Tuesday’s Tips – Thanksgiving Tips

To stay with the Thanksgiving theme, I’m sharing some tips.  These range from cooking to hosting.

• Put the ham in the oven on a pretty low temp the night before Thanksgiving you go to bed. Then roast your turkey in the morning. The ham is always juicy and never dry because it cooked slow and low, 
• Cover a turkey with cheesecloth soaked in melted butter or olive oil, and it will baste itself! Remove it during the last 30 minutes of baking to let the skin get brown.
• Green Bean Casserole tip…I cook the green bean casserole in my crock pot. I mix in some of the french onions for flavor. I brown some of the onions in the toaster oven for a crispy garnish on the top; or place the crispy onions in a bowl for each person to sprinkle on their own serving.
• Use the time while the guys are watching football on Thanksgiving (after dinner) to address Christmas cards. 
• Have little ones help to decorate the table. (Not-so-little-ones may enjoy it, too.) Purchase a plain, light colored table cloth of the paper variety. Avoid the type which have the plastic coating on them cheap paper works best. Then, set out markers and crayons (Be sure the markers won’t run through the tablecloth.) for everyone to decorate the table before dinner. It’ll make a pleasing sight while eating.Try some order to the decoration. Have each person decorate his/her place setting. Draw placemats at the seats and have each person sign his/her name and decorate the “placemat.” If you’re brave, purchase a plain cloth tablecloth and Sharpie markers. Then, ask each guest to sign the tablecloth and write what he/she is thankful for or a message to the hostess. It’ll make a nice keepsake for each year, and it can be washed without losing the signatures. (If only the same could be said about the gravy stain!) 
• Invite someone to your feast that would have otherwise spent the Holiday alone! This can be a very depressing time of year for SO very many people.
• When carving pumpkins for pie, don’t throw out the seeds! Wash off the gooey stuff, spread on a cookie sheet, sprinkle with Lawry’s (seasoning) salt and bake at 375 for about 10 minutes. Makes a great snack.