Thanksgiving I
b"Planners at the ready? Let\\u2019s take control and plan this sucker!\\n\\n\\nSo, here\\u2019s the thing.\\nYou can make anything into a huge overwhelming, life-draining monster or you can do what we do and beat the living crap out of the thing with laughter, friends and a plan. We are here to help, as usual.\\nAnd it is really all about the planning. You simply can\\u2019t wait until the day before a huge project like Thanksgiving and expect to execute with authority, aplomb (look it up) and no stress. Ain\\u2019t happenin\\u2019 friends. Now, of course, you can farm all of this out and have everything catered and planned by someone else. But let\\u2019s face it, as we\\u2019ve noted before, not all of us have Martha Stewart\\u2019s budget or staff.\\nYou don\\u2019t have to do the dinner yourself and if you\\u2019re one of the younger family members, chances are you\\u2019re arriving at the festivities, wine bottle in hand and, if so, good for you! If you\\u2019re a little older, you could be producing the event yourself.\\nWe have suggestions for both sides of the operation and how to keep your cool (remember you have no control over anyone else\\u2019s cool) and have a good time. Once more, in case you missed it in the last episode, here is the link to the great print-it-off-yourself calendar months. No reason to spend extra money buying calendars for an entire year\\u2026unless you\\u2019re into that. Here\\u2019s the link:\\nPRINT YOUR OWN BLANK MONTHLY CALENDAR (http://www.pdfcalendar.com/monthly/)\\nSince we are \\u201cfree ranging\\u201d during our episode discussions (listen in to get that joke), here is a list because I love lists. And, we make every effort to pull together many of the endless lists online that can contribute to the overwhelm. Keep in mind, we are pre-planning here for the big day. Cooking and preparing for that comes next so I guess you\\u2019ll have to listen to the next episode for that one.\\nREADY, SET, PLAN! (and, by all means, grab a glass of wine)\\nAre you hosting the party? Then, what kind of party do you want to have? How many people?What about the general menu? Classic/traditional, something entirely different or a mix of both?How much can you do and what are you going to delegate?Pick out your recipes and maybe assign a recipe to different people.Compare the ingredients on your recipes (the ones you\\u2019re making only) with what you already have. Cross out anything you already have. You don\\u2019t need to double up on stuff this time of year. The more space the better!Do you need any cooking gear that you don't have? Turkey roaster, potato ricer, Instant Pot\\u2026 Before you go on a shopping spree, ask around to friends and family and see if you can borrow. Unless you\\u2019re dying to have an airfryer, no need to buy one.How are you going to serve? Buffet, family-style? We love standing and grazing on apps with cocktails before dinner. Do you have enough dishware/serveware, chairs, linens, card tables, etc.? Make a list, so you don\\u2019t forget.How are you decorating? You could delegate some of that, for sure. Decorating is the last thing I think of and the first thing Natalia thinks of! Make your decorations list now. Candles, anyone?Now think about shopping. You will probably need to do it more than once. One fell swoop is stressful and not very fun so divide items into different categories,"