This post has been edited from the original which was published on November 17, 2011.

I am going to admit this right off the bat — I am behind on my Thanksgiving planning!   The irony!  I think we’re going to be 31 people this year, including my two daughters who will be home from college.  I am so excited to have all my kids in the kitchen this year prepping and cooking with me.  I had a stroke of genius five years ago, which was to tack my Thanksgiving to-do list on the refrigerator and have everyone sign up for three tasks.  Even my husband helps out!

My last class is today, and then our exchange students (yes, I picked up another one last weekend LOL) go back to South Korea on Saturday morning. So I’ll be getting busy on Sunday when I start making applesauce and cranberry sauce.  I always plan Thanksgiving day down to the last detail because I don’t like forgetting things and a schedule makes me feel more relaxed, which equals more fun for me! But just because Thanksgiving is the star of the show this week doesn’t mean that I can forget about normal life on very other day. So I think about regular meals and activities, too. Here’s what my schedule will look like from Sunday until we eat on Thursday at 4:00 pm (-ish). This shouldn’t make you feel exhausted, but merely show you what you can do ahead for your own Thanksgiving!  The Chalkboard Mag published a really great blogpost this week with tons of tips from lots of food experts (including me!)  I highly recommend giving it a quick read.

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