Thanksgiving

**TeganZ** · 11-11-2009, 12:19 PM

Who is ready for Thanksgiving?

What do you do to de-stress before the big day? Any preparation tips?

**G'MaDebbie** · 11-11-2009, 12:35 PM

OMGosh is it time for Thanksgiving already?! lol!

**Lindsey** · 11-11-2009, 01:00 PM

Hmm, when it's my turn to have it... I make the green bean casserole the day before (I don't put the dried onions on it yet though) and the corn casserole, but don't bake em, just have them together covered with foil and in the fridge. I also have the potatos peeled and sitting in the water and stuck in the fridge. I set the table the night before. Go to sleep at a decent hour. Write a list of what needs to be done still and check it off. Have all the clothes laid out for the kids and me.

**TigerGirl1226** · 11-11-2009, 01:02 PM

I've got to get through my garage sale this weekend and then I can start worrying about Turkey Day! I am hosting and I can't even start to get my house straight until all this stuff is either sold or donated.

**Nishu** · 11-11-2009, 01:16 PM

Thanksgiving this year will probably be a mini christmas too since the man is going to be gone for Christmas. I tried a small thanksgiving dinner last year and it really didn't turn out the way I wanted so I'm excited to try again. I'll be watching this thread.

**ktsmama** · 11-11-2009, 04:28 PM

We decided that we are not stressing out about Thanksgiving this year. We are going to grill steaks, have bake potatoes and salad on the side and just enjoy each other's company.

**Contrary Housewife** · 11-11-2009, 04:44 PM

After doing it for 20 years I've sort of got it down. I make a list of each dish I am serving, how long it takes to cook, by what method (stove or oven) and how long it takes. Then it's easy to schedule. DH does the turkey. I make pie the night before. I get out all the serving dishes and spoons and put sticky notes on each saying what will be served in it. This way I don't put the cranberry in a dish that is too big leaving me with only the small bowl for the vegetables.

When I was in college each housemate was responsible for something, setting the table, cleaning up, making the dinner rolls. This can be done with family members, too.

**MomToTwoBoys** · 11-11-2009, 04:46 PM

DH will be out of town that entire week, so the turkey dinner that I had planned on doing is no longer on the list. We still sort of embrace American Thanksgiving, but the cost is just too much for us right now.

**Natalie's Nesters** · 11-11-2009, 07:17 PM

I am sooo not ready for Thanksgiving, heck, I can not believe its Nov! We do small family Thanksgiving dinners here. Easy,relaxed kind of day!

**Imarachne** · 11-11-2009, 07:39 PM

We will just have a modified version of our old meal--moneywise -but we're all watching our weight this year !!

**Grainlady** · 11-11-2009, 07:40 PM

I've been at this a number of years too. I took advantage of lots of bargains, loss-leaders, and coupons today, so I was able to get a Honeysuckle Bone-In Turkey breast - reg. $20.17 - for $9.26 = $1.14 per pound.

I bought white potatoes on sale and have already made them into mashed potatoes and they are in the freezer. Wal-Mart had sweet potatoes for 50-cents a pound a few weeks ago, so I stocked up on those - including enough to dehydrate.

Most of the other things have already been purchased as I found them on sale.

I just wish we had Thanksgiving in October like Canada does.

**jamie79** · 11-11-2009, 08:25 PM

I have been doing it for a long time too so its fairly easy. I got my turkey today as a matter of fact. I do make my dressing the day before so the spices in it can marry and its really good.Since is just the 4 of us I dont make alot of side dishes just a couple. I also learned when I moved here that the bakery at the Piggly Wiggly makes the best pumpkin pies so I buy them

**Thevail** · 11-11-2009, 11:17 PM

I have a very special thanksgiving tradition that keeps me from stressing out..

I host a eat-only-what-you-really-like,
friends only,
in-our-comfiest-jammies-and-slippers,
eat until you fall asleep on the sofa watching football,
Farting-is-fine-and-so-is-burping,
discuss-anything-but-family,
THANKS GIVING!

It's the kick off to what is always a stressfull, whirlwind of activity until Christmas is over period for all of us.

We celebrate our last stress-less day until the new year.

**kittykatstrong** · 11-11-2009, 11:50 PM

Originally Posted by Contrary Housewife

After doing it for 20 years I've sort of got it down. I make a list of each dish I am serving, how long it takes to cook, by what method (stove or oven) and how long it takes. Then it's easy to schedule. DH does the turkey. I make pie the night before. I get out all the serving dishes and spoons and put sticky notes on each saying what will be served in it. This way I don't put the cranberry in a dish that is too big leaving me with only the small bowl for the vegetables.

When I was in college each housemate was responsible for something, setting the table, cleaning up, making the dinner rolls. This can be done with family members, too.

I put a note in each one too, just to make sure I have enough spoons and dishes. My Dh told me I was the only one who would that. Glad I am not.

**TheRootedNomad** · 11-12-2009, 06:30 AM

The only things I actually find stressful acbout Thanksgiving are ones over which I have no control, such as, will my aunt be contrary and want to sit in her house alone and send my mother into a tizzy trying to get her to come over or will I be baking by myself instead of my sister and mother helping and us having the family time I look foward to while doing so, and so on. I simply attempt to make myself aware that there is a good chance these things will happen and plan for how to deal with them that will help allow me to just let go of the negative emotion and focus on the positive aspects. Dinner and the day itself is not stressful for me.