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In just two short weeks, we will all be knee deep in turkey and carbohydrates. I couldn’t be more excited, though for me, the excitement is geared towards the carbs (I’m not really a turkey fan). Anyway, as fun as it is to stuff our faces alongside our loved ones, preparing the feast is always a challenging and time consuming task. In an effort to help make things just a little bit easier for everybody getting ready to feed their families, I wanted to share 10 Thanksgiving hacks to help you host your best Turkey Day yet.

1. Print recipes and tape them to your kitchen cabinets: Keeping recipes at eye level may not seem like a hack, but I’m telling you, it will make your life just a little bit easier. No more spilling ingredients on text and trying to decipher steps through gravy stains.
2. Use a foil ring with your turkey: No purchase necessary. Just shape some foil into a ring and place the turkey on top before roasting. This hack will help heat flow fully around your turkey so it cooks perfectly evenly and stays super moist.
3. Keep gravy warm in a Thermos: This one is pretty self explanatory but it will save space on your crowded stove!
4. Grate the butter: It’s amazing how much easier it is to mix butter into pie crust or biscuits when it’s grated like some fresh Parmesan.
5. Make the BEST whipped cream: If you use a chilled metal bowl and beater to whip up your pie topping, it’ll come out fluffier.
6. Microwave the garlic: This is simply for prepping purposes but if you microwave garlic for 15 seconds, the skin will come off easy peasy. Just be careful because it’ll be HOT.
7. Make your home festive: After all the cooking is done, add some autumn fragrance to your home by simply boiling cinnamon sticks, apple peels (leftover from pie perhaps?), orange rinds, and whole cloves in water.
8. Amp up the kids’ table: You know how some restaurants cover the tables in paper and then offer free crayons to kids? Take note and do the same!
9. Dress up the adult table: You don’t need to go crazy with décor but a nice centerpiece goes a long way. Try using a hollowed out pumpkin as a vase for a perfectly seasonal touch. Speaking of your table …
10. Protect your furniture: Set newspaper underneath your tablecloth so that if/when spills happen, the integrity of your table is safe and sound.

I am so excited to help my family prepare for the holiday in a couple of weeks and I hope that some of these tips will help you get excited too!

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Rebecca McKinney

I was born a foodie. My dad is a chef, baker, and restaurant owner and my mom might as well be because she owns whatever kitchen she walks into. I grew up working in my family’s restaurant and bakery in Pawling, New York – McKinney and Doyle. I started behind the bakery counter at 12 years old after begging my parents to let me start working. At 16 I worked as a hostess. By 18 I was serving tables and training behind the bar where I then worked every other weekend throughout my college career. Even now, when I am visiting my family in New York, I help out where I’m needed. To make a long story short, the food and restaurant industry has been my life for as long as I can remember.

I wanted to create this blog for a few reasons. First and foremost, to share tips, tricks, and knowledge about the food and beverage industry in general but also to help people see a different side of the restaurant world. Every restaurant has a totally unique culture and world within it. I want to help open people’s eyes to more than how fast the service is or how easy or hard it is to secure a reservation.

So, thanks for stopping by! I welcome your ideas, input, and feedback and hope you enjoy!

Eat well & travel often,

Becky McKinney

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