Prepping for Turkey Day

 “My name is A. Daily and I am OCD-Crazy.”  Wow, it feels good to say that out loud.

I couldn’t always admit this (oh yeah, I’m stubborn too), but some of the things that I just have to do are crazy.  It’s become what I like to call “OCD-Crazy.”  I can’t remember if this was a self-diagnosed term, or if it was one given to me.  Either way, its grown on me and it sums up some of my quarks in the kitchen.  Like…

My dishes are stacked nicely and aligned in the cabinets, each in a specific spot.

Each shelf in my pantry is designated a specific grouping, and rows are aligned.

All the labels in the refrigerator are facing outwards, and rows are aligned.

And, I even like to load my dishwasher a specific way.

Some of the characteristics of my OCD-Crazy make the day-to-day stuff easier, but sometimes it just becomes an internal nuisance.  I’m a little embarrassed to admit all this, but I feel it will help you better understand this post.

Now, for the real reason of this post:  Thanksgiving Prepping!

My OCD-Crazy has naturally worked its way into my preparation, but I really think it’s going to help come Turkey Day.  First, I’ve created my detailed menu and got a hard copy of each recipe.  Then I gathered all the recipes together and made a very detailed grocery list, (making sure to add the measurements of each overlapping ingredient in each recipe) categorizing each ingredient into one of the following categories:  Basics, Dairy, Produce, and Non-Perishables.  Here’s why I chose these four categories.

Basics (Staples, Spices, Nuts):  These are generally items that you think you have, but you should double-check that (a) you do in fact have whatever it is, and (b) you have enough for all of your recipes.

Dairy:  These are ingredients that you probably use a little more regularly, but should double-check dates and make sure you have enough (especially butter).

Produce:  You want produce to be as fresh as possible.  Making it its own category makes the daunting task going to the grocery store the week of a little easier.

Non-Perishables:  You can stock up on these ingredients early.  Like now!

This may seem a little overboard, but its no fun when you’re half way through a recipe and have to send Hubby to the grocery store because you didn’t account for something.  And, it's really no fun when you've completely forgotten an ingredient all together. 

I take things to a whole new level once the grocery shopping is done, but I’ll save that for another post.