The news on everyone's lips is that Martha Stewart, practically the queen of Thanksgiving, has decided to cancel the festivities this year. In a Thursday appearance on 'The Kelly Clarkson Show,' she told the singer that she is 'gave up on Thanksgiving.'
Luckily, Homes & Gardens spoke with Martha before she made the decision not to celebrate, and got all of her tips on how to prepare. That way, those of us who are going ahead with the holiday have all of Martha's expert advice on getting her dining room ready for the feast.
According to Martha, the number one way to pull off a seamless Thanksgiving dinner party is to plan and prepare, far ahead of time. Everything from the food being served to the setting of the table to the dinner party cleanup is premeditated. For instance, Martha starts to plan her feast a month ahead of time. 'I'm a very organized person, as you can imagine. I have a lot of stuff figured out already' she told H&G in October when we interviewed her about her collaboration with Pure Leaf Tea.
Martha further asserted that the success of Thanksgiving dining table decor also comes down to planning. She told H&G: 'I make sure that the silverware is polished ahead of time. I make sure that the turkey dishes are up from the pantry in the basement where I keep all my beautiful china.' She continued, 'We don't use turkey plates and turkey platters other than on Thanksgiving. So I make sure that everything is clean and stacked in the dining room.
Interestingly, Martha said that her Thanksgiving table settings are out extra early. She told us: 'The table is set probably the day before Thanksgiving, and centerpieces are thought out ahead of time so that I don't have to run around looking for stuff when I'm busy cooking.' Her attitude seems to be that preparing minimizes stress on the big day.
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Although Thanksgiving is cancelled at Martha Stewart's house, it doesn't mean the rest of us can't benefit from her clever planning techniques. For more of Martha's advice, check out the kitchen cabinet color that she swears by.
