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" 1. Write out a menu, then go through and simplify it. If a recipe has a huge ingredient list, forget it. (Do you really need five vegetables? No, you only need three.) Also think about what people don&amp;#039;t eat \u2014 nuts, for example. Can you make a crumble without nuts? You don&amp;#039;t want to make a dish for each person; you want a menu everyone can eat. 2. Never, ever test a new recipe on guests for any reason. This is particularly true on Thanksgiving, when there&amp;#039;s so much to do. 3. Make a game plan. I take a big piece of paper and write my timing on it, working backward. If I want to serve the meal at four o&amp;#039;clock, I think, the turkey must go in the oven at noon, come out at three, and then rest for an hour. Then I look at the carrots and parsnips: Can I make them in advance? Yes, they can be reheated while the turkey rests. I pencil that into the schedule. I make sure that there are some things in the oven, some things atop the stove, some things I can make in advance and reheat, and some things I can serve at room temperature. 4. Next, take every recipe and write an aisle-by-aisle shopping list. Put all the dairy in one column, all the vegetables in another, and so forth, so you won&amp;#039;t be racing around the store. I save a few perishables (e.g., raspberries) for the Wednesday before, but I get everything else a few days ahead. 5. Do as much food prep as you can in advance, even just cutting the carrots two days before \u2014 put them in plastic containers with a little water; they&amp;#039;ll be perfect. 6. Set the table a day or so before. Get it out of the way. Also, if you have flowers as a centerpiece, they&amp;#039;ll look better when they&amp;#039;ve fully opened. 7. For a quick centerpiece, put out a bowl of clementines \u2014 it looks gorgeous. I have a friend who adds dates, and everybody eats them for dessert. 8. I love to order cookies with people&amp;#039;s names on them as place cards. They&amp;#039;re from Eli Zabar ($24 for six, elizabar.com). 9. Skip complicated appetizers; just serve nuts, good olives, or figs and prosciutto with wine or Champagne. 10. Ask each guest to bring a dessert. They&amp;#039;ll feel like they&amp;#039;re part of the team (and they&amp;#039;ll enjoy their favorite sweet). "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.delish.com/holiday-recipes/thanksgiving/a1298/ina-garten-thanksgiving-tips/>