Thanksgiving

My Best Thanksgiving Prep Trick Comes From a Highly Unlikely Source

Psst: It works for every other dinner party, too.

November  3, 2021
Photo by Julia Gartland

What thrills you about Thanksgiving? Is it the menu-making? The wine pairings? The guest and playlist selections? Yes, all of the above for me. But I'd like to throw in one more: The scrum board making and monitoring.

Allow me to introduce you to my favorite, most efficient way to set up for a multi-course meal, which incidentally borrows some project management parlance. In its simplest form, a scrum board (also known as a sprint board) is a visual task board that many teams use to chart out and follow along the progress of one or more projects (“sprints”) from beginning to end. It can be a physical board or a digital one, but the function remains the same. At its most basic, the scrum board is divided into three categories:

  1. To Do
  2. In Progress
  3. Done

And there can be additional stages in between. Tasks move through each of these categories until completion.

Now, how does this fit in with dinner? Very aptly, actually! Whether it’s for a birthday meal or a holiday feast like T-Day, the scrum board is a vital tool that keeps my husband and me organized and moving along so that we can spend time with our guests once the time comes. Here's how we do it, and how you can replicate it to suit your own festivity's needs.


What You'll Need

  • Post-it notes
  • Sharpie
  • Whiteboard or blank wall space
  • A can-do attitude

Scrum Board How-Tos

1. Dedicate a Space

In our apartment, my husband and I use the narrow part of our kitchen wall as a makeshift scrum board, breaking down the components of what will need to get done before, during, and after a soiree via good old fashioned Post-its. The reason we opt for a physical space is because once the prepping and cooking get underway, your hands get dirty and wet—we find that moving tactile Post-its around is much easier than scrolling through our phones or navigating our laptops with caked fingers. If you're inclined, you can also assign different color Post-its to the varying courses or elements of your party; it isn't absolutely necessary, though. I would, however, recommend a fresh Sharpie because that just feels nice.

2. Read & Break Down Recipes

Depending on the size of the party, we start the planning as far as a few weeks out. After we’ve chosen and/or read through the recipes, we re-read them carefully and parse out the to-dos on individual Post-its. These tasks drill down further than what a singular recipe instruction or seemingly straightforward task might indicate. For example, a directive to "prepare the salad" might be broken down to a few different Post-Its whose position on the board will inevitably vary: "Wash/spin lettuce," "Make vinaigrette," and "Toss salad."

Join The Conversation

Top Comment:
“Love the idea of a scrum board but there is zero free wall space in my kitchen. For a complex event like Thanksgiving dinner I print out my recipes (they're all on my computer now) and also type up a timeline that starts however many days ahead the tasks will begin. The timeline is very detailed, like your post-it notes, and also has a day and an approximate time of day when each thing needs to be done. Figuring that part out is very helpful to me so I don't double-book myself and get frantic. As I get to a task I check it off, and I also check off a recipe when it's done -- both are very satisfying.”
— Millie J.
Comment

Also, by studying the recipes all together, we can see where we can be efficient and streamlined. For example, if multiple recipes call for preparing chopped onions or other aromatics, we can create a single Post-it for this task and just be sure to write out the amounts we’ll need for each recipe, ie: "Chop 2 cups of onions: 1) 1 cup for stuffing; 2) 1/2 cup for gravy; 3. 1/2 cup for soup." Another alternative Post-it might be: "Prepare 2 onions: 1) 1 onion, chopped for stuffing; 2) 1 onion, quartered for stock," etc.

3. Don't Forget the Non-Cooking Tasks

There are a whole host of non-cooking to-dos waiting to be filled out. First, we start with the recipes and identify areas that will require attention that are related to cooking, but not the actual cooking, ie: "Heat oven," "Rest turkey," "Refrigerate cheesecake," and "Chill wine." Then we move onto tertiary areas, like preparing the tabletop and dining area. Such tasks can include: "Set table," "Prepare serving ware," "Vacuum," "Take out trash and recycling (pre-party)" and "Take out trash and recycling (post-party)." This is a good time to really think through those tasks you tend to always forget until the last minute (see: "Buy more unscented candles" and "Refill toilet paper and hand soap").

4. Set It Up

At the top of the scrum board, above eye level, we line up our three categories from left to right: 1) "To Do"; 2) "In Progress"; 3) "Done." Now that we’ve identified most of the tasks, both cooking- and non-cooking-related, we’re able to easily sort and/or group the Post-its on the "To Do" portion of the wall, whether by course, task, or other salient theme.

Photo by Hana Asbrink
Photo by Hana Asbrink

5. Keep It Movin'

As we slowly start to work through the left column of our "To Do" list, we try not to forget to move tasks into the middle "In Progress" section as soon as we begin them. Not only will this be a good physical act, it's also nice to step back once in a while to really get a visual sense of how far we’ve come along in the prep. Don't forget to document the journey on Instagram Stories as people will be interested and invested in your progress!

6. Enjoy the Guests

Once the guests start arriving, we’re prepared to answer the myriad questions around what all these Post-its are doing up on the wall. We make them a drink (one for the chef, too!) and keep an eye that little visitors' hands don't accidentally start making their way around the wall. If there are small guests, give them their own Post-it pad (different color, preferably) and pen, and let them have at it.

Hana Asbrink

7. Pat Yourself on the Back

At the end of the long evening, we sit back and admire the now-empty first two columns. We find deep satisfaction in this moment. If we aren’t too tired, we load the first round of dishes in the dishwasher to make our morning a bit easier.

These days, we are content just to see and spend time with loved ones at all! It might take a minute to get back into pre-Covid-level entertaining, but it’s worth dusting off the Post-its for. I’d love to know your tried and true techniques for keeping the trains running during the busy holiday season; be sure to share them with us all below!

How do you tackle your Thanksgiving prep? Let us know in the comments.
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Hana is a food writer/editor based in New York.

18 Comments

LoDoTesta November 29, 2021
The scrum board was a total hit. Instead of me asking my husband (again!) what to do next, he had neon post-it notes on the wall telling him. It also helped because some tasks in the To Do were seen by guests (fill water glasses, take out cheese from fridge)
who wanted to contribute and then they enjoyed moving the post-its to a new column. We also included a "Kiss the Chef" note that stayed in the In Progress column and I definitely felt the love!
 
/anne... November 28, 2021
I know this as a Kanban Board (I work in IT). I used to when I made my daughter's wedding dress. It was a great way to break down a frankly terrifying process, as well as giving me a feeling of how far I had come, and how far there was to go.
 
LuluCooks November 27, 2021
No wall space? Try: Refrigerator (door or side), Doorframe, Cabinet Door (inside or out), Drawer Front, Window (glass or frame) ... any flat surface will do!
 
LindaSK November 25, 2021
This is a game-changer for me! I read this on Sunday and started prepping for T-day on Monday but I had so much going on I didn't set it up. I got up Tuesday morning & got to work on my board. For those of you with no wall space...I used the inside of a pantry door. Works great! So I'm all set up for Thanksgiving day. I know just what else I need to do & this year I won't realize--mid way through the meal--that the stuffing's still in the oven! Thanks so much!
 
Stuey November 22, 2021
Hi just FYI I am an Agile nerd and what you describe is actually a Kanban board not a SCRUM board, SCRUM doesn't specify the need for a board but Kanban does say to vizualize your work, which is generally represented on a "progress board". Sorry I'm a nerd I'll get back in my box now. Great post and I will use the tips for sure.

Here's the SCRUM guide if you don't believe me https://scrumguides.org/scrum-guide.html#transparency
 
Shay T. November 18, 2021
I loved this so much, I stayed up late getting all of my tasks onto Post-It notes. When I went to admire all my work the next morning, however, the Post-Its were all over the floor! Was the universe trying to tell me something? Not to be deterred, I did a hybrid, which will work better for me, I think. Thanks for getting me thinking!
 
Millie J. November 14, 2021
Love the idea of a scrum board but there is zero free wall space in my kitchen. For a complex event like Thanksgiving dinner I print out my recipes (they're all on my computer now) and also type up a timeline that starts however many days ahead the tasks will begin. The timeline is very detailed, like your post-it notes, and also has a day and an approximate time of day when each thing needs to be done. Figuring that part out is very helpful to me so I don't double-book myself and get frantic. As I get to a task I check it off, and I also check off a recipe when it's done -- both are very satisfying.
 
rox L. November 24, 2021
Use the inside door or 2 of your kitchen cabinets if you have them
 
Susan Z. November 12, 2021
My husband and I totally do this for all kinds of projects - including our upcoming holiday decorations!
 
Hana A. November 12, 2021
Oh I love that idea! Thanks for sharing, Susan!
 
Elizabeth F. November 12, 2021
Brilliant!
 
Hana A. November 12, 2021
Thanks and happy holidays, Elizabeth!
 
Mary November 11, 2021
I didn’t know there was an actual name for what I have been doing for family gatherings and parties for years! I love the term “scrum board”.
 
Hana A. November 12, 2021
Isn't it such a fun term? Thanks Mary!
 
Lori November 11, 2021
I do this but just have it in a spreadsheet on my iPad.
 
Hana A. November 12, 2021
I applaud you for not getting your screen filthy (like I do!). Thanks for reading, Lori!
 
Karen F. November 6, 2021
Concur. Successful entertaining is all about planning.
 
Hana A. November 12, 2021
Hear, here!