Ina Garten’s Tips for a Stress-Free Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is supposed to be about counting your blessings and spending time with friends and family. But, it wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without an enormous amount of food; and that means…
Thanksgiving is supposed to be about counting your blessings and spending time with friends and family. But, it wouldn't be Thanksgiving without an enormous amount of food; and that means preparation; which can, in turn, suck all of the fun out of Thanksgiving and replace it with cold-sweat stress.
I would I imagine, if you're Ina Garten, you don't have too much trouble making your menu and prepping your courses. But, let's face it, we're not Ina Garten. We don't have a big, beautiful kitchen in our big beautiful house in the Hamptons, and a seemingly endless bank account. We have kids. We work. We have husbands who insist on leaving the milk on the counter and dishes in the sink. We have real lives that don't leave much time to create the perfect meal for the perfect guests.
But, you know what? Thank goodness. I love my mess of a life. I have good friends who don't judge my cluttered house and a family that appreciates almost everything I cook - or at least that I cook.
Still, it's nice to turn to the experts for some advice on making the hustle and bustle of the holidays a little less stressful. Here are some tips Ina Garten gave to USA Today to make your holiday more organized and less stressful:
Start with a pen.
Ina says to write down all of the dishes that you plan to serve. This makes it easier to make shopping lists, develop a strategy and figure out cooking times.
What can be done ahead of time?
Many Thanksgiving dishes such as cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and others can be made early in the week, refrigerated and reheated for the meal. She also recommends setting the table in advance and even though reheating in an oven is better, a microwave will work if you are short on time
Can you buy it? Or do you have to make it?
Ina gives the example of buying a delicious pecan pie rather than making it from scratch and that saves her time and stress.
Share the responsibility!
Ina says “If I know a friend makes a really good apple pie, I’ll ask them to bring it and then they feel like they’re part of the team and that you trusted them to make a really good apple (pie).”
Make a To-Do List
Ina says this is essential and she also includes the timing of dishes on her list. This way, she knows what to do and when to do it and by following the list like a roadmap it makes for an organized, less stressful presentation
