The turkey gets trussed and you get stressed. Holiday entertaining isn’t always easy, but with careful planning, you can be more relaxed and truly enjoy hosting Thanksgiving dinner. Here are some tips to make the event—and the prep leading up to it—easier.
- Plan your full menu several days in advance. Estimate how much time it will take to make each dish and write out a schedule timing the preparation of each one. This will make it easier to multi-task and ensure you finish side dishes in time to serve them with dinner.
- Keep the turkey on ice, but if you buy a frozen turkey, make sure to allow enough time for it to thaw safely in the refrigerator. Allow at least one day for every four lbs. of the turkey’s weight. And never, ever thaw your turkey at room temperature.
- Try frying your turkey with an easy Indoor Rotisserie Turkey Fryer. It will cook a crispy, succulent whole turkey faster and without the nuisance of outdoor frying, and with 1/3 less oil than typical vats.
- Set the table the day before. This will be one less thing to worry about the day of, and you’ll have time to make sure the silver is polished and glassware is free of water spots.
- Delegate. Have each invited guest or family bring a dish. This will take the burden off of you and give everyone a chance to show off their unique gifts and talents for making a favorite dish.
- Have enough ice for beverages. The Best Portable Ice Maker produces a batch of clear, well-formed cubes in just under 10 minutes and can put out 1.8 lbs. per hour. It even lets you vary the size of the cubes from small to large.
- Move the ice, beverages and glassware out of the kitchen and assign another family member or a guest to handle serving drinks. You’ll free up space in the kitchen and have more time to focus on food preparation.
- Eliminate worries about broken stemware with these Advanced Imperious Wine Glasses. Unbreakable and less likely to tip, these glasses are made from tritan, an advanced copolyester with a design that replicates fine crystal.
- If serving wine with dinner, try Beaujolais Nouveau. By French tradition, this light, quaffable red wine is released the third Thursday of November. Its fruity character and lack of tannin make it an ideal accompaniment to turkey. Unlike most red wines, Beaujolais Nouveau is best served chilled.
- Finally, make sure to take time to enjoy the party. Don’t forget to indulge in the unique gift of social time with your guests. You’ll feel more relaxed and more likely to host a great Thanksgiving that will be recalled fondly by all. And if all else fails, let someone else host Christmas.
The post Ten Tips for Easy Thanksgiving Entertaining appeared first on Hammacher Schlemmer Blog.
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