as everyone else. Choose a dish that you like to make and ask your guests to contribute the other dinner items. If you are going for a true potluck meal, make sure that guests sign up for what they are bringing so you don’t end up with a table of pumpkin pies and no vegetables (although, that sounds kind of good).
Clean the Kitchen
This may seem obvious, after all, who doesn’t clean up their home before guests arrive (pre-holiday hint: call us soon to get a deep clean before the holidays)? However, cleaning the kitchen is more than just wiping down countertops and sweeping floors. Prepare your kitchen for Thanksgiving by organizing your fridge and creating room for the ingredients and food you will need to keep cold (click here for a quick guide to cleaning your fridge). Gather all the cookware, platters and dishes you will be using–making sure they are clean and ready to go to work–and, empty the dishwasher. There is nothing worse than a counter full of dirty dishes after your celebration.
Take an Extra Day Off
While others may making plans for their big Black Friday shopping sprees, we suggest you take the day BEFORE Thanksgiving off from work and activities so you won’t be rushed. Use the time to clean your home, do a last minute grocery run and create any make-ahead dishes that you can. “You’ll have a head start on tomorrow’s madness — and you’ll also be less likely to waste Thanksgiving energy stressing over leftover work stuff,” writes FlavorWire.com. If you can swing it, take the day after Thanksgiving off as well so you can rest and relax.
Talk to us: What is the one dish you always have on your Thanksgiving table?
image courtesy of flickr CC/Kyle James