The holy grail of foodie holidays is coming up! Some of us wait for it all year long. It’s time to start planning for Thanksgiving!

I can hardly contain myself.

I mean, the entrees, the side dishes – the desserts! Turkey and dressing and gravy and rolls, oh my!

Not to mention the company, the feeding frenzy, the meals before and after the main meal and all the preparation that needs to go into this holiday.

It’s no wonder some people find this the most stressful time of year. But it doesn’t have to be that way. You know what takes away stress? Proper planning and foresight. So let’s do that!

Some of the best Thanksgiving tips I’ve been given are over-prepare so that no one is underwhelmed and always have food you can quickly prepare on hand.

Family and friends tend to hang around a lot at Thanksgiving time. Football games are on, people are off work and school and it’s a time to reconnect. And that’s fantastic. We all need that. But the more time they spend at your house, the more meals you’re responsible for! So be a great host and plan ahead.

I LOVE to have steaks at the ready. It’s always a beautiful meal that everyone can appreciate. Just season, grill and serve! Easy!

And if YOU happen to be the guest at Aunt Edna’s house for the week? Bring some steaks along with you. That way, you KNOW your family will be fed well and you will go down in history as the best houseguest ever. That’s just good Thanksgiving etiquette. Help a host out!

Don’t wait for Auntie to ask you to bring something specific – just do it! And make sure to bring extras because there are always people you didn’t plan for there. Always.

I’m sure you have some great Thanksgiving tips you’ve learned over the years to share – what are they?

One more day and it’s time to feast!

Is your turkey thawing?

Are your side dishes prepped?

Dishes sparkling?

Serving utensils locked and loaded?

Napkins clean and folded?

It’s time to set the alarm and put that turkey in in the morning!

Did you go with a Chateaubriand this year? Prime rib roast?

As I mentioned, I’m serving a traditional turkey with a side of spiral ham – among other things.

My hubby always requests macaroni and cheese so that’s on the menu, too. Oh, and cranberry sauce for my dad, mashed potatoes for me, mushrooms for Mom, and more bread than a freightliner could hold for my boys. They can put away some bread.

The one thing we ALL have on the menu? Thankfulness.

Happy Thanksgiving, one and all!

Photo courtesy of KansasCitySteaks.com.

When you’ve got a big meal to serve – and isn’t Thanksgiving the biggest of them all? – success is all in the details.

Plan ahead to make sure you have all the right serving utensils. Planning a spiral sliced ham? Do you have the right serving fork? Side dishes planned?

Thinking of cooking a lovely Chateaubriand or prime rib roast? Make sure to time it just right so there’s just the right amount of aroma to whet the appetite before you sit down.

Make it an enjoyable experience for your guests (and easy for you) by having two each of the essentials on the table. Two baskets of bread – one for each end of the table – so that the entire meal isn’t spent passing and passing, two gravy boats, etc.

Think of the meal from your guests’ perspective and everything will flow nice and easy – the way a holiday should be!

Photo courtesy of KansasCitySteaks.com.