Okay, so we have covered the initial basics of preparing for a big feast. Our next step is planning the feast day itself, who will be there, what will be going on, and what it will look like. Again I need to stress that all of these details need to be thought about thoroughly in advance of your party. Everything will fall into place perfectly, but only if you have made some measure of preparations in advance.

So, planning the day of the feast! You have already prepared some dishes and cut up the vegetables and now it is time to make it all come together. First lets talk turkey. If you are making Thanksgiving dinner then this is your big hitter. If your turkey sucks, everyone will be dissappointed cause that is what this holiday is all about. I like to get my turkey in the oven a bit later than most people and cook it hot and fast. This also enables me to sleep in a bit and really relax before my house gets innodated with guests.

Once you have worked out when the turkey will get done it is a simple matter of planning when each dish should go in the oven in order to be cooked and ready for the start of the meal. For example, both my sweet potato casserole and my mother’s brocoli casserole are baked at 350 degrees for about the same length of time. It saves time and energy and kills two birds with one stone to bake them both together. Other items like mashed potatoes need to be handled more carefully. If you make them too early they could get cold or dry out. Be very careful when you start working on dishes like this to ensure that they will come out at the right time.

Now lets talk about the guests. Big meals like these are a complete waste of time if no one is there to eat it. If you have an absolutely huge family and feel like you just can’t accomodate them all then try to cut them in half. If you can maybe have your husbands side of the family for Thanksgiving and your side for Christmas then that will definitely give you more room to breathe. Always remember too that just because you are cooking does not mean you must invite everyone. The best Thanksgiving dinners in my memory were the very simple, small scale affairs in which only my nuclear family was involved. If this is your first attempt at feast making, you might want to consider only making it for your immediate family. It will be less stress and will get your feet wet properly at planning big meals.

And finally, the decorations! No Thanksgiving meal would be complete without some thought of how you are going to decorate. Personally, I am a bit lax on this because I believe that the food should be more important than the scenery. I always plan on using my nicer plates and serving dishes, holiday napkins, and then decorating the table with candles and cut flowers. To make this process easier for the actual feast day I usually will set the table the night before. This way it is completely ready to go and gets everyone in the mood for good food from the first step in the dining room. As guests arrive and bring in dishes they have a ready made place to put their food that is not in your way in the kitchen.

Whew! So there we have it. The simple steps to feast making that will not only ensure your success as a hostess, but cement your place as reigning goddess of Thanksgiving day. In all truth my method can be broken down in three simple rules:

1. Plan ahead
2. Think your plan through
3. Execute your plan with grace

As long as you keep these things in mind I am sure you will easily create a knockout feast that everyone is sure to remember.

Cheers,
Leah