Top 10 Tips For An Easy And Elegant Thanksgiving Slideshow

When planning your menu, pick recipes that you can make ahead — especially desserts and side dishes. Leave only the turkey to cook on the spot, keeping your time in the kitchen to a minimum.

A simple winter salad or soup works great as a first course. You can prep both ahead of time and simply plate right before serving.

Go with a hearty sausage stuffing and potatoes au gratin as side dishes. Both can be made well in advance and frozen, needing only to be reheated on the day.

Remember to use pretty ovenproof casserole dishes if you are serving family style. Put down some trivets and the side dishes can go right from oven to table, saving on some washing up at the end of the meal.

Always heat your plates, platters, and gravy boat before serving. This will ensure that the food will remain hot until everyone is served. Youll be surprised at how well this works!

Use the Kitchen Moxie Worksheet as your cheat sheet. Instead of feeling like a turkey with your head cut off, flipping through different cookbooks or trying to remember cooking times and temperatures, write down your notes on the worksheet. It will keep you organized and help you remember some of the special touches you had in mind for the meal. 

Talk through the meal in advance with your spouse/partner and kids (if they're invited!). Let him/her know how they can help. With the two of you working together, you can keep everything running smoothly and not skip a beat. 

Dont worry and enjoy. Thanksgiving is a time to focus on the people we love. If something goes wrong or doesnt quite come out the way you planned, relax, take a deep breath, and work around it. Your guests will probably never be the wiser.