Thanksgiving Checklist

Thanksgiving Checklist
http://savoryseasonings.blogspot.com/

I love Thanksgiving dinner. I generally make enough to provide leftovers for several days as nothing seems better than a a full Thanksgiving meal followed by pumpkin pie each night. As there is so much to do in the kitchen along with visiting family that same week, I try to spread out the cooking as much as possible. Here is my checklist for the month.

Sometime during the month of November
Make bread cubes, then freeze
Make pie crusts, then freeze in pie pans
Order a range free, nothing added turkey
Freeze extra pieces of celery, carrots and onions for turkey broth

The Monday before Thanksgiving
Pick up turkey and extra legs or wings for turkey broth

Two days before Thanksgiving
Make turkey broth from the extra legs (for stuffing and gravy)

The day before Thanksgiving

Chop celery and onions for stuffing
Bake pies
Prep vegetable tray and vegetable dip
Place turkey in brine solution

Thanksgiving day
Cook turkey and make gravy from drippings and broth
Cook stuffing
Mash potatoes
Whip heavy cream for pies

5 comments:

Shannon in Plano said...

I love seeing other people's Thanksgiving "schedules"!
This is the first year I have insisted on hosting Thanksgiving. My well-meaning relatives poison me every year accidentally with MSG.
Hoping this will be the first year ever I can feel good enough to actually go shopping on Black Friday!
I still can't seem to find any whipping cream without carageenan. Can you tell me what kind you use and if you add any "safe" stabilizer?
Blessings to you and yours!

Emily said...

Hi Shannon,
Good luck with your Thanksgiving dinner- I'm sure it will be perfect and you'll feel great the next day.

I used to buy my heavy cream from a locally owned dairy farm called "Winder Dairy." Starting this year they are adding stabilizers to it so I've needed to find a new option. I usually have to go to a health food store to find safe cream.

I have now found Organic Valley heavy cream that only has "heavy cream" on the label. Here is a link to the product:

http://www.organicvalley.coop/products/cream/heavy-whipping-cream/

Good luck, I hope you are able to find something you can use!

Emily

Shannon U. said...

Thanks, Emily! I will go to Sprouts (a farmer's market here in Texas) and see what I can dig up. Happy Cooking!
Shannon

Shannon U. said...

Just wanted to say THANKS. I made your pumpkin pie recipe and it turned out great! I cheated and bought a crust from the healthfood store, though. It only had 3 ingredients in it, so I was ok. Never did find any whipping cream without carageenan. It was so good I didn't miss it, though!

Emily said...

I'm so glad your pie turned out great, thanks for stopping by. I think next year I'll make vanilla ice cream with half and half instead of making whipped cream as it is easier for me to find Half and Half without carageenan. Maybe that could work for you if you still aren't able to find a safe heavy cream. Good luck!