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Thanksgiving Made Easy: Apps To Help You Plan The Perfect Holiday

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A lot goes into prepping the perfect holiday meal, but don't let the task of hosting Thanksgiving take away from the joy of the holiday. Instead, turn to technology to help get the job done.

Start with what's on the menu. Pick and store recipes with apps like Big Oven.

You can organize, in one place, the recipes you tear out of magazines or bookmark online, make notes, take pictures and find recipes for leftovers.

The apps also help you tackle the grocery store by creating shopping lists that can be shared between family members.

Then decide how much you need to buy with Save the Food.

The "guest-imater" asks about your guests, what kind of eaters are you expecting and if you want leftovers. It also asks what kind of meal you are having -- a classic Thanksgiving, a vegetarian or a little of everything.

Choose your mains, your sides, your desserts and finalize your menu. The app will show just how much food you'll need to make the perfect meal.

Monitor the food while it cooks with Timer+ by setting multiple timers and stopwatches at once. Time by the second, minute or hour and add or subtract time without disturbing the other timers and you're free to use other apps while the clocks tick away.

If you're looking to pair your meal with the perfect wine or holiday cocktail, the app Delectable allows users to learn about wine by taking a picture of the label.

Read expert opinions and reviews, buy with a tap of the screen and if you like it, save it to your list.

The app Lush helps users find the perfect cocktail mix, search by the name of the drink, the flavor you want or simply find one that fits your mood. Mixologists are constantly adding new drinks, so the options are endless.

All of these apps and websites are free.

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