The day of giving thanks and feasting is nearly upon us. Thanksgiving Is Thursday, November 22 this year. That means that we have less than three weeks to plot, plan, prepare and produce a meal worthy of a Norman Rockwell painting. Sure, no problem, it’s a snap to pull off a plethora of various dishes, all of which have to be cooked at different temperatures, for different lengths of time while all looking and tasting fantastic. What’s that you say? Preparing Thanksgiving dinner can be a nightmare, rife with potential disasters and frustrations? Oh yes, it’s that too, I’ll admit.
When I first got married, we dutifully divided our time each year between my side of the family and my husband’s side, more than once eating two Thanksgiving meals in the same day to appease everyone. Let me just say there were antacids involved. We learned about each other’s family’s different Thanksgiving meal traditions like cranberry relish on my side, gelled cranberry sauce slid out of the can on his; rice stuffing on my side, bread stuffing on his; candied yams and steamed green beans on my side, marshmallow-topped yams and green bean onion-topped casserole on his. We vowed to come up with our own, new traditions when we had kids blending a little of what we both liked from my side and a little of what we liked from his side plus some new dishes we created on our own. It was great – in theory.
Our little plan of family bliss went out the window when I tried to cook my first Thanksgiving meals. The biggest disaster was when I misjudged how long it would take to defrost a turkey. We ended up giving the poor bird repeated hot water baths until it was thawed enough to finally put in the oven. We ate at 10pm that night. I was not off to a good start in the Thanksgiving Dinner department.
Over the next few years, and now with four children, there were other mishaps. Some out of my control but many were simply due to my lack of planning and willingness to accept help from others. I’ll be sharing those stories with you as the That’s IT Mommy blog participates in a special program with Walmart called “A Mishap Free Thanksgiving” intended to help us all share some laughs, commiserate over failures, pass on tips and tricks and basically help each other get to the end of November 22nd proud, stuffed to the gills with great food and thankful that the meal went smoothly. Are you game? Are you ready to share your mishaps (embarrassing or even disastrous), lessons learned and lessons you still need to learn? Great, let’s go!
For all that soul-bearing, one lucky winner will be rewarded with a $50 gift card to Walmart on November 19. To enter to win, simply share your Thanksgiving mishaps, questions, tips and tricks with by commenting on my “A Mishap Free thanksgiving” blogs. Meanwhile, there’s a very helpful website “Walmart’s Countdown to a Mishap Free Thanksgiving” full of recipes and tips at. Check back with the website frequently to see new content that will help you make it through to turkey day. I know I’ll be visiting often because although I have figured out a lot of things over the years, I still have plenty to learn.
– Courtney
GIVEAWAY: One (1) That’s IT Mommy reader will receive a $50 Walmart gift card. This giveaway is open to US residents only (18+). Ends 11/19/12 midnight EST.
* We did not receive monetary compensation for this review. Courtney received a gift card from Walmart free of charge to facilitate this review. Giveaway item will be provided by sponsor. Sponsor has the right to refuse filling prize for duplicate winners from other blogs. This will in no way sway our opinion of the product or service. The review is in our own words and is our opinion. Your results and opinions may differ.
122 comments
my worst mishap was forgetting to turn the oven on debbie jackson
djackson1958 at hotmail dot com
I overcooked the turkey 2 years ago—had to order a last minute turkey from the grocery store that was already cooked :/ yuck!
Tip: prepare and cook as much as you can days before to prevent being overwhelmed on the day.
the worst mishap was dropping the cooked turkey on the floor
oven to small for the Turkey lol
My tip is to follow refrigeration instructions. One year my mother didn’t refrigerate some cream puffs she bought for Thanksgiving dessert. My husband and I ate some and were throwing up for 3 straight days!
Biggest mishap is not allowing enough time to cook the turkey and having some hungry folks waiting to eat for a longer than normal time. Remedy- always allow enough time when cooking the turkey, Start EARLY!
we took a pie to dinner one year and forgot the pie server. no one at the pie! Always remember the pie server!! 🙂
my worst mishap was that i dropped cranberry sauce on my grandmothers white linen
my mishap was when cooking all the different things I did not time it right, so not everything was ready at the same time. Now I try to prepare as mush food before hand as I can.
I usually dont have a lot of time to cook. I prepare before hand and cut all the veggies the day before
Forgot to defrost the bird in advance, had to serve deli turkey breast to guests.
We didn’t cook enough food for everybody last year so this we went crazy with the food we’re going to be making! It could serve a small army!
we overcooked the turkey lol
turkey in the oven for 2 hours before we checked on it and noticed we didnt turn the oven on…omg
tcogbill at live dot com
One thing I always seem to do each year is forget to buy a certain ingredient or food item. This year I swear I won’t do it again and I will right EVERYTHING down, check over my list twice, and buy everything I need ahead of time.
my first turkey I cooked, was good but my dad was carving an said”sister” I said what Daddy,,he said did you not take the “giblets out” I said huh,no,whats a giblet? an then the whole table laughed,,that bag of stuff was still in the bird,,omg,I bout died,,he said didnt you check,uh noooooooooo,,,I didnt know you were supposed to stick your hand up its hump an get that out,,the bird was okay an it was a source of laughter for many Thanksgivings ,,he always asked if it was empty inside or not,,lol,yes Daddy I stripped him clean,,those were sweet memories,my dad has passed but those memories never will
My dad once came over to help with dinner and dropped all the juice for the gravy on the floor so we had no gravy
I can not tell you how many years I have forgotten to serve a dish, usually it is the peas that I forget in the microwave and discover after dinner.
Kims2312@verizon.net
The worst thing that happened was when we couldn’t get all the food done at once. It helps to prepare as much the day before as possible.
One Thanksgiving, I sent my husband to the store to buy a ham and he purchased and cooked a cured/salted ham…the kind that’s not meant to cook as a whole, but rather cut in slices in a pan. It was so salty that we threw it in the backyard to the dog. The dog was very happy. My tip…do not send husbands to the grocery store.
My first year of cooking I to forgot to take the giblets out which my husband caught before he took it to the table to carve and I tried making the stuffing in the microwave and it didn’t turn out. My mom then told me in front of everyone ” that is why it is called Stove Top Stuffing”. I’m glad she didn’t see the giblets. I was so stressed that I didn’t make another Thanksgiving meal for everyone for a couple of years.
I accidentally served a brocolli dish cold one year. I had heated it up, but not enough! My tip is to plan ahead and make lists.
No Thanksgiving mishaps, but i used regular rather than instant pudding in a dessert once. It ran off the server.
I am not a cooker,one year I was in charge of stuffing and I burned it
Forgetting to buy the sage seasoning because I thought I had some! Make a list of everything you are going to need whether you *think you have it or not and double check you do have it before going shopping!
Shop for groceries the day before & have a list.
Last year I didn’t have any whipped cream for the pumpkin pie!
Thank you.
I learned to avoid a dry tukey, I put sage, pepper and butter mix under the skin. It helps keep it from drying out. (oh, and remember to remove the giblets- I forgot that one year)
Last year with my MIL here I cooked the turkey upside down.. Talk about embarassing 🙂
one year i left the green bean casserole glass dish on a stove burner, and when I went to turn on a different burner, I accidentally turned on that one and cracked the entire dish!
Our first year in our new house we wanted that big Rockwell-style Thanksgiving with family and friends. A friend suggested a potluck Thanksgiving but I had convinced myself that was cheating somehow and that I had to cook for 20. After mentioning it to a couple guests though they loved the idea! So we made the turkey and stuffing and each guest brought a personal favorite dish. There were two couples from overseas celebrating their first U.S. Thanksgiving and brought wonderful favorites from their home countries (homemade apple strudel, hello!). So much fun! And each of the dishes was the perfect conversation starter. That year I learned that I don’t have to do it all myself to earn my good hostess badge.
i dropped the pie in front of my father in law
Making sure every everything is ready and still warm at the same time. Having a double oven helps.
Luckily I haven’t had any mishaps myself for Thanksgiving. One of my worst cooking mishaps was when I was a teen and cooked a pie and when I took it out of the oven the top started on fire. My brother grabbed the fire extinguisher and doused my whole pie (I had even pitted the cherries by hand!). Needless to say, I learned that instead of screaming and have your brother rush to the rescue I should have just covered it with a pan lid! lol Thanks for the giveaway!
Well we end of losing our peanut oil that we were frying the turkey with and we learned to always have extra peanut oil on hand just in case of mistakes and we ended up using a combo of peanut and vegetable oil
my gravy is always lumpy – so now it is just expected by everyone…..
My first time cooking a Turkey for Thanksgiving I didn’t take it out in time for it to defrost for dinner…it was so embarrassing!! I ended up having to make Lasagna and Baked Macaroni for dinner, thank goodness my family is not critical!!
I had a side “cooking” in the crockpot all day but I had never turned it on!
mishap, using a recipe found online instead of just asking your dad.
My worst mishap was adding too much milk to the homemade mashed potatoes! UGH….tasted horrible!
I didn’t defrost the turkey all the way
My first time cooking the Turkey I didn’t defrost the turkey either.
Our worst mishap is never having stuff done on time. To fix that problem, I do as much preparation that I possibly can the night before and I also have everything (cans, bowls, etc) set out for the next day!
I unwrapped the turkey to cook it and it was black – had to eat frozen pizza that year
my mishap was when our family big dog ate the turkey off the table before we got to it!
I can’t seem to get everything timed perfectly and always end up with something uncooked while everything else is done. I haven’t figured out how to remedy it yet, maybe I will one day!
our oven broke a few days before thanksgiving and I had to cut the turkey and fry it in pieces on the stove
Thank you for hosting this giveaway
Louis
pumuckler {at} gmail {dot} com
burnt the turkey
Always remember to turn the oven on.
My tip for Thanksgiving shopping is to plan ahead, go with friends or family members, and only buy what you really need.
One year my husband’s brother asked us to Thanksgiving at his house 4 hours away. We asked what to bring and were told desserts. We got there the night before and my SIL has decided she is too sick to cook and the 19lb turkey is still in the freezer. I stayed up all night getting that turkey defrosted because my BIL decided food was to be served at noon. Since I was now in charge of cooking the meal for 6 adults and 3 children, I took stock of what I had available. The two of them had decided a small can of green beans, a small box of Stove Top, a box of instant mashed potatoes, and a pack of rolls was enough for nine. After everyone ate this horrible meal (turkey never did completely thaw), my BIL decreed that no one could eat desserts (that I had brought) because they were saving them for later. He also expected me to clean up after everyone else. That didn’t happen and we have never set foot in his house again.
When I was younger, I cooked a turkey and left the gizzards inside, not knowing they were even in there.
I find my best tip is to make some items the day before and to keep a planned list.
Thanks so much.
My first turkey was roasted upside down. It didn’t look so beautiful, but it actually made the breast meat juicier so I guess it wasn’t such a mistake after all.
i don’t have any mishaps because i don’t host the holiday – i go to my parents’ or my in-laws’ . so my tip – score an invite to someone else’s house!
Several years ago, I had a house full of relatives over for Thanksgiving dinner. Our 21 lb. turkey was only half way through cooking when we ran out of propane gas. This never happened before and I was so upset. My mother-in-law said we should gather up all the food and take everyone over to her house which luckily is just down the road. 🙂
One year, i forgot which turkey had the spicy stuffing in it. Well, my grandma makes sure i never forget it now!
Worst mishap: My husband had just gotten home from deployment and I gave both our families food poisoning from our stuffing from the turkey (we think it was undercooked!)
We can laugh about it now!
Oh my gosh! What a “welcome home”! Good shout out for undercooked stuffing!
Overcooking the turkey happened a few years ago. Now we use a nesco roaster so its impossible to overcook the turkey
kport207 at gmail dot com
Hmm worst mishap..going to fry the turkey – forgot to get the oil hot..needless to say the meal was done and the turkey was desert.
I always forget something I need for a recipe, so now I create a spreadsheet with a tab for each recipe, then paste the ingredients into a master shopping list.
Watch the yams – the marshmallows on top will burn in a hurry!
Plan, plan, plan….know what your making…double check ingredients and enjoy.
I’ve been pretty lucky, mainly because I plan and write down everything… about the worst that I’ve done is forget the rolls and a few of the appetizers
I just had our thanksgiving and the turkey cooked way too fast!
I forgot to take all the stuff out of the turkey once (Neck etc) YUCK!
Thanks for the chance.
mogrill12@gmail.com
Forgetting to make or start an important part of the meal – now I make lists day before the “big” day! grammypenny@frontier.com
The worst thing I’ve done was make the mashed potatoes too runny. My tip (actually, it’s my mom’s) is to keep a box of instant mashed potatoes on hand that you can add to it in cases like this!
Getting into an argument where your boyfriend says he’s not eating, so you take the whole turkey to the dumpster!
My best tip is to use paper plates and throw away utensils for easy clean up.
I didn’t keep the turkey legs tied to the body and they were still raw when the breast was cooked. It was not a good thing with a room full of hungry ppl
I’ve been spared of thanksgiving mishaps
well year before last i used a mixer on the mashed potatoes too long and they ended up being gluey…and everyone picked on me the entire day about it! needless to say that wont happen again lol
[…] By Courtney on November 15, 2012 Wow, am I ever thankful for all of the great responses to my first blog about how to avoid Thanksgiving mishaps! They are funny, touching and really helpful. We can all benefit from each other’s mistakes and […]
My Thanksgiving mishap was the first year I cooked for everyone, I made Chestnut Stuffing, not knowing (to be fair neither did my Mom) that my Mom was allergic to Chestnuts. The remedy? A trip to the ER for Mom, not the best way to spend Tahnksgiving
I once baked a recipe inside a pie!
we overcooked turkey once.. all i can say is pay attention!
i burnt the cornbread stuffing.
My worst mishap was when I dropped the turkey upon getting it out of the oven and my Mum’s dog started to eating it.
Tip is to make sure you defrost the turkey in advance!
Thanks for the great giveaway!
forgot to remove giblets from turkey
turkey too big for oven
Worst Mishap was allowing my aunt Patty to host Thanksgiving day dinner last year: She ordered a ready made meal from a local grocery store- absolutely HORRIBLE, dry overcooked turkey, stuffing awful….even the pumpkin pie tasted strange.
Never again. I have insisted on hosting the family Thanksgiving dinners from now on.
I’ve burned a turkey, cooked it so dry that nothing would save it, and dropped it on the floor.
My biggest mishap was leaving the “extras” inside the turkey…that taught me to check…
tarter95 at hotmail dot com
My mother’s oven has borken twice in the middle of cooking the turkey.
wolverina401 at gmail dot com
I overcooked the turkey
I undercooked the turkey , next time will use a food thermometer to check correct cooking temperature on turkey.
We are hosting our first thanksgiving. (And having 20 or so people!) We are cooking two turkeys, a few sides and asking everyone to bring a dish with them. This way we definitely will have enough food!
Didn’t push “start” on our new oven. Dinner was late
Worst mishap was not having the turkey done in time, so now I get up much earlier and put the turkey on
I once put the butter for a pecan pie in the microwave to soften. The next day I couldn’t figure out why the pie didn’t turn out very good. Not until my son went to reheat something and asked me why there was a dish of butter sitting in the microwave. That’s the last time I made that mistake.
I’ve learned out to avoid lumpy gravy, the easy way. I use an immersion blender, the stick blender type, to smooth out any lumps. I do it right in the saucepan or bowl.
The first year and only year that I cooked a turkey, I left everything inside. I didn’t know you were suppose to clean it out. My advise would be if you don’t know what you’re doing don’t assume… do your research.
First time making gravy it was lumpy. Now I strain the flour (or cornstarch) mixture before I mix it into the broth/dripping to make the gravy.
Stick to tried and true recipies. I decided to do something different with the turkey one year. Did not work out so well…..
forgot to take out the neck items from cavities before cooking turkey
I bought a frozen turkey the night before Thanksgiving. Needless to say, it was defrosted in time for me to cook it. We wound up having to eat a frozen pizza for our dinner. Luckily it was just me, hubby and a 1 year old.
we always seem to be thawing the turkey as fast as possible maybe we should buy it sooner
vmkids3 at msn dot com
The only Thanksgiving I ever cooked I made the stuffing so dry we couldn’t eat it
annabella @ centurytel dot net
My biggest mishap was my 1st turkey I ever cooked.It was raw when we went to eat because I did not realize it was still frozen when I put it in.
There was a Thanksgiving when we did not coordinate too well and ended up with 2 turkeys and too many of the same pie! But everyone had lots of leftovers!
Not realizing our oven was broken until it was too late to get the turkey cooked. 🙁
my first turkey I overcooked and it was dry
Use your imagination to make Healthy & Fun Meals 4 your kids during the holidays. Look at my creations https://www.facebook.com/FunMeals4Kids and let me know what you think.
A dryed out turkey 🙁
I don’t remember any mishaps, I just try to plan as much as I can and not rush
overcooking the turkey,easy just check it
ardelong2(at)gmail(dot)com
I was making a sweet potato casserole to take to my in-laws, where we always ate Thanksgiving dinner. We were already running late. My husband picked up the casserole dish and the lid flew off and crashed to the floor, with glass pieces everywhere. We had to further delay our arrival and clean up all of that glass.
Plan and do ahead as much as possible! Oh, and don’t let the dog near the Chocolate Lush! 🙂
my mishap was last yr when my oven broke the day before thanksgiving..i solved the problem by moving thanksgiving to my sisters
nannypanpan@gmail.com
Soggy stuffing was our biggest mishap. I learned that you should cook it on its own and not in the turkey.
Let people help you!
My biggest mishap was leaving the extas bag inside the turkey so now I check before I stuff and cook the turkey
My worst mishap was the first time I cooked a Turkey I didn’t know it would take so long to dethaw so my tip is make sure you leave plenty of time to dethaw your turkey.
I always forget to pull out the bag from the turkey!
jofo120 at yahoo dot ocm
I haven’t had any Thanksgiving mishaps b/c I dont make any food..I just show up to eat 😉
I didnt pull the turkey out early enough and it was frozen!
Thanks for the giveaway… on more than one occasion when we had Thanksgiving Dinner at my sister-in-laws, the Turkey was dropped on the kitchen floor before it arrived at the dinner table; we purchased her heat proof cooking gloves as a Xmas gift.
My worst Thanksgiving meal mishap was not making enough food for everyone..we ordered some Chinese food
Made bad gravy. Had to use some canned.
Thanks for the contest.
[…] end of Thanksgiving Mishaps By Courtney on November 21, 2012 Well, my dear partners in Thanksgivings-gone-wrong, we’ve come to the close of our blog series on the Countdown to a Mishap-Free Thanksgiving […]