Saving time is just as important as saving money.  After all, time is money, right?

Standing over a hot stove all day to prepare a Thanksgiving meal may not appeal to you and it certainly is not saving you any time.  It may not even be possible if you have a busy schedule, perhaps have to go to work on Thanksgiving, or have other reasons that you need a menu that doesn’t involve hours of preparation and hard work.

A Thanksgiving menu can be very simple as long as you include a few traditional dishes from year to year.  Most folks don’t care if you aren’t serving the fanciest fare, as long as it’s memorable.  I’ll share a few wonderfully delicious, but simple foods that are easy to make with memorable results.

Turkey – The first, of course, is turkey.  Turkey is very inexpensive and really simple to make.  It’s no different than roasting a chicken.  The problem most people run into is the thawing time.  You can speed up the thawing process by letting the bird rest in a sink full of cold water.  It will usually thaw out overnight that way without the risk of becoming too warm.  Then roast according to instructions on the turkey packaging.  You handle it very little after that.

Green Bean Casserole – A traditional favorite in many homes and so very simple to make.  Use frozen green beans and don’t even bother cooking them if you don’t want.  Just throw them into a big bowl with all the other ingredients, mix well, and dump into a casserole dish.  My dinner guests look forward to this every year and it’s such a simple dish to make.

Cranberry Orange Relish – This is one of those dishes that everyone raves about, but no one suspects how simple it is.  Just wash a package of fresh cranberries and throw them in the food processor.  Then scrub a seedless orange and cut it into small chunks, skin and all.  Throw that in as well and start pulsing the food processor.  Sprinkle in a bit of sugar if it’s too tart.  Don’t let the relish get mushy; just nice small chunks.  Voila!  A sweet and tangy relish that’s delicious and beautiful… oh, yes, and did I mention easy?

Forget the Pies – If time is really working against your dinner plans, pies should be the first thing to go.  However, you want something to replace them.  How about some little individual pie-like desserts?  Buy pre-made pie crusts, cut them into circles that fit inside a muffin tin, and fill them with either diced apple with a little cinnamon and sugar sprinkled in, or any pie filling.  They’re simple, pretty, and are just as satisfying as a piece of pie… especially with a dollop of whipped cream on top!

These are all pretty classic Thanksgiving dishes that all look more complicated than they really are.  Simplify your Thanksgiving meal preparation this year to save yourself some time.  Then, take that time to enjoy your family and friends!  Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

p.s.  If you really want to save time in the kitchen, pick out a dish that you can make in the crock pot.  Click here to get an idea or two for a time-saving recipe your family will love!  Or check out even more Holiday Meal Recipes you can turn into your own new family favorites.

p.p.s.   Check out the all new  Crock Pot Cooking Made Simple for even more crock pot cooking tips and recipes.

As you know, I’ve been talking a lot about cooking for the holidays.  We tend to take our feasting seriously as we celebrate our traditional holiday seasons.  Cooking up a storm can take a toll on the chef of the house.  There is a great deal of planning and preparation which often leaves us too weary to give ourselves a much needed break.  That’s too bad because we need to enjoy the holidays as much as the people we are feeding.

How about cooking up a little something for yourself this week?  As you go through your recipes for your holiday meals, why not sneak a recipe or two in for some personal indulgences?  I’ve got a few favorites that I’d like to share right here:

Milk Lotion

• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup dried chamomile (can use pure chamomile tea)
• 4 Tablespoons honey
• 6 to 8 teaspoons wheat germ

Pour milk into double boiler over low heat.  Add chamomile, cover, and allow to simmer slowly over low heat for 2 hours.  Pour through a strainer to remove any remaining dried chamomile.  Add wheat germ and honey to liquid, and mix well.  Use as a soothing, moisturizing, lotion over dry skin. Lotion stays fresh in the refrigerator for one week.  It feels good when it’s cool, too.

Oatmeal Body Scrub

• 2 Tablespoons rolled oats
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 2 Tablespoons aloe vera  (substitute honey if you can’t get aloe vera)
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Put rolled oats in blender and blend into a very fine powder. Place oats in small mixing bowl. Add brown sugar and lemon juice.  Mix well.  Once mixed, add aloe vera and stir into a paste being sure there are no lumps. Dampen the skin you will be applying paste to and massage paste onto skin. Rinse with warm water.  Feels especially good on dry legs, knees, and elbows.  This scrub does not keep well so only make what you’ll be using. Double the recipe to use over more of your body.

There are many little potions and lotions that you can create in your own kitchen.  Click here to find even more delightful luxuries.  Then, take a little time out of your cooking and whip up a batch of pampering potions just for you!  Enjoy your day!

A few months ago I started sorting my recipes.  Not only was I sorting them, but I began to put them into old photo albums that I found at the thrift stores.  You can read the thought process I used to create this system of tidying up recipes by clicking right here.

This was going quite well, although I must admit it is a work in progress.  There is no way I can sit down at one time and organize all my recipes.  It was, and is, a massive project.

Then the holidays started sneaking up on me and I began, once again, to dig through both my organized and my loose recipes.  That’s when I realized that my project of tidying up my recipes was a bit flawed in some ways.  Although I designed a page in the photo albums for my favorite Thanksgiving recipes, I realized I should have started an entire picture album for holiday recipes.

So, this is my project for today and probably tomorrow, and maybe even next week, too.  I’ll be creating one picture album for just those recipes that I will be cooking over the coming holidays.

There are two reasons to do this:  1) The recipes are all in one place, where I know I can get them every year; and 2) When it’s time to pass on my family recipes, I can do so by handing over a whole book.

Don’t forget to ask for the recipes for dishes that are traditionally brought to your dinner by members of your family.  Most folks will be likely to share their recipe when they know it will appear in your “Holiday Cookbook.”

Now is the perfect time to get your own personal Holiday Cookbook together since you’re already piling up your recipes.  A quick trip to your family dollar store or thrift store should get you at least one or two of those sticky pages style of photo album, or even some of the plastic sleeve style.  Either way, you’ll find a few of the old style photo albums to your liking at reasonable prices now since the craze for photo albums is scrapbooking with acid free paper.

This time next year, I will not have to dig in my box of recipes or page through my recipe books in search of those holiday dishes.  Instead, I will reach for my very own personal Holiday Cookbook and be all ready to get cooking!  Hope you get your recipes organized and enjoy a pleasant holiday cooking season!

p.s.  Once the holidays are past, you’ll probably get the urge to get things ready for Spring.  With just a few Spring Cleaning Tips For Mom you’ll be all set to tackle the winter dust and dirt when Spring fever takes hold!