Thanksgiving is ‘round the corner, followed closely by other biggies in December. Are you hosting a group? Feeling stressed about it? I’m here to help. These twelve steps will help you feel in-control of your party, so that you can enjoy yourself more. Read on, and breathe deep.
- Get yourself a folder with pockets. You’re going to keep all your holiday-dinner-related stuff in here (recipes, guest lists, shopping lists, time-lines etc.).
- Plan your guest list. I do all my lists on the computer so that I can easily edit them. Divide up your list into adults and kids—if the kids are small, they’ll eat less—a big factor in deciding what size turkey/ham/roast to buy.
- Order your meat, if special-ordering is necessary.
- Plan your menu. List all the dishes you’re going to serve, and gather up all your recipes—whether from your own collection or clipped from magazines—and put these in your folder. Don’t forget cocktails, if you’re interested in those—you might need special ingredients. If your recipes come from cookbooks, note the cookbook name and page number next to the item on your menu.
- Make assignments. If your guests are local, most would love to bring something to contribute to the meal. Don’t be a hero—let them! Note who’s responsible for what next to each item on your menu list.
- Make a shopping list. Go through all your recipes and figure out what you need to buy. Note that there are probably a lot of items that you can get far ahead of time … so buy them weeks early and save yourself hassle as the holiday approaches. This includes booze and wine. They’ll keep, and the stores are just going to get nuttier and nuttier. Trust me.
