14 Tips For Hosting Thanksgiving Dinner.

A few tips if you have the honor of hosting Thanksgiving this year:

1. Take the time to plan your menu. A good menu before you go shopping keeps you from running back out to the stores before they close Thanksgiving night.
2. Make sure to add to your shopping list extra eggs, butter, flour, sugar, and anything else you may need for baking.
3. The average Thanksgiving meal for 10  costs around $45. (According to CNBC for 2009)
4. Plan your time too. How long does each dish take to make?
   
5. Do as much as you can the day before, or if you work, two evenings before. Many things such as pies, breads, vegetables, stuffing, will keep just fine in the fridge for two days and then only need reheated on Thanksgiving. This allows you to relax and enjoy your company on the holiday.
6. Ask your visitors to bring a special dish. This cuts down on your work, saves money, and adds to the conversation. And visitors usually love to bring a dish.
7. Thaw that Turkey! The general rule for thawing in the refrigerator is 1 day for every 5 pounds. So a 10 pound turkey should be put in the fridge 2 days in advance. A 25 pound Turkey should be put in 5 days in advance. And if your are brining the Turkey it will need to be even earlier. 
8. Turkeys are wonderful brined.
9. Have Thanksgiving just before your regular dinner time instead of noon or 2pm. This gives you the time you need to prepare a feast but still allows enough time to clean up afterwards.
10.  Make sure you have something to cook the turkey in and a serving platter. 
11. Think about decorations. Does the table cloth need ironed? Do you have a centerpiece? Candles?
12. Buy or make ice.
13. Have something for children to do. A small craft, board games, movies (like Charlie Brown Thanksgiving or Pollyanna)
14. Keep your Thanksgiving menu and recipes from year to year.