Using Time Wisely

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Thanksgiving: Gobble Gobble Turkey Cups

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Photograph Credit: Sips Etc.

Tricia and Kirstin over at Sips Etc. share detailed instructions for making these adorable turkey cups. Besides being quick and easy, this craft can be done with your children while using time wisely.

When my children help create an inviting space for our guests, they enjoy showing and using these items that “they made.” I enjoy watching their enthusiasm while spending time with them.

If you are looking for a project to keep little ones out of the kitchen, then consider making a craft with them while the turkey is baking in the oven. Then they can use their craft at the dinner table.

As you prepare for Thanksgiving Day, remember to enjoy your family and friends.

Event Planning: 2011 Thanksgiving Feast

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Photograph Credit: Flickr (1600 Squirrels')

Turkey week is here! In an effort to stay on top of the details, I have sketched out a plan for the next few days. This plan is tentative and open to changes. But having a schedule keeps me focused and ready to do the next thing. My tentative plan begins today.

Tuesday

  • Remove the turkey from the freezer.
  • Start defrosting turkey in our large stock pot. Hubby really likes the turkey brined. Since he has agreed to do the work, he will be putting together the brine mixture. On Thursday, we are going to try bagging our brined turkey. I will give you the results of this experiment on Facebook.
  • Complete grocery shopping.

Wednesday

  • Feed bread starter for sourdough bread on Thursday.
  • Make 3 pies. I will definitely be making 2 pecan pies. The other option has not yet been decided. Usually that pie choice is made by whoever is helping bake the pies in the kitchen.
  • Mix bread ingredients with starter for rising throughout the night.

When spreading out the Thanksgiving meal preparations throughout the week, the tasks can be completed between meals, play, and sleep while using time wisely. Planning the meal does not have to be difficult. By working through the details and assigning tasks for each day, I find the execution ends up being the easy part. 🙂 Happy planning!

Question: Are you experimenting with a recipe this Thanksgiving? Let me know that I’m not the only one.

Scheduling: 2011 Thanksgiving Feast

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Photograph Credit: Flickr (Emiliano Lobanco)

With the turkey thawing and the grocery shopping complete, my Thanksgiving plans are underway. With today’s activities planned, I can concentrate on timing the baking and cooking for Thursday’s meal.

Our celebration of thankfulness will include our family of five with my husband’s parents. Since my in-laws have graciously offered to provide the corn on the cob, Jello salad, and green salad, my preparations will include the turkey, gravy, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, bread, and beverages. Whew! Though the long list can be overwhelming, I break down the parts into time blocks for easy execution on Thursday morning.

Thursday

 

9:15 a.m. Turkey baking in the oven.
10:00 a.m. Peel the potatoes.

Make the stuffing.

Prepare the sweet potatoes.

Set the table.

Place butter and cranberry sauce into serving dishes.
11:30 a.m. Cook the potatoes.
11:45 a.m. Remove turkey from oven.

Place bread in oven.
12:15 p.m. Remove bread from oven.

Bake the stuffing and sweet potatoes.

Start making the gravy.
12:30 p.m. Mash the potatoes.

Carve the turkey.
12:45 p.m. Remove the stuffing and sweet potatoes from oven.

Prepare the table for our meal.
1:00 p.m. Feast time!

This schedule will keep me focused and organized on Thursday morning while preparing for our Thanksgiving meal. Having a written schedule to refer to allows me to concentrate on other items while following my plan.

Though your plan will look different from mine, just start from meal time and work backwards. By knowing what needs to stay hot, you can adjust your own schedule to fit your preferences. However you celebrate, I wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving Feast. Happy planning!

Question: How early do you plan to be in the kitchen on Thanksgiving morning? Please feel free to add your comment.

Thanksgiving: Soup Celebration

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In serving on a parent committee at my son’s school, I get to work with a fabulous group of ladies. We plan events and programs for our parents, teachers, staff, and students. Our planning sessions together are thorough, so we are all on the same page preparing for the next event.

For the Thanksgiving program performed by our students, our committee handled the details of the luncheon held on the last day of school before the Thanksgiving break. My part of the festivities included making tea and broccoli and cheese soup.

Gallons of Tea

As the queen of tea making, I gladly offer to bring gallons for our events. For this Thanksgiving event, I brought 5 gallons of sweet tea and 1 gallon of unsweetened tea. At the end of the luncheon, there was not a drop of sweet tea left. I know because I went searching. The lemonade was also running low, so we had very thirsty participants. For the next event, I will adjust the amount and bring another 2 gallons of tea to be on the safe side.

Stock pot of Broccoli and Cheese Soup

In preparing for the luncheon, I made 5 batches of soup in rounds. I used two non-stick Dutch oven pots for the first two rounds. As I finished the soup, I poured it into my large stock pot. After making the fourth pot, my stock pot was filled. When I took the soup to school, I brought the filled stock pot and a full Dutch oven.

Though transporting the soup was uneventful, the heating of the soup proved to be difficult. The gas stove heated the pot quickly and burnt the bottom. Once the soup was stirred, the burnt flavor was distributed throughout the soup. Though it still tasted good and most people would not notice it, I tasted the difference.

Along with the broccoli and cheese soup, the committee also provided corn chowder, tortellini, chicken noodle, tomato, vegetable chili, and beef chili. The display was very colorful and flavorful. If we make soup again, I might consider pouring the soup into smaller containers to reheat to prevent burning.

In working with these different events, there always seems to be adjustments that can be tweaked to make our next gathering better. I really enjoy these event planning opportunities. Working with these ladies is fun, beneficial, and rewarding. As you plan your next event, gather with your friends and enjoy the planning process. Happy planning!

Question: What events are you planning? Please add your answer to the comments.

House Guests: Showing Hospitality

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Photograph Credit: Flickr (Tony and Laura)

Last weekend our family had the privilege of hosting house guests. Yes, I spent the week of Thanksgiving scrubbing, dusting, organizing, and vacuuming our entire house after my daughter’s bout with hand, foot, and mouth. While our children were counting down the days until our guests’ arrival, the excitement was building.

Our house guests consisted of a family of 4, who are serving as missionaries halfway around the world but are in the States on furlough until the beginning of 2012. As they are making their way to supporting churches, family, and other friends, they chose to stop for a quick visit with us. We were thrilled to accommodate them for the 2 days and 1 night of their visit.

Before you believe I have 2 nice guests’ rooms with a private bath to welcome our guests, let me give a little background. Our home fits our family perfectly. We have 3 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms. With our family of 5, we are snug as a bug in a rug.  By adding another 4 individuals, we got the opportunity to be hospitable. Our family gladly adjusted our normal routine to accommodate our friends for the evening.

On a typical night, our family sleeps in our own rooms:
  • Bedroom 1: Paul and Tracy in master bedroom
  • Bedroom 2: Youngest daughter in nursery
  • Bedroom 3: Two older children in bunk beds
With our guests visiting, we adjusted our routine to the following placement:
  • Bedroom 1: Our missionary friends – husband and wife – in our master bedroom
  • Bedroom 2: Youngest daughter in nursery
  • Bedroom 3: Our missionary friends’ sons slept in the bunk beds. Our son also wanted to sleep in the same room with these boys. By pulling out the extra mattress housed under the lower bunk bed, our son slept there near his friends.

So, where did Paul, my oldest daughter, and I sleep? We camped out in our bonus room. Paul pumped up our air mattress for my daughter and I. Then Paul slept in the recliner. Though we were out of our routines, we all slept well and enjoyed our special time with our friends.

Having a medium-size home without a guest room does not deter our family from showing hospitality. All our possessions have been given to us from our Heavenly Father, and we choose to use our resources for His honor and glory. With thankfulness for a nice home, we welcome guests and enjoy using time wisely visiting with our friends.

As the holiday season quickly arrives, don’t be afraid to adjust your routine as you welcome your friends and family into your home. These visits allow your family to serve your guests with hospitality. What a great way to share the Christmas spirit while using time wisely! Happy planning!

Question: To how many people will you be showing hospitality this Christmas season? Please add your answer to the comments.