Planning a Happy Thanksgiving 2021 – 2 Weeks and Counting!

This post was edited from the original published on November 10, 2011.

Life is unpredictable, but Thanksgiving is not and it is 2 weeks away!  My family and I are excited!  Don’t let these Thursday posts stress you out.  The whole point is to show you what you can do in advance, not what you must do in advance.  All these tips and strategies are most relevant to the hosts and hostesses who are preparing most or all of the meal themselves and who have a busy schedule leading up to the holiday.  If I didn’t get a lot of these tasks completed early, I don’t see how I could pull off this meal without tons of stress.

I’m so thrilled so many of you are happy with the Thanksgiving ebook! Thank you for sharing all of your feedback.  For those of you on the fence, if you are planning ANY large holiday gathering or meal with many components, this ebook will be the best $15 you have ever spent!  Click here to get your ebook.  ðŸ™‚

If you miss taking my classes, I am offering my online Thanksgiving class as a single class with no requirement for a subscription.  It’s a video with 5 brand-new, never published recipes (not even in the ebook) + 2 live zooms for Q&A.

Continue reading

Planning a Happy Thanksgiving 2021 – 3 Weeks and Counting!

thanksgiving decor ideas | pamela salzman

This post has been edited from the one originally published on Thursday, November 3, 2011.

If you followed the advice in my post last Thursday, perhaps you you thought about how many guests you will be hosting on Thanksgiving. What about your menu?  The more solidified your menu, the more you can start prepping. Coincidentally, I taped a Thanksgiving segment with Rachael Ray that aired on her show on Friday, November 2nd, 2018.  It was a very fun segment to do and I shared some of my favorite things to get done three weeks before Thanksgiving.  I actually did 90% of my grocery shopping!  Another reminder that my 2022 Thanksgiving ebook is available!  For $15, you will get all my Thanksgiving recipes, tips and tricks, do-ahead strategies and more!  You will have everything you need to plan and execute your best Thanksgiving ever.  Click here to access the Thanksgiving ebook. My November online cooking class will be available soon for individual purchase if you are not a monthly class subscriber. Last year’s November menu was AMAZING as well! If you haven’t committed to a menu, use this one

This week we have a few more tasks that we can check off the list.

Continue reading

Planning a Happy Thanksgiving 2021 – 4 Weeks and Counting!

This post has been edited from the original, which was published on October 27, 2011.

Can you believe what today is?  It is the beginning of the countdown!!  Thanksgiving is 4 weeks from today!  No need to panic, friends.  We’re going to have some fun over the next month!  Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday and I am going BIG this year! I love the traditions, the food, the Macy’s parade (is there going to be a parade??) on television while I am making my pies, the football games (fortunately football never takes a holiday!) Plus this is my first Thanksgiving in my new house and ALL the kiddos will be home.  YAY!

I love hearing everyone share why he or she is grateful. I have cooked every Thanksgiving for the last 26 years, as well as over 150 Thanksgiving-themed cooking classes. I have made lots of mistakes and in the process learned a thing or two about how to execute and enjoy a very happy Thanksgiving. The key is being organized. Every Thursday from today until the big day, I will share my best tips, strategies and a few good recipes to set you up for a successful holiday.  Continue reading

Planning a Happy Thanksgiving 2020 – 2 Weeks and Counting!

This post was edited from the original published on November 10, 2011.

Life is unpredictable, but Thanksgiving is not and it is 2 weeks away!  My family and I are excited!  Don’t let these Thursday posts stress you out.  The whole point is to show you what you can do in advance, not what you must do in advance.  All these tips and strategies are most relevant to the hosts and hostesses who are preparing most or all of the meal themselves and who have a busy schedule leading up to the holiday.  If I didn’t get a lot of these tasks completed early, I don’t see how I could pull off this meal without tons of stress.

I’m so thrilled so many of you are happy with the Thanksgiving ebook!  Thank you for sharing all of your feedback.  For those of you on the fence, if you are planning ANY large holiday gathering or meal with many components, this ebook will be the best $15 you have ever spent!  Click here to get your ebook.  ðŸ™‚

Continue reading

Planning a Happy Thanksgiving 2020 and E-book – 4 Weeks and Counting!

This post has been edited from the original, which was published on October 27, 2011.

Can you believe what today is?  It is the beginning of the countdown!!  Thanksgiving is 4 weeks from today!  No need to panic, friends.  We’re going to have some fun over the next month!  Even though things are a little different right now, Thanksgiving is still my favorite holiday and we’re still doing it. I love the traditions, the food, the Macy’s parade (is there going to be a parade??) on television while I am making my pies, the football games (fortunately football never takes a holiday!) I love moving the family room furniture after the last football game is over to extend the dining room table. I love hearing everyone share why he or she is grateful. I have cooked every Thanksgiving for the last 25 years, as well as over 150 Thanksgiving-themed cooking classes. I have made lots of mistakes and in the process learned a thing or two about how to execute and enjoy a very happy Thanksgiving. The key is being organized. Every Thursday from today until the big day, I will share my best tips, strategies and a few good recipes to set you up for a successful holiday.  Best news of all:  My 2022 Thanksgiving ebook is now available!  Continue reading

Cookware 101

This blogpost is updated from one I wrote many, many years ago.  I want to be able to have a place where I can direct the same questions I receive over and over again. I am happy to answer those questions, but it is more helpful for people in my community to be able to have a reference. 

A very important element in cooking is the equipment you use.  The quality of your cookware, the materials your cookware is made from, as well as knowing which skillet or saucepan to choose for the job are all factors which will affect your food, and even your health, for better or for worse.  By arming yourself with a little knowledge, you can steer yourself towards safer options and away from cookware that can compromise the quality of your food and your health.Continue reading

Planning a Happy Thanksgiving 2019 – 2 weeks and counting!

This post was originally published on November 10, 2011.

Life is unpredictable, but Thanksgiving is not and it is 2 weeks away!  Is the exclamation point there to emphasize panic or joy?  I’m excited!  I’ve been teaching quite a few Thanksgiving-themed classes as of late and I’m feeling spirited.  Don’t let these Thursday posts stress you out.  The whole point is to show you what you can do in advance, not what you must do in advance.  All these tips and strategies are most relevant to the hosts and hostesses who are preparing most or all of the meal themselves and who have a busy schedule leading up to the holiday.  If I didn’t get a lot of these tasks completed early, I don’t see how I could pull off this meal without tons of stress.

I’m so thrilled so many of you are happy with the Thanksgiving ebook!  Thank you for sharing all of your feedback.  For those of you on the fence, if you are planning ANY large holiday gathering or meal with many components, this ebook will be the best $15 you have ever spent!  Click here to get your ebook.  ðŸ™‚

Continue reading

Planning a Happy Thanksgiving 2019 – 4 Weeks and Counting!

This post has been edited from the original, which was published on October 27, 2011.

Can you believe what today is?  No, I’m not talking about Halloween.  It is the beginning of the countdown!!  Thanksgiving is 4 weeks from today!  No need to panic, friends.  We’re going to have some fun over the next month!  Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I love the traditions, the food, the Macy’s parade on television while I am making my pies, the football games. I love moving the family room furniture after the last football game is over to extend the dining room table. I love hearing everyone share why he or she is grateful. I have cooked every Thanksgiving for the last 24 years, as well as over 100 Thanksgiving-themed cooking classes. I have made lots of mistakes and in the process learned a thing or two about how to execute and enjoy a very happy Thanksgiving. The key is being organized. Every Thursday from today until the big day, I will share my best tips, strategies and a few good recipes to set you up for a successful holiday.

My 2022 Thanksgiving ebook is now available!  This PDF contains all my Thanksgiving recipes, tips and tricks, in one document!  You will have everything you need to plan and execute your best Thanksgiving ever.  Click here to access the Thanksgiving ebook.  Also, if you take my online cooking classes, the November recipes will be the ones I am also teaching in my in-person cooking classes and those recipes will not be in the ebook.  The online class will be taped tomorrow and be available the week of November 4th – plenty of time for you to decide what you might include on your menu!

Let’s get started!

Continue reading