Thanksgiving is one of the best holidays because it really is all about the food, but sometimes that food can be pretty expensive depending on the number of people, what is being served, and when the food items are bought. Planning for the big dinner few weeks in advance is a good way to reduce stress, better plan the menu, and helps the cook not to over do it on the menu. Here are several tips to help the Thanksgiving cook save money and stress during Thanksgiving.
Items to Buy Before or During Thanksgiving:
- Pick up canned goods several weeks in advance-canned goods last for years at a time and there are often sales at grocers, go ahead and grab the canned goods while grocery shopping a few weeks before the week of Thanksgiving according to the dishes for which they are needed.
- Wait to buy canned cranberry sauce until the end of October, beginning of November-if buying canned goods early, Cranberry Sauce is one to wait on because the sales on the delicious fruit do not start until the holiday season, before sales it is one of the more expensive canned items, so it pays to wait.
- Get boxed items, including sugar and flour, throughout grocery shopping trips. If using boxed stuffing, go ahead and buy it and store it, it can be bought months in advance, much like canned goods, and saved for the holidays.
- Get Onion Straws for Green Bean Casseroles or any other casserole during the holidays, like cranberry sauce, it seems like the best sells for this item is during the season, so go ahead and stock up for next season as well-that at least eliminates one year of buying the yummy crisp onions the next time.
- Turkey and canned pumpkin, buy it during the season, lowest prices seem to occur at this time.
- Use paper plates, paper cups, paper napkins, and disposable silverware, especially for large gatherings. These items are very decorative now and can be found for as low as $1 for 12 paper plates, will reduce the amount of dishes to wash, and Michaels has a huge sale on a large variety of these, including unbreakable Thanksgiving wine glasses (probably want to safe those for years to come).
- Decorations, buy at the end of October, beginning of November, including tablecloths or placemats. All the fall items have giant sales on them at this point and it is a great opportunity to pick up decorative items, serving platters, and towels for dishes and for the bathroom. In fact, Kohl's and Target are just among the few with prices on Halloween and Thanksgiving items marked anywhere from 40%-80% below the original sales price, and some places are even offering an extra 10% or 20% off the already marked down sales price.
Plan the menu at least two weeks in advance, try not to make a lot of changes when it comes to the main course and side dishes, but try to keep deserts to a maximum of three. If guests are bringing food, contact everyone 2 weeks and then again at 1 week before Thanksgiving to be sure everyone knows what to bring and what is on the menu. If cooking for a small group (4-6 people) keep the sides at maximum three (not including rolls, cranberry sauce, and gravy), and if cooking for a larger crowd, keep the sides to a maximum of five or six, but make a cut in the desert area if doing six sides. Also, do not be afraid or embarrassed to use store bought rolls (also on sale during the holidays), frozen pies (Edwards is mouth watering good) and gravy in a jar. There is no shame in saving time and money and washing of extra pans and mixing bowls.
- Determine number of guests
- Look at Serving sizes on planned recipes in order to know how much of it to make.
- Two items to cook more of than needed, Turkey and Stuffing-both go really fast at the Thanksgiving table, and during the weekend
- If feeding 4 people, a 12 pound Turkey should be fine, for 8-10, a 15-18 pound turkey, if feeding more than 10 people, instead of one large bird, grab 2 or 3 fifteen to eighteen ponders, or to make it easier, get turkey breasts which can be cooked side by side two at a time and for a shorter time period.
- If serving drinks, keep specialty drinks to two choices, make one a Sangria (very easy to make), or let guests BYOB, and be sure to have something for the non-drinkers.
- Prepare any items that need to be chilled the day before, including the cranberry sauce and also go ahead and make the deserts, the oven needs to be good to go when it comes to the turkey and side items on the big day.
- Get the turkey in asap on Thanksgiving morning, if using turkey breasts-the cook time is less-so enjoy some coffee, talk shows, some of the parade, and then start cooking (gotta love Thanksgiving made easier while still tasting good).
- While the bird cooks, make side items on the stove, go ahead and prepare the casseroles and dressing for the oven as well.
- Cook other items in the oven once the turkey is done, while turkey cools a bit.
- Heat rolls last, set timer to avoid burning.
No comments:
Post a Comment