There are less than two weeks until Thanksgiving. Which for many is not a lot of time with everything else going on in our everyday lives. Do you feel prepared?
These steps may be especially important if you plan on hosting Thanksgiving lunch or dinner at your home.
Plan Your Menu
Whether you’re hosting the meal or attending the potluck, start your meal planning now. Decide what you are going to make along with listing the ingredients you need and get started on your shopping early. Many stores already have the Thanksgiving essentials out on the shelves and if you wait too long, they could run out. One year I had to go to three different stores just to find yams because I waited until two days before Thanksgiving to go shopping.
If you don’t feel like cooking, you can also order a full Thanksgiving dinner from one of your local grocery stores! Not all stores do this, but chances are there are one or two in your area that do. Many sell out quick though, so be sure to call and reserve your dinner early. Then, all you have to do is pick it up and follow the directions to heat up everything and get it prepared to serve.
Clean Out Your Fridge
We all know how this goes. You make all this food, or your guests show up with their dishes, and now to find space in the fridge to put it all. It’s embarrassing when a guest opens up your fridge and sees it stockpiled full of old food. However, it’s also frustrating when you’re in a pinch and need to make space quickly. The week before Thanksgiving, take some time to fully clean out the fridge of everything that is expired and old. Afterwards, be sure to re-organize everything that is left to leave you plenty of space for your family sized dishes.
Keep It Simple
We all want to impress our family and friends, especially when they’re coming into our home. However, reconsider the elaborate decorations and fancy dinner plates and just keep it simple. What really matters is enjoying each other’s company. By keeping everything simple, you make it easier to enjoy your own party and cleanup becomes a breeze. Use disposable plates and cutlery, along with disposable cookware like foil pans that can be thrown away after you’re done. Nobody wants to be left doing a mountain of dishes after eating some turkey and stuffing.
From all of us here at HFS Federal Credit Union, we hope you have a Happy Thanksgiving!
