How to Stay Organized this Thanksgiving - Cook Portable Warehouses

Thanksgiving is a holiday built around food, family and fun. It’s nice to be able to enjoy time spent giving thanks for all our blessings. But the entire process of cooking the big meal, entertaining guests and cleaning up the mess can be exhausting.

But with a little forward thinking and planning you can streamline your Thanksgiving festivities and spend more time having fun on your holiday! Another smart forward thinking purchase is a Cook shed for all that extra stuff cluttering up your house.

Here are some helpful ideas to make your Thanksgiving Day simple and one to remember!

Clean out your kitchen

Go through your refrigerator and pantry and toss or compost any expired food, clean the shelves/or replace shelf paper and return the items you plan to keep. Remember to rotate canned goods with the earliest expiration date at the front.

Cleaning out these spaces will give you a clean workspace and allow you to take stock of what you already have during the meal planning process.

Organize recipes

All those famous family dishes have a recipe that most likely has been handed down through generations. Or maybe you stumbled on a great recipe in your favorite housekeeping magazine. Either way, it’s a good idea to have recipes organized to avoid those spills in the kitchen.

For cookbooks, use a stand and for loose recipes cards use an over-the-cabinet hook or easy to remove painter tap to stick to the kitchen wall. So those items won’t get lost in all the cooking clutter and it’s easier for family members to pitch in and help!

Plan the menu

Consider how many people are attending dinner and how much space you have in your refrigerator/freezer. This is especially important when determining the size of the turkey. Bonus tip- start defrosting the turkey a day or so before to save time on the big day!

Plan your entire meal from appetizers to desserts in detail and include all the ingredients you will need to purchase. Then, during your shopping trip you can quickly get the supplies and check those items off your list. Don’t forget to check to see what dishes your guests plan to bring.

If all that cooking and cleaning doesn’t fit into your busy schedule, think about going to a restaurant and just having dessert and coffee at home. Or purchase a fully cooked meal from the supermarket and add your own special twist to some of the dishes.

Work ahead of time

Use your time wisely by doing as much cooking before the actual day. Then, freeze those things, defrost, heat and serve. Desserts are the perfect example of something that can be done days before.

Another item you can check off your list before Thanksgiving Day is getting all the good silverware and place settings out. That gives you the opportunity to check your inventory of chairs, tables, dishes, glasses and arrange to borrow or rent any necessary additions.

Move people out of the kitchen

Because cooking and timing so many dishes at once takes a lot of concentration, try not to make the kitchen the center of activity on the big day. An easy way to do this is by moving the appetizers or beverages and creating a mini self-serve station in another room.

Make clean-up fun

Get everyone involved in the clean up process by giving each family member or guest a quick assignment. Have those to-go containers, aluminum foil and Ziploc bags ready to go so people won’t have to go searching. Create an assembly line especially if you have a smaller kitchen.

There is always leftover turkey so plan a second-day turkey dish like sandwiches or turkey soup. Stuffing can be baked with an egg for a delicious breakfast casserole.

Happy Thanksgiving from Cook Portable Warehouses! And if you want more organizational tips throughout the year or want to learn more about our company click below to subscribe to our blog!