Cranberry Salsa*Stress-free hosting

Who else is excited for Turkey Day?! I love love all the anticipation leading up to the day. But if you’re hosting, it can also be a little daunting, am I right?! Here are my six tips for easy hosting. Some of these will seem like common sense. But I know for me they are good reminders. I tend to get carried away thinking I have time to make everything. So while I’m planning, I use these to keep me grounded.

1. Plan your menu around your kitchen – As you think about your menu, remember how many ovens/stoves you have and how many hours there are in the day. For example, I only have one oven and one stovetop.  So I don’t plan to use the oven for all of my dishes. For Thanksgiving, we cook our turkey on the grill which means the oven can be allocated to stuffing and pie. And the stove can be used for pan friendly sides and sauces.

2. Ask for and take help – Don’t do it all. Friends, I have tried many times to do it all when hosting a party thinking I don’t want to burden my guests. But usually I find myself very stressed on the day of the party. I’ve also found that friends and family love to help! It makes everyone feel good to participate. And asking for help doesn’t mean you have to lose control over your menu. I find it’s better to give assignments instead of letting your guests decide. That makes it easier for guests so they don’t have to spend too much time worrying about what to bring. And then you can feel comfortable knowing what is covered. And I give my guests the option to trade if the wish. 🙂

3. Order some things – This is not set in stone friends. And I know for those of us who live and love to cook, this is a hard one to do.  I find it helpful to have 1 or 2 appetizers pre-made or store-bought so that you can focus your attention on the other items. This Thanksgiving, we are ordering deviled eggs. While I love love making deviled eggs, they’re very time consuming, are gobbled up in minutes, and are kind of difficult to store (especially if you have a small refrigerator like me). So they’re not much bang for your buck and it can be slightly disheartening (although flattering) when the plate is empty so quick.

4. Food Prep – It’s a great idea (especially for Thankgiving) to parse out things that can be made ahead. Things like sauces, dips, and pie dough are usually perfect to make ahead and store in the fridge. And if you have a complex stuffing, you can make part of it ahead as well. In fact, anything you can chop and store ahead will save you so much time.

5. Serving dish prep – This tip is one I have definitely learned over time. Think about what serving dishes and utensils you will need and make sure you have enough. I always think I have plenty, but when serving a large group, it is easy to underestimate how many you really need. Plus picking the dishes out ahead gives you the opportunity to see how you will lay out your buffet and see how all the dishes look together.

6. Table prep – This is a tip I learned from my best friend. On the day of the party, she places all of the serving dishes on the table in the way she wants them. And then she uses post-its to mark which food goes where. Even though you may have it all in your head, this is a huge time saver and stress reliever when the dishes begin to come together.

Ok, so those are my tips friends. If you have more, please share! And if you are in need of a last minute appetizer, this cranberry salsa is ready in minutes. Like you literally place everything in a food processor and call it a day! And it’s a perfect candidate for making ahead (can store for up to 2 days). I first tasted a version of this at last year’s Thanksgiving. My sister hosted and one of her in-laws brought it. I had forgotten to grab the recipe so I spent the last couple weeks making a few batches and now it feels just right.

Wishing you all a wonderful Thanksgiving full of love and all the BEST food!