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I’m about 3 weeks away from my next major soup round.  It sounds a bit weird since it’s so hot out, but now is the best time to stock up on produce to make some extra healthy soups so they’re ready for fall.  By doing some of the organizing ahead of time it makes the prep time that much easier.

If you’ve read any of my other prepping techniques you know that by now I have all of my recipes selected and I’m purchasing non perishables as they go on sale.  To prep for my next round of 13 soups I’ve found it’s easiest to create a plan for the week so I know what to make when.  It sounds a bit daunting so here is how I make a plan for week long cooking:

Shopping: The majority of what I need will be fresh produce, so I can’t buy this too far in advance.  I know I can get the best prices on fresh produce at our farmer’s market on Saturday mornings so I begin with that since the hours aren’t as flexible as the stores.  I know I should be able to get almost everything I need there and then just a few items at a grocery store.  I also know that I’ll need to run the items home and place in the refrigerator since it is so hot out before running to the grocery store for the rest of the list.  One of our grocery stores is closed on Sundays so Saturday makes the most sense for me to get all of my ingredients.  Previous experience is that I plan a solid 3-4 hours for getting supplies, hauling inside, and putting things away.

Prep:  I know I’ll need to make veggie broth and clean and prep my kitchen the day before.  Once the broth is going on the stove I can prep my kitchen for the week.  Usually I clean and sanitize everything and then get out measuring cups, prep bowls, etc. so they are ready to go.  I also organize all of my recipes in the order that I need to make them and group the dry ingredients with the recipe so I don’t have to hunt for the ingredient I need. This round also calls for a lot of chicken so I’ll stick that in the slow cooker so it’s ready to go the first morning of cooking.  If there’s time I’ll start prepping some of the veggies as well.

Order of Recipes: This is the part that everyone always asks me how I determine so I’ve included my steps below:

1. Group recipes by meat.  I have more recipes that need chicken so I know I’ll need to have the chicken ready to go.  It’s easiest to stick all of it in the slow cooker and then portion it out.
2. Next I look at my recipes that call for chicken and figure out which pot I’ll need for which soup.  Some recipes make a smaller batch where I can use a 3 qt pot, some require a 6 qt pot, and others require my giant 12 qt stockpot.  I only have one of each of these so I choose three recipes for the first day that require one of each pot.  The same process is used if I had any for the slow cooker or if I was borrowing pots from friends.
3. Day two will be the remainder of the recipes with chicken.  I know that I will have more recipes coming up that require a roast, so that will be put in the slow cooker for day three.  Again I look at pot size.  If I have two that require the 6 qt pot I typically make one and prep for the other while it’s on the stove.  I let it cool while I do up any dishes and then portion the first soup out and clean the pot and make the second soup.
4. Days three through five follow the same method of determining which pot size each soup needs.  Each day the more complicated soup is done first and the easier ones are done while the first is simmering.  The process works much better if you have a friend helping!

Helpful hint:

I use a notebook to write out which soup needs which pot before I begin.  I’ve also written down how many cups the recipe makes and if the recipe needs a particular type of storage container.  I use a sticky note on top of the recipes with the day and title of the recipe to use for putting things in order the day before I begin preparing.  If using recipes out of a cookbook I write the page number down as well.

The key to surviving any holiday planning is to start ahead.  Sure people may think you’re a bit odd, but the stress you will save yourself will be worth it.  I developed the habit of planning 2-3 months ahead of time long ago so I’m actually a bit behind where I usually am. I may have also begun planning my Christmas baking at the same time as planning on what I want to make for Thanksgiving…

It’s never to early to start planning, so here is a checklist of things to keep you on track so stress is less.

1. Get a rough idea of the guest list.  It doesn’t have to be definite, but a rough head count and who is coming is handy, especially if there are allergies to work around.
2. Determine if people are bringing items or if you are supplying everything.  Having a checklist of who is bringing what will help keep you on track.  If you need a visual a handy dry erase board on the refrigerator is great for making notes. I make a huge mess in the kitchen so I tend to not use technology around food, but there are several planning apps out there if you’d rather use a phone or tablet.
3. Your menu should be finalized at least two weeks before the big day, so looking for ideas for recipes can begin at any time.  Check out my Thanksgiving Pinterest board for ideas and links to recipes.  Try to choose some items you can make before and don’t forget to leave room in the oven.
4. Don’t forget it takes a few days to thaw that turkey or ham.  You also don’t want to go to the store the night before (I made that mistake once and I’ll never make it again).  Most turkeys have a thawing chart right on the package if you aren’t sure how many days you’ll need.  You’ll also want to make sure that you place it on a pan to prevent a mess of water in your refrigerator.  Plan on purchasing food 7-14 days before, especially if you are making food early.
5. Cleaning the house will depend on when people are arriving.  Aim for 3 days before your guests arrive unless you need to deep clean.  The kitchen should be clean and ready to go before preparing any food.
6. When planning oven space figure out which items need to be served hot (green bean casserole) and which items can be served warm or at room temperature (rolls). You’ll also want to look at what can go in a slow cooker instead of an oven to save space. It’s also good to note which dishes need to be cooked at which temperatures and for how long. If you find yourself with five items with five different temperatures and five different times you may need to adjust your menu or come up with another way to prep the items.
7. Appoint one person to be in charge of the organization of the kitchen and keep everyone else out. If you are cooking have someone else keep track of what needs to go in the oven and when and help you to bring items out to the table. Too many cooks in the kitchen definitely equals disaster and chaos.
8. Remember to account for that turkey taking longer than you planned. Have plenty of board games or activities for your guests to do while dinner is cooking. My grandmother is the only person I know that managed to get the turkey on the table at exactly the right time. I did not inherit that skill.
9. It always annoyed me that dinner was hot and ready to eat and we had to wait for 20 people to say what they were thankful for before we could dive in. An alternative to this if you have a large group of people is to do it while food is being passed around, during dinner as part of the conversation, or even after dinner before dessert is served.
10. Remember earlier how we wanted to keep everyone out of the kitchen. At the end of the meal allow them to help by clearing dishes and bringing items back to the kitchen and helping with clean up. Do not try to clean up everything yourself!

These are just a few tips and tricks. Remember that everyone has traditions around the holidays and these should also be incorporated into your plans. Staying organized is key to everyone enjoying the day.