Instructions: Thanksgiving dinner is the biggest meal of the year, and if you start getting ready early, your feast can be as perfect, and you can be as relaxed, as the Thanks-giving scenes youve been covetously gazing at in glossy magazines and television commercials. While there are some things, like roasting the turkey, that just cant be done until the last minute, many things can be done days or even weeks in advance. With complete shopping and prep lists, and a freezer full of side dishes and pies, the big feast will come off without a hitch!

Lists, lists, lists! Start making lists early, and you will save yourself a panic attack down the road. First, plan the menu. Next, make a list of all the kitchen equipment, serving dishes and utensils youll need for each thing. If you dont have the pans, bowls and platters you need, buy or borrow them now. If you notice that most of your menu needs to be prepared in the oven, consider choosing different recipes that can be prepared on the stovetop, in your slow cooker, that dont need cooking at all, that can be prepared ahead of time, or that you can ask one of your guests to bring. Next comes the shopping list. Keep this one with you at all times for the next several days so every time you remember an additional item you can scribble it down. After the shopping list comes the kitchen timeline and preparation schedule. Work backwards from the time you would like to serve dinner.

Get Everyone Involved! Let each member of the family in on planning the menu.

Everyone has favorite dishes they look forward to; you may even be surprised to realize there are some dishes that nobody likes. If people participate in the decisions, theyll be more excited about helping, too. Make lists of what each person can do to prepare. If your invited relatives and friends offer to bring something for the dinner, let them. If they dont offer, ask them. Appetizers, bread, salads, dessert and beverages all make good bring-along dishes.

Freeze! You can start your cooking now! Here are some things that will freeze beautifully: Bread or bread dough, piecrust dough, unbaked fruit pies, baked pumpkin pies, cooked sweet potato or squash casseroles, cheesecakes, soup, cranberry sauce and turkey stock (made with separately purchased legs and wings). Most frozen items will need a day to thaw in the refrigerator, then all you need to do is heat and serve them as usual.

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