Last week I told you I wasn’t going to post any more Thanksgiving recipes in order to encourage you to commit to a menu. Let’s hope that’s all set by now. If not, make the $15 investment in my Thanksgiving ebook and get going! What I like to post the week of Thanksgiving is a leftovers recipe that you can use in the days after the holiday.Continue reading
This post has been edited from the original which was published on November 17, 2011.
It’s always hard to accomplish your Thanksgiving tasks when you don’t know how many people you’re having over or what your menu is! The menu is done and I think I have the final count and we’re going to be 26 people this year, including my two daughters who will be coming home. 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 seven 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 I am going to hit the prep hard! I have done most of most grocery shopping other than a few items which need to buy purchased when I pick up my turkey. I plan the days leading up to Thanksgiving pretty carefully so I don’t forget anything and also so that I have a list to cross things off (that makes me feel so accomplished!) 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 three years ago with tons of tips from lots of food experts (including me!) I highly recommend giving it a quick read.
As if I hadn’t already told you, my Thanksgiving ebook is available for only $15!
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, says me and everyone I know who has bought it. Click here to access the Thanksgiving ebook.
Last Thanksgiving recipe for y’all! “But Thanksgiving is next Thursday. You’re not going to post another recipe next week?” Heck no! I am encouraging you to commit to a menu TODAY if you have not done so already. If you need help finding the perfect recipes, look no further than my 2019 Thanksgiving E-book. It has everything recipe you could possibly need plus every tip and trick I have up my sleeve. Commit and start writing your schedule and buy all of your groceries other than turkey, lettuces, fresh herbs, and a few perishable veggies and fruits like green beans and Brussels sprouts pronto. Continue reading
I don’t use the words “game changer” or “life changing” lightly. I mean for something to change the game, it has to be revolutionary. Uber has been life-altering. Cauliflower rice is a game changer. I could name a few more, like cooking a “spatchcocked” turkey. I didn’t even teach a turkey recipe in my classes this year because I can’t come up with a better recipe than this one right here that I taught last November. I also cooked two spatchcocked birds for my own personal Thanksgiving and I kept saying outloud, “I will never not cook a spatchcocked turkey ever again.” (Mom, I know there’s a double negative in that sentence. Just go with it.) Continue reading
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 now have a general idea of how many guests you will be hosting on Thanksgiving. If not, it’s time to get on the phone and do some inviting! Do you have a good, balanced menu and have you taken guests up on their offers to bring something? Coincidentally, I taped a Thanksgiving segment with Rachael Ray that aired on her show last year on Friday, November 2nd. 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.
This week we have a few more tasks that we can check off the list.
When I was growing up, we had many Thanksgivings that started off with a first course of manicotti or ravioli. This happened if we celebrated with my father’s family who grew up in Italy and didn’t really understand the American Thanksgiving traditions. I mean, it was a holiday, so manicotti were appropriate, right?Continue reading
It’s that time of year! It’s my favorite, favorite holiday of all; the granddaddy of all culinary holidays; the Olympics of cooking — it’s Thanksgiving! There are those who love Thanksgiving and those who dread it. Which camp are you in? I love it!! But I used to dread it because I bit off more than I could chew, so to speak, and I was not organized enough. So my first few Thanksgivings were super stressful and not fun at all. But 25 years later, with over 150 Thanksgiving cooking classes under my belt, over 200 turkeys cooked, and many, many lessons learned along the way, I can confidently tell you that I have this holiday DOWN! I would even call myself a Thanksgiving expert.
Over the years I have compiled my own personal Thanksgiving cookbook/bible to help me plan, execute and ENJOY this holiday every single time. I am sharing this Thanksgiving bible with you in the form of this beautiful color ebook. If you are cooking Thanksgiving dinner this year, this will be a lifesaver for you. I have poured countless hours compiling all (over 100!) my Thanksgiving recipes, tips, tricks, do-ahead strategies, substitution advice, so that you would have it all in one place. It is a $15 investment that you will not regret because it will save you hours and hours and hours, and also help you shine on this big day.
Last year’s Thanksgiving ebook was amazing and received incredible feedback. I have made that one even better with the addition of more recipes, including my Spatchcocked Turkey recipe, i.e. the only turkey recipe I will ever use for the rest of my life. I have also added a “Turkey Troubleshooting” page with different problem scenarios and how to fix them. And, I added a page on how to handle Vegan and Vegetarian Guests.
My son started sniffling two weeks ago and it turned into a full-blown cold despite my efforts to get him to bed early every night and feed him lots of nutrient dense foods. He was resigned to succumbing to this September virus, “Mom, there’s no point. I get a cold every year a few weeks after school starts.” Has he not learned about the power of the mind and positive thinking? Sheesh!Continue reading
