Here's your Thanksgiving Checklist for things to do in the final days leading up to Thanksgiving
At the bottom of the post are all the printables published so far for planning your easiest Thanksgiving Day yet, or click on the links to prior posts on planning Thanksgiving for more time-saving tips.
We're in the home stretch now, but if you've been following the check lists, you are well ahead of the game! Let's take a look at what we've accomplished in the Email Series laid out below.
I've added links to the first five newsletters sent out so far, for those of you who missed them! ⬇️
📧 Vegetarian Thanksgiving Email Series
Here's a quick look at the email series schedule that we're working through together, so you won't feel like your life is being held together only by a slender paperclip this year.
Week 1 (October 17): Guest list and handling reluctant carnivores.
Week 2 (October 24): Meal brainstorming and things to consider.
Week 3 (October 31): Finalize menu and create a 3-week plan (with Printable Planning Sheet).
Week 4 (November 7): Activities 2 weeks before Thanksgiving.
Week 5 (November 14): Things to do 1 week before Thanksgiving.
Week 6 (November 21): Checklists for the final days leading up to the big feast.
This week, we review what to do in the final days ahead of Thanksgiving, and then move onto the main event.
The biggest thing to consider over the next few days is ways you have to cook things in your kitchen, and to keep them warm, if necessary. This will, in part, determine how much you need to cook ahead of Thanksgiving Day.
If you only have one main oven like I do, maybe you also have a toaster oven and a microwave. My toaster oven has an air fryer function, and I use it a LOT. The toaster oven is great for warming casseroles.
The microwave is ideal for reheating dishes, such as mashed potatoes, and anything you want to keep moist when you re-warm it. If you have a sous vide, it can also be used to keep sweet potatoes and mashed potatoes hot.
An electric pressure cooker, such as the Instant Pot, and slow cookers are great for keeping things warm.
Below are checklists I've created and refined through the years, along with tips, and a cooking schedule.
3 - 2 - 1 - Blastoff!
2 - 3 Days Ahead Checklist PRINTABLE : just click on this link and print !
1 Day Ahead Checklist PRINTABLE : just click on this link and print !
1 Day Ahead Organization Tips PRINTABLE : just click on this link and print !
Thanksgiving Day Cooking and Organization Schedule - PRINTABLE : just click on this link and print !
If you want to check back on previous printables, here's a listing of them.
Final Thoughts
It's easy to forget, in all the craziness of organizing a Thanksgiving dinner, that the simple purpose of Thanksgiving is to give gratitude, and a table laden with food is the vehicle for this to happen. So don't worry if everything on the table didn't come out like you sketched out in your mind. It brought some of your most favorite people in the world to your table, to break bread together.
So as we sit around the table this week, surrounded by family and friends, take a moment to remember all the things we have in our lives to be grateful for.
A very Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family 🌱
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