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gobble   gobble a thanksgiving planning timeline | 1 2 3

You know you’re getting old when you actually turn down a "real" adult’s invite to their Thanksgiving dinner because you’ve decided that this year, at long last, you’re finally ready to host your very own turkey day. Yup, this year I’m not flying back to the parents’ place in Boston, or joining my cousins out in L.A. – I’m avoiding that hellish holiday traffic and staying put right here in Tucson instead. Where the plan is to serve up a small feast of my own, to be enjoyed with my sweetie, his sister, and a few good friends.

the countdown
one week ahead:
	Get a headcount so you know how many bellies you’ll be feeding. The big question, for the first time Thanksgiving host(ess): just how much turkey should you get? Estimate 1.5 lb. of turkey per person, and you should have plenty for leftovers. Because what, after all, is Thanksgiving without the enormous excess?
	By all means assign people to bring dishes. Don’t try and play Super(wo)man – delegate! You’ll no doubt be taking care of the bird and stuffing, so feel free to farm out as much of the rest of the work as you like.
	Make your shopping list. Don’t forget to include beverages (unless you’ve assigned this task to someone else), as well as disposable aluminum roasting pans (assuming you don’t already have a good roasting pan of your own). An instant-read thermometer is also essential, for determining when your turkey’s properly cooked, and you’ll need cotton twine to tie up your bird. Of course, don’t forget to stock up on napkins and papertowels.
	Take the time now to clean out your fridge and freezer. That moldy tub of yogurt, those freezer-burned chicken tenders … that’s right, get rid of absolutely everything that you possibly can. You’ll need all the room you can get to make room for all the Thanksgiving foodstuffs and potables.

the timeline continues!

---------------------------> lounge . nourish . host . laze . home .