Tips for Planning a Stress Free Thanksgiving Meal

Although it seems impossible, Thanksgiving is less than a month away. If one finds themselves in the position of being the host of the annual feast, the time to start planning is now.

The first and most important step in your planning is determining who will be on the guest list. While it may be tempting to invite all the family and dear friends one must consider how many people they have room to accommodate in their home. Guests will not enjoy being packed in like sardines.

When the guest list has been made it must be decided whether dinner will be formal or informal. A formal meal will feature china, crystal, silver, linens, candles and flowers on the table. A semi-formal meal might use everyday dishes, glasses and flatware, while a casual meal might be served buffet style using everyday dishes or even paper plates.

The decision to have a formal meal will require all the china and other table dressings being used to be taken out several days ahead of time and cleaned. This is also the perfect time to get the house clean and in order! Be sure to check tablecloths and napkins for stains and holes, but do not forget that a well placed flower arrangement or candlestick can hide a multitude of sins. Ensure that the crystal does not have any spots and that the silver is not tarnished. Order centerpieces from a florist several days in advance and have them delivered to avoid having to make a trip out. There is no reason the formal table can not be set a day or two in advance to keep stress levels down on Thanksgiving Day.

The next item on the list is menu planning. What will the hostess be making? What will she ask others to bring? Remember the quote about "no man is an island"? Well, no hostess is either. As a general rule, the host or hostess should plan on roasting the turkey, preparing the stuffing or dressing, and making the gravy. Guests will most likely offer to bring something, so do not be afraid to tell them what is needed to fill the table. Vegetables, potatoes, rolls, salads, casseroles, relish trays, and desserts are some of the things that a guest might bring. Check the guest list to make sure that there is enough of everything to feed everyone who is invited. Two pies are not going to feed twenty people, but by that same token, four bowls of corn are not going to be needed, so ask guests to specify exactly which vegetable they will be bringing. The same goes for pies and other desserts. There should always be a variety to choose from.

A late afternoon or early evening meal means that guests may be arriving earlier in the day and will be looking for something to entertain them while the cooking is going on. Set up card tables in den, living room, and game room can and have them stocked with a variety of family friendly games such as Monopoly, Yahtzee, Scrabble, and Trivial Pursuit. Also have decks of cards on hand- both regular cards and specialty decks like Uno and Rook as well as dominoes and checkers.

Some guests will be interested in watching the football games. Have a television set especially for them to watch sports on. Another TV set in a different room can be used to watch movies or for the younger guests to play video games on. Have some new release rentals and classic movies available for watching.

If guests will be arriving well before dinner time it is important to have snacks and appetizers on hand to curb appetites. Bowls of pretzels, nuts, and chips can be set around. A drink station can be set up on a bar or on a folding table so that everyone can help themselves to refreshments. If warm appetizers are going to be served, those can be placed with the drinks. Small plates should be setting close by.

Thanksgiving is a special day to spend with family and friends, but it can also be a stressful one if things are left to the last minute and it becomes a rush to get everything done on time.

Start planning now so that when the special day arrives there will be a minimal amount of work to be done and more time will be left to spend with loved ones.