Heather Solos's Blog, page 5

Countdown to Turkey Day: Final Menu

Hello!

Here we are, two weeks to Thanksgiving! How is your countdown going? Do you need to play catch-up? Don’t worry; we have you covered. Just click here for everything we have done so far to help you get ready for Thanksgiving without overwhelm.

I bet after today it will start feeling like things are coming together as today we are finalizing the menu.

Do you have your guest list from yesterday? Great, you will need that and your notes on allergies for today.

Get your soft menu plan and spreadsheet with the recipe links. It is time to go through your recipes with a careful eye to ensure that there are no allergy concerns for your guests.

Thanksgiving Menu: The Final Countdown

Please note that if someone at your dinner party has celiac or a severe allergy, your responsibility doesn’t stop at just saying, “Ok, there’s no bread in the green bean casserole; I’m good.”

No, you need to check all of the ingredients and read ALL of the labels.

Going back to our green bean casserole example, you would want to notice that the cream of mushroom soup, both the cream of mushroom soup and the fried onions are not gluten-free. Don’t worry! You can still have a really good green bean casserole with quick substitutions. You can either buy a gluten-free cream of mushroom soup or make your own using what is referred to as a cup-for-cup replacement gluten-free substitute flour and then use gluten-free fried onions.

Remember you also need to watch for processing warnings, such as this product is made in a plant that also processes x, y, z ingredients, depending on the severity of your guest’s allergy. Communication is key; your guest or their parent knows their needs and should be able to let you know what those are.

If a recipe just won’t work without the allergen, you will need to decide if it is appropriate to serve a menu item that one or more of your guests cannot eat. Is it a situation where you can offer an alternative item? Are there enough other items on the table that this item won’t make that person feel left out? Remember, etiquette is about ensuring everyone is comfortable, and your decision should be based on that.

Now that you have gone through every ingredient and every recipe, you now have your final menu for Thanksgiving.

Give it one more look over. How does it look to you? Are you looking forward to the meal? What item are you most looking forward to having?

Previously in the Countdown:Invited the guestsLearned how to keep a safe kitchenDecided what we will prep aheadThought about dishes to make aheadDecided on the turkeyLearned about homemade stockMade a plan for all of our leftoversMade a plan to make doing the dishes easierEnsured we have enough place settingsCreated a plan to grocery shopCreated our soft menu planWritten a tentative guest listFigured out how our guests’ needs affect our plansCleared the tableSet the intention to keep it clear.Made a point to try to stick to the weekly chore schedule

Countdown to Turkey Day: It’s Time to Invite the Guests

Hey there.

We have just over two weeks until Thanksgiving. How are you feeling about your upcoming event? Excited? Nervous? Dreading the whole thing? Wherever you stand on the matter, if you need to play catch-up on the countdown, everything we have covered so far is down there.

Nearly everyone’s favorite etiquette expert Emily Post says you need to give two weeks’ notice for formal events, so it is time to invite your guests.

Grab your tentative guest list and get ready to send the invites.

How to send invitations to Thanksgiving Dinner

Here at Home-Ec101.com, when it comes to etiquette, we care less about formality and more about the underlying reason for it, ensuring everyone’s comfort. With that in mind, your invitation method comes down to your guest’s preferred form of communication. If you know that calling your guest will make them break out in hives, sending a text is perfectly fine.

What to include in your Thanksgiving invitations

Include what, where, when, and the event’s formality in your invitation. If you’re having a buffet-style dinner on paper plates, your guest may feel a bit awkward sitting on the ground in their Sunday best. If you are having an early dinner out-of-doors with heat lamps on a patio, your guests may want to wear heavy sweaters instead of light blouses.

Again, etiquette and manners serve to ensure that everyone knows what to expect and how to behave. We don’t have to hang on to outdated expectations. We just need to ensure your guests are safe and comfortable.

However you send your invites, check to ensure your guest has no allergies or dietary needs you need to be aware of. Keep track of these, as you will need this info over the next two weeks to ensure that everyone has a safe and enjoyable Thanksgiving Dinner.

Previously in the Countdown:Learned how to keep a safe kitchenDecided what we will prep aheadThought about dishes to make aheadDecided on the turkeyLearned about homemade stockMade a plan for all of our leftoversMade a plan to make doing the dishes easierEnsured we have enough place settingsCreated a plan to grocery shopCreated our soft menu planWritten a tentative guest listFigured out how our guests’ needs affect our plansCleared the tableSet the intention to keep it clear.Made a point to try to stick to the weekly chore schedule

Countdown to Turkey Day: Watch 👀 for Cross-Contamination

Hello.

How is your Thanksgiving prep going? Do you need to catch up on everything we’ve been doing in the countdown so far? We’ve got you covered. Click right here.

Today we are discussing ensuring that your Thanksgiving is memorable for the right reasons. and not for making anyone sick through cross-contamination.

For our purposes, cross-contamination can refer to two different scenarios, transferring either foodborne pathogens or allergens from one surface to another.

How can you reduce cross-contamination in your kitchen?Let’s start with cooking gluten-free items.

First, if you are cooking for someone with celiac disease, it is crucial to understand that even trace amounts of gluten can make that person quite ill. You cannot approach your effort to prepare a gluten-free meal carelessly.

If possible, make all gluten-free items before making any items containing gluten to prevent the possibility of setting an item on a counter that didn’t get thoroughly cleaned between cooking sessions.

Do not use wooden spoons, bowls, or cutting boards when preparing any gluten-free items, as these items are very porous and can be difficult to fully rid of all traces of gluten. Stick to metal and plastic for gluten-free food prep.

Use separate sponges for cleaning items that have been in contact with gluten-containing items and those without, and use disposable wipes to clean your counters frequently.

What about nut allergies?

If you are cooking for someone with a nut allergy, stay away from wood and ensure all utensils and surfaces have either gone through the dishwasher or been cleaned with HOT soapy water. Hot water helps ensure the oils have been removed from the surface.

Now let’s talk bacteria.

When working with raw poultry or eggs, please use paper towels and not your kitchen towels to wipe up any drips or your hands until you can wash them thoroughly.

Immediately clean any surfaces that have come in contact with the raw poultry or eggs.

Mixing up a bottle of dilute bleach spray can be very helpful before you start your Thanksgiving cooking and is perfect for disinfecting your countertops or sink. You can read all about how to use chlorine bleach safely here. Vinegar is an excellent cleaning tool but let’s not trust it to keep great grandma safe from E. coli. She doesn’t want to remember your Thanksgiving dinner in the hospital. She likes her kidneys and would like them to continue working. Thank you very much.

Previously in the Countdown:Decided what we will prep aheadThought about dishes to make aheadDecided on the turkeyLearned about homemade stockMade a plan for all of our leftoversMade a plan to make doing the dishes easierEnsured we have enough place settingsCreated a plan to grocery shopCreated our soft menu planWritten a tentative guest listFigured out how our guests’ needs affect our plansCleared the tableSet the intention to keep it clear.Made a point to try to stick to the weekly chore schedule

Countdown to Turkey Day: Prep-Ahead for Thanksgiving

Hi!

How is your Thanksgiving planning going? We’ve covered a lot so far. Please click here if you are playing catch-up. Yesterday we covered some recipes you can make ahead to make Thanksgiving Day easier, but you can also do some of your prep ahead of time, too.

One of our long-time friends of the site, Alice, noted that if you haven’t already, it’s time to sharpen your knives. She’s absolutely right. Having your favorite knife sharp will not only make your prep much easier, it’s safer, too.

What prep work can you do ahead of time for Thanksgiving?Vegetable prep is my favorite to do ahead.

Take a look at your recipes and note how many call for items like a diced onion, celery, carrots, or bell pepper.

When you are doing prep work like this, it goes much faster if you can do it in batches. It also can make storage easier, too. For instance, you can store all of your diced onions together until you need them, only taking out what you need for each recipe.

Be careful to ensure that the cut for each recipe is the same. Dicing is not the same as slicing. Recipes call for certain cuts to ensure that the ingredients cook at the expected speed required for the way the recipe is written.

Some things can’t be prepped too far ahead.

For your mashed potatoes, you can dice them the morning of Thanksgiving, but place them immediately in the salted water they will eventually be boiled in, or they will oxidize (change to an unattractive color). However, if you are making mashed or whipped sweet potatoes, these can be diced at the same time as your other vegetables.

If you decide to pre-slice your apples for apple crisp or pie, you must toss them with diluted lemon juice to prevent them from browning.

Finally, you can make pie crust up to three days ahead of time. Please remember to take it out of the refrigerator in time to come up to room temperature before you want to fill it.

Don’t worry; we are going to talk about pies later.

Previously in the Countdown:Thought about dishes to make aheadDecided on the turkeyLearned about homemade stockMade a plan for all of our leftoversMade a plan to make doing the dishes easierEnsured we have enough place settingsCreated a plan to grocery shopCreated our soft menu planWritten a tentative guest listFigured out how our guests’ needs affect our plansCleared the tableSet the intention to keep it clear.Made a point to try to stick to the weekly chore schedule

Countdown to Turkey Day: Make Ahead Recipes

Welcome back to the Home Ec 101 Countdown to Turkey Day.

We’re getting ready for Thanksgiving without the overwhelm. If you need to catch up, click here to see what we’ve covered so far. in our twenty-eight part series

Today we are talking about recipes you can make ahead to reduce the amount of effort and time you need to spend cooking on Thanksgiving Day.

What to take into consideration when making preparing items ahead of time for Thanksgiving:How much storage space do you have?

Will you be able to safely store all of the items you wish to prepare before Thanksgiving? Will you have room in addition to your thawing or fresh turkey? Will you need to use a cooler with ice?

How will you reheat the items you have prepared ahead of time?

What appliances will you use to get everything heated in time for the meal? Don’t forget you can use appliances in addition to your stove and oven. Get creative; you can use your slow cooker, microwave, oven roaster, or InstantPot if you have those, too.

Now that you know how much room you have and how you will reheat the items, here are some ideas for items that work well when made ahead of time.

Make Ahead Recipes

Traditional dressing

Cornbread dressing

Gravy – use this technique but turkey stock instead of beef

Green bean casserole, but hold off on the fried onions until you are ready to reheat it before serving.

Cranberry sauce

Deviled Eggs – keep the yolk mixture in the piping bag (The Ziploc bag you will cut the corner off of until Thanksgiving Day.)

Corn pudding

Sausage balls

Collard Greens

Creamed corn

Dessert

Previously in the Countdown:Decided on the turkeyLearned about homemade stockMade a plan for all of our leftoversMade a plan to make doing the dishes easierEnsured we have enough place settingsCreated a plan to grocery shopCreated our soft menu planWritten a tentative guest listFigured out how our guests’ needs affect our plansCleared the tableSet the intention to keep it clear.Made a point to try to stick to the weekly chore schedule

Countdown to Thanksgiving Day: Turkey Talk

Hello, welcome back to Countdown to Turkey Day. We are getting ready for Thanksgiving without overwhelm. You can catch up on everything covered so far at the bottom of the page, but today we’re talking turkey.

Do you know what size turkey you need to buy?

The amount of turkey you need will depend on the type of turkey you buy.

If you purchase a whole frozen turkey, you can estimate one pound of turkey for each guest if your turkey is a 14-pound bird or smaller. If your turkey is larger than 14 pounds, you can reduce that estimate to 3/4 of a pound. Why? The ratio of bone to meat decreases as the bird gets bigger. In other words, you are getting more meat with a bigger bird. However, when you are cooking your turkey, you need to remember that this is why a really big turkey tends to be drier if it is cooked at a high temperature instead of with a low and slow method like smoking.

If you opt for a boneless turkey breast, you can reduce the estimate of meat-per-person down to two-thirds of a pound per person. While this option is great for not taking up a ton of room in the oven, the trade-off is not having any bones at the end for stock. It’s always something, isn’t it?

Are you buying a fresh turkey this year?

It’s time to place your order. You want to arrange pick up for no earlier than Tuesday before Thanksgiving.

Are you ordering a pre-cooked turkey?

This option can be delicious but pricey. This is what led to Heather caving and buying a smoker. After four turkeys and two pork shoulders, the investment in our smoker was worth it. Plus, it’s nice to have smoked turkey whenever we want.

While many people prefer fresh turkey, many of us, due to schedules or other reasons, will opt for frozen. While enormously convenient, the frozen turkey doesn’t present one major complication: waking up on Thanksgiving day and discovering that the turkey is still frozen.

Thankfully the math to figure out your turkey’s thaw time isn’t too difficult. It’s 24 hours in your refrigerator for every 5 lbs. If you have an 11 – 15 pound bird, you would put it in the fridge early on the Monday before Thanksgiving. For turkeys 10 pounds or smaller, they should go in the refrigerator no later than Tuesday morning. If you have a larger bird, 16 – 20 pounds, put it in the refrigerator on Sunday and 21-25 on Saturday. It is also perfectly fine to give it an extra day to be safe. A thawed turkey can be in the refrigerator for four days.

Have you ever cooked a turkey before? If not, and you plan on roasting it, I strongly suggest you go ahead and practice on a chicken or two. This will be a great dry run and give you a great chance to try your hand at gravy, too. this link demonstrates how to make pan gravy with stock or broth.

Previously in the CountdownLearned about homemade stockMade a plan for all of our leftoversMade a plan to make doing the dishes easierEnsured we have enough place settingsCreated a plan to grocery shopCreated our soft menu planWritten a tentative guest listFigured out how our guests’ needs affect our plansCleared the tableSet the intention to keep it clear.Made a point to try to stick to the weekly chore schedule

Countdown to Turkey Day: Make Your Thanksgiving Stock Ahead of Time

Hi there!

Today isn’t a task you have to do. It’s more of a discussion with some ideas you may want to try if they work for your Thanksgiving dinner plans. Catch up on everything we have covered so far in the Thanksgiving Countdown at the bottom of the page.

If you have been saving bones from chicken dinners, making your own stock can be delicious and very budget-friendly. If you want to ensure your homemade stock has the same rich flavor as your roast Thanksgiving turkey, buy turkey necks or wings and roast them before making stock. Lisa likes to use smoked legs to go with her necks and wings in her Thanksgiving stock recipe.

If you don’t want to freeze your homemade stock, you will want to make it no earlier than the Tuesday before Thanksgiving and store it in the coldest part of your refrigerator. For the super-ambitious among us, you can also can your stock. (Make sure you follow all safety regulations for canning food that you plan to use.) If you have never canned food, Thanksgiving is not the time to try something new and make it into a memorable event that will be discussed for generations.

If you have room in your freezer, it is safe to go ahead and make your Thanksgiving stock at any time now. Thaw it either the day before in the refrigerator or in a water bath the day of or just before you want to use it.

Never made stock before? Do you need help troubleshooting your stock-making? Boy, have we got you covered:

Roast turkey necks or wings to make stock

Chicken stock from chicken feet

How to make turkey stock (a ratio recipe)

Food safety, bacteria and homemade stock

Why does my stock taste like water?

Why is my chicken stock greasy?

Why do we leave the lid off when making stock?

Previously in the CountdownMade a plan for all of our leftoversMade a plan to make doing the dishes easierEnsured we have enough place settingsCreated a plan to grocery shopCreated our soft menu planWritten a tentative guest listFigured out how our guests’ needs affect our plansCleared the tableSet the intention to keep it clear.Made a point to try to stick to the weekly chore schedule

Countdown to Turkey Day: Getting Ready for Leftovers

Hello!

We are one week into the Countdown to Turkey Day, and if you want to see what we have covered so far, you’ll want to jump to the bottom of the post to play catch-up.

When you ask someone who isn’t in charge of cleaning out the refrigerator regularly about their favorite part of Thanksgiving, it’s common to get “LEFTOVERS!” as an enthusiastic response.

And as someone who, for no good reason, only makes andouille cornbread dressing twice a year, I get pretty excited about Thanksgiving leftovers myself. What I do not look forward to:

Figuring out who has my storage containers two weeks laterDeciding at the moment what to do, as I’m full and want to enjoy a break after that cooking sessionDelegatingHunting down where someone hid the foil or plastic wrapLooking for lidsLooking for the right lidWHY DON’T WE EVER HAVE MATCHING LIDS?!Let’s reduce our frustration

Once again, we are going to solve the problem before it happens.

Today, open wherever you hide your storage containers and take stock of your situation. Do you have containers with lids that fit? Yes, they absolutely can be whipped topping containers, sour cream, or yogurt. We are all about that reduce, reuse, and recycle life, with a heavy emphasis on the first two.

That said, did you know you can get quart-size and pint-size containers just like you get from Chinese takeout on Amazon? I love these. They are amazing for collard greens, mashed potatoes, gravy, macaroni and cheese—for you Midwesterners, all those salads that aren’t really salads—and even my mother’s favorite Waldorf salad. (Still don’t like it, sorry, Mom)

Do you have teenagers that will scavenge all the best bits and leave you with a quart of mashed potatoes and no gravy? Pre-plate their leftovers in meal-prep containers. This is also an easy way to send leftovers home with others who might want some for later.

While you are checking on your storage container situation, check to see if you have any gallon zippered freezer bags. I tend to go name-brand on these, as I have found over the years the generic ones seem (maybe I’m wrong) to have more pinholes, and I find that frustrating when I’m freezing my stocks and soup flat. (We’ll be covering stock-making tomorrow, by the way.)

Also, check on your stash of:

plastic wrapfoilwax paperparchment paperPreviously in the CountdownMade a plan to make doing the dishes easierEnsured we have enough place settingsCreated a plan to grocery shopCreated our soft menu planWritten a tentative guest listFigured out how our guests’ needs affect our plansCleared the tableSet the intention to keep it clear.Made a point to try to stick to the weekly chore schedule

Is your table still clear? Are you sure? See you tomorrow!

Countdown to Turkey Day: Dish Clean-Up

Hello there. I hope you are doing well.

Another day, another item we are mentally checking off our to-do list to make Thanksgiving easier this year.

If you are catching up, here is what we have covered so far:

Ensured we have enough place settingsCreated a Plan to Grocery ShopCreated our Soft Menu PlanWritten a tentative guest listFigured out how our guests’ needs affect our plansCleared the tableSet the intention to keep it clear.How is that going?Made a point to try to stick to the weekly chore schedule

The cleanup is one of the worst parts of hosting a large holiday meal. What if it could be easier? Would that be worth a small investment? For me, it is.

Some of these tips will only apply if you are doing a large gathering. However, you may find some information that may improve your everyday clean-up experience.

Dish tubs or bussing bins are incredibly useful tools.

Having a couple of these bins can make your life much easier, especially when you have many dishes to do. You can generally find small versions at the No longer a Dollar Tree or similar stores, but if you want a couple of heavy-duty ones like bussers use in restaurants, take a trip to your local restaurant supply store, or they are available on Amazon (if you are reading this via email, you’ll have to click the link on the site itself).

How can dish tubs help with holiday cleanup? Most of us only have one sink and dishwasher in our kitchen. On busy days, this can be a bottleneck, and there are few things more obnoxious than having to unload the sink to get started with the dishes.

Having a sanitary way to contain the mess out of the way can be incredibly helpful. Just don’t set the bin on the stove while it’s still hot just because you needed a horizontal surface.

Did you know that you can also order an extra silverware rack for your dishwasher? Yep, I learned this tidbit from KC Davis on TikTok. Rinse the food off, load the basket, then swap it out when you are loading. No pile of silverware in the bottom of the sink waiting its turn.

Having a place to store the dishes will also allow you to wash the items that don’t fit in the dishwasher without having to do everything else first. You could even allow the items in the bins to wait until the dishwasher is done with the first load and just let the dishwasher do the work. For what it is worth, dishwashers are the ecological choice, using significantly less water than handwashing. If you needed one more reason to justify leaving the dishes out for a couple of hours)

While we are talking about clean-up, how are you on trashbags? If you are going to be using disposable items, do you have any large bags?

Improve the dishwashing experience

Over the last few years, I’ve learned a lot about myself—thanks therapy—and I learned that many of the things I was forcing myself to do and put with were completely unnecessary.

What on earth does this have to do with cleaning up tons of dishes, Heather?

There are a few sensory things that go into doing the dishes, that I just do not like. It wasn’t until after my therapist got it through my head that my comfort is something that can be my priority that I started realizing I didn’t have to just muscle through the things I don’t like without tools to make them easier.

Growing up, we never had rubber gloves in the house, but that doesn’t make them wasteful. Go ahead and get yourself dishwashing gloves, and then use the hottest water possible. First, the dishes will get cleaner more quickly, and second, you’re not going to dry out your hands. If you know you will have a guest who will be happy to pitch in, let them and have a spare pair on hand. By the way, that guest may be trying to deal with their anxiety by being helpful… you really are being a good host Give them one chance to back out, and you’ve done your part.

You can get your favorite scent of dishwashing soap if you would like. (I prefer unscented)

You can have whatever sponges or scrubbers you prefer and replace them when they need replacing. You do not have to use the scrubbers until they are two strands of metal tied in a knot. You don’t have to use a green scour pad until it is soft as felt and your biceps are screaming—and you want to.

Check now to ensure you have Bar Keepers Friend for the pots and pans that need it. Yes, I’m still a fan after all of these years.

An anti-fatigue mat can also help make standing in front of the sink less painful if your back or legs ache when doing jobs like this.

What tools and tricks have you found that make facing a pile of dishes easier?

Countdown to Turkey Day: Place Settings, Decorations?

Another day, another task as we continue preparing for Thanksgiving without overwhelm. If you are just the Countdown, here is what we have done already:

Created a Plan to Grocery ShopCreated our Soft Menu PlanWritten a tentative guest listFigured out how our guests’ needs affect our plansCleared the tableSet the intention to keep it clear.How is that going?Made a point to try to stick to the weekly chore schedule

Less than a week in, and you can see how we’ve already removed a lot of the stress by breaking this event into manageable steps.

Today’s task: Place Settings

Today, count up the total possible people you could be serving and determine if you have enough place settings.

Will you be using your grandmother’s china? Is it all present and accounted for since your move?

What beverages will you be serving? Do you have enough glassware? Coffee cups, tumblers, and stemware (stemless, which is also nice).

Will you be serving a formal meal? How formal?

Do you need a formal setting with multiple forks? Do you have that cutlery? When was the last time you looked at it?

Does it need polishing?

Will you be having a casual dinner?

Do you have children who help with washing dishes, at times unsupervised? If so, do not assume that all of your dishes are present and accounted for. This is a mistake.

If you have teenagers, please count your forks and spoons. Just because no one is supposed to eat in their rooms does not mean that forks and spoons have not gone missing. These things are better to find out ahead of time than when it is time to serve the pumpkin pie, and you have to send someone to the kitchen to wash forks.

Disposable works, too.

Single-use items are absolutely an option, especially if your Thanksgiving dinner is an outdoor affair. Go ahead and add those items to your shopping list now.

Do not forget the cutlery and drinkware, and ensure there is enough for dessert. Insulated cups may be needed if you will be serving hot beverages in addition to iced ones.

What about decor?

Do you use a special tablecloth or runner for Thanksgiving?

Do you know where it is? Is it clean?

Do you use special placemats or cloth napkins in your place settings? Do you have enough?

If so, now would be a good time to clean those and set them aside.

Will you have a centerpiece? Do you need to order anything for it or add anything to your shopping list?

Candlesticks? If you use them, do you know where they are? Do you need new candles?

Finally, since we are thinking about the table, how is it looking?