How to survive the holiday season, and still give thanks
Though at times it may not seem so, there is much to be thankful for this holiday season.
During one of the most devastating storms in recent history, our community came together: neighbors helped neighbors, volunteers loaned a hand to those in need.
This season, as families reunite and folks open their homes to friends and neighbors as a place of comfort and thanksgiving, hosts and hostesses may start to feel overwhelmed by the task of feeding a crowd.
Fear not.
With a few simple tips, you can gift yourself with a less stressful holiday season.
Some things to keep in mind:
1. Plan ahead, not just the tasks needed to bring the meal to the table, but plan for some relaxation time for you and your guests. If you can make a dish a day or two ahead rather than rushing the day of, do it. Anything that you can do ahead means that you will have more time to spend with your guests.
2. Prep ahead. Do a deep cleaning of the house now so that there’s only minimal work to do as far as picking up or wiping down closer to when your guests arrive.
3. Delegate. Kids can set a table and do minor clean-up duties. Does your sister make a better version of green bean casserole or candied sweet potatoes (or, at least, does she thinks she does)? Ask her to bring a side dish or dessert.
4. Before you begin to cook, re-read the recipe, then measure, chop and organize your ingredients just like a professional chef.
Locally sourcing the holiday meal.
Buying locally grown food is one of the best ways to give back to the community. Check out local farmers markets or individual farm websites to see what is available.
A good guide for finding and buying local food is The 2015 Midlands Local Food & Farm Guide, produced by Midlands Food Alliance, a project of Sustainable Midlands. In it you will find a listing of growers, producers, markets and restaurants specializing in local foods. Download the booklet at http://www.sc.edu/nutrition/doc/FOODGUIDE_Edited_9.17.15%20(1).pdf
Rosewood Market, 2803 Rosewood Dr., (803) 765-1083, www.rosewoodmarket.com, carries fresh and frozen South Carolina produce, breads, meats and cheeses, and you can order tofu turkey ($19.95, feeds at least six people) and side dishes for the holidays from the deli.
Timberock Heritage Poultry Farm (turkey, ducks, chicken), 3717 Fork Shoals Road, Simpsonville, (864) 907-0528, www.timberockathopkinsfarm.com
Wil-Moore Farms (chicken, pork, lamb, goat), 2173 Ridgeway Road, Lugoff, (803) 438-3097, www.wil-moorefarms.com
Doko Farms (turkey, pork, chicken, duck), 2101 Cedar Creek Road, (803) 873-7739, www.dokofarm.org
Old McCaskill’s Farm (lamb, goat, chicken, beef and pork), 377 Cantey Lane, Rembert, (803) 432-9537, www.oldmccaskillsfarm.com
Manchester Farms Quail, 8126 Garners Ferry Road, (800) 845-0421, www.manchesterfarms.com
Crust Bakehouse (fresh baked breads, rolls), 2701 Rosewood Drive, www.facebook.com/CrustBakehouse
Heather’s Artisan Bakery (fresh baked bread, rolls), (803) 807-1428, available at Rosewood Market and Provisions by Sandy Creek/Five Rivers Market
Silver Spoon Bakeshop (pies, cakes, cookies, biscuits), 2507 Devine St., (803) 673-6374, www.silverspoonbakeshop.com
Main Street Bakery (pies, cakes), 3307 N. Main St., (803) 807-9567, www.mainstreetbakery3307.com
Rise Bakeshop (baked goods, blended butters and spreads), 926 Harden St., (803) 851-1248, www.risebakeshop.com
Happy Cow Creamery (whole milk, buttermilk, egg nog, assorted cheeses, butter), 332 McKelvey Road, Pelzer, (864) 243-9699, www.happycowcreamery.com, also found at Rosewood Market
Hickory Hill Milk Dairy (whole milk, buttermilk, Clemson blue cheese), 150 Faulkner Mountain Road, Edgefield, (828) 388-1708, hickoryhillmilk.com, also found at Whole Foods, EarthFare and certain Bi-Lo grocery stores
Split Creek Farm (goat cheeses), 3806 Centerville Road, Anderson, (864) 287-3921, www.splitcreek.com, also found at Rosewood Market
Middle Sparrow Ranch (raw Jersey milk and artisan cheeses), Earle and Alice Boller, 400 W. Ralph Lane, Timmonsville, (843) 992-1468, www.middlesparrowranch.com
Cooking times for whole turkey
Butterball operates a turkey hotline at 1-800-BUTTERBALL or (800) 288-8372. The website, www.butterball.com, offers these tips for roasting a whole turkey:
▪ Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Remove any giblets from turkey cavity. Rinse fresh or thawed turkey with warm water, drain and pat dry with clean paper towels.
▪ Place turkey breast-side up on a flat rack in a shallow roasting pan (2 to 2 ½ inches deep). If you don’t have a rack, crunch aluminum foil into a coil or use carrots or potatoes to keep turkey off the bottom of the pan.
▪ Turn the wings back to hold the neck skin in place and to help stabilize the bird. Brush or spray turkey skin lightly with vegetable or cooking oil or melted butter for best appearance.
▪ Insert an oven-safe meat thermometer deep into the lower part of the thigh without touching the bone. Place turkey in heated oven.
▪ When the turkey is about two-thirds done, loosely cover breast and top of drumsticks with a piece of foil to prevent overcooking.
▪ Your turkey is done when the temperature of the meat thermometer reads 180 degrees in thigh and 165 in breast or stuffing.
▪ Remove turkey from oven and place on serving platter. Let turkey rest at least 15 minutes before carving.
Cooking in a regular oven (325F)
Weight | Time (unstuffed) | Time (stuffed) |
4 1/2 to 7 lbs | 2 to 2 ½ hrs | 2 1/4 to 2 ¾ hr |
7 to 9 lbs | 2 1/2 to 3 hrs | 2 3/4 to 4 ½ hrs |
9 to18 lbs | 3 to 3 ½ hrs | 3 3/4 to 4 ½ hrs |
18 to 22 lbs | 3 1/2 to 4 hrs | 4 1/2 to 5 hrs |
22 to 24 lbs | 4 to 4 ½ hrs | 5 to 5 ½ hrs |
24 to 30 lbs | 4 1/2 to 5 hrs | 5 1/2 to 6 ¼ hrs |
Cooking in a convection oven (325F)
Weight | Time (unstuffed) | Time (stuffed) |
6-10 lbs | 1 1/2 to 2 hrs | 1 3/4 to 2 ½ hrs |
10-18 lbs | 2 to 2 ½ hrs | 2 1/2 to 3 ¼ hrs |
18-22 lbs | 2 1/2 to 3 hrs | 3 1/4 to 3 ¾ hrs |
22-24 lbs | 3 to 3 ½ hrs | 3 3/4 to 4 ¼ hrs |
Holiday checklist
Planning tips from Martha Stewart and other domestic goddesses for a less hectic holiday meal include:
Now:
▪ Choose a menu. Get your recipes in order and/or delegate others to bring a dish. If you are ordering prepared foods from a grocery or specialty shop, begin placing orders now.
▪ If you’re ordering a fresh turkey, do it now. If you’re buying a frozen turkey, don’t wait until the last minute. A whole frozen turkey needs four to five days to thaw. Allow a full day for every 4 pounds of turkey being thawed. Allow time for brining, if you prefer this technique (45 to 60 minutes per pound). For example, a whole frozen 16-pund turkey would need 4 days to thaw and 16 hours to brine before being placed in the oven.
▪ Start picking up clutter and deep clean public areas (bathrooms, guest bedrooms, living room/den, etc.)
▪ Get out table linens (placemats, napkins, tablecloths, etc.) and launder and iron as needed.
▪ Check plates, cups, bowls, serving dishes and utensils. Make sure you have enough or plan to purchase.
▪ Plan decorations
5 days before Thanksgiving:
▪ Start defrosting the frozen turkey in the coldest part of the refrigerator (see tip above).
4 days before Thanksgiving:
▪ Make a shopping list and purchase all nonperishable items, including beverages, and foils, wraps and bags for leftovers. Wait until the day before the holiday to buy salad greens, fresh bread or seafood.
▪ If you are making pies by scratch for dessert, make the dough for the crust, roll it out, lay into pie plates and freeze.
2 days before Thanksgiving:
▪ Homemade stuffing often calls for stale bread. Cut and cube the bread now and set the cubes out on a baking sheet.
▪ If you’re baking a cake, layers can be prepared now and iced tomorrow or Thanksgiving morning.
▪ Make the cranberry sauce. A couple of days in the refrigerator will give the flavors time to develop.
▪ Begin making casserole side dishes. They can be made and reheated or assembled and cooked right before dinner.
▪ De-clutter guest areas (stash items out of the way until after the party).
▪ Plan your outfit and set aside.
1 day before Thanksgiving:
▪ Defrost pie dough, assemble and bake pie(s).
▪ Make giblet stock for gravy.
▪ Make vegetable side dishes that require baking. They can be made and reheated or assembled and cooked right before dinner (if using potatoes, peel and refrigerate them in a pot of cold water).
▪ Pick up fresh turkey and/or prepared foods from market.
▪ Double check the weight of the turkey to determine how much time you will need for roasting and plan accordingly. If you have an unstuffed 16-pound turkey and want to serve it at 6 p.m., it needs to be in the preheated oven at 2-2:30 p.m. Thanksgiving Day (if you’re stuffing the turkey, it needs to go in the oven at 1:30 p.m.).
▪ Prepare stuffing, if you’re using any, but leave out any raw eggs until you begin to stuff the bird.
▪ Give guest areas a final cleaning.
▪ Make space available for guests’ coats.
▪ Set the table tonight or first thing in the morning.
This story was originally published November 10, 2015 at 2:41 PM.