Hosting Thanksgiving? Don't freak out
Nine stay-sane tips for having Turkey Day at your place.
By Gregory Holman
Tip No. 3: Relieve yourself of turkey-cooking duties.
1. Get other people (a.k.a. Mom) to do your work for you. “Thanksgiving is done at my place every year,” says 26-year-old Chris DeRosier, who lives in a house in central Springfield. “The turkey is prepared there, usually starting around 9 or 10 a.m. I let mom handle the turkey. She does better than I ever could.” Chris helps out with cleanup, plus whatever his mom and grandma assign him.
2. Set the table the night before. “It’s just one less thing to do in the morning,” says Tammy Kirks, a fashion writer and jewelry designer who lives in Rountree neighborhood. Tammy says there’s no shame in using nice paper plates and plasticware at a casual family holiday dinner.
3. Outsource your meat. Tammy suggests getting smoked turkeys. Honeybaked Ham (417-886-4778, honeybaked.com) sells whole smoked turkeys or roasted ones for about $40. Reserve your turkey online for pickup at the storefront at 1416 E. Battlefield. (Honeybaked also has hams and beef.)
4. Don’t try to be Rachel Ray on your first go-round. “When people offer to bring something, let them!” says Tammy. We say it’s okay to ask people to bring things. Take dessert: Have someone fetch (and bake) a Mrs. Smith’s pie (or two) from the grocery store. Someone else can bring a bottle of sparkling vino and a bottle of plain cider. All you do is watch them set it down on the table.
5. The Crock Pot is your friend. Use it to make and keep mashed potatoes warm, then set it away from your main work area in the kitchen. Many Thanksgiving side dishes (stuffing, glazed carrots) are Crock Pot–friendly.
6. Give yourself space. “Set up a card table for drinks and appetizers in another area, so people stay out of your way while you’re working,” Tammy suggests. And when Tammy says “appetizers,” she does not mean the delicacies they serve at Touch or Kai. “Just choose some interesting cheeses, crackers, olives, pickles and veggies.” A trip to Vino 100 or a Price Cutter Plus suffices.
7. Don’t have everyone show up all at once. You’ll stress out. When inviting people, stagger arrival times. Don’t ask problematic in-laws or crazy uncles to arrive while you’re busy in the kitchen. Just have them over right before mealtime.
8. Don’t let your crazy uncle mix Grandma’s gin. If Thanksgiving includes drinkie-poos, deputize a family member to bartend responsibly. Make certain this is a polite-but-firm person who can gently cut folks off if they get a bit drinkie.
9. After dinner, don’t let the men of the family get away with watching football while all the women do cleanup. Seriously, this is 2007. Boys, take advantage of your Tivo and pitch in.
