Last year we discovered the secret to Thanksgiving happiness. We were relaxed. We had time to enjoy the family. We enjoyed the meal. Cleanup was minimal. Are you ready for the secret of Thanksgiving nirvana? Here it comes . . . .

Cook the turkey the day before.

Think about how much stress is caused by the turkey not being done on time. Think about how long it takes to carve the bird with hungry guests watching. Think about that huge cleanup when you’re so tired all you want to do is sit in the sofa and eat pumpkin pie. All of that goes away.

Cook the turkey the day before. When it’s done carve it up and put it in casserole dishes. Dribble a little bit of drippings on top to keep things moist. On Thanksgiving heat up the turkey in the oven.

We did this last year and the turkey tasted just as good as always. The big difference was that The Man of the House and I had one of the best Thanksgivings in years because we had time to enjoy it.