Thanksgiving is one of those times when you find yourself frantically juggling tasks. But you don’t need to panic: Your smartphone is the perfect tool for easing your holiday stress.
Planning your grocery shopping is crucial for a smooth Thanksgiving cooking experience, and the app AnyList on iOS may be a great help. The app is excellent for list creation, and because multiple people can use the same lists, it’s perfect for when friends and family want to help out with the shopping.
AnyList allows users to create multiple lists at once and add notes to individual list items. Cleverly, all your list entries and any amendments you make to your lists synchronize across different devices connected to the same account. These features, which enable users to organize separate lists for the main course, desserts and so on, make the app a perfect companion in managing Thanksgiving. AnyList can also make notes on your preferred brand for particular items. And its numerous features also mean you can plan other aspects of your party with ease.
The app is powerful, easy to navigate and free. But an $8 upgrade opens up even more features, including Web access to your lists and the automatic import of ingredients from online recipes. (This feature works only with compatible recipe websites, however.)
Cooking at this time of year often requires tending to multiple pots and pans at the same time. To keep abreast of which dish needs to be ready at what time, check out Timer+ by Minima Software, free for iOS and Android. Timer+ lets you create multiple countdown timers that run concurrently, which is great for reminding you that the turkey needs to be checked and the potatoes need to be taken off, but not necessarily at the same time. It’s a simple app, but it does its job elegantly. Setting and labeling different timers and alarms is simple, and on the main page you can see a list of all your important timers ticking down. The app’s minimalist interface makes it a pleasure to use.
The Apple version of Timer+ has been kept up to date, and it even has an Apple Watch extension so you can see the timers on your wrist without having to touch your phone or tablet with sticky fingers. The Android edition seems to work well, but it hasn’t been updated recently and looks a bit dated. Also, it could do with some improvements to its slightly awkward interface.
Cooks planning on a change from their traditional recipes this year should check out the Butterball Cookbook Plus app, which calls itself the “No. 1 kitchen companion for Turketarians.” While the app is of course a marketing tool for Butterball, the well-known poultry company, you can use its recipes with any brand’s food. And each recipe is illustrated in such an attractive way that you’ll want to cook every one. The app even has helpful videos to guide you through the cooking. It’s not all about turkey, either: Users will also find guidance on desserts. The Butterball app is free for iOS and Android.
The Thanksgiving: A Bon Appétit Manual app is an excellent alternative to Butterball’s and it is also free. The app has over a hundred recipes, including both traditional and novel Thanksgiving options, as well as extras like cocktail recipes. It also offers helpful instructional videos. The Bon Appétit app’s interface is less visually cluttered than Butterball’s and is clear and simple to use — virtues in a busy kitchen. The app works well on iOS, but Android reviewers complain of some interface flaws that don’t seem to have been fixed in over a year by the app developers.
For even more recipe ideas this Thanksgiving, and an interesting new way to learn from other home cooks, check out the Hoorray app, free on iOS and Android. Unlike traditional digital cookbook-style apps, Hoorray is essentially a social network centered on recipes where you can search for specific recipe ideas that have already been uploaded by other users.
Hoorray is fun and easy to use. It also has an attractive interface that may remind you of Pinterest. The app is quite new, though; more recipes will be available after more people use it. Try it out and share your own recipes, though be sure to check with family members before sharing any secret ingredients!
Lastly, if you want to keep the children occupied while you’re busy, or if you’re looking for some simple entertainment to keep family and friends smiling when dinner is over, one great option is the Charades! Free app by FatChicken Studios. This guessing game works by displaying a clue on the screen when you hold the phone to your forehead. Other players dance, sing or act out hints to get you to guess what the clue is. This iOS and Android app has many different categories of clues and it’s free (with the option of paying $1 to remove the in-app ads).
Quick Call
Leonardo’s Cat is a surprising and entertaining app on the iOS app store. At first it looks like a comic book-type exploration, via puzzles and games, of some of Leonardo da Vinci’s ideas. But then you realize it’s actually teaching you all sorts of facts about science, art and so on as you play. Leonardo’s Cat is narrated by Patrick Stewart, of “Star Trek” fame, and costs $3.
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