Menu Planning Monday - Thanksgiving Week To Do List

So, it's the big Thanksgiving meal this week... I'm combining my Menu Planning Monday with Thanksgiving Preparation To Do List. Normally, my To Do List doesn't include delegating work, but (wooo hooo!) my husband is on vacation from Tuesday on this week -- so he gets to help! Isn't he lucky?? All meals except the holiday meal will be fairly easy -- I have to save my strength for all that holiday cooking! That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

Monday Meal Hot dogs on buns Macaroni and Cheese Monday To Do List Clean out refrigerator Remove Turkey from freezer Clean bathrooms Laundry Run China and serving pieces through dishwasher Dust dining room, general spruce up Wash tablecloth and linen napkins, put on table 15 minute Windex* Tuesday Meal Breakfast for Dinner Cheese, Crumbled Bacon and Onion Omelettes Toasted homemade rye bread Turkey sausage Tuesday To Do List Vac and dust downstairs 15 minute Windex Wash Kitchen floor (dh) Last trip to grocery store (dh) Get Thanksgiving Craft ready for Brayden (turkey's made from hand prints) Wednesday Meal Chicken Tikka Masala (pre-packaged Indian food) Rice Mixed Green salad Wednesday To Do List Bake apple pie Make dough for rolls Cut up onions and celery for stuffing List of tomorrow's menu on fridge door Match serving dishes to serving spoons, etc. Sharpen carving knife (dh) Empty all trash (dh) Give kitchen good cleaning last thing at night, including empty dishwasher (dh), clean counters, get out cutting boards Babysitting for Brayden - 7am - 6pm Thursday - Thanksgiving Very traditional dishes here! Roast turkey with traditional stuffing Mashed potatoes, turkey gravy Steamed brocolli Boiled Onions in cream sauce Green Bean Casserole Cranberry Sauce (canned!) Rolls (homemade), butter (real!) Apple Pie (homemade), Pumpkin Pie (bakery bought) Holiday Fruit Salad Thursday To Do List After dinner, make "TV Dinners" for freezer** Clean up dishes, put back in dining room hutch (dh) Wipe down counters and stove Friday Turkey Day Leftovers - probably sandwiches

Saturday Lentil Soup Cornbread Sunday Chef's choice (Meaning: Eat leftovers, I'm tired o' cooking!)

**TV Dinners - One of our favorite family Thanksgiving traditions is to work together to make "TV Dinners" after the big meal is over. I lay out disposable aluminum pie plates, and we divy up all the leftovers into one meal per plate. Two go home with my daughter for her leftovers. The rest (usually 8 to 10) get wrapped first in plastic wrap, then in aluminum foil and stacked in the chest freezer. These are the best last-minute dinners! Just put them in the oven on 350 for about 30 to 45 minutes, or until you can stick your finger in the middle of the mashed potatoes and they are good and warm. Yum yum and more yum. This is why I cook a 24 lb. turkey for three adults and one fussy eater two year old! *15 Minute Windex - I've posted this before, but will post it here again. This is one of the best household tips I have. Is your house looking a little tired and needs a good sprucing up? Grab a bottle of windex and two pieces of paper towel, and set a timer for 15 minutes. Then clean whatever can be windexed (but not windows unless they really need it!), and don't stop until that timer goes off. Repeat the next day. You'll be amazed at how much you can get done in 15 minutes, how much "sparkle" it adds back to your house, and how many different things you can clean with a bottle of Windex (light switches, faucets, TV screens, candle sticks, etc etc etc)! Try and repeat twice a week and you'll see a real difference!