Hosting friends and family is one of life’s great joys. Looking around the table, seeing smiling faces, hearing stories being told, and retold, truly is a special occasion. But it can also come with a side-order of stress.
If you’re going all out this year—the dinner, the food, the wine, the guests—there are some simple ways to make things easier on you and everyone. After all, Thanksgiving is supposed to be a joyous celebration! Here are five tips to help you with your Thanksgiving celebrations.
1. The night before is your friend
Whatever you can do the night, or even days before, do it! Put out decorations and set your table the night before. Curate your playlist. Put out some activities for the kids. Make as many dishes as you can, put them in the fridge and simply reheat on the day.
2. Share the work
Don’t take on the huge task of cooking everything yourself! Do the big stuff—the turkey, key side dishes –and then ask your guests to bring a favourite side dish, dessert or wine. You can even ask someone to bring appetizers so when guests arrive, they have something to snack on while you finish the main course in the kitchen. Potluck doesn’t just make things easier on you, it gives your guests a chance to feel good that they contributed and even had a chance to show off one of their “famous” recipes. Here are a few recipe suggestions to make your gatherings just that much easier.
3. Get some outside help
Supermarkets have really upped their pre-made meal game so don’t think twice about including dishes that you, or your guests, didn’t make. Especially side dishes like gravy. Same goes for restaurants—if you know a restaurant or bakery that makes the absolute best pies in the world, then pre-order and enjoy having one less dish on your list to make.
4. Clean up, Nova Scotia style
The last thing you and your guests want is for you to disappear into the kitchen, again, once the meal has ended, this time to clean up. So, this being Nova Scotia, it’s time to move the entire gathering into the kitchen—it’s tradition! Guests can help with the dishes or simply enjoy keeping everyone on clean-up duty company.
5. Reward yourself
You did it! You pulled off a Thanksgiving dinner that people will remember—for the right reasons! So enjoy a second helping of dessert and a glass of wine and take a load off. You’ve definitely earned some “feet up” time.