Thanksgiving Tips

I never really had a hard time with gravy until last year when it would not thicken. You can imagine the panic attack I had when I explained to my guests why the gravy was as runny as water. To ensure that this doesn't happen again, I've read every piece ever written about gravy. Here are some of the tips I've learned for making it great:

• Think about proportions. Start by figuring out how much gravy you want. Generally you'll need about 1/2-cup per person. For 4 cups of gravy, you will need 4 cups of stock.
• You will also need fat to make the gravy. For 4 cups of gravy, you'll need about 6 tbsp. of fat.
• Use the pan juices when making the gravy. Put the pan on the burner and collect up the fatty goodness. These are full of delicious flavors.



• Deglaze the pan with wine to ensure the flavorful browned bits are removed from the bottom of the turkey roasting pan.
• Flour or cornstarch is necessary to make a roux.
• Make sure the stock/broth is hot when you add it to the mixture.
• Use a wire whisk to make the gravy.
• The gravy must reach the maximum heating point— begin to boil — before it will start to thicken.

Got a great tip I forgot? Please share it with us!

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If you have not begun to think about Thanksgiving, stop what you are doing, grab a pad and a pen, and make a list. Or twenty.

Start with the menu; if you are designating certain courses to friends or families do so on the list. Continue with the guest list, the things you want to get accomplished before Thursday — polish silver, buy a roasting rack, etc. — and the decorations. Plan out any other meals you may be making during that week.

Finally, make the most important list of all, the grocery list. Carefully read through each recipe and write down all the ingredients you will need. Use one sheet of paper for groceries you can buy in advance and another sheet for last minute things that will need to be picked up the day before or that morning. Once you have finished a task be sure to cross it off the list; after all, it's the most satisfying part of making a list!

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You may have perfected your Thanksgiving menu, including a mouth-watering recipe for Herb-Butter Turkey, but do you know how to choose the perfect bird to serve at your big feast? Have you figured out how big it should be? Do you know the difference between frozen and fresh? If you'd like the answer to these questions, then keep on reading, I've compiled a few tips to help you out.

• To figure out how big of a turkey you should buy, a good rule of thumb is about 1 lb. per person, more if you want leftovers and less if those people are children (unless they're children with adult appetites!). If the turkey is prestuffed, up the amount to 1.75–2 lbs. per person.
• Generally speaking, the younger the bird, the better the flavor and tenderness. Fryer (also called roaster) turkeys are less than four months old and the most tender turkey you can buy. Young turkeys are four to eight months old and have soft, smooth skin. A yearling is a 12-month-old turkey and is reasonably tender. A mature (also called old) is one that is older than 15 months. The meat is tough and it is not well suited for roasting.

Discover a few more tips, just read more

If you're anything like me, you have already started to plan your elaborate Thanksgiving table setting. I begin to prepare the table when I start selecting a menu.

To ensure maximum cook time in the kitchen, set the table as early as you can, preferably days before Thanksgiving. Put everything — tablecloth, placemats, plates, silverware, etc. — in its place on the table. Sort serving platters and decide which one will hold potatoes, vegetables, and cranberries. Write the name of the dish on a post-it and place inside the specified serving platter. As you prepare the food, you will easily find the proper serving dishes.

If using your regular everyday table for the Thanksgiving meal, gather all of the components to the tablescape in one place. Thursday morning delegate a trusted family member or friend to set the table while you cook.

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It always happens, you plan for a perfect Thanksgiving with just the right number of folks and then pow! Someone's brought an extra guest. If this happens to you, take a deep breath and don't panic. Yesterday we gave you a few tips on how to deal with unexpected guests, and today we have a few more.

• If you're cooking portioned meals for Thanksgiving — such as individual game hens — split the portion between the unexpected guest and the person who brought them. If this is not possible, sacrifice by splitting your own in half. When serving just simply state that you're sorry, but you thought you were cooking for a different number of people.
• If you only have the exact number of dishes needed, you may want to consider picking up a few festive Thanksgiving themed plates. They'll also work as plates to pack leftovers on; just wrap them tightly in foil.
• Remember, you're the host, so stay polite. However, if you honestly believe you can't handle the unexpected guests — let's say someone drops by with four other guests and you were only expecting six total — it's completely fair to send them away. They may not like it, and you may be called rude — along with other names — but it is your dinner party. Alternatively, let them have appetizers and a drink and invite them back for dessert later.
• Don't forget it's a holiday, so just have fun! If you're truly upset by it, privately explain your frustration to the offender on a later date.

Do you have any tips on how to handle unexpected Thanksgiving guests? Tell us what you would do in the comments!

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You've sent out your Thanksgiving invites and the guests have RSVP'd. However when the big day arrives, someone brings three other guests, so what do you do? Do you send them away? Tell them they can stay for drinks, but can't stay for dinner? You could, but it wouldn't be very host-like of you. So instead of panicking, graciously invite the guests in and figure out a new game plan.

Here are a few simple tips you can do to accommodate unexpected Thanksgiving dinner guests:

• Remember, your extra guests are probably going to be embarrassed that they didn't RSVP or are someone's plus one. Don't make them feel worse, invite them in, get them a drink and quickly squeeze in their place setting at the table. Don't worry if you have to use makeshift seating with office chairs or outdoor chairs.
• If you don't think you have enough food for everyone, whip up a quick side dish such as spaghetti and jarred pasta sauce. It's not exactly standard Thanksgiving fare, but at least this way there's enough to go around.
• Holidays are generally full of family and friends, so you may want to anticipate extra guests and havesome extra crackers, tapenade, mixed nuts, and cookies on hand just in case.
• If you're setting up fancy place card settings, prepare a few extra blank ones. Keep them in the kitchen drawer with a pen; this way if an extra guest stops by, you'll be prepared.

Come back tomorrow for more tips on how to deal with unexpected holiday guests!

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Thanksgiving is a little early this year; in fact, it's only three weeks away! To help you get prepped, we will have loads of Thanksgiving ideas and menus as well as a ton of tips.

The first tip is super simple but is still worth bringing up. A few days before your big feast, you should clean out your fridge. Now before you start rolling your eyes at how silly it seems, think about how sorry you'll be if you don't. If your fridge is a mess, you'll end up wasting time rearranging and sorting when you could be cooking or mingling with your guests instead. So clean out the fridge ahead of time and make room for the turkey, cranberry sauce and any other fixings you plan on serving up.

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