EEK! Family descending on me for Thanksgiving

[Anonymous]

we have a very small kitchen and a newborn baby. i'm happy my parents-in-law and sister-in-law + teenagers are visiting for thanksgiving, but i'm already fretting about the Meal.

does anyone have any tips or hints about what i can make ahead?
what kinds of short cuts and tips do you smart moms have about ways i can cook a meal for 8 in a small apartment with a fussy newborn on my hands?

thanks for any advice!

[Anonymous]

Can you make the turkey and have everyone else bring a side? Maybe buy a couple of pies from a local baker, no one expects you to make dessert.

One quick/easy thing I always do is make cranberry sauce the day before. Just get the bag of ocean spray cranberries from the produce section and follow the directions on the bag -- it basically is boil water and sugar, and then add the cranberries and let it simmer for 20 minutes. I always throw in a cut-up apple, and add some spices like cloves.

[Anonymous]

Put all those folks to work! That's part of the fun of Thanksgiving: cooking together. Pies you can buy or make the day before.

[Anonymous]

Brine your turkey, have DH do it the night before you basically just soak it in salt water overnight. You can finds tons of recipes online. That way even if you overcook the turkey it will not turn out dry

The night before have people peel potatoes, cut them up and store in ziplocks of water, then just boil them the day of.

Also you can make the mashed potatoes in the crockpot, they will cook in it then you can mash them right in the crockpot and they will keep warm until dinner.

If you want to make a pie do the same thing with apples (peel, cut and store in bag of water) and just buy the premade crust

Buy box stuffing and dress it up with a little poultry seasoning, and onion and celery maybe a handful of pecans ( bought trader joes stuffing last year and it was pretty good)

By frozen corn and peas or what ever veg you like all you have to do is throw a bowl of them in the microwave right before dinner

Have a day of grocery list and send someone out in the morning for bread, rolls and anything you forgot

[Anonymous]

Order it from a place that sells cooked Thanksgiving meals.

[Anonymous]

I am also in slight panic mode about cooking my first turkey this Thanksgiving. To calm myself, I've been doing a lot of research.

Martha Stewart has a handy planner (not a huge fan, but she is brilliant at some stuff):
http://images.marthastewart.com/images/content/web/pdfs/pdf3/thanksgivingplanner.pdf

Real Simple (www.realsimple.com) has some good resources, too. I think this year they are featuring a quick & easy menu.

Some recommendations I've read include using either a crock pot or an electric roaster in order to free up some space in the oven.

Plan sides that can either be made ahead and reheated while the turkey rests and is carved, or that can be cooked at the same time and temp as the turkey (if you have the oven space). Or sides that can cook on the stove instead of in the oven.

Another tip was to have a list of things that you can delegate to others, with instructions if necessary. That way others feel included and you aren't trying to explain midstream.

good luck and take lots of photos!

[Anonymous]

OP

I'm assuming that your inlaws are coming from out of town? Otherwise, I'd think your MIL or SIL with teens would be hosting the T-day feast instead of the mom with a newborn fussy baby!

My first reaction (having had a newborn fussy baby) would be to insist on everyone going out to dinner someplace, instead of trying to host a meal at my home.

My second reaction would be to roder a complete meal, and eat it in. Serve on the very finest disposable Chinette, with great wine and a yummy dessert.

If you absolutely have to cook, I'd assign your in-laws to bring stuff if there's any way that they can, or tell them where to go to pick stuff up. But if it has to be done by you and your husband this is what I'd do:

1. turkey -- just cook a plain one in the oven. Buy the bag and the disposable pan to cook it in, and don't bother with basting or stuffing. If you have never cooked a turkey before get the kind with the pop up timer and make sure you have a meat thermometer.

2. gravy -- don't try to make it yourself on top of the stove. By some of the mixes to make gravy.

3. cranberry sauce -- this you can make a day or two ahead.

4. mashed potatoes. You can buy these ready made in the grocery story. Put them in a crock pot to keep hot until dinner.

5. steamed green beans. prep the night before by washing and trimming and chopping, then steam or microwave, and top with a little butter, salt and pepper and some sliced almonds.

6. crescent rolls or dinner rolls -- buy ready made or make the night before, bake while the turkey is resting.

7 stuffing -- buy readymade from a place like Whole Foods and just heat up or buy a bag and cook it on your stove top, fix it up with some easy additions.

8.. buy a few delicious pies and get some whipped cream
;

9. bag of fancy salad mix

10. appetizers -- nothng that eneds cooking. cheese and crakcers or a plate of crudites or olice s-- nothing you need to fix up buy it ready made

11. big bowl of nuts and some nut crakcers

[Anonymous]

Your in-laws have some nerve, I'll say... Anyone was welcome in my home when I had a newborn, provided they cooked and cleaned the entire time!

[Anonymous]

OP -- did you get any useful ideas?

[Anonymous]

We're a big fan of Whole Foods' Thanksgiving offerings. Some years we've just gotten the turkey, others the entire package. Much easier than slaving away in the kitchen while everyone else is enjoying being together!

[Anonymous]

Wow, I must be in the minority here, because I think that Thanksgiving is the easiest holiday meal to cook. Turkey is so easy - season and shove in the oven for a few hours. All you really have to do is make sure you don't overcook it -- easy enough with a meat thermometer. For sides, keep it simple. Some simply baked sweet potatoes (wrap in foil and shove in the oven for the last hour of turkey roasting). You can serve with cinnamon-sugar and butter (or make maple butter if you are feeling up to it). Cranberry sauce (either store bought or homemade). A green vegetable - either fresh or frozen green beans or brussel sprouts - steamed or sauteed. I generally skip gravy and simply dilute the pan drippings a bit to make a jus. You can buy pies and bread, or even better, have the guests bring them. You should be able to make this meal with under an hour of actual "work" time.

Have the guests wash dishes and help clean up

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP -- did you get any useful ideas?

YES! thank you everyone for your thoughts.

1) we do not own a crock pot, but i will order one and have it delivered so we can do mashed potatoes in it. great idea! thank you.

2) i will ask my MIL to order desserts. in my experience, from prior visits, she is happy to pay for things and a total DUD at actually lifting a finger.

3) i like the idea of creating a list of tasks so that i can leave the list with people, as baby will have meltdowns, fussiness, and generally fits of crying, when i will not be able to do anything.

thanks again all.