For the holidays or any celebration, I always start with a guest list. Once you know (approximately) how many people you’ll be sharing a meal with – you can dig into the menu, and we always know there’s room for another at the table!
I sure do love a good list – post-it’s are my favorite (the extreme, stick to anything kind) followed by index cards (3” x 5” please!), although I’m just as happy with a steno pad or blank flash cards. Truth is, I’m always thinking about menus, or my next meal, or my last meal or what I want to make next. If I cooked as much as I think and talk about cooking, I’d need a commercial kitchen in my house, and yes, the thought does cross my mind!
For Thanksgiving, I’m planning the following menu, for about twenty people or so:
Dish & Ingredients:
- Turkey – turkey, butter, fresh herbs, orange, salt & pepper
- Sweet Sausage Stuffing – Something Natural herb croutons, butter, turkey stock, fresh herbs, italian sausage, onions, celery garlic
- Oven Roasted Potatoes – pinto potatoes, EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil), salt & pepper
- Green Bean Casserole – fresh green beans, cream of mushroom soup, fried onions,
- Mashed Turnip – Macomb turnip, butter, cream, salt & pepper
- Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Bacon – Farm Grown brussel sprouts, bacon, shallots, butter, EVOO
- Green Salad – mixed greens, cucumber, red onion, walnut halves, pumpkin seeds and cricket creek feta
- Maple Vinaigrette – EVOO, dijon, maple syrup, rice wine vinegar, salt & pepper
- Winter Squash Puree – winter squash, butter, heavy cream, salt & pepper
- Apple Pie – flour, sugar, salt, butter, apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon
- Vanilla Ice Cream – Tillamook is a great choice!
- Chocolate Chip Cookies – flour, sugar, butter, eggs, chocolate chips, baking soda, baking powder, salt, brown sugar, vanilla
This is what drives my shopping list. I love to write by hand, and am an enthusiastic note taker, but having a copy on my phone or computer is pretty handy!
Anything that can be done ahead of time will really pay off in more time with friends and family! For example, measure out all dry ingredients for cookies, and set aside in a covered bowl, or make the dough, roll and freeze.
Before I step out the door and head for the store, I make sure to do the following:
- Pull the recipes I’ll need
- Clean my fridge
- Check dates on spices
- See what I already have on hand
- Pull out pots and pans and stack them nearby for easy access
- Clean the cupboards, making space for any items in progress.
Now for our Grocery list:
And now, I’m off to get started!
Copy written by MJ Mojer