Thanksgiving Menu And Guest List

Last week your challenge was to create a Thanksgiving Planner. I hope that you picked one up and started to decorate it. This week we will begin to fill it.
Create a Meal Planner and a Guest List. If your not too creative with the computer, you can go to this great site and download and print out some fabulous lists!
Make a Tab labeled GUEST LIST and insert the printout. This week begin to create your list of guests. Start calling and confirming who will be coming. On the list add a column for what the guest will bring. Have the list near you when you call. When they ask you what they can bring, don’t say “oh nothing, just bring yourself.” Tell them what you need. This is where you need to delegate.

If your Aunt Martha is a great baker, don’t delegate vegetables to her. Let her bake the pies! If cousin Suzie is a horrible cook, let her bring the wine! Don’t try and do it all yourself. Guests want to pitch in, so let them!
Stay organized and on top of things. Be sure to ask your guests if they have any special dietary needs. Having your guest list and menu set up will help to organize the rest of your holiday. You will be able to see if you need to borrow or rent tables and chairs, how much food you will need to cook, how big of a Turkey you need to order, and also to begin your shopping.
Now is the time to start picking up some non perishable items. This will help keep from getting hit financially all at once. A little here and a little there doesn’t hurt the wallet so much. Once you’ve created your menu, its time to start pulling out the recipes. Be sure to create a space in your Thanksgiving Planner to store all your tried and true recipes. Create an index card or list of all ingredients needed for each recipe, including dish to cook in and to serve in.
Don’t forget to also add the cooking time and temp. This will help to time your meal out perfectly. Once you’ve created the shopping list for the meal, be sure to also keep a copy of that in your planner. This will help eliminate that step in the coming years. You will need only to look at the list to see what your needs are.
So this weeks challenge:

• Create your menu
• Create your guest list
• Call guests
• Create your shopping list

You are now well on your way to creating a organized, and informative Thanksgiving planner to help you in the upcoming years, and to pass off to the next Thanksgiving Hostess in your family!
Next week we will plan our table setting and decorations!