Thanksgiving: preparation is best bitten off one small chunk at a time

Thanksgiving feasts are usually devoured in one hour. But the preparation is best bitten off one chunk at a time over several weeks.

To save yourself the frazzle of trying to pull it all together next Thursday morning, we got advice from some experts, such as the home economists who run the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line and the book "Saving Dinner for the Holidays," by Leanne Ely (Ballantine Books).

We also visited with Julie Badger Jensen of Holladay, author of the new book "Essential Mormon Celebrations" (Deseret Book). Her home is usually packed with up to 45 relatives on Thanksgiving. Tables and chairs are set up in every nook, and the meal is served buffet style.

In addition to Thanksgiving, Jensen's book offers a menu and recipes for each of the events that people usually celebrate throughout the year, including a "Merry Christmas Dinner," "Simple New Year's Day Brunch," "Football Fever Fest," a "Valentine Dinner for Two," "April Showers," "Cinco de Mayo," "Fourth of July Barbecue" and "Halloween." The book is a sequel to last year's "The Essential Mormon Cookbook."

"I hope that this book will help people to make their life simpler, because life is very complicated for most people," said Jensen.

Well, here's your Thanksgiving to-do list. If you haven't done the "Two Weeks in Advance" items, you'd better get started.

TWO WEEKS IN ADVANCE:

• Invite your guests and determine who is coming: With extended families, one of the biggest challenges is pinning down who's celebrating with the other set of in-laws. Some families make it simple by alternating each year.

"Just call and say, 'We'd love to have you come for Thanksgiving this year, we'd like to know your plans,' " said Julie Badger Jensen, author of "Essential Mormon Celebrations."

• Finalize your menu: Decide which items you'll prepare and which you'll assign to others. "Mashed potatoes are something I like to assign out, so you aren't peeling and boiling and mashing at the last minute," Jensen said. "We often ask people to bring a vegetable dish and leave it up to them what they want to do. We try to make sure we have a variety of yellow and green vegetables."

• Give assignments: Assign major components (such as mashed potatoes) to someone who is dependable and prompt. Pies could be brought by someone who is often late, because they won't be needed until the main course is finished. Periphery items, such as cheese balls and crackers, won't be missed as much if there's a no-show.