Thanksgiving 101: A few tips

Thanksgiving is less than a week away.

Here's some last-minute tips to keep in mind this week:

Heat up your plates

Stack oven-safe plates in the stove at 200 degrees before setting the table. That will keep food hot longer once it hits the plate. You can also warm up your stoneware, which is ideal to serve the rolls on.

Too little space?

Clean and sanitize your coolers. Store the turkey in one of them and keep produce and other non-delicate foods in the other. Keep dairy foods and eggs in the fridge.

Save those jars

A few weeks before Thanksgiving, clean and set aside spaghetti sauce or jam jars — anything with a metal twist lid. You can use them for a no-spill gravy container. You can buy them in stores, but I like to save a few bucks by using Cool Whip containers or even Chinese takeout containers to give to guests before they go home.

Sharpen your knife

A good, sharp knife — as well as knowledge of basic knife skills — is a good way to make the prep work less stressful. Using a knife sharpener, pass the knife through three or four times on each side. Hold the handle with your thumb on one side, you index finger on the other, and three fingers on the handle. Be sure to tuck your fingertips in on the opposite hand that is holding the item you are chopping.