Prepping for Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holiday.  No presents and no synagogue - just family, friends and food!  I am still working out the kinks of my menu, which is below.  But also, there are few other things that I will be doing to make it a bit easier for me.

1.  Finalize the menu tonight, and sit down with each recipe, and write down on my grocery list what I need to buy this weekend (including the cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, knishes, etc.)

2.  Write the menu on a large piece of paper and attach to fridge.

3.  Write down a countdown, of what items can be made each day, and a timeline for the day of the big feast.

4.  This weekend clean the dining room so that all objects on the table are put away, and not clogging up the works (such as my kid's Halloween candy, girl scout troop snacks, random paperwork, etc).

5.  Start to get the dining room ready for guests.  Put down the table cloth, and start to place the dinner plates, silverware and glasses on the table.  Take out serving platters and dishes, and write down on a post it note, what is going IN the dish!  Take out enough serving spoons and forks.

6.  Assign kid #2 to make place settings.

Right now this is the menu:

hummus and pita
mini hot dogs
red pepper pate with crackers

Knishes (meat and vegetarian)
Challah
Turkey
Gravy
Sweet potato with marshmallow
Kasha for the vegetarian
Mystery side dish from a guest
Homemade cranberry sauce from mom
Stuffing from mom
A green bean dish if I can find the parve cream of mushroom soup

Candied Cranberry chocolate tart
Mae's chocolate pie
Apple Pie
Maple Brownies

Any other suggestions?