What will Thanksgiving look like at your house his year? Like years past with aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, or more subdued, like a COVID hangover from last year?
Whatever the scene at your house, my guess is that there will be children, most likely your own.
Whatever the ages -- from 3 on up -- Thanksgiving is a perfect holiday to not just get their help but to teach them a little bit of culinary expertise, maybe even inspiring a future chef.
With the holiday a week away now is the time to put together a list of tasks for them to do, as well as to get their thoughts on the menu -- like "it wouldn't be Thanksgiving without ..." and have them fill in the blanks.
Once you have a shopping list, take them to the store with you. I see you rolling your eyes, but they can really be helpful, more so than you may think. Look on this as a learning experience. Send them on an aisle scavenger hunt, but be very specific about what you want them to get -- the kind of flour, sugar, pumpkin, and so on.
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In the produce section, kids 10 and older can select brussels sprouts, potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, and fruits like apples and pears. If they don't know already, coach them on what to look for when choosing fruits and vegetables.
If your children or grandchildren are veteran shoppers, simplify assign them to get the ingredients for one dish, maybe one of their favorites. You can act as quality control and check inventory as they come back with their goods.
When it comes to putting the feast together, there are many things young and not so young helpers can do.
For pies, breads or cakes, assign one to be in charge of measuring the flour, sugar, spices, cracking eggs, whisking.
The youngest can have a good time tearing the bread apart for stuffing or crumbling the cornbread.
Someone needs to peel potatoes -- that's a task made safer and easier with a good peeler.
Who wants to wash and tear apart the lettuce?
If anything needs slicing or cutting, like celery, give older kids guidance on knife safety and make sure they hold the knife properly and the handle fits their hand. An adult needs to be supervising all the time.
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Anyone who spends time in the kitchen knows cooking can be a messy business. Having kids help may double the mess, but this is where teaching about clean-up comes in. Paper towels are essential, as are a few damp cloths or sponges.
Help them return what ingredients were used back to where they belong, likely the pantry. Washing and drying dishes, and/or filling the dishwasher are lessons that can be learned even by the youngest.
With the turkey roasting and the kitchen cleaned up has the table been set? Maybe this was done a day or two ago but if not, this is a good kids job. It is also a good lesson on where the plate, water glass and silverware go. If extended family or friends are coming, a child with a creative bent might make place cards.
One final thing before you all sit down to enjoy this special feast that everyone helped prepare: Banish cell phones. Provide a basket, collect them and move them far far away.
Food writer Holly Ebel knows what’s cookin’. Send comments or story tips to life@postbulletin.com .
