Thanksgiving Day Countdown

To help take the stress out of the holidays, plan ahead. I start 4 weeks out and make to do lists for each week.
Here's my list...


4 Weeks Before
Create a guest list and phone or send out invitations early. Write the menu. Order the turkey. Invite your guests to bring along one of their favorite dishes to contribute to the feast. I handle the turkey and mash potatoes and anything else on the menu that doesn't travel well. Be sure you have enough tables, chairs, linens, dishes and glassware, if your short, order from a rental company or borrow from friends and family.
3 Weeks Before
Polish the silver and press the linens. Make a Thanksgiving dinner music play list. I put task on my daughters to do list. Pick up candles and firewood. Clean out the freezer
2 Weeks Before
Finalize your shopping list. Clean out the refrigerator. Make place cards and a centerpiece. Get the kids involved! Make rolls, pie crusts, casseroles, and soups, and freeze 'em up. Test out any new recipes.
1 Week Before
Pick up your turkey if it’s frozen begin the thawing process. Refrigerator thawing takes 1 day for every 5 pounds of turkey. Order pre-made fruit and vegetable arrangements.
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2 Days Before
Pick up that fresh turkey you ordered. Purchase fresh produce. Make pie crusts and refrigerate (if you haven't gone the frozen route). Set the table or decorate the buffet. Set up the bar. Lay out serving pieces and utensils.
1 Day Before
Wash and prep produce. Remove giblets and neck from turkey cavity and make turkey stock for gravy.
Bake pies. Arrange frozen dinner rolls on a sheet pan and thaw overnight in the fridge.
Thanksgiving Day
Relax and enjoy your company. Yes, there might be dishes to be prepared on the day, but you won't be in a panic.
Stuff and roast turkey (or bake dressing). Mash potatoes. Make gravy. Toss salad. Warm or bake bread and rolls. Reheat frozen dishes. Arrange appetizer platters. Whip cream for desserts. Chill or open wine. Make coffee.

Pumpkin Carving 101

It's that time of year. The kids and I just made our annual pumpkin run. We each select our favorite shape and size pumpkin, take them home and carve them up.
I think this year I'll try something different and combine designs and shapes as seen in this photo.
Here are some things you'll need:
Votive Candles
Pumpkin
Paring Knives
Felt Tip Pens
Pumpkins
Pumpkin-carving Sets
Newspaper
Cinnamon
Pencils
Step by step instructions:
1. Select a fresh pumpkin in a shape that pleases you. Some folks prefer their pumpkins low and round, while others like them tall and oval-shaped.
2. Draw a circle or hexagon on top of the pumpkin in preparation for making an opening large enough for your hand to reach through.
3.Cut through the stem end of the pumpkin along your outline with a sharp knife or pumpkin-carving tool. Use a back-and-forth slicing motion to cut through the thick, tough skin.
4. Remove the stem end, which will act as a cap, making sure you scrape off any seeds or pulp.
5. Use a large spoon to scoop out the seeds and pulp from inside the pumpkin. Hold the spoon by its bowl to get extra leverage while scooping.
6. Draw a pattern for the face on the clean pumpkin with a felt-tip pen, or scribe the lines into the skin using a pencil. Be sure to make the eyes, nose and mouth large enough; you'll have a hard time cutting out tiny features when you're using a big knife blade to saw through tough skin.
7. Follow your pattern as you cut all the way through the pumpkin.
8. Push the cut-out features gently from the inside of the pumpkin and discard the pieces.
9. Place a votive candle inside the pumpkin to create an eerie glow.
Have a safe, happy Halloween!

Festive Fall Decorations

Colorful foliage, crisp morning air and bright blue skies, the signs of fall are everywhere. I've still got a basket of apples from the apple picking adventure and found something really fun to do with them. Apple votives, although they do not last very long, carved apple candle holders make a unique and beautiful fall display. They are easy to make and require very little effort to create a centerpiece or a basket of these beautiful fall decorations. You can use them individually to decorate a mantel or place them in a group with some spiced pine cones to brighten a table. For the next dinner party, I plan to float mine in a large bowl sprinkled with colorful leaves and place on the porch to welcome my guests.
What you'll need:
1 decorative bowl or metal tub
½ to 1 dozen apples
1 black or blue thin-line pen
1 small utility knife
1 spoon
Mixture of ground cinnamon, ground cloves and ground nutmeg
½ to 1 dozen tealight candles
a handful of colorful leaves
1. Fill the tab or a sink with water. Place the apples in the water. Dry off apples, separating the ones that float and the ones that don’t; most will float.
2. Check the bottoms of the apples that don’t float. The bottoms need to be flat so that the candles will be upright and won’t roll over.
3. Hold one of the tealights over the top of the apple (over the stem). Trace the outline of the candle on the apple. Use the utility knife to cut out the circle--about ¼ inch deep. Use the spoon to pop the center out.
Keep spooning out apple bits until the candle fits snuggly into the hole, but not too deep. The wick should be completely outside of the apple.
4. Sprinkle cinnamon in the hole and use your finger to evenly spread it over the cut surface, especially the rim of the hole. Place the candle in the hole.
5. Place the floating apples in the bowl or metal tub and make sure they float with the candle upright. Place the non-floating candles on a non-flammable surface. Light the candles.