Operation Turkey Day: Phase One

I’m trying to figure out how it could possibly be so complicated to host one meal for my family.

For some reason, though, it is. Seating 17 people for a formal afternoon dinner is a challenge, even with this much time to prepare.

I’m not even expecting the day to be perfect.

My family gathering food follies are some of my favorite memories…like the year my mother-in-law’s turkey turned green. Yes. Green. Or the year we had a turkey mishap at The Farm and opted for lasagna instead.

And while I’m not striving for perfection, I would like to have everything ready, if not on time, at least at the same time next Thursday.

I’d like to have an elegant table setting for each guest, even though I haven’t purchased my linens yet and my butter knives are literally falling apart. And I’d like to come up with place cards for each person…even though my handwriting is atrocious.

Those pieces of the puzzle can wait until Sunday, when I’ll have a few minutes to shop and practice my penmanship.

For now, I’m prepping where I’m most comfortable…in front of my stove.

Thanks to a planning recommendation I read who knows where this week, I bought some turkey wings and threw those in a pot with some root veggies, celery and a few savories from my garden. The stock will be the foundation for soup, gravy and dressing next week.

So by the end of the evening, I’ll have one to-do item crossed off my very long Thanksgiving Day list.

That’s something to be thankful for.