design finch

With Thanksgiving less than a week away, I have two things on my mind: pie and a nice, long nap. Seriously, I can’t even tell you how much I’m looking forward to that after-pie nap!

Apparently not much has changed over the years. My family frequently reminds me of the Thanksgiving when I was about 7 or 8 and bellied up to the table with nothing but apple pie, whipped cream, and potato chips on my dinner plate. While it seemed like a perfectly acceptable meal to me, my mom was certain that the pilgrims were rolling over in their graves!

This week I’ve been planning the menu for our Thanksgiving feast and briefly considered serving only potato chips and dessert. (Afterall, nothing says “God Bless America” quite like a cornucopia full of fried spuds.) But when I asked my family for special Thanksgiving requests, potato chips were nowhere on the list. Cue the sad pilgrim face.

Instead, this year our Thanksgiving menu will include:

• Smoked Turkey & Gravy
• Italian Sausage Dressing
• Cranberry Chutney
• Maple-Pecan Sweet Potatoes
• Garlicky Green Beans with Pine Nuts
• Butternut Squash Soup
• Parmesan Knots
• Pecan Pie
• Apple-Buttermilk Custard Pie

I really enjoy cooking as long as I can do it at a leisurely pace with a glass of wine in hand, but tend to get a little frantic when the frenzy of last-minute preparations hits right before the meal goes on the table. An Iron Chef I am not!

In an attempt to alleviate some of that stress (and because I’m slightly neurotic), I put together this “Gobble Guide” to map out which recipes I can prepare in advance and schedule the time each dish needs to go into the oven on Thanksgiving Day. Hopefully it will keep me on track in the kitchen and perhaps even save the rolls from burning!

You know I love sharing free printables, so here is a blank version of my Gobble Guide that you can customize for your own event. My hope is that this planner will help you organize your holiday so you’ll be less stressed and have more time to spend (eating pie and napping) with loved ones.

Happy Thanksgiving, bloggy friends!