How to Prepare for Turkey Day

Everyone's favorite culinary holiday is right around the corner, and you surely have already seen signs of it at your local supermarket. Turkey decorations, displays of stuffing, and frozen birds are just the beginning. Soon enough, Halloween will be completely gone. In just a few short weeks you'll be setting the table and getting ready for fun times with friends and family. Request a Free In-Home Estimate from You've Got Maids to focus on the fun, and have someone else clean up the fallout. We love to save you time! Check out some of our favorite ways to prepare for Thanksgiving below.

#1, Plan Your Guest List

Thanksgiving is about sharing the food you love, with all of the people you love. Create a list of all the potential attendees to work through and confirm. You will save yourself a ton of stress and effort if you find out that ten of the twenty invited guests won't be able to make it this year. Or, perhaps the original twenty want to bring a few friends along as well... You'll need to be prepared to serve a few extra talking heads. Plan your guest list, and then you can begin to plan your menu.

#2, Plan Your Menu

Stock up on what you need, and a little extra. Remember, you might not feeling like cooking for your guests the day after your Thanksgiving feast. Plan accordingly! This can easily be solved by purchasing some nice breakfast pastries and coffee for the morning after. Everyone will be looking forward to the great lunch and dinner that Thanksgiving Day leftovers always brings in tow. 

Plan to purchase every dry/non-perishable ingredient weeks in advance. If you make sure to stock your pantry full of whatever you may need, you will only need to search for fresh ingredients during the week of the Thanksgiving holiday. Save yourself time, and effort!

#3, The Turkey

This centerpiece has been the cause of frustration for in-home culinary experts since the start of the holiday. It's an easy piece of poultry to overcook, undercook, and everything in between. Take a tip from the food experts over at Serious Eats and begin the thawing process much earlier this year! Brining allows you to dethaw your bird while thoroughly seasoning the entire piece. Read How to Brine a Turkey for Thanksgiving, the focal point of your dinner is sure to be delicious if you follow the provided steps.