Thanksgiving Apps For Hosts
8 Apps to Help Host an Unforgettable Thanksgiving Dinner
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It takes a special kind of person to plan the party and take charge of the turkey; but, if you're inclined to actually enjoy the company of friends and family this year, you may want to enlist a little help. We've gathered eight essential apps that every host needs to plan and prep a successful Thanksgiving dinner. These apps for iOS won't do all the work, but they will take the guesswork out of managing meals and guests. For stress-free holiday hosting, follow our Thanksgiving Day golden rule: give gratitude, delegate tasks, download these dinner-planning mobile apps, and, most importantly, save room for dessert!
The Grocery Planner
MealBoard ($3) manages your pantry and helps plan meals and grocery shopping. Import recipes from top cooking websites or input your own, and the app will generate a grocery list based on the meal plan. There's even support for major brand-name grocery stores so you know how much you'll need to spend at each.
The Turkey Timer
TurkeyTimer ($1) does exactly what it says. It takes the guesswork out of cooking for the holidays by calculating roasting time based on weight, stuffing, desired internal temperature, and basting. You'll be able to repeatedly answer the question "When will the turkey be done?"
The Cooking Guide
To get everything on the table without a hitch, look to Thanksgiving: A Bon Appétit Manual (free). The app comes with more than 100 traditional and experimental recipes, video tips, a scheduling plan, and much more.
For even more Thanksgiving recipes, head to POPSUGAR Food.
The Seat Planner
SeatingPlanner+ ($2) was made for bigger events like weddings, but if you have 20 or more guests, then this app will definitely come in handy. Import friends and family from your phone's contacts, and simply drag and drop to their places at the table. The seating plan can be exported to a text file or PDF to have as a handy reference sheet.
The Ecard Event Reminder
Send out beautiful evite reminders a day or two before with Paperless Post (free). Ask for final RSVPs, and use the app's guest management feature to keep track of who is attending.
The Group Messenger
On the day of, keep track of everyone's progress and send directions to an entire guest list with the group messaging app GroupMe (free). Send pictures of the food to entice guests to arrive early, or attach locations and directions.
The Thanksgiving Day Parade Guide
Keep track of all the balloon action with the official Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade app (free). If you're watching in New York City, then the app is a guide to restrooms, coffee shops, restaurants, public transit, and WiFi. If you're viewing from home, then you can find the exact location of each float, band, performance, and balloon with the parade tracker feature. Live traffic cams help spot which attraction is coming up next.
The Leftover Suggester
The day after Thanksgiving should be known as Leftover Day instead of Black Friday. If you've still got guests around to feed, use Tastebud (free) which takes all the ingredients you have in your fridge gives you tasty recipe ideas.
The Best Gadgets to Make a Perfect Thanksgiving Dinner
In this episode of The Sync Up, we're showing you the gadgets every chef needs to streamline their (now stress-free) Thanksgiving prep.
Featured in this episode:
- iDevice Kitchen Thermometer ($80)
- Crock-Pot Slow Cooker With WeMo ($130)
- Chef Sleeves (20 for $25)
