It is about timing - but dont worry. Just be organised and write stuff down!
Start now with a shopping list. Split it into food you can get now (non perishables) stuff you can get the week before and stuff you need the day before.
Now. Think of an easy starter that you can prep hours in advance...
Decide what to eat for main course. What meat? What veggies?
Decide on dessert? Xmas pud or something else?
OK. Ideas for Starter?
Well, this year we are having a seafood platter. Prawns, oysters, lobster etc. We live by the sea and there are loads of good fishmongers to buy from the day before Xmas. We both also love seafood. Here is another idea:
Pate (buy some decent stuff from supermarket, mash in a bowl and add fresh thyme, black pepper, dash of cream, the rind of an orange and some brandy) now call it home made. Put on plates in the morning, garnish with orange slices and serve with watercress and good crusty bread and butter. Dont do toast, you will either have it soggy if made in advance or burnt as you will have too much else to do!
Or if all else fails, good old prawn cocktail. You can make in advance and serve sprinkled with cayenne at the last minute. Buy good prawns and make your own sauce (with a touch of brandy!)
For main course, work out how long turkey needs and work backwards. However long it needs to cook, add 1 hour. If its 4 hours cooking, plus an extra hour and you want to eat at 3pm, you need to have it in the oven by 10am. This means at 8 you need to get it out the fridge and by 9 you need to be getting it ready. Oven on, and turkey covered in butter, bacon and foil.
Put giblets with an onion and bay leaf into cold water in saucepan , bring to boil and simmer. Par boil your potatoes during the afternoon. Make sure they are nice and dry and not boiled too much - you dont want them soft!
Prep veggies the day before and leave in pans of cold water overnight.
Get the table laid the day before too.
At 2pm when the turkey is cooked (use a recipe from the net there are loads) take it out of oven, leave covered in foil to keep warm. Take the pan that you cooked it in, remove most of the fat, add some flour and cook then add the giblet stock (strained) and some wine. This is your gravy - put into a microwavable dish and leave.
Now turn up the heat on the oven, put in a roasting pan with oil at the top and when its at the right temperature, put pots into it. Drain the veggies of the cold water, put the kettle on to boil.
Now walk away and eat your starters. You can relax safe in the knowledge that nearly everything is done!
After starters are finished, go back to kitchen, pour boiling water over veggies and allow them to cook, heat gravy in microwave. Remove pots from oven and its all cooked!
Dessert is easy after that lot! Buy a good tawny port or dessert wine to drink with it (suggest xmas pudding with cream)
Do an impressive cheese board witn plenty of cheeses and serve with biscuits and butter, dried apricots, fresh figs and passion fruit.
Good Luck!