Thanksgiving Tips From a Millennial
/Preparing for the holidays can seem like a daunting task, especially when you may have taken a year off from doing so last year. As a millennial who has never hosted a Thanksgiving but has attended many in my 21 years of life, I may not know all of the ins and outs, but I have a couple of tips & hacks to share with you!
Box stuffing is just FINE
You don’t have to cook a whole bird
You can shred turkey tenderloins with a hand mixer
Plan ahead
Delegate dishes
Create your own traditions
Relax and enjoy each other's company
When it comes to the Thanksgiving meal, in my opinion, box stuffing is elite and is acceptable for all holiday gatherings. There is no need to spend hours making homemade stuffing when you can enjoy the delicious box version that takes minutes to cook. If you are overwhelmed by cooking a whole turkey, just don’t do it! There are many other turkey options available that can taste just as good without all the time and stress of a whole bird. Understandably, I understand the tradition of having that great big turkey at the center of your table on Thanksgiving Day. However, you can always roast turkey breasts or tenderloins which are much easier, and they take a lot less time and skill. If you end up going with tenderloins or breasts, you can shred the leftover meat using a hand mixer. The hand mixer trick is a hack that still amazes me, shredded turkey is very tasty but hard to find. When I learned that I could easily make my own shredded turkey from tenderloins or breasts I was shocked! Shredded turkey is great to eat on sandwiches or even on nachos.
To make things easier on yourself, if you are the one hosting this year, it is always important to plan ahead. Turkey meat will be in ample supply this year, but it is always suggested that if you want a certain size bird or a certain cut of turkey that you should shop sooner rather than later. Take the time to clean out your freezer and make room for that turkey and be proactive and get it bought. With the planning process, I would recommend delegating different dishes out to your family and friends. If your guests can bring a dish that they made, this will be less stressful for you to cook everything, and your guests will feel like they contributed to the meal. Being able to have food from everyone is a great way to come together and share the labor that goes into this grand meal.
Thanksgiving is a holiday that encompasses many traditions. I think if you do not like one of the standard traditions that you should create your own. If you don’t like pumpkin pie, don’t have it at your meal, instead, make your tradition that you make ice cream sundaes. If you don’t enjoy watching football on Thanksgiving (I personally do not), instead, you could watch a certain movie each year like, “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.” When your meal is all over and done with, your hard work is all paid off. Always make sure to enjoy this time with your family and friends and make the most of the time you have together.
