Time to get organized for Thanksgiving! When I'm having a party or food event I'm taking a lot of food to, I like to make a list of each dish, the ingredients that go into it, what I'm serving it on, etc. If I'm traveling, I also include any utensils or bowls, pans, etc., I need to take with me. I use the list for shopping and gathering ingredients, and I usually am adding, deleting, and making changes on it right up til the end. So Sunday I made up my list for Thursday's dinner.

Stuffed Mushrooms

Butternut squash soup – plate in kitchen
  9 T butter
  9 c butternut squash
  4.5 c pears
  3 T butter
  2.25 c sliced leeks, white parts only
  1.5 T minced garlic
  9.5 c chicken stock
  1.5 can coconut milk
  Five spice powder
  Fried walnuts
  Toasted spices

Turkey – wooden cutting board
  Turkey
 Lemons
  Oranges
  Onions
  foil

Gravy - gravy boat

Broccoli cranberry salad
  1 c mayo
  ½ c sugar
  1 T vinegar
  2 bunches broccoli
  ½# bacon
  3-4 green onions
  1 c cashews
  7.5 oz dried cranberries

Mashed potatoes
  5# Yukon gold potatoes
  8 oz cream cheese
  1 c half n half
  1 stick butter
  1 t minced dry onions
  1 t salt
  ¼ t pepper
  1 T seasoned salt

Cranberry Relish
  Cranberries
  OJ
 sugar

Dressing - pyrex dish

Green beans
  Green beans
  Bacon

Rolls

Cheese & fruit plate

Pumpkin pies
  Flour
  butter
  2 cans pumpkin
  2 cans evaporated milk
  Whipping cream
  1.5 c sugar
  1 t salt
  2 t cinnamon
  1 t ginger
  1.5 t cloves
  4 eggs

Pumpkin cake rolls – ivory oval platters

Then, since this week is so hectic with people arriving on Tuesday night, I made up a to-do list and tried to assign things so that it isn't all left til the last minute. This is also a work in progress and I constantly add to it as I go along and figure things out. I could not get through a week like this without my list. It would seem overwhelming to me to hold all these details in my mind and I'd end up leaving it all until the last second and getting stressed. But after listing them on paper, it really seems doable and easy and even fun, and I don't need to worry about holding it my head. And I check them off as I go by changing the color to blue and it's so much fun to visually see everything getting done.

Monday
Purchase and prep flowers
Clean house

Make pumpkin brioche dough

Figure out turkey timetable

Tuesday
Arrange flowers
Make pumpkin chocolate chip muffins
Brine turkey

Make fried walnuts for soup

Make toasted spice rub for soup

Purchase cheese

Purchase wine
Purchase remaining ingredients
Assign recipes
Take tickets at The Clyde
Kids arrive around 10 pm!!!

Wednesday
Haircut at 9am
Make pies
Dry turkey
Make mashed potatoes
Set table
Pizza and movie with the kids
11pm - Turkey goes into the RO for 30 mins, then into the SO

Thursday
Remove pumpkin cake rolls from freezer to thaw
Make soup
Remember to take photos of all the food!

This year I've hit upon a brilliant idea to get help with all the food. I'm going to assign each dish to one or two people and let them make it for me! I'll have the ingredients all ready to go, give them the recipe and their timetable, and let them have at it. Is that not the best idea I've had in ages?

It gets even better - I'm ahead of schedule!