Thanksgiving Day: Get Ready!
Even with temps dropping to omg-where's-my-winter-coat levels only last week, it's still a bit hard to believe that it's time for Thanksgiving.
But the countdown is on!
Whether you're planning a Thanksgiving feast for 2 or 10 or 20 (hi, overachievers) all of the meal planning and party prep can begin to feel a little... daunting. Don't get stressed, get deVivre. Here's our hostess-with-the-mostess Eleanor with a DIY Turkey Day Checklist to help you stay sane and, hey, if you really want to do it up right (and focus on what really matters: abundance + gratitude) we're only a call away.
deVivre Turkey Day Checklist
- Order your turkey! File under: things you don't think about until too late. Come next week, getting a delicious turkey will be harder than getting your party to brunch all at the same time. Specialty, humanely raised heritage birds from the greenmarkets (think: Heritage Bourbon Red, White Holland, or Eastern Bred Wild Turkeys) get snapped up faster than you can swipe right. Don't get stuck with a supermarket Turducken, call us and let us make you a reservation (and then bring it to your door).
- Make a plan for your sides. Whenever we're helping clients throw parties there's one thing we always make sure to have on hand: a Call Sheet. Part schedule, part to-do list, part time-management-magic-wand, this little document isn't just helpful for pulling off major fêtes with lots of moving parts, the principle applies to Thanksgiving Day cooking, as well. How? Remember last year when you realized at the last minute that 6 different dishes all needed to "finish in the oven"? 5 hours later, Uncle Joe's gotten into that second bottle of red wine, and you hear the word "Obamacare" filter in from the living room....EEP. Call Sheet to the rescue. Read through all your recipes beforehand and put a little thought into who needs what kitchen space when and write out a rough schedule. Keep some extra tin foil and trivets on hand so that you can rotate pans easily and we guarantee that your mashed potatoes will be the hottest topic at the table. Need help planning a menu you can execute? We can make you a Call Sheet faster than you can peel those spuds.
- Pick + Pair your drinks. Wine, cider, and eggnog—oh my! You may LOVE red wine with your turkey dinner but don't forget about your guests. Make sure to have a few different kinds of booze (and at least one nice non-alcoholic option) on hand. Pop in to your local wine shop and tell them what you're serving, take their suggestions, and then save your arm strength (and time) by ordering everything to be delivered early on in the week. If you don't feel like schlepping, calling, or thinking about what pairs best with turkey (besides a nap), let us set up your bar. And don't forget the ice.
- Seating. Were you a fan of musical chairs as a kid? I wasn't. I hated being pushed off the chair at the last second or being at the end of the row, being the last one standing. Do not, I repeat DO NOT let this happen to you, or even worse, one of your guests! Since we know from experience that your average New Yorker's apartment doesn't have extra space for keeping everyday items like bikes/shoes/books/sanity within reach, you probably don't just keep a stack of 10 folding chairs tucked away for a once-a-year dinner. Our solution: Rent them. Here today, gone tomorrow, and you just won Friendsgiving. Sound daunting? Let us wrangle it for you. Same goes for linens, glassware, flowers, and forks. Let someone else deal.
- Take time and be grateful. After all, this is what the holiday is really about. Take a moment after the planning, plotting, chopping, cooking, basting, brushing, and brussels sprouting to look around your table and be thankful for abundance, for your breath and body, for your chosen family, and for the chance to celebrate. And if after that you need help cleaning up, as always - we're your ladies!
(photo courtesy of Southern Living)