Thanksgiving Planning

My husband and I are hosting his family at our home this year.  I'm really excited but having begun the planning, I'm looking at a l-o-n-g list of things to do.  I love entertaining...the festive dishes, decorations, spending time with family and friends but my biggest concern (actually it's more of a freak-out moment) is cleaning my house.  I'm not a great housekeeper.  I love having a clean house.  I just don't know exactly how people get it all done and maintain it!  I'm domestically challenged in that area.  I mean how do you keep your silverware drawer clean and organized??  It's a mystery to me...honestly.  I cleaned mine the other day.  Took everything out, washed the silverware tray, put them all back in an organized manner and there, just a couple of days later...debris (for lack of a better word) in the silverware tray AGAIN!  That's just one small example of the many!  Spots on the faucets, dust on the baseboards, crumbs on the counters, fingerprints on windows, smudges on doors, oh! and dog hair (but that's my fault 'cause I love my dogs) and on and on and on....it's mind-numbing to me. 

I'm a perfectionist that's a terrible housekeeper....the two DON'T mix : /   Can the two ever live at peace with each other?  How?  Do you have this trouble?  Is my house really not as bad as I see it?  How do you know when clean is clean enough for company?  I want to be able to enjoy my company and not feel the dust bunnies taunting me behind the backs of my family and friends. 

Well...I have chosen a safe but somewhat expensive fix to my disorder, problem, situation...hire someone!  Ahhh...now I like the sound of that.  How is it that I'm more confident in a strangers housecleaning skills than my own?  I don't know.  Refer back to the crossed-out words above...it's a disorder. 

SO, back to the main reason of my post.  I'm going to be blogging about my plans, recipes, and decorations as we get closer to time.  I actually prepare Thanksgiving dinner for my husband's employees every year.  I've done so for the past 6-7 years and I love it!  I prepare most dishes at home before (where I don't have to worry about my house being clean and I can enjoy the cooking process) then finish everything else at the office which has a full kitchen.  It's a little Sandra Lee, a little Paula Deen, and a whole lot of southern.  No holds barred on this meal...no calorie, cholesterol, fat gram, or sugar counting here!  Yep, it's all about eating until you're full, kicking back in your chair afterwards and loosening the button on the waistband.  Does a heart good to see people enjoying your food like that. 

Between the two meals, one for my husband's work (the Thursday before Thanksgiving) and my in-laws on Thanksgiving Day, I should be able to do alot of cooking at one time and freeze some dishes for the second meal.  I'll let you know how it's going.

Have you begun your holiday planning yet?  What's some of your favorite recipes?  Check back for one of mine....super easy, guaranteed crowd pleasing dish!