Thanksgiving Countdown: Cooking In Advance

I have a small oven and I need to make as many of our Thanksgiving dishes in advance.  Between my tiny oven and the microwave I manage to cook turkey, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, dressing and cranberry relish.

Last night I made the cranberry relish.  Homemade is so much better than the canned relish and, please, don't serve that stuff that comes out shaped like the can.  In a sauce pan put the juice of one orange and two bags of fresh cranberries.  Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes.  When the berries have burst their skins add a cup of white sugar and the zest of one orange.  Simmer for a few more minutes, stirring frequently until thickened.  Store in the refrigerator.

Today I am making green bean casserole (all fresh ingredients), sweet potato casserole and cornbread for the dressing.  I am cleaning between bouts of cooking and getting my table ready.  We can eat in the Florida room for a couple of days.

Unfortunately, dear daughter is sick with a cold and I can feel one coming on.  The house won't be immaculate this holiday and we won't use the good silver, but I learned long ago that our expectations for celebrations in our home are much greater than those of our guests.  Most guests are just happy to be in your home with family and friends.  They don't care if the house and table are perfect.

Go easy on yourself.

God bless,
Pam

Thanksgiving Countdown: The List

We are skipping over pantries for a few days to start preparing for Thanksgiving. The first step is to make lists. Lists about needed groceries, house cleaning and decorating. If you are one of those super organized people that made your lists a month ago, God love you, take these five minutes to relax and have some tea. I am not so organized so here I go!

House cleaning list: all the basics, with the addition of cleaning and pressing the turkey tablecloth (yes it has turkeys all over it) and napkins, washing the serving pieces (that haven't seen the light of day since last Christmas), polishing the silver (ditto) and crystal.

Decorating: Cleaning and displaying Fall decorations. Thank goodness I haven't added any turkey statues to the mix, but I do have some lovely gourds and I always use new beeswax candles for the holidays. Don't forget dried flowers which are wonderful for Fall and wonderfully economical since they can be reused.

Groceries: You must make this list and shop today. Why? Because your turkey needs to be in the refrigerator defrosting ASAP. Make a list of ALL ingredients you need for your recipes, check your supplies, then make a shopping list. Make sure your spices and baking powder are fresh. Organize your coupons and head out the door. This isn't a good time to have your spouse or children do the shopping for you; believe me, you will end up running back to the store if you do.

Put your kids to work cleaning. They will grumble, but let them. We are developing their character through meaningful work. Reward them by letting them enjoy doing some of the fun cooking activities (that involve sugar).

Let's get moving!

God bless,
Pam

The Pantry

Pantries used to be common in American homes. The shelves were filled with baking staples and home canned foods. Families were ready for hard times or being snowed in for weeks; they could survive because of their well stocked pantry.

Well, what if you or your spouse lose their jobs, bad weather strikes or "fill in this space with the disaster of your choice"? Could your family live on the food in your house? A pantry can be just as important for us as it was for our grandparents.

So, let's find a location for our pantry. It needs to be cool and dark. Light, heat and freezing will cause foods to degrade quickly.

Most of us don't have unique spaces for a pantry, but let's get creative. How about under the beds, under a staircase, in a closet behind the coats, in a corner of the basement. Any little space will do. Think of having many mini pantries instead of one large space.

Start searching now. It's never too early to start preparing for the worst.

God bless,
Pam