I'm so excited that Butterball has again asked me to share my golden rules for Thanksgiving and offered me the opportunity to give away two $20 turkey gift checks this year. I know that these gift checks will make Thanksgiving easier for two of you, and I hope my Thanksgiving tips will be helpful to all of you.
To host a picture-perfect Thanksgiving:
First, do not take on more than you can handle. Many a dinner party has gone awry because the host or hostess tries to do too much. Think about what the most essential parts of Thanksgiving dinner are for you, and stick to those things. So for me that's turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, brussels sprouts, and at least two desserts. And for me, that's a doable list to accomplish on Thanksgiving Day (and the day before). For anything beyond that list, I'm happy to ask for help. Someone else can bring a fruit salad, someone else can make soup or stuffing, someone else can contribute additional veggie dishes, and someone else can bake extra desserts.
Along those same lines, think about things guests can do to help or ways to keep them occupied, because chances are you'll still be cooking or putting the finishing touches on dishes when they arrive. Having wine and cheese and crackers or some light appetizers set out (or asking a guest who's notoriously early to bring those things) is a great idea. A football and some games out in the yard are good for enticing children to head outside and out from under foot.
To avoid day-of panic, if you have a frozen turkey, remember to thaw it (which can take days). And remember to get it in the oven early so you will have your oven available for other dishes later on.
Lastly, remember what the holiday is all about... giving thanks, spending time with family, enjoying a nice meal. Don't let stress get in the way of the important stuff.
Ok, so back to those turkey gift checks. I have two to give away and they are worth $20 each, good toward the purchase of a Butterball product and other grocery items to complete your holiday meal.
To enter to win a gift check, please leave a comment on this post letting me know one of your golden rules for a picture-perfect Thanksgiving. You have until 11:59 p.m. EST on November 5, 2012, to leave a comment. I'll notify the winners shortly after (please make sure I have some way to contact you or I will need to choose another winner).
Butterball also supplied me with a $20 turkey gift check and a $10 iTunes gift card to try out the Butterball Cookbook Plus App.
Congratulations to Amanda and Christine! (I chose winners using Random Integer Generator. One of my initial winners did not respond within a week, so I had to choose a new winner.)