I hope everyone has a good start to their week! I also hope you all are gearing up for Thanksgiving! I have to say, I am no expert on hosting Thanksgiving dinners, last year was my first year. Not only was it my first time hosting and cooking a turkey (why is this so intimidating?!), it was the first time I was meeting my future in-laws! They are a pretty great bunch and overall, things went very smoothly- with cooking and meeting the family. However, it was a little intimidating at the time. Along the way, I did receive several helpful tips from my mother and friends and also figured out a few of my own last year! I feel like these are worth sharing if there is anyone out there hosting their first Thanksgiving!

First things first, make your grocery list and make sure you have a turkey reserved if you are buying fresh. I had mine ready to be picked up the day before. I also make sure to have extra butter, salt, pepper, eggs, cream and milk on hand. After you decide which sides you will be having, divvy up what all can be done the day before. I made pies the day before, chopped all my ingredients for salads, made a cranberry relish etc. For the dishes I was making the day of, I separated them into the dishes I would be making them in. For example, corn spoonbread, I put the jiffy corn muffin mix and cans of corn into the baking dish I would make it in, potatoes in the pot, the mac and cheese I assembled the day before was in the fridge and had a sticky note to bake at 350 for the allotted time. I basically planned on having to think about the actual cooking part as little as possible the day of. By having your ingredients separated out into pans, it ensures 2 things; that you have all ingredients you need and that you have enough pots/pans to cook everything. I also had my future sister-in-laws and mother-in-law help out with all the prep. Like I said, they are great. If you have a hard time giving up the actual cooking parts, this is the perfect task to delegate to others. Have your friends or family help with chopping vegetables, peeling potatoes, grating cheese- anything that makes it easier to get the day rolling.

The morning of, take your turkey out and let it come to room temp and take a deep breath. Remember, this day is not about being perfect, but about being present with those you love, being grateful, and sharing a meal filled with happiness and memories. I know everyone has their own way to prepare turkeys and that is great! If you're curious about how I did mine, it is suuuuper simple. First, I removed the pack of giblets-which at first I could not find. Then, I quartered an orange, a lemon and an onion and set them aside. I stuffed butter all under the skin. I don't remember how much, but a lot. I rubbed salt and pepper on the top and in the cavity and then stuffed the cavity with a bunch of fresh herbs and the orange, lemon and onion. Then I put it in the oven and let it cook until it reached the desired internal temp. I didn't open the oven once. I didn't baste the turkey. When the thermometer read the right temp, I took it out and it was perfect and moist and flavorful. You can google approximately how much time it will take to cook the size of turkey you bought, but I highly recommend you buy a thermometer to know it is safe to eat. There are youtube videos on where to pop the thermometer into your turkey. This was a source of confusion for me initially.

While the turkey is cooking, you can keep prepping: boiling and mashing potatoes, mixing up the spoon bread, letting the mac and cheese come to room temp before baking... that way when the turkey comes out, you can start putting sides in the oven. For this part, I had people set timers on their phones. Someone was in charge of green beans, someone else had a timer for rolls, etc. It made it 100 times easier for me to be able to put it in and someone else tell me take the green beans out. Instead of trying to remember 6 different dishes and which timer was what. I know you can label your own alarms too, but this was more fun.

All in all, my biggest tip is this; have a glass of wine and know it doesn’t have to be perfect. I am pretty sure my stuffing last year was a little salty. The apple pie filling also bubbled over and my oven was smoking and setting off the smoke alarms minutes after everyone arrived. I was still travel nursing, so the dishes were not perfect, the glasses were mismatched and we used paper napkins. While I remember this, I don’t think anyone else cared or will remember. If something does not go according to plan, think of it as God’s way of saying, lighten up and laugh a little. After the big meal is done, go for a walk, enjoy the fresh air and notice all the blessings in your life. While we make this day about food and table settings, it is more about breaking bread with those you love and coming to the table with a grateful heart. Enjoy your day and HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!