You look forward to Thanksgiving each November. Whoever hosts always seems to pull it off
without a hitch. Now, you are all settled in your brand new Schaeffer home, and you’ve volunteered
to host this year. And the magnitude of the task has hit you. Don’t sweat it. You can do it – and make
it look effortless – thanks to your state-of-the-art kitchen and party-friendly open floor plan!
Invite early. The key to a stress-free Thanksgiving is to plan early. Once you commit to hosting, the
first thing you need to do is invite every single person you want to come. Even the last minute types
are likely to make Thanksgiving plans early in November, so start putting feelers out there ASAP. In
the meantime, start thinking about where you’re going to put everybody. (Flexible, open floorplans
make this part soooo much easier!)

Be organized. Planning and organizing is imperative. It’s the only way to make sure you don’t find
yourself with missing ingredients, a house that’s a mess, and hours of cooking still to be done when
your guests arrive. Start by making lists of everything you need to do, a schedule for the weeks
leading up to dinner, and shopping lists before you head to the store for ingredients and supplies.
Bonus! Lists let you see everything you need, and let you check things off. (Checking things off is a
really good feeling!)

Plan your menu. Thanksgiving will be here before you know it, and you need a game plan. The first
step? Figure out what’s on the menu. Chances are your guests will want to bring things… you just
have to tell them what you need. Once you have the menu set, start shopping for non-perishables
(e.g. baking ingredients, bread cubes, herbs & spices), and make a corner of your pantry
“Thanksgiving Central”. Having everything in one place will help you keep track.
Cook in advance. Don’t stress out by trying to cook everything on Thanksgiving Day. Create a
timeline, and figure out what can be made ahead of time. Casseroles can be premade. Vegetables
can be chopped and ready to steam. Some things can’t be cooked early, like the turkey, but almost
everything else in the meal can be prepped and ready to just pop on the stove top or into the oven.
Let’s put that brand new kitchen to work!

Set up in advance. Establish your dining space (formal dining room, flex space, even the family room). Figure out if you’re having a sit-down meal or a buffet-style repast. Then, as long as you don’t have to worry about pets or small children upsetting things, set everything up days before the event. That way you won’t be scrambling to find the serving dishes that are somewhere in the basement; cleaning the dust off the extra wine glasses that are on that high shelf in the kitchen, and counting the flatware only to discover
you don’t have enough right before the first
guest rings the bell.

Offer snacks before dinner. Tasty appetizers benefit the cook as much as the guests. Bowls of nuts, some crackers and cheese, and trays of crudité or hot apps scattered throughout the family room, living room or basement rec room will keep them busy munching while you finish up! Keep the kids entertained. For children, it seems like Thanksgiving dinner takes foreveeeer to
land on the table. Keep ‘em occupied with games out in the yard, movies up in the loft or craft projects in the rec room.

Above all, relax and enjoy. Let your guests marvel at the spaciousness of your new Schaeffer home,
while you perform culinary magic in your new kitchen! Learn more about our holiday-friendly
homes at Schaeffer Homes.