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Thanksgiving Dinner

Hey Turkey! Where’s the Turkey?
Getting Thanksgiving Dinner on the Table the Easy Way.

Thanksgiving is one of the best holidays our country celebrates. Think about it, a day set aside when you can sit back and think about everything you have to be thankful for — family, friends, children, spouses… it’s wonderful! But if you’re the one preparing the feast it can also be stressful, especially if you’re working the day/night before.

While some hosts start preparing a week in advance, not many nurses have a schedule that affords this luxury. That’s why NurseVillage.com wants to lend a hand by offering some tips and helpful hints to get the celebration started!

Planning is Key!
You may not be able to actually start preparing a week ahead of time, but you can certainly start planning early. Getting organized is the first step to bringing the stress level down a notch. You can do this by:

• Knowing how many people you will be entertaining
• Planning the menu
• Finding the recipes you want to use ahead of time
• Checking your cupboard and see what ingredients you’re missing, and making your shopping list
• Shopping ahead of time. Aim for two weeks out. If you shop a week early you’re still doing good!

Don’t Be Bird-Brained About Your Bird.
There’s a lot to learn about roasting a turkey, believe it or not. Here are just a few of the important things to know:

• Start defrosting your turkey early.
• It takes approximately 24 hours in the refrigerator for every 5 lbs of turkey you have to thaw, that’s 4-5 days for a 20-pound bird!
• When you take the turkey out of the oven, let it sit for about 20 minutes before you start carving.
• Never stuff your turkey ahead of time. It should be stuffed only when it's ready to go into the oven.
  If you’re worried about actually preparing the turkey, don’t sweat it. Butterball makes a Fully Cooked Whole Turkey (available refrigerated or frozen.) This means all you have to deal with is heating it up. If this is still too much for you to handle, buy your turkey already roasted from a restaurant or specialty store. Pick it up that morning and keep it warm in your oven. The aroma will fill your kitchen and everyone will think you’re a true gourmet!

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Stuff the Stuffing.
You can’t serve Thanksgiving dinner without stuffing unless you’re prepared to face many disappointed guests. There is a bright side to this story — stuffing is easy. There’s no reason to get elaborate here. Of course, if you want to try a fancy recipe by all means do so, just try the recipe out once before the big day. Bad stuffing is almost as bad as no stuffing at all. But to avoid any mishaps just grab a stuffing mix off your grocer's shelf and prepare it according to the package directions. If you add a little butter to the mix it will improve the flavor and texture. There is still one even easier way — order the turkey from a restaurant or specialty store already stuffed! BAM! You’re done.

No Guts…No Gravy!
Okay when it comes to “real” gravy there is no easy way out. You have to wait until right before serving the meal to make it — you need the juices and stock from the giblets. This can be an added stress that you don’t need. In this case, fake it by using gravy mix or even a thinned out canned gravy. You can season either one of these to taste and no one will ever know it didn’t come from the roasted turkey.

Step Aside When It Comes To Side Dishes.
Remember even the Pilgrims had the Indians to help them. When it comes to the sweet potatoes, strings beans and what ever else you like to serve, ask your company to bring a dish. Simplify things by assigning dishes to each guest so you don’t end up with too much of one thing. This not only takes a load off your shoulders it also gives your company a chance to add their own gourmet flare to the dinner. If a guest isn’t much of a cook, assign them a dessert that can easily be bought at a local bakery. Voilà! Your Thanksgiving dinner is almost ready to be served.

A Few Last Suggestions.
Prepare as much as possible in advance. For instance, pre-measure seasonings, and store them in marked baggies; precut and store vegetables; and roast garlic a week in advance and store in olive oil in the fridge.

Let your family set the table. Children will jump at the chance to help. It makes them feel like they’re contributing to the festivities. This will also keep them out of the kitchen!

Serve buffet-style. You can still use pretty serving dishes but guests can help themselves to seconds (and thirds) whenever they want.

Use your microwave. Take advantage of this appliance — it’s fast! It’s a great way to reheat food when all the burners on the stove are occupied.

If disasters occur, have no fear! There are even turkey help hotlines:
Meat & Poultry Hot Line 800-535-4555
Butterball Turkey-Talk Line 800-323-4848
Reynolds Turkey Tips Line 800-745-4000

We hope all of the information we provided will help you get a Thanksgiving dinner on the table that will leave your guests gobbling for more.