With my wife hosting her first Thanksgiving dinner, it’s getting pretty extremely stressful in my house. Between the hard core cleaning, shopping and planning, I’d just assume getting a few pizzas and curl up to the football games that day.
Anyway for those in a similar predicament, here are some tips that can help you get through Thanksgiving Day.
- Plan to provide a traditional Thanksgiving feast, then be creative with side dishes.
- Whenever anyone offers to help or bring a dish, say, “Yes, thank you!”
- Use hollowed bread loaves for charming serving containers for cheeses, dips, olives, chips and small sandwiches.
- Once the table settings and centerpiece are in place, sit in each chair to make sure each guest will feel comfortable.
- Include favorite kids’ foods, especially those they can eat neatly with their fingers.
- Provide at least one low-calorie dish and a vegetarian option. Then serve a sinful dessert.
- Completely clear the table of all dishes from previous courses before serving dessert.
- Fill the sink with soapy water so cutlery and small dishes can soak clean as the guests are finishing.
- Make it easy for guests who help you clean up to help you recycle. Place bins in the kitchen labeled “glass,” “cans” and “trash.”
- Keep club soda nearby to clean spots or stains on the tablecloth or clothing.
You have Reader’s Digest to thank for those tips and the following series of articles: