My Dad. I was a travelling consultant for a number of years and yet managed to have my Mom and Dad and sometimes extended family over on the holidays. This of course was stressful after being on the road weekly and having to take an extra day off to prepare. One year about a month before Thanksgiving my dad called me and said, "You know Miejer's has turkey in a box for sale. everything comes with it, rolls, pie." Well, I took him up on it! That year we had turkey from a box and then ham from a box for Christmas and Easter. I will forever thank my Dad for that suggestion altough now that I work from home.....I cook again!

By rubbing herbed butter between the skin and the turkey meat as well as on top of the meat I save all the time I would spend basting. Also, I make the gravy in the roasting pan right on top of the stove saving the time it takes to get out yet another sauce pan as well as cleaing another pan. The gravy turns out great!

My husband and I live on the opposite side of the country from our family, due to the military, so we have found that a group gathering with our closest couple-friends out here is a pretty close substitute to real family when they're too far away. Three girls get together to cook in the biggest kitchen and we all pitch in while the guys watch football. It is exactly what everyone defines as the "Perfect Thanksgiving."

It was a splurge, but after too many years of fighting with cooking several side dishes and a turkey and trying to keep it all hot and safe, I bought a range with two ovens: a regular size one on the bottom and a half size one on top. Three casseroles (9x13) fit in the top oven and the bird fits in the bottom one. Heavenly, and stress-free!

I have been making my "homemade gravy" for years and no one ever catches on that it's a jarred gravy from the grocery store and I add a bit of the drippings from the turkey and it's done.

So many people talk about "concentrating ont he turkey" or that turkey is so hard. I don't get it. WHAT am I missing or doing wrong? Every year I get a 12 poundish Butterball on Monday, bring it home and tuck it into the fridge. Thursday morning I take it out, put together my stuffing, stuff it in the bird and stick the whole thing in the oven. Three and a half hours later I have golden perfection. It's worked that way for 25 years. NOw dessert, that's the true star of the show. That's where I "concentrate!!!

So many people talk about "concentrating ont he turkey" or that turkey is so hard. I don't get it. WHAT am I missing or doing wrong? Every year I get a 12 poundish Butterball on Monday, bring it home and tuck it into the fridge. Thursday morning I take it out, put together my stuffing, stuff it in the bird and stick the whole thing in the oven. Three and a half hours later I have golden perfection. It's worked that way for 25 years. NOw dessert, that's the true star of the show. That's where I "concentrate!!!

my short cut is marinating my turkey two days before thanksgiving, the white meat is to die for! hint I use wish bone house italian dressing after i season the bird really well.

Hire a college student who either can't go home for the holidays or isn't to come and help serve and clean up. They'll be reasonable in cost and happy to be with a family for the holidays and you can feel like you're sharing the giving of thanks to someone who might otherwise be alone for Thanksgiving.

RESERVATIONS!!!!

First I have to be honest, my husband graduated from the CIA, Culinalry Institute of America in NY. So he is actaully the cook in our house. I am trying to develop my cooking skills. I do know we work as a team and I can tell you, we start the week before and begin deciding exactly what we are going to make. We write up the menu and grocery list. Each year we try to change it up a little bit. We will re-check our list and menue one more time. We go to the grocery store the weekend before. We lay everything out the Tuesday before. Then Wednesday or day before, he at this point, begins cooking the pies, our family pound cake, the recipe comes from my grandmother, and some of the side dishes. Usually the only thing we have to make the day of is the Turkey. My husband is the best when it comes to planning ahead, being prepared in order to reduce the stress that can be caused by the Holidays. I get the cleaning detail, so I usually clean as he cooks so when we do sit down to eat all I have to clean up is what we mess up eating.

Going to Grandmas' house for Thanksgiving!

Invite my mother-in-law and she does all the cooking. I provide the grandchildren.

Amy
www.sofiabean.com

Invite my mother-in-law and she does all the cooking. I provide the grandchildren.

Amy
www.sofiabean.com

I have a trick way to make things easy on the day! The turkey sort of does itself. . . so the potatoes and stuffing can be made ahead. My 5lbs of cooked potatoes can be made up to two weeks in advance. Add a carton of sour cream, a stick of butter, and an 8oz pkg if cream cheese. My family is mad if I don't make these. . . and you don't need gravy if you don't want to make/buy it! I serve around 28 or so, so I do two batches and spread them in two 9" x 13" pans and bake for an hour at 300 degrees. They are like dessert!

I am known in our family for my baking, providing original fresh cakes & pies for each holiday. However, as a single woman with diabetes, experiimenting with new ideas is difficult. Luckily there are birthdays and Halloween to provide feed back. When I go to my sister's to join her & my two younger nephews for trick or treating, I always bring something. After gathering candy, we all eat a great meal and good dessert, instead of the kids having a pound of candy. They like what I've made, but are very honest about anything I could change.

I am Swiss and got to know your great Thanksgiving Meal through my sister who lives in the United States. I love Thanksgiving but was always surprised about the large range of food that was eaten - and of couse had to be prepared in time and all ready to serve at the same time. A masterpiece to handle! Coming from Switzerland I realised how different way of cooking and cooking tools are in the US.
So last time I visited my sister I brought her some swiss made pots. Named hotpan from the Swiss company Kuhn Rikon. They are a new generation of pots. Explained in a simple way: All you need to do is to heat your dish briefly and the hotpan will cook your food (without having it on the stove) to end. No burning, no too much cooking, 60% energy saving. And as a plus the food stays warm for 2 hours. Since I cook with those pots, my cooking live has become a lot more relaxed and stressless. The perfect tool for stressed mothers. Apart from that it is a great looking pot that you can even put on your table. So when I have guest I am never stressed again, not even with a Thanksgiving Meal.

I used to make a big turkey but noticed that everyone preferred the white meat. So now I buy 2 large breasts. Much less cooking time and everyone is happy with all the white meat they want. Secondly, I started cooking the meat and side dishes with long cooking times the day before - gives me a chance to get all the cleanup done the day before. I reheat the turkey and so on on low on Thanksgiving Day, and the house is full of the scents of the dinner to come - meanwhile I set the table, watch parades, and enjoy my family knowing that even after the meal there will be less work because the preparation pans and dishes were done the day before. (Also, since I dont need the oven for as many hours, I can use it to make a quiche or other treat in the morning. )