Bake pumpkin pies in advance, and then freeze them. They can be reheated in the oven when you need them!

Instead of breaking your neck cooking for days to feed all of your guests, encourage your friends and family who attend to bring their favorite dish. That was everyone has something there that they would enjoy eating, and you can spend far less time in the kitchen.

Bake your turkey ahead of time, slice it, and then reheat in the Crockpot on Thanksgiving Day. This will get food on the table faster, plus leave the oven open for all those side dishes!!

There's no reason for you to do everything yourself, so delegate other sides and desserts to family members, and only worry about the bigger things like the turkey, and organizing everything. That way you can actually relax some and talk to your guests instead of frantically cooking.

If your cooking a Thanksgiving meal for family try to get them to bring along a dish of food. Also try to cook some things ahead of time. Maybe you also can try to get family members involved with the cooking. Get your kids to help with the chores around the house so you have less things to worry about.

Well, Thanksgiving is essentially a no-stress holiday for me. We always host Christmas at our house, so someone else in the family (usually my parents, or my husband's sister, or this year, both, on different days LOL) host Thanksgiving.

Just the cooking can be stressful, even if you only have to make one thing. We like to plan something fun for the day for our guests, Usually it's decorating the Christmas Tree. But how about a walk or a game or movie that brings laughter to the whole family. Nothing eases tension like laughter.

there are so many things you can make in advance and just bake that day...even mashed potatoes! makes for far less stress and much less work!

Xanax, chocolate and delegate.

Breathe, bake ahead what you can, get help, and do not be afraid not to use store bought items as a time saver- Enjoy the family and friendships. If all else fails make sure you have your car parked where you can boogie out and leave if they start bothering you.

I make thanksgiving an easy going day by organizing a potluck dinner. I use disposable plates etc. to avoid dishwashing.

Since Thanksgiving is at my place, I am asking some of my family members to bring a dish. This helps everyone feel involved, plus it takes some of the stress off me to plan it all. Great giveaway - thanks for offering it!
~Tanya
the4moyers(at)msn(dot)com

Have everyone bring their side dish they are known for. For us its Aunt Nancys fruit salad, Grandma JoAnn's macaroni salad and Aunt Kellys cheesy potatoes. It's fun and cuts down on kitchen time and stress for you. Also once the food is on the table sit down and enjoy your guests. The dishes can wait.

I usually just try to stay as organized and prepared as possible!

I try to do my shopping early so that I only have to fight the crowds for a few things. Nothing is worse than standing in lines the night before.

Do as much as you can ahead of time (set the table a few days before, etc), and ask your family for help. A sister brings an appetizer, and your brother can bring the sparkling cider, etc.

In my family I'm "known" for a great tasting Thanksgiving dinner. What I don't tell people (unless they ask for the "recipe"), is that Stove Top stuffing, McCormick's turkey gravy, Instant Idaho mashed potatoes, etc. all make the prep work so much easier & then I'm grateful to be able to spend more time with my family! We learned a long time ago it's not so much about the food, but about the people. But great tasting food definitely makes it special!

everyone brings a dish and all the household members has specific chores to do. That way mom me don't get stuck with it all and have to work too.

I'm sure this was mentioned, but have everyone help bring a side dish, drink, etc. Also, have people assigned to help set things out before the meal and to help clean up afterwards. It makes things go so much quicker and no on has to exhaust themselves. Plus you can spend more time together which is what's important anyway.

Start preparing for certain meals ahead of time. Also purchase meal items when on sale and stock up, so you don't have to run out to the store at the last minute. It alleviates stress.

Make ahead everything that can be refrigerated or frozen until go-time. Rolls, pies, soups and salads are the main things that I do this with. Soups, especially, can benefit from a night in the frig.

Remember the reason for Thanksgiving and how it started. One person didn't make everything for the first Thanksgiving. The pilgrims and the natives took what they knew and together they prepared a feast to share. Ask your guests to bring their favorite dish. And for help with clean up. It goes much faster and then you have more time to visit.

To make my Thanksgiving stress free I always contrive to have it at someone else's house!

I try to remember how thankful I am that I have the ability to serve others...it keeps the stress level down and the reason for the holiday in my mind. Also, to keep anxiety at bay, I like to prepare as many dishes as possible earlier and then heat them up the day of. We also deligate dishes like salad, fruit, pie, etc to family that is attending. I also decorate the table at least 2-3 days before the big dinner and inlist the hubby for help! :)

FABULOUS giveaway! Thank you!

~melody~

melody at penniesinmypocket dot net

First and foremost, we make dinner POTLUCK! Whoever is hosting makes the turkey, everyone else is in charge of something else! And, luckily I have a HUGE family so there is more than enough food! Second, we blast the music, dance, sing, and have a good time while getting ready to see family we haven't seen all year! (And if something doesn't turn out, the Pizza shop is just down the road and we are all ok with that!)

This year our extended family is coming to us and we're all attending a brunch put on at the university campus where we're students. Everyone's looking forward to it because no one has to do prep work or cleanup!

Share the load with others. It's not worth it to do the whole meal by yourself - whether that means having others bring dishes or buying some stuff already made.

For us, Thanksgiving is really a large family affair. We've never hosted, but we're always invited to at least three get-togethers, all within an hour or so of each other. To limit the stress, we have decided to pick just one and rotate between Thanksgiving and Christmas each year. Also, my aunt usually hosts and she asks family members to bring a side dish or dessert, to help with the festivities!

I have to say my in-laws are awesome at being flexible. My husband (a medical resident) and his brother (a cop) both have to work on Thanksgiving day so the family switched Thanksgiving dinner from Thurs to Fri so we could join the crowd. That is family love. Being flexible in family situations is very important.

When you have a limited amount of oven space left, the best way to keep the mashed potatoes warm, is to put them in a crock pot on low. Give them a quick stir every so often and just pile into a serving dish before the meal. Piping hot and creamy every time.

Get everyone involved. It is more fun that way.

What a great giveaway. My tip is to try and get an invite to someone else's house (I always manage to) and when you go take something foodie, even if they have said no, such as A big pumpkin pie and a batch of cookies and fresh ground coffee.

I also wow with a thank you gift, be it a piece of china they collect, or a gift card. That way, they know they are appreciated and not taken for granted.

But, I never give a gift that takes away from their day, such as a bunch of flowers where they have to stop what they are doing and arrange them, find a vase etc.

we have a huge family, so we book up at a relaxed, no ruch local restauraunt in advance and we head back to our house for desserts and every one shares the restauraunt bill between us! - it may be a lot more expensive, but we relax and no one is slaving out in the kitchen or worryinging and we are all together. - it works for us.

I make sure to make some "me" time to help keep the holidays less stressful. I'll take a nice hot bath using my best bath and body products, read a book, listen to music, go for a walk, or pop in a great old holiday movie.

Thank you for a fabulous giveaway!

One thing I have found helpful is to start buying items I will need early in the month. I can avoid the long lines at the end.

You need to have others bring food to contribute to the meal. Take some of the pressure off yourself and allow others to help!!

We've done a lot of planning ahead and coordinating with family so that everyone knows what we're bringing and where we'll be going at what time so that there is no confusion later on!

Steph

We always have the stuffing and vegetable dishes done the day before.

In our family we always share the load of cooking Thanksgiving dinner. We each pick a dish to bring and all pitch in for the clean up.

I find it key to plan ahead and then when it comes down to the last minute, be flexible. im going to freeze some of our halloween pumpkins to use for pumpkin pie and pumpkin bread.

DO NOT over commit! I know you want to hang with everyone, but that will only make everyone in your family cranky. Be polite and selective with your time!
bebemiqui82(at)yahoo(dot)com

My best tip is to let other people do the cooking!! ;) JK. Actually, we do usually visit family and so the most stress I have is in packing for a family of six and traveling with four kids. And of course I always offer to bring a dish but I am not a good cook so usually it's the easiest one. My real best tip is to remember to be grateful and to not let the stress of the holidays get to you.

Think of a million ways to LOVE your way thought it! Basically be fully alive to it all--the sound of laughter humming through the house, the aroma of your favorite holiday dish, and the embrace of family and friends for example. LOVE is a STRESS BUSTER: that, and it makes for the best memories:o)

Have everybody bring a side dish for Thanksgiving dinner...that way it's not just one person responsible for everything!

The best thing that I do to keep my Thanksgiving stress down is to have plenty of Thanksgiving craft projects for my kids. No matter how much I get done ahead of time there is always a lot to do the morning and day of Thanksgiving. I always have plenty of craft projects planned (making turkeys, coloring pictures for relatives far away, making placemats etc) so that we can all be together in the kitchen, but I am able to get the tasks I have accomplished.

My sister and I this year are going to split the cooking tasks. We'll handle the bird and a veggie, she's going to do the rest. Everyone has a small job to do throughout the whole day so that everyone is involved and no one gets stressed! Example: kids are setting the entire table. With so many kids this year, I've also bought festive paper plates for them to eat on, less mess to clean up after.

Try to get as much done ahead as possible. And let others bring something! Means less for you to prepare. Thanks for the give a way!

If you need help, ask for it!

Honestly, i ACCEPT the invitation to share the Holiday with other families! it happens every year and there is nothing LESS stressful than just whipping up some philly cheese corn & driving to a sweet friends' house. Yes, it is sooo much better than trying to do it on my own!

Seriously just remember what counts is your family's feelings after that any material things is just a added blessing.

We all sign up to bring a dish so no one family member is responisble for the entire meal.

This year I am keeping the stress away by going somewhere else for thanksgiving! I will bring some side dishes and relax for once!

I think a way to make things be a little less stressful are to have everyone bring a dish from home. This really cuts back on the cooking you will have to do. You can have people bring a side or a dessert and then you can handle about the main dish.

Also to remember that the important thing is that everyone is together on the holidays. So many times people get caught up in the meal planning, guest list, or decorations. Being a family is the most inportant thing.

Honeybaked Ham. A bit pricey, but so worth it. I like both their ham and their turkey breast, and it's a huge relief not having to worry about cooking the meat. After having that taken care of, side dishes and desserts are a breeze! And I do ask relatives to help out by contributing to those, so we can all have a good time without feeling like we're overwhelmed with things to do.

I keep everything under control for the most part. In order to do this, I start preparing a week before the holidays. All the baking that needs to be done get's done a day or two before the big day. The turky, dressing and other necessities get done the day of. My husband normally helps with the entertaining of the kids and since we never have company for this (no family left on either side)...there's not really much cooking going on. The little baking I do do, my girls tend to help out with it.

You are having such an awesomely useful giveaway...PLEASE OH PLEASE COUNT ME IN!!!! I could sure use it all!!! :)

Happy Holidays everyone!!!
-Barb :)

It's pretty obvious, but make as much in advance as you can - saves last-minute hassle and frees up oven space for the turkey! Also, really think about how much food you need. You don't have to make every Thanksgiving dish in the world each year.

I limit the number of dishes that I make and keep things simple. What we don't make for Turkey Day we'll make for Christmas.

Thanksgiving Tip: Bake as much in advance as you can. Even meringue pies can be baked in advance, except for the meringue. Later just do up the meringue and bake to finish. Make mashed potatoes the day before, then reheat them in the crockpot. This also leaves another burner free on the stove.

Thanks for having the giveaway!

Get everyone to pitch in - bring meals, wash dishes, help decorate, etc. In my family, the women do the set-up and the men do the clean-up. Sharing makes it fun for everyone.

my family and i work as a team. we get a lot done this way!

We keep our Thanksgiving simple by not having any family over - just our immediate family. Less food, less work, less clean up. Most of our family live elsewhere in the country. Thanks!

I like to make dessert the day before and have everything prepped that can be and all the dishes washed! haha

If you're hosting then have others pitch in or bring a dish
to take part of the load off. Turkey bags are such a time
saver too. I always use them and my turkeys turn out so juicy and tender in half the time.

I have a set menu I use every year complete with a plan of preparation and shopping lists. I never have to obsess over what I'm going to fix or whether I've forgotten any ingredients. Several of the dishes are also do-aheads.

I say clean up as you go!

I make all possible side dishes in advance and then freeze them.. they key is to undercook them by 5 min so they don't become overdone when you reheat.

I don't find the act of organizing, prepping, and cooking stressful. The part that stresses me out is the thought of de-boning the turkey. I've broken down and told myself there is nothing wrong with just cooking Turkey breast. If I can reduce my time de-boning, or remove it all together, then I am one happy woman.

Delegate several people to do dishes and bring them. It works out well and you might get to try a new dish. Try not to sweat the small stuff. It all works out in the end. Most of all, enjoy your family. This is what the holiday time is for.

Aside from "have Thanksgiving dinner at someone else's house," my tip is to plan, plan, plan. I figure out what can be done ahead of time, and how far in advance they can be done, including things like setting the table, deciding what items will go in which serving dish, etc.

Thank you for the giveaway!

Truly, my best advice for keeping the holiday season free of stress is to remember that all the people that are asking for your time actually love you and truly want to see you, so don't be annoyed at the fact that they are all leaning on you for time you don't have.

Or, on a more practical note, make some home-made cranberry sauce to bring to whatever party. It's always better than the can, and people will love it.

Plan out everything and do all shopping at least a week or two in advance, delegate side dishes for other family members to bring, do all baking ahead of time, and make as much of the rest of the food ahead as possible (ie. anything that will still taste it's best reheated or that will only need to be popped from the fridge to the oven to cook).
Send all kiddoes outdoors or to another room to watch a movie or play games, shoo the non-cooks away while prepping the food...then leave the cleanup to the non-cooks. Use disposables as much as possible, even if you're green and shy away from them ordinarily...you will thank yourself at the end of the day!!

Have lots of Scott Paper Towels handy to clean up messes. Spend a little money and hire someone to come clean your house the day before than you only have to worry about the food!

Cook any thing you can ahead of time. If you bake a Carrant Cake put crushed pineapple in the icing. If you love pineapple put a big amount (after it is drained) Just judge according to your families pineapple taste. I also put some in the place of a little liquid in the batter. This will keep the cake moist for a long time. I also make my chicken and dressing ahead of time. I make enough for Thanksgiving and for Christmas and freeze it. I is just as good. Leave it a little soupy or add cream of chicken soup before cooking if it is dryer than you like. The other things that can not be cooked ahead, I put in the pan they are being cooked in and put in the 'freige so I can just sit on stove when I take out. This frees up time for me to visit instead of being in the kitchen all day.

I work! I am a flight attendant so I just go to work! I get the leftovers without all the family :)

Here's how I make Thanksgiving less stressful on myself -- I watch and play with all the kids while my brother-in-law and sister-in-law cook the meal! Keeping 5 children entertained can be challenging, but it's not stressful. :-)

For the past few years Thanksgiving has become a potluck affair at our house. Each family coming to eat brings a side dish or dessert, and we cook the turkey. It is so much easier (and less expensive) for everyone.

I try to get as much done ahead of time as I can, ask for help when I need it, have a back up plan and- most importantly- breathe! Thanks for the chance to win!

Make, bake & freeze. For those dishes that can be made ahead of time & frozen, go ahead & bake leaving 20 minutes cooktime. Take out, cool & freeze. You have but to thaw the night before & cook the remaining 20 minutes or so. If you are travelling, take out of the freezer & hit the road. The dish will be ready for baking when you arrive at Aunt Sue's house - or wherever you are going. This plan has worked for my family the past 3 years. Love it!

Anything that can be cooked a day or two ahead of time it gets done and another tip is to ask for help!

I would love to win this.

One thing we do to help keep the dinner stress-free is cook certain items a little bit earlier in the day (mashed potatoes) and then just keep them warm in crock pots. It is so much easier than trying to cook everything at the same time!! It always helps if people will bring dishes as well!

Besides all of the common sense tips for preparation and dinner, I play soft gentle harp or classical guitar music on my CD player or stereo on Thanksgiving Day...it is so very graceful and pretty, that everyone seems to speak a little softer and kinder!

Take care of the main dish (Mr. Gobbler) and have your family/friends bring assigned dishes! This will not only introduce new recipes but will eleviate a load of stress!

I Sit down with my teenagers and don't talk, just enjoy their company and hear what is being said without being the probing parent!

I think keeping it small and only having people you actually like at dinner is a really good idea and keeps the stress level down. Also, preparing some of the food ahead of time, getting things chopped, etc. really helps as well.

The most stress-free thing we ever did for Thanksgiving was go away to Belize years ago. It was kind of cool being somewhere where it was just another day. We were staying in a jungle lodge and the guy who ran it was American, so he made us a special Thanksgiving-like meal anyway. It was fun!

This is a great giveaway! Thanks!

One year, our cousin was giving a Thanksgiving dinner party and my sister and I went over to his house the day before to help him cut veggies and get everything ready for cooking on Thanksgiving day. I think we also did some straightening up for him. It was fun and made it easier for him the next day.

Make as much as you can ahead of time then pop it in the oven! THat way Thanksgiving/Christmas isn't full of you hecticly running around the kitchen!

As you're cooking, try to use foil to line pans or as a way to catch drips in the oven, etc. Saves clean up time!

For really stress free holidays, cook while someone else takes the kids OUT.

My tip.... Let someone else do the cooking ;)

Thanks!

Enjoy the holidays for what they were meant to be... spending time with family and friends. I think the food & gifts come in 2nd place at this special time of year.

The day before, ask two or three friends or relatives to come over to help clean the house. This way it gets done quickly and then it's not all on you.

I make the food in bits and pieces the week before- don't really make anything completely ahead of time (so things are still fresh/warm/etc) but do things like make the pumpkin pie filling and freeze it- no mixing on Thanksgiving. Making the turkey marinade and basting juice (minus the turkey's own juices, of course) 2 days before, etc.

Thanks!

I have to remember that I cannot do it all. Step back, take a deep breath and just try to enjoy family and friends for the Holidays.

My family is cooking (we're traveling this year) so it's going to be stress free!

Lets give thanks and enjoy the rest of our lives I say. I do hope we all can. Yes cooking cam be stressful but I try not to think of it. I have been looking at a new cook book that shows how to make quickand fastt You should do that too