Final stretch

Hello all!

We are almost 48 hours out from "CRUNCH TIME" for those of us hosting friends and family this year for Thanksgiving! WOOHOO!

I have pulled my turkey out to thaw...cleaned the house...and getting ready to buy our goodies for baking tomorrow. I plan to set my table Wednesday and will post pics then. Until then...

Happy Turkey Day Planning!

Crash! Boom! Bang!

That's right...my computer has finally bit the dust! We knew it was only a matter of time but it is still a bummer. So I missed yesterday's post..today I dusted off the old laptop and to my surprise it still works YAY!

Now, let's get back to some Thanksgiving day talk. I was trying to think of ways to make my table extra special this year and I've decided to make my own place cards. I loved going to my mother-in-law's house each year and seeing the creative place cards she would make.  This year I want to do it too!

There are tons of great DIY ideas out there but I think I am going to do something more on the simple side. I'm shopping today for some heavy card stock and will use my decorative shears to trim the edges of the paper and maybe, just maybe, I will buy a "fancy" pen/marker too!

Here are some other ideas I really like and who knows, I may end up trying one of them out! I really like the wine cork card holder, and the idea of hole punching the name card and adding embellishments.


 I will post pics of mine once finished but for now, tap into your creative side and have fun! Check these ideas out from Better Homes and Garden:
http://www.bhg.com/thanksgiving/indoor-decorating/easy-to-make-place-cards-for-a-thanksgiving-table/#page=1

Tablescapes and fun decorating ideas

Now that all that stressful pre-planning is over with it's time to have some fun with the Thanksgiving decor! I am still deciding on just how my table will look this year but I'm certainly enjoying doing the research for ideas!.

HGTV gives 15 different looks here: http://www.hgtv.com/entertaining/15-stylish-thanksgiving-table-settings/pictures/index.html?i=1
This one is my personal fave. Not so much the wicker baskets but LOVE the candlesticks and fall foliage!

Here is another great source (By Stephanie Lynn)  for ideas : http://www.bystephanielynn.com/2011/11/60-stylish-table-settings-for-thanksgiving-tablescape-ideas-and-inspiration-daily-buzz-moms-9x9.html

Some decorating tips that I follow:
1) Shop your house! You are sure to have some great items on bookshelves, on top of cabinets, etc. Walk around and grab what you see that fits the occasion.
2) Go to your local Dollar Store and load up on the cute glasses, jars, cloth napkins and reinvent them by painting your guests name on the glasses, or tie a home made name tag with jute around a jar and fill with whole walnuts, or acorns. Let your creative juices flow (or steal some cool ideas online like Pinterest!).
3) If all else fails, Simplicity is always elegant. Wash and press your favorite table cloth and napkins. Set your table and let the meal be your centerpiece!

Happy Decorating!

Giving Thanks

In the spirit of the season, I thought I would take a break from all the Turkey day planning and take a moment to share some ideas on how to get the whole family involved in really appreciating all that we have. This is the first year my family will not be going to someone else's house for the big day and also my first year preparing Thanksgiving for my family. I am excited to start some new traditions and look forward to cooking all day in my apron and watching football!

The new tradition we started this year was to create a "Gratitude Tree". I cut out leaves from construction paper in different colors (red, yellow, orange) and each night at dinner we share something we are thankful for. We write it on our leaf then put it on our tree. Pretty simple really, but it makes you stop and think and helps you realize we have  a LOT to be thankful for!

Here are some more Thanksgiving family crafts and activities you may enjoy! Creating traditions are a wonderful way to make lasting memories and really make the holidays special.

She Knows has some great ideas on teaching children about being thankful. Click here for more:
http://www.sheknows.com/holidays-and-seasons/articles/811780/teach-kids-to-be-thankful



Babble also has a great list of crafts to make with kids:
http://www.babble.com/home/25-thanksgiving-crafts-to-make-with-your-kids/

Have fun and give thanks!

Packing it all in-the pantry, fridge, and freezer make-over

So you're all set! Now it's time to make out your grocery list and bring all the goodies home so you can start your feast. The only problem is...where to put all of this food when your pantry is packed? First, let's back up...before heading to the store you need to dig around in your both your pantry and refrigerator and purge of those expired items that are lingering in the way back.

Next, take a look at your spice cabinet and group "like with like". Try to put your oregano, basil, Italian seasoning, etc. together. Put your cloves, cinnamon, allspice, etc. together. This little tip will help you get a fresh look at what spices you have on hand and as you're making your list out you'll quickly be able to jot down those needed and hopefully eliminate those extra trips to the store for forgotten items.

And now on to the fridge/freezer...My least favorite space to organize, I'll admit! The goal here is remove expired items and make room in the heart of the fridge/freezer for make ahead recipes like stock, cranberry sauce, soups, pie crusts, etc.

The MOST IMPORTANT THING TO REMEMBER!  ~ pull your turkey out of the freezer 3 DAYS before Thanksgiving. Place it on a rimmed cookie sheet and put on the bottom shelf of the fridge to thaw. No one wants to forget this one!

Now...for temperature tips and the nitty gritty info check out this go-to guide put together by Real Simple magazine.

http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/shopping-storing/food/store-food-refrigerator-10000000685607/

Timing is everything

So this is what you know:

1) The number of guests

2) The menu is set

3) The table is set

Now what? 

FOOD PREPERATION! I, personally always find myself struggling that last half hour to finish everything at once so that it all comes out hot and inevitably one thing is either forgotten, over done, or sometimes doesn't even get made!

Today, I am sharing some tips and tricks from my personal kitchen and a few magazines you all have trusted with recipes and tips before. First up, my advice:

I always write on a legal pad the menu items straight down on a piece of paper. In the next column I write the temp at which that item needs to be cooked. And on the third column I write the cook time needed.

This is a great way to get a visual of what your oven, stove top , or grill will look like and you can start to plan when you'll need to have certain things ready to put in the oven. And I always, ALWAYS!, prep whatever I can the day/night before to save myself some time the day of the dinner. Here are some more great tips~

Woman's Day magazine offers these tips for keeping your dishes warm while others are still getting cooked

http://www.womansday.com/food-recipes/cooking-tips-shortcuts/3-tips-for-timing-your-thanksgiving-meal-125103

Food Network has a calendar prepared with great go to tips for the "Turkey Day" countdown. They can be found here:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/thanksgiving-planning-calendar/package/index.html

And Eating Well answers all your questions about prepping for turkey day right here:

http://www.eatingwell.com/blogs/healthy_cooking_blog/how_to_plan_and_time_thanksgiving_dinner

 I hope you find these tips helpful! Tomorrow I will be sharing with you some ways to get your pantry and refrigerators organized and ready for your trip to the store. Until then...

Let the Countdown Begin!

So we have two weeks until Thanksgiving. One of my favorite holidays! This year I am really excited about being able to prepare a feast for my little family all by myself! So...I hope I can lend a few helpful tips to you along the way.

Menu planning begins. I want to have all the classic favorites but not so much that we waste a lot of food! To help determine just what will work on my table I always do a trial run of serving platters and place settings. Pick out which dishes will be served in/on what platters. Then set each table setting and arrange your platters so you can get a visual of what will work. Here is a picture I found over at Good Housekeeping and a few more tips that go right along with this topic:

http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/thanksgiving-ideas/easy-organizing-thanksgiving-table#slide-1



Once you have the table setting down you are well on your way to having a stress free Thanksgiving day! Tomorrow I'll be sharing some tips on timing your feast....