The Thanksgiving holiday is right around the corner and there is a lot to do: Order the turkey, pick place settings and clean the oven. Your oven bakes up a lot of love. Between traditional turkeys to perfect pumpkin pies, it’s time you show your oven some love of your own with a good clean. Here’s how to clean your oven just in time for Thanksgiving.

• STEP #1: Remove everything from the oven. This includes oven racks, thermometers, pizza stones and anything else you may be storing in your oven.
• STEP #2: Just like when you carved your fall pumpkins, lay out some old newspapers or grocery bags on the floor beneath and around your oven.
• STEP #3: Grab a small to medium sized mixing bowl and combine ½ cup of baking soda with 2-3 tablespoons of water. You may need to tweak this ratio until you have created a spreadable baking soda paste.
• STEP #4: Put on a pair of rubber gloves and using your fingers, spread the baking soda paste around the inside of the oven. Make sure you cover the back, both sides, bottom, top, oven door corners and any other crevices.
  • IMPORTANT: If you have an electric oven, don’t apply the baking soda paste on the heating elements. If you have a gas oven, don’t apply the baking soda paste where the gas comes through to the oven.
• STEP #5: Once the baking soda paste has been applied to all parts of the oven, close the oven door and allow the paste to sit for 10-12 hours. We recommend allowing the baking soda paste to set overnight if possible. Just be sure to inform your family members not to use the oven during this time!
• STEP #6: As the baking soda paste sets, grab the oven racks and place them in your kitchen sink. Sprinkle the oven racks with baking soda and pour vinegar on top. The combination of baking soda and vinegar will cause a white foam to form, don’t be alarmed, this is completely normal.
• STEP #7: When the foam stops forming, plug your kitchen sink and fill with hot water. Make sure the oven racks are fully submerged under the hot water. Just like the oven paste, allow the oven racks to soak overnight or for at least 10-12 hours. Again, be sure to inform your family that the kitchen sink are in use.
• STEP #8: After the oven and oven racks have sat for 10-12 hours, grab your gloves and a damp sponge. Open the oven door and wipe down all surfaces. If there are extra sticky spots, grab a heavy duty sponge or scrunge non-scratch scrub sponge to remove all oven dirt, grease and grime.

• STEP #9: If you encounter chunks of baking soda paste that aren’t easily removed, apply some vinegar. (A spray bottle works best when applying the vinegar). The vinegar will react with the baking soda and create a foam, which you can then wipe away.
• STEP #10: Remove the oven racks from the kitchen sink and scrub with a sponge or cloth until all kitchen grease and grime is removed.
• STEP #11: Dry all oven racks then place back in the oven.
• STEP #12: Close the oven door and walk away because you are done. Now if only cooking Thanksgiving dinner were that easy!

Although cleaning the oven may not be your favorite cleaning task, regular oven cleaning can improve the quality of the food you cook in it. The aromas of any stuck-on grease or food from dinner’s past can influence the dish you are cooking, so don’t take any chances on jeopardizing your Thanksgiving dinner this year - clean your oven!

Enjoy all of your hard work by putting your oven to good use with this recipe for Aebleskiver served three ways-blueberry, jelly and apple pie. Yum!