Today officially marks three weeks until the big day, and this year, we’re pledging to stay ahead on our prep for a calm, stress-free Thanksgiving.
Luckily, here at the CIA, we’ve got a lot of experience coordinating dinners! We have a good plan in place, so each week, we’ll fill you in on what we hope to check off our to-do list. Hopefully you’ll be inspired to follow along and get a few things off your plate early, too!
This weekend, the focus is on planning the menu and sourcing ingredients, tools, and any special décor we have our hearts set on.
Your menu doesn’t have to be firm (trust us, ours will change ten times in the next three weeks), but get a general list going. This is important, because you might want to order a turkey, find the perfect serving dish for scalloped potatoes, or source special fruits and veggies. If you’re our DISH editor, Laura, that probably means ordering a 10 lb box of cranberries from Wisconsin to Texas.
It’s also a good time to check in with friends and family to make sure there are no new special diets to account for.
You can find a frozen turkey at most grocery stores the week of Thanksgiving, but if you’re hoping to purchase a fresh turkey from a local farm or specialty store, most are beginning to take orders now. Check online or talk to meat purveyors at your local farmers’ market this weekend. You might even be able to order extra gizzards or bones for gravy, which is a great treat.
Check in with your other local shops, like bakeries, liquor stores, and specialty markets, to see if they’re planning anything special for the holiday. You might be able to get on the list for something you hadn’t even considered, like a unique cranberry sauce, dinner biscuits, or cornbread for stuffing.
If you really feel like getting ahead, this also a great weekend to make chicken stock. Since it’s typically used for gravy, stuffing, and maybe even soup or other sides, it’s best to make a little extra. We suggest making at least 2 quarts, but thinking through your menu will help you decide if you need more. You can buy turkey parts, if you like, but chicken stock is just fine, too. For a veggie-heavy holiday, make vegetable stock with lots of mushrooms and herbs.
Cool your strained stock and store it in the freezer. Zip-top bags are great, because they store flat and can be shoved into nooks and crannies if your freezer starts to fill up.
And if you still have time leftover—well, enjoy it. How often does that happen?