1. Plan for Moderation
It can be tempting to get carried away with wanting to include every fun DIY project, game and side dish that you pin for the holiday. But take caution, it’s easy to get in over your head! You don’t want your Friendsgiving to turn into a headache. Instead, take care to plan for a moderate-sized meal.
It can help to carefully choose your guest list, seek help with décor and design, and limit the number of dishes you plan to make focus instead on choosing a few great recipes and putting all of your effort into them. Remember this is a time to be thankful.
Chances are, you’ll have more leftovers than you can handle and saying goodbye to a second or third type of pie won’t be missed. You may also run into the problem of running out of room if you don’t plan for your space accordingly. Start small if this is your first time planning the holiday and decide to add more complexity as your experience increases.
2. Ask Your Guests to Cook the Side Dishes
Having everyone contribute is a great way to bring everybody together and keep your sanity. It will already be a huge ordeal to clean up the mess post-holidays, so keeping the cooking load down will help to prevent burn-out. Delegate some of the cooking burdens to your friends who can either cook at home and bring them with them, or arrive early and you can have a cooking party.
But remember not to start drinking until after you’ve carved the turkey unless you’re looking to make a traditional out of some thanksgiving mishaps. And make sure to have a back-up plan for thanksgiving essentials such as stuffing and gravy just in case something goes wrong.
3. Try Cooking Your Own Turkey
It can be intimidating if you’ve never cooked the bird yourself, but when it comes to tradition stuffing and cooking your own can’t be beaten. The secret is to make sure you’ve consulted a good recipe, you have properly thawed your turkey (if frozen), and that you have all the essential tools. In a nutshell, you simply need an oven big enough to fit the bird, a pan to fit the turkey, a meat thermometer, twine to tie the legs together, and a turkey baster to drizzle the brine and drippings over the turkey while it cooks.
Make sure you have a timer, have more than one person who is in charge of making sure things are in order, and limit yourself to only one glass of wine if you’re going to be drinking during prep! If you follow directions closely, you’ll have a beautiful, delicious bird ready and a glowing sense of pride at the dinner table.
Planning a holiday dinner, decorating your home and accommodating guests can be a seriously draining task during your holidays. Reaching out for help from a seasoned professional is an effective way to ensure your party will make an amazing lasting memory.
Reach out to Simple Joy Designs today to start to dream up your amazing Friendsgiving and make it a reality!