How To Have A Stress Free Thanksgiving

stress free thanksgiving

The exciting holiday festivities are just around the corner. However, for those who partake in preparing the Thanksgiving feast, other than just eating it, it can be the start of a rather stressful season. No need to stress though because below are some tips on how to have a stress free Thanksgiving!

When people think of Thanksgiving feasts, most people go toward a house full of guests, 20 different side dishes, a day full of cooking, but it doesn’t have to be as stressful as people make it out to be. 

The Turkey… YUM!

Make sure to thaw out the turkey. This may seem like a no brainer, but you never know. It’s important that you don’t delay the turkey thawing process. There are a lot of ways to thaw a turkey. You could try and put it in the refrigerator, but it may not fit based on the size. 

It will take a few days to thaw out a turkey. One of the most common ways of thawing out a turkey is either putting it in a large bucket with cold water or filling up your sink with cold water with the turkey in it. Make sure to check it from time to time because if it reaches room temperature you have to make sure you put it somewhere cold. If it sits out too long, harmful bacteria can grow. 

Don’t Change Tradition

Sometimes it’s fun to try new dishes for Thanksgiving. But to keep your stress levels at a minimum, prepare the normal dishes you usually make. Normally your guests may be looking forward to the original dishes so there’s nothing wrong with creating what you’re used to and know how to make. 

If you’d like to try a new dish, keep it simple and give yourself plenty of time. It usually takes longer to create new recipes so plan accordingly. 

Bring A Dish

If there are multiple people who come to your house or apartment for Thanksgiving, have your guests bring a dish of choice. Whether it’s an appetizer, dessert or part of dinner, having guests bring a dish can lighten the load for you. 

Prepare

Before cooking anything, you should plan out what you’re going to make a week or two in advance. This way you can make sure you grab all of the ingredients needed and have time to run out if the store ran out or you forgot something. Preparing for Thanksgiving will help take a lot of the stress away. 

Cleaning 

If you have people coming to your apartment, you’re most likely going to want to clean. To keep things moving smoothly, clean the day or two days before your company is going to arrive. That way the major cleaning is done and all you have to do is small adjustments the day of. 

Follow the tips above to have a stress free Thanksgiving!

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