The Working Woman’s Guide to Avoiding Perfectionism, Eating Well, & Good Conversation at the Table 

This time of year, with holiday deadlines approaching — buy the turkey! trim the tree! — and a limited number of days left in the calendar, life has a way of speeding up, and it often seems impossible to fit all of those to do’s in just twenty-four hours a day.

Yet, at the same time, it’s holiday season, and you want to take the annual opportunity to spend time with the ones you love most, make some lively memories, throw great dinner parties, and eat yummy food.

Unfortunately, working long hours does not bode well for exhaustive prep for dinner parties – let alone for Thanksgiving dinner, with twenty of your closest family members and friends.  It can be a challenge to juggle the demands of your job with a fabulous holiday celebration, not to mention having the house cleaned, your hair curled, and a (serene, we hope!) smile on your face.

For a less-stressful Thanksgiving (and holiday season), I therefore stick to these tips: The Working Woman’s Guide to Thanksgiving.

Order Groceries Online – Now! 

You need to place your order a few days ahead to ensure your items are available, the ingredients fresh, and that everything is delivered on time. Ordering groceries online will definitely save time at the packed grocery store the night before Thanksgiving – and you’ll have it delivered straight to your door.

I also prefer to buy pies (pecan, apple, and pumpkin are my favorites). They’re time-consuming to make – and buying them leaves more time and oven space time for roasting a gorgeous, golden-brown turkey! 

Make-Ahead-Solutions 

• • • Choose side dishes that you can make ahead of time so that you don’t have to worry about much more than the turkey and stuffing on Thanksgiving Day. 
    • Mashed potatoes, spinach gratin, sweet potatoes, and sautéed or creamed corn, can all be made in advance, refrigerated, and warmed up just before you serve your holiday meal. If you need ideas, Ina Garten (otherwise known as the Barefoot Contessa) is known for her delicious but unpretentious, not-hugely-time-consuming recipes: check out her ideas here and here. Other resources for time-tested, scrumptious side dishes: the post-makeover, increasingly snazzy-looking Good Housekeeping, and Real Simple. 

Prep, Prep, Prep

• • • On that same note, vegetables can be peeled and sliced ahead of time, placed in water and stored in the fridge until you need them. Dough can also be made a few days ahead, and seasonings and staples (flour, sugar, etc.) can be set out and organized on your counter so you’re not scrambling to find your nutmeg while the guests are arriving.
    • Prep your table by setting it the evening before, so that it looks beautiful when you wake up on Thanksgiving morning, frazzled. It’s one less thing you’ll have to worry about, and looking at the pretty place-settings and not-yet-gravy-stained tablecloth will likely soothe your mood and remind you of all of the love that will be seated around it in a few hours, making your effort worthwhile. Instant nerves-calmer!

Be Sure To Have a Showstopper

• • • Have one signature dish of which you are most proud, and make sure it gets plenty of your attention, either beforehand, or on the big day itself. Pick a dish that is going to be your trademark treat, and own it. (Mine happens to be a corn crème brulee, which is always a hit!  If you’re interested, you can find the recipe here. )

Other super-easy but guaranteed-to-wow possibilities: 

• • • Three-Ingredient Cranberry Sauce or Cranberry Relish with Pear and Ginger— or any of the side dishes mentioned earlier.
    • And, if you do happen to love to bake, by all means dispense with the perfectionist idea of a pie with criss-cross lattice-work and go for a more rustic look: this easy sour cherry and cranberry pie conveniently calls for cherries from a jar and frozen cranberries, but is topped by a comfy-looking golden crust and sweet, glistening sugar granules.
    • Or, if you want to get truly ambitious, resolve to learn the best tips for that Norman Rockwell-esque, traditional Thanksgiving must-have: mashed potatoes. See here and here for easy recipes, and a savior for inexperienced cooks: the list of what to avoid when making this dish: (hint: do not overmash!).

Keep It Lively 

• • • I’ve found Table Topics to make for an animated Thanksgiving dinner. Buy them ahead of time, and set them on the table if you’re worried about lulls in chatter; they ensure the conversation continues in a light and lively manner. (Plus, you might just learn something new about your guests!) Or try Real Simple’s list of holiday ice-breakers and chitchat-starters.
    • And since it’s a given that everybody wants a fun feast rather than awkward encounters across the table, read up on these pointers from Peggy Post about deflecting inquisitive questions from Aunt Sue or Uncle Joe. Or if your Thanksgiving dinner is guaranteed to be a once-a-year jumble of relatives or friends – essentially a large, well-meaning bunch, but let’s face it, we all have our quirks — get some advice from the folks at Real Simple about making the dinner more harmonious.

I’m sure there are still other Thanksgiving time-saving tips for busy working women, and I’d love to hear any of your secrets as well. We can use all of the help we can get, right? Wishing all of you working women a simply spectacular and stress-free holiday!