Why You Should Start Planning Your Thanksgiving Party Early

Have you made the decision to host a Thanksgiving party this year? If so, have you already started planning? Regardless of whether or not you have started the planning, you are advised to start it early. Planning a party, even a Thanksgiving party, is a lot easier said than done. That is why it is important that you start planning for your party early, you will find that there are a number of benefits to doing so.

Before you can start to understand the benefits of planning for your party early, it is important to remember one thing, the definition of the word early. When it comes to doing something early, we all have different views. One thing is for sure, early means different things to different individuals. For this article, we are going to consider early about two or three weeks before your party. Depending on your own personal preference, you may choose to plan your Thanksgiving party even earlier; it is completely up to you.

Perhaps, the greatest benefit of starting to plan your Thanksgiving party early is that you will have all of your bases covered. As previously mentioned, planning party isn’t always as easy as it may seem or sound. As much as we would like to purchase all of our needed supplies, problems arise. Whether you are unable to find that you wanted or you didn’t purchase enough of what you needed, you don’t want to be left unprepared. Preparing for your Thanksgiving party in advance will help to ensure that you have all of the supplies, including the decorations and food that you need to have. If by some chance you didn’t get everything you needed, you should be able to notice before the day of your party arrives.

Whether you are planning on including a Thanksgiving dinner with your party or not, you will still need to get food and drinks. Depending on the size of your Thanksgiving party, those food and drinks could get fairly expensive. That is why it may be a good idea to start buying these items ahead of time. Doing so, will not only enable you to get the supplies that you need, ahead of time, but it may also help you get your food and drinks at a more affordable price. Whenever you happen to be in a store and you see something that you could use at your party, you are advised to get it, especially if that item is on sale. Purchasing food and drinks for your party while they are on sale, is a great way to have an amazing, but low-cost party.

In addition to food and drinks, there is also a good chance that you would like to decorate for your Thanksgiving party. Unfortunately, not all retail stores carry a large selection of Thanksgiving decorations. Sometimes, it seems as if they skip Thanksgiving and jump right to Christmas. This does not mean that you cannot get the Thanksgiving decorations that you wanted to have, it just means that you should try and purchase them early. This will help to ensure that you get the decorations that you wanted to have. This is extremely important because, in addition to carrying a limited number of decorations, most retail stores do not replenish their holiday items. Essentially, this means that when the decorations are gone, they are gone.

Another one of the many reasons why you should start planning your Thanksgiving party early is because the sooner you start your planning, the sooner you can invite your party guests. Around the holidays, you will find that many people already have plans or something that they would like to do. This does not mean that you shouldn’t have a Thanksgiving party; it just means that you need to invite your guests before they make other plans. You will want to invite your guests, at least, two weeks before your party, but it may be a good idea to send out invitations a month or so early.

There is a good chance that no matter what you do or when you start planning, your Thanksgiving party will be a success. Despite being a success, you can benefit a number of different ways, by planning your Thanksgiving party early.

Entertainment Ideas for Your Next Thanksgiving Party

Have you recently made the decision to host a Thanksgiving party in your home? If so, there is a good chance that you may have already started the planning process. If so, have you decided on a form on party entertainment yet? Even if you have started planning your Thanksgiving party, there is a good chance that you have yet to get to the entertainment. This is because entertainment is often one of the last things that a party host plans. Well, if it is time for you to start thinking about your Thanksgiving party entertainment, you will find that you, literally, have an unlimited number of options.

When it comes to deciding on party entertainment, for your Thanksgiving party, it is important to keep the type of party that you are hosting in mind. For instance, are you having a formal Thanksgiving party or a causal Thanksgiving party? Also, what does your guest list look like? Are you having a Thanksgiving party for kids, one for adults, or a party where everyone is invited? The type party that you will be having is extremely important, when it comes to choosing entertainment for the event.

Regardless of what type of Thanksgiving party you are having, you may enjoy having music played. The type of Thanksgiving party you have; however, will have an impact on the type of music that you choose. If you are having a formal Thanksgiving party, classical music may do. For a causal Thanksgiving party, music that your guests can get up and dancing to may be the perfect form of entertainment. Although it is your choice if you would like to have music at your Thanksgiving party, as well as what type of music, it may be a good idea to tailor your selection to your Thanksgiving party.

Party games are another popular form of entertainment that may be ideal for your Thanksgiving party. If you are hosting a kid only Thanksgiving party, it is almost guaranteed that games will be a hit. For adult parties, adult themed games are also popular. However, as you may likely already know, party games, particularly those that are causal in nature, may not fit in with a formal Thanksgiving party. That does not mean that you cannot incorporate party games into a formal Thanksgiving party, it just means that you want to find games that will fit in with your party theme. You can easily find a wide array of Thanksgiving party game ideas online, often with a standard internet search.

While you might not necessarily consider eating a form of entertainment, it could easily be considered one. If you are planning a casual Thanksgiving party, it may be ideal to have a wide array of snacks on hand, particularly if children will be present at your party. For a formal Thanksgiving party, a full fledge Thanksgiving dinner may be the perfect choice. It is also advised that you try and tailor your selection of food and snacks to your party style. For instance, if you are hosting a formal Thanksgiving party, it may be a good idea to have elegant dishes prepared for the dinner and for the snacks.

As you can easily see, there are a number of different forms of entertainment that you can offer at your next Thanksgiving party. Regardless of which type of party you plan on hosting, you can easily take steps to ensure that your party guests have a fun, exciting, and memorable time.

Leftover Pies?

Our friend Latoola, recently contacted us with an interesting story about her latest cooking creation.

Latoola's annual Thanksgiving dinner must include apple, pumpkin, and pecan pies. Her husband insists on it even though she protests that only the apple pie typically gets eaten, and she tosses the bulk of the pumpkin and pecan pies into the trash after giving him a week to refuse any more desserts.

This year, Latoola got inspired a week after Thanksgiving in her quest to avoid wasteful tossing of food into the trash bound for a landfill instead of for someone?s palate. So, she created caakies, a combination of an individual cake and a cookie, made from the leftover pies.

Beware: this is not an exact recipe. It's a cooking style that relies on sound instincts on the cook's part. Here's what Latoola did, but says you can modify at will and still get good results:

Since her pumpkin pie was made from canned pumpkin pretty much following the recipe on the label but substituting sweetened condensed milk instead of canned evaporated milk and baked in a graham cracker crust, she just dumped the three-fourths of the pie she had left into a mixing bowl and started stirring.

Then, she scraped the remaining two-thirds of the store-bought pecan pie from its too-thick crust and mixed that real good. Next step was to mix about a half cup of all-purpose flour with about a half cup of light brown sugar, then blend that into the pie mixture, after which she added about a quarter cup of honey, three-quarters cup of chocolate chips, about a half cup of coconut, and about a cup full of mixed dried fruit that included raisins, pineapples, cherries, and cranberries.

She dropped the mixture in "dollops" on a buttered clay baking dish and baked for about 12 minutes at 350 degrees, watching carefully for the edges and tops of the randomly shaped caakies to turn light brown. 

She cooled them slightly on a wire rack and test-tasted to her delight. She reports the warm caakies were superb, but she was even more delighted when her husband arrived home and devoured three of them in their cooled version.

A hit!

Latoola says the same creative cooking technique could be applied to a leftover sweet potato pie with any variety of interesting ingredients including oatmeal, granola, and your favorite varieties of nuts (got some leftover from a holiday party you aren't sure what to do with?). Or, spice it up a bit with fresh natural nutmeg seed.

As they come out of the oven, personalize them even more using that excess holiday candy. Press a chocolate kiss, a bite-size peanut butter cup, or a piece of candy corn into them. For simplicity, you might even just sprinkle on a little white powdered sugar. If you are feeling super creative, mix up a batch of frosting (or cheat by using the store-bought kind) and slap two caakies together.

Latoola says she's likely going to make pumpkin and pecan pies for Christmas and might even hide them after a couple of slices have been removed so she can make caakies for New Year's with very little planning, shopping, and effort.

Bet you could serve it with ice cream, but be sure you also offer your guests a fresh brewed cup of Thai coffee or tea or Tortuga gourmet coffee.



Michael S. DeVries is the Founder of I-ShopTheWorld.com (http://www.I-ShopTheWorld.com) where You Save Money on Unique Native Products Direct to You from All over the World! Find these and Many More Recipes and Creative Cooking Ideas at: http://i-shoptheworld.com/topics/recipes-and-cooking/

History of Thanksgiving

The Pilgrims left Plymouth, England, on September 6, 1620. Their destination? The New World. Although filled with uncertainty and peril, it offered both civil and religious liberty.
For over two months, the 102 passengers braved the harsh elements of a vast storm-tossed sea. Finally, with firm purpose and a reliance on Divine Providence, the cry of "Land!" was heard.Arriving in Massachusetts in late November, the Pilgrims sought a suitable landing place. On December 11, just before disembarking at Plymouth Rock, they signed the "Mayflower Compact" - America's first document of civil government and the first to introduce self-government.
After a prayer service, the Pilgrims began building hasty shelters. However, unprepared for the starvation and sickness of a harsh New England winter, nearly half died before spring. Yet, persevering in prayer, and assisted by helpful Indians, they reaped a bountiful harvest the following summer.
The grateful Pilgrims then declared a three-day feast, starting on December 13, 1621, to thank God and to celebrate with their Indian friends. While this was not the first Thanksgiving in America (thanksgiving services were held in Virginia as early as 1607), it was America's first Thanksgiving Festival.
Pilgrim Edward Winslow described the Pilgrims' Thanksgiving in these words:

"Our harvest being gotten in, our Governor sent four men on fowling [bird hunting] so that we might, after a special manner, rejoice together after we had gathered the fruit of our labors. They four in one day killed as much fowl as... served the company almost a week... Many of the Indians [came] amongst us and... their greatest King, Massasoit, with some ninety men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted; and they went out and killed five deer, which they brought... And although it be not always so plentiful as it was at this time with us, yet BY THE GOODNESS OF GOD WE ARE... FAR FROM WANT."

In 1789, following a proclamation issued by President George Washington, America celebrated its first Day of Thanksgiving to God under its new constitution. That same year, the Protestant Episcopal Church, of which President Washington was a member, announced that the first Thursday in November would become its regular day for giving thanks, "unless another day be appointed by the civil authorities." Yet, despite these early national proclamations, official Thanksgiving observances usually occurred only at the State level.Much of the credit for the adoption of a later ANNUAL national Thanksgiving Day may be attributed to Mrs. Sarah Joseph Hale, the editor of Godey's Lady's Book. For thirty years, she promoted the idea of a national Thanksgiving Day, contacting President after President until President Abraham Lincoln responded in 1863 by setting aside the last Thursday of November as a national Day of Thanksgiving. Over the next seventy-five years, Presidents followed Lincoln's precedent, annually declaring a national Thanksgiving Day. Then, in 1941, Congress permanently established the fourth Thursday of each November as a national holiday.

As Americans celebrate Thanksgiving each year, we hope they will retain the original gratefulness to God displayed by the Pilgrims and many other founding fathers , and remember that it is to those early and courageous Pilgrims that they owe not only the traditional Thanksgiving holiday but also the concepts of self-government, the "hard-work" ethic, self-reliant communities, and devout religious faith.

Your Thanksgiving Party: Day of Preparations

Are you in the mist of planning a Thanksgiving party? When it comes to Thanksgiving parties, a large amount of focus is placed on the planning and the preparation. While it is always advised that you plan and prepare for your party in advance, there are some things that just cannot be done until the last minute or, at least, the day of your party. That is why it may be a good idea to familiarize yourself with the last minute party preparations that you will have to make.

Depending on the size of your Thanksgiving party, you may need to make additional accommodations for your guests. These accommodations may likely include seating arrangements. If you need to set up additional tables and chairs, it may be a good idea to save that task until the day of your Thanksgiving party. This will prevent your home from being cluttered with additional tables and chairs; tables and chairs that may very well be in your way.

Since a Thanksgiving party is not complete without Thanksgiving decorations, there is a good chance that you will be decorating your home. If you do choose to decorate your home, for your Thanksgiving party, you may want to leave the decorations until the last minute. Of course, you can always put your decorations up early, if you want to, but there are a number of benefits to leaving them down until the day of your party. Those benefits include the lack of dust that will accumulate on those decorations and the less likelihood of them getting damaged before your party even begins.

If you decided to incorporate a Thanksgiving dinner into your Thanksgiving party, you may have prepared some of your foods and side dishes early. While you can prepare a number of dished in advance, there are some that need to be made at the last minute. Whether you are cooking a turkey or preparing a fresh salad, you may need to do your cooking on the day of, likely the morning of, your party. Even if you are just serving snacks and drinks at your party, you will want to wait until that day to start setting them out.

Another task that you may want to leave until the day of your party is the cleaning of your home. While you can also start to prepare your home a few days before your party is set to take place, there are some cleaning tasks that you may want to leave until the last few hours. These tasks may include a quick dusting, as well as a quick vacuum. Waiting until the day of your Thanksgiving party to sweep or vacuum your home will help to ensure that your home is as clean as it could possibly be.

In addition to the above mentioned tasks, you will likely find that there are number of other tasks that you may like to complete on the day of your Thanksgiving party. If you are currently in the planning stages, it may be a good idea to develop a party checklist or a party planning schedule. This may make it easier to decide what you should and shouldn’t save until the day of your Thanksgiving party. In addition to giving you a set schedule to follow, you will also likely find that planning your party ahead of time, even at the last minute, will make it easier for you to enjoy yourself, even before your Thanksgiving party begins.

How to Carve a Turkey

To someone who is just learning to cook, this topic may seem like one of the hardest meals you will ever have to prepare. Needless to say, if you’re having a turkey there’s usually company involved which means a number of hungry people are relying on you to prepare a great meal. This can be very intimidating. Luckily we have all the information you need, in order to ensure a great meal for you, your friends and your family. In order to successfully carve a turkey, you will need to have the following pieces of equipment: • One warm serving platter • A pair of kitchen scissors • An electric knife or a large slicing knife (you may want to choose a manual knife since they provide more control than electric ones) • A small carving knife or fork for arranging and serving the meat Now that you have the equipment you need to carve the turkey, follow these steps in order to become a turkey carving expert: 1. Leave the turkey to sit 20-30 minutes after roasting and before carving. This will make the meat moister and easier to cut. 2. After the turkey has sat for the time indicated above, transfer the turkey onto a cutting board; this is where you will begin carving the turkey. 3. Remove the Leg: To do this, hold the drumstick firmly with your fingers and gently pull the meat away from the body of the turkey. While doing this, cut through the skin between the leg and the body. Next, cut through the joint joining the leg to the backbone. Then separate the drumstick and thigh by cutting downwards through the joint, until the knife hits the cutting board. 4. Slicing the Drumstick (Leg) Meat: Once you have detached the leg from the rest of the body, you will want to slice the meat. Hold the drumstick in an upright position and turn the drumstick in a circular motion while cutting downwards. This will produce tasty slices of meat which are approximately equal size. 5. Slicing the Thigh Meat: When slicing thigh meat, you want to hold it close to the plate and secure it so it does not move. For best results when cutting thigh meat, make sure your knife is parallel to the bone and cut downwards towards the plate in slow, steady motions. 6. Slicing the Breast Meat: Make a deep cut into the breast of the turkey towards the body frame, as close to the wing as you can. Starting at the front of the turkey (about halfway up the breast) start cutting downwards, parallel to the cut you made to the wing. Only cut enough meat as you think necessary for the amount of people. Uncut meat will stay fresher longer. 7. Serve the Turkey: place all the slices of meat in an attractive manner on a large platter and serve to your guests. * Note: Remove stuffing from the turkey either by taking it out of the hole made where the leg was removed or by making a new hole in the neck and taking it out from there. About the author: Mike Lansing is a retired chef who spent most of his time as a Head Chef in New Orleans after training in France. He spends his free time cooking for family and friends, as well as serving as a contributing editor for CookingSchools101.com which offers information onCulinary Schools and obtaining a Culinary Degree for those wishing to enter the trade.

Cajun Cornbread Stuffing

Ingredients

• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 cups stone ground cornmeal
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons white sugar
• 5 eggs, beaten
• 6 tablespoons butter, melted
• 3 cups buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 teaspoons ground white pepper
• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 4 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 6 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 4 bay leaves
• 1 cup minced onion
• 1 cup chopped green onions
• 1 cup chopped parsley
• 2 cups chopped red bell pepper
• 2 green chile peppers, chopped
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 cup butter
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce
• 2 cups evaporated milk
• 7 eggs, beaten

Directions

1. To Make Cornbread: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Butter a 13x9 inch pan.
2. Combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and sugar, and mix well.
3. Combine the 5 eggs, 6 tablespoons melted butter, and buttermilk. Add wet to dry while mixing on low with a mixer. Mix just until no dry ingredients remain. Pour into prepared pan.
4. Bake until top is browned and a toothpick comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Allow to cool completely.
5. To Make Stuffing: In a small bowl combine the 2 tablespoons salt with the white pepper, black pepper, cayenne pepper, onion powder, oregano, thyme, basil, and bay leaves.
6. In another bowl combine the minced onions, green onions, parsley, red or green peppers, chili peppers, and garlic.
7. Melt 1 cup butter in a large fry pan. Add the spices and cook for a few minutes. Add the vegetables and cook about 5 minutes. Do not allow the vegetables to brown. Add the stock and Tabasco. Stir and cook 5 minutes more. Crumble the cornbread into the skillet and mix. Add the evaporated milk and 7 eggs OFF THE HEAT. Make sure to stir well when adding the eggs. Return to low heat and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes. Remove the bay leaves. Place stuffing in a bowl and cover. Cool before stuffing turkey.