4 Tips For A Stress Free Thanksgiving Dinner

Author: Tim Sousa

Well, it's almost here again, the holiday that more than any other is associated with food and cooking. That holiday is, of course, Thanksgiving. Turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, gravy, pumpkin pie, and a lot of other food will need to be cooked. Having to cook all these and more can be stressful, trying to time everything just right, so that everything will be ready to go to the table at the same time. Cooking a Thanksgiving dinner doesn't have to be a stressful experience. Here are some tips to make your Thanksgiving cooking stress free, or at least less stressful:

1. Plan your menu ahead of time. Don't wait until Thanksgiving to decide what you plan to cook for dinner. Start planning at least a week or two ahead of time. When you plan your menu ahead of time, you'll not only know what you want to cook, but you can also get your shopping done early, having everything that you need ready to go, rather than having to run to the store at the last minute. If you've ever been to the grocery store just before a major holiday, you know how crowded the store can be. Save yourself the hassle, and get your menu planned out early, and get your shopping done early.

2. Get some of the cooking done ahead of time. Thanksgiving day is stressful with all of the cooking, setting the table, having guests arriving (and often crowding you in the kitchen). You can avoid some of this stress by doing some of your cooking ahead of time. Take a look at your menu, and decide what can be cooked a day or two early. Pumpkin pies can be done the day before, as well as the rolls and bread. Just do some of the cooking in the day or two before Thanksgiving. On the big day, you'll have fewer things to deal with.

3. Measure your ingredients in advance. Some of the foods just cannot be cooked any earlier than Thanksgiving day. You can make the preparation easier by having your ingredients measured out in advance. On the night before Thanksgiving, measure out the ingredients that you'll need the next day. Place them in containers and refrigerate them, or set them aside so that they'll be ready to go the next day.

4. Delegate some of the cooking. If you're having friends and family over for Thanksgiving, why not have them do some of the cooking for you. Instead of doing all of the cooking yourself, you can ask the relatives to bring the pies, or a salad, or some other dish. This way, you won't be stuck with all of the cooking, and allows others the joy of doing some of the cooking themselves.

thanksgiving shouldn't be stressful. Plan ahead, and make things easier on yourself. The less stressed you are, the more thankful you'll be. Try some or all of these tips when you're planning your Thanksgiving meal, and see how much easier your life can be.