Planning Thanksgiving Dinner - Tips To Make Your Holiday Easy

Planning Thanksgiving dinner and preparing it can be very stressful, especially if you have a large family or are expecting a number of guests. In order to make Thanksgiving more enjoyable for yourself as well as your guests, some advance planning and preparation will work wonders. Use these tips to make your holiday a stress-free, memorable occasion:

1 teaspoon vanillaIf you have purchased a frozen turkey, take it out of the freezer and place it in the refrigerator 3 days prior to cooking to give it plenty of time to thaw. If you will need to iron linens, etc., do so a couple of days before Thanksgiving to cut down on the amount of work you will have to do the night before the big day.1/2 teaspoon cream of tartarDeciding upon your final menu should be completed at least a week before the big day. Consider the number of people you will be entertaining and if you have children on your guest list, try to plan a couple of special dishes or treats especially for them.Another way of storing broccoli is to cut off an inch or so from the ends of the stalks, rinse the bunch in cold water and put it upright in a cold water filled bowl, just like flowers in a vase. Cover the bowl with a plastic bag and refrigerate it.The Week of Thanksgiving:If you will be cooking turkey, decide upon fresh, frozen, or smoked. Make sure you have room in your refrigerator and oven. You should plan on one to one 1/2 pounds per person and even a bit larger if you want plenty of leftovers.3. With a spatula, spread the meringue on the cake and ice cream, completely sealing both from the heat. The meringue will act as insulation from the heat. Any thin areas in the meringue will allow heat to seep through.A baked Alaska is a magnificent affair, a perfect holiday or summertime dessert. Imagine a cake piled high with ice cream and then covered with meringue. To serve, slice the cake showing the cake, ice cream, and meringue in layers.A couple of days prior to Thanksgiving you can prepare a few items in advance to save time on the big day.The ice cream should be frozen rock hard and the cake completely cooled.A baked Alaska is a simple concept? a block of ice cream set on a layer of cake and then covered with meringue. The meringue acts as insulation allowing you to stick the whole concoction in the oven to brown the meringue. You then place the dessert in the freezer to freeze rock hard before serving.For a successful baked Alaska:- Don't get it too big. If your baked Alaska is too large, it's unwieldy and hard to slice and serve. For a party, it's better to build several smaller desserts than one large. Remember that you'll add about an inch of meringue on all sides to your cake and ice cream interior.

With some advance planning and preparation, Thanksgiving can be a stress-free (almost) occasion and you will have plenty of time to enjoy the company of friends and family.

Author: Angela Tyler