How to Prepare the Thanksgiving Dinner?

As everyone knows that Thanksgiving or Thanksgiving Day, currently celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November, has been an annual tradition in the United States since 1863. Thanksgiving was historically a religious observation to give thanks to God. There are several ways to celebrate Thanksgiving Day, but a corking good Thanksgiving dinner is very important in this day! Maybe you will say that many people are not the first time to do so, but it still offers tips on how to host a successful Thanksgiving dinner.

Generally, the big family dinner is planned months ahead. Thanksgiving is sometimes referred to as "Turkey Day", so there is not doubt that a baked or roasted turkey is usually the featured item on any Thanksgiving feast table. Stuffing, mashed potatoes with gravy, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, sweet corn, other fall vegetables, and pumpkin pie are commonly associated with Thanksgiving dinner.

1. Fist of all, write down the items that needed for dinner as well as that don't in your pantry, and you have to classify the items when you listed them. It will be easier for you to buy them in the supermarket, bakery, butcher's and other different places. In this step, make certain you know what foods your family are dislike.

2. When you have written down what you have to buy, now buy the Thanksgiving meal in advance. Keep in mind that many foods or items such as turkey that might sell out quickly before the holiday. So it is much better for you to buy them in advance, and freeze them to keep fresh. Of course, it is not smart to buy the items such as baked foods in advance, you can try to bake them by yourself or buy them on the day.

3. Prepare the menu and choose your recipes. Here will tell you some recipes. Have a look.

1) Make Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients
340 g / 12 oz fresh cranberries
375 ml / 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
250 ml / 1 cup water

a. Wash and clean cranberries.
b. Boil the sugar and water, stirring constantly to help sugar to melt
c. Remove from heat and add the cranberries and other optional ingredients such as chopped nuts, pieces of orange or lemon peel, raisins or currants, blueberries or crowberries and ginger, allspice, nutmeg and cinnamon; then reheat them to boil.

d. Waiting for five to ten minutes to boil as the cranberries pop open.
e. Now you can cool the cranberries for two and a half hours.
f. The last step, don't forget to prepare small spoons.

2) Make Dinner Rolls

Ingredients
1 cup warm water, 120 to 130 degrees F
1/3 cup dry milk powder, whole milk powder is best if you can find it
1 package instant yeast, SAF yeast is good
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/4 cup shortening, such as Crisco, or butter
3 1/2 cups flour, all-purpose flour will make a softer roll

a. Remove the ingredient container from your bread machine
b. Pour milk into container
c. Lightly whisk 1 egg, add to container
d. Add butter, sugar, salt, flower
e. Do not allow the yeast to touch the salt or sugar. Pour 1 and a half teaspoons of dry yeast on top of flower
f. Place in bread maker and set to combine
g. Remove bread dough from bread maker
h. Cut a small, hand sized portion of dough
i. Flower your cutting board
j. Place the dough on the cutting board and place your palm on top of the dough
k. Using your fingers and thumb as guides for the dough, roll the dough around to form a ball
l. Preheat your oven to 350 F
m. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper
n. Place rolls on sheet
o. Optionally, bush butter onto the top of the rolls
p. Bake for 45 minutes
q. Brush with melted butter for extra flavor and soft roll tops.
r. Serve warm.
s. Makes about a dozen rolls, depending on the size of the roll.

3) Make Great Thanksgiving Cookies

Prepared things:
Cookies
Caramel squares
Candy corn

a. Prepare two different size sugar or chocolate chip cookies
b. Prepare some caramel squares and candy corn.
c. Place one larger cookie horizontal against one smaller, and then glue them together with caramel.
d. Put a third caramel square and place another piece of candy corn on the top to make the turkey's beak.
e. Make it all stick together by melting the caramels in the microwave or such like things.

4) Make Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked, canned or mashed pumpkin
2 slightly beaten eggs
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg or allspice
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1 pint of melted vanilla ice cream (optional)

a. Preheat the pan to 425ºF
b. Mix the pumpkin and eggs well. Then mix the sugar into them and stir again to mix them.
c. Mix the spices to the pint of melted vanilla ice cream.
d. Mix the pumpkin mixture and ice cream mixture.
e. Bake at 425ºF for 15 minutes.
f. Reduce heat to 350ºF and bake about 45 minutes longer or until inserted knife comes out clean.
g. Add with a dollop of whipped cream.

5) Prepare a Turkey Dinner

a. If the turkey is frozen, thaw it by placing the turkey into the pot that contains halve a deep pot with water and 3 tablespoons of salt and lemon juice. When the turkey is thawed, remove the innards. After 8 to 10 hours, remove turkey from pot and rinse. Then place in baking pan and set aside

b. Season the ground meat with seasoning salt, a pinch of black pepper, chopped onions and 2 cloves of garlic. Heat the pan on medium heat. Then put seasoned meat in frying pan and cook. Stir constantly to avoid lumping. Do not over cook. Remove frying pan from stove after 8 to 10 minutes while ground meat is medium done, and set aside.
c. Do the breaded stuffing.
d. Mix the ground meat and stuffing mixture.
e. Serve the turkey outside and inside with three tablespoons of margarine. Then sprinkle seasoning salt on the outside and inside of the turkey
f. In the meantime preheat oven at 350 degrees. Then take turkey stuffing and stuff the turkey. Finally, pour 1 cup of water into the bottom of the pan. Cover turkey with foil or lid and let it bake for 1 1/2 hours. Then remove foil or cover and let turkey bake 'til brown. Intermittently check on turkey and pour turkey juice over turkey while it's baking.
g. After a 1 1/2 turn oven temperature up to 375 degrees. Then bake for an additional 45 to 60 minutes or until thermometer pops up. Remove turkey from oven and then set aside to cool. Then serve.

4. Complete the Thanksgiving dinner preparations. On that day, ask your family members or friends to help cook or prepare certain dishes.

5. In case of starving before the meal or after the meal, prepare some casual foods such as appetizers and sandwiches for snacking in advance. Now you can have a good Thanksgiving Day.