This year I find myself working on my favorite holiday. And somehow I've convinced myself that it's totally realistic for me to cook two separate Thanksgiving meals this year. You see, we'll be doing Thanksgiving with our friends this year -- an elaborate 10 course meal that I can't wait to share pictures of! But I also want to cook a traditional meal so we can have the copious amount of leftovers that I'm used to from Thanksgiving back home. Side note: I have cried over leftovers y'all, they're that important. Just ask my mom about the great sweet potato heist of 2009.
Two Thanksgivings is what we're used to. When we go back home to Virginia we eat at Kevin's parent's house and my mom's house. So two Thanksgivings is what we shall have this year as well. Here we are, one week out and I have planned very little. You see, I've made parts of a Turkey Day meal before but never the whole thing. I did a big shopping trip and just kind of bought stuff that I thought should be included. It's like I'm just asking to become a stressed out crazy mess come next Thursday. I'll be that person running into people in the grocery store and staring blankly at the potatoes like I'm not in anybody's way. Don't you hate those people? So I've turned to some of the professionals to help me prepare for the big day. Here are my top five picks for best web planning tools for a flawless Thanksgiving.
Number One: Martha Stewart
Martha is of course the reigning queen of holiday preparation. But her recent Twitter pics have revealed that she does have some flaws (okay one). The woman cannot take a good food pic to save her life. Thank goodness Martha because we've all felt inferior for years. Anyway, her planner is comprehensive but also assumes that you started planning two weeks ago...
Number Two: Cooks Illustrated via Crate and Barrel
Crate and Barrel's planner is organized and thorough if you're making a traditional meal. It covers all the basics and is really user friendly.
This is the one I have personally been using. It's available for several different devices and has both traditional and contemporary recipes. The best part is you can sync its menu planner with your own phone's calendar to remind you virtually of when you should be doing things. You can use one of their pre-set menus or create a custom menu.
Number Four: Better Homes and Gardens
This is less of a planner and more a home base for all things Thanksgiving-- from decorating to a video on how to carve a turkey. Perfect for newbie hosts and hostesses like me. I would totally be that person that takes that beautiful bird out of the oven and then asks myself "$#*@, now what do I do?"
Number Five: Design Finch
Her "Gobble Guide" is free and available pre-filled or blank to meet your planning needs. I will definitely be using the blank one for my meal. I was going to make my own, but I love a free printable. What a time saver!
Happy planning everyone!
this is incredible! thank you for sharing these resources! and thanks for linking up for Treat Yo Self Thursday!
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