About a week before Thanksgiving, sit down and get organized. First, how many people will be coming to your house for dinner? This is important to know when planning the menu. Call friends and family, if necessary, to confirm that they will be there. Will Aunt Betsy bring her new boyfriend? Will Cousin Erin be able to make it home from college for Thanksgiving? The amount you're serving will have an impact on what recipes you choose to make.

Now that you know who's coming, make a list of what you want to serve. Find the recipe for each dish and write up a grocery list. Include everything you'll need to buy for each recipe, and make sure to check on your staple items, such as salt, pepper, flour and sugar. If you're running low on a staple, add it to the list as well.

What recipes did you select? This will determine your "stress level" on Thanksgiving Day. We all want to impress our family and friends with wonderful gourmet fare they will be raving about for years to come, but stop and think first before you pull out four new recipes you've never made before. If you want to try something new and different, by all means -- do! Try that new stuffing recipe with the wild rice and shitaki mushrooms, but keep the rest of the menu simple. Or make that those asparagus teepees you've been dying to try, but then make a simple stuffing you know will turn out great. Don't over-stress yourself by making too many new things. Face it, some recipes, no matter how good they look in the picture, don't turn out well.

Another way to cut down on Thanksgiving Day stress is to ask everyone that's coming to bring a dish. This is a great way to make your day a little easier, as well as let friends and family show off their culinary masterpieces. Make sure that each person is bringing something different so you don't end up with three green bean casseroles and four bowls of mashed potatoes!

Pick a few recipes that can be made ahead of time. Some recipes can be made up to three days before the big day and stored in the refrigerator. Some pies, like pecan, freeze very well, so they can be made up to a month ahead of time. Mashed potatoes, stuffing, and most vegetable recipes can easily be made the day before, then reheated. This takes a lot of stress off the cook!

The night before Thanksgiving, have your family help you get the house in order. The table can be set and decorated. A simple centerpiece, such as a bowl full of fruit and nuts, or a terra cotta pot full of mums, will make a festive addition to your table. Cranberries look wonderful floating in a glass bowl full of water. Candles of different heights and colors set on a glass tray makes an elegant centerpiece. Set some pinecones randomly on the table, or how about some cinnamon sticks tied with a ribbon next to each plate?

The Turkey
Cooking the turkey is actually the easiest part of the whole meal. If you bought a frozen turkey, place it in the refrigerator about 3 days before Thanksgiving to defrost. Do not defrost your frozen turkey by leaving it on the kitchen counter or in the sink -- this can cause bacteria to develop.

When ready to cook, preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the plastic wrap from the turkey, then remove the neck and giblet package from inside the turkey. Place the turkey in a large plastic cooking bag made to hold a turkey, then into a roasting pan. (If you do not wish to use a plastic cooking bag, place turkey directly in the roasting pan.) The cooking bag instructions will tell you to place one tablespoon of flour inside the bag. After you do this, toss in your cut up celery and onion, if desired, and add some salt and pepper to the outside of the turkey. Rub some oil or butter all over the skin of the turkey to prevent it from drying out, and to add a wonderful flavor and rich color to the turkey. If your turkey comes with a thermometer already in the turkey, you can now seal the bag and put it in the oven to cook. If your turkey did not come with a thermometer, simply insert an oven-safe thermometer into the lower part of the thigh, making sure not to touch the bone.

A 10- to 18-pound turkey generally takes anywhere from 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours to cook. You should check for doneness about half an hour before you think the turkey will be fully cooked. For turkeys that come with their own thermometers, knowing when it is done is simple. When the button pops up, it's ready. If you inserted your own internal thermometer, it should read about 180 degrees Fahrenheit when done. Take the turkey out of the oven and let it rest about 20 minutes before carving.

The Stuffing
Everybody has their own preference for the type of stuffing they prefer: some think the only stuffing to serve is cornbread stuffing while others prefer bread stuffing. There are stuffing recipes that have wild rice, exotic mushrooms, oysters, sausage and even fruit in them. Most stuffing recipes can easily be made the day before and reheated. If you prefer to make the stuffing the day of Thanksgiving, you can always cut up the ingredients the night before and save yourself some time. Simply put the cut up ingredients into plastic storage bags and put in the refrigerator.

The Cranberry Sauce
Homemade cranberry sauce can add a wonderful touch to your Thanksgiving dinner. It is simple to make, can be made up to a week ahead of time and does not require any reheating, just a pretty bowl in which to serve. If you have decided to make your own homemade version, consider trying our recipe for Crockpot Cranberry Sauce. Other than throwing the ingredients into the slow cooker, there's not much for you to do.

Canned cranberry is another option. It comes in the jellied variety as well as with whole cranberries. You can even find some with orange and raspberries mixed in. Make sure to thoroughly chill the cranberry sauce before serving. Simply place the unopened can in the refrigerator at least one day before serving.

The Gravy
The thought of making gravy scares some people. Don't let gravy intimidate you! For a quick and easy gravy, simply strain the turkey pan juices. Bring to a boil and add a little flour to thicken it up a bit. Taste the gravy to make sure it is seasoned well -- you may want to add some more salt and pepper. That's it.

Another way to make gravy is to chop up the turkey neck bones and brown them in some oil or butter. When browned, add enough water to cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer about 20 minutes. Add this mixture to the pan drippings, then bring to a boil. Add as much flour as you wish to thicken it up, then strain through a sieve. This gravy takes a little more time and effort, but the taste is well worth it. Canned and bottled gravy, and powdered gravy mixes are also available, if you're really short on time.

Cooking Thanksgiving dinner should be a joyous occasion. Don't worry if things don't go perfectly -- they seldom do. Relax, enjoy yourself, and enjoy your family. It doesn't matter if there are a few lumps in the gravy, or if the turkey is a little dry. What matters is your family being together to share and make memories. And remember, the best remedy to not being that frantic woman in the kitchen is to be invited to someone else's house for Thanksgiving dinner!