We'll have 10-15 people.
2006-10-30 10:26:26 · 10 answers · asked by Ms. Roberts 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Holidays ➔ Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is a big production at our house. If you're interested, I've written a Thanksgiving Planning Guide. It's posted at Holiday Fun. It is a couple of posts down from the top now.
This is a planned version of how I handle the holiday. It makes it nice to be able to get up on Thanksgiving morning and not panic about all of the cooking because I am well prepared.
2006-10-31 05:05:07 · answer #1 · answered by kg_queen 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
First of all, don't try to do it all on your own. If someone offers to help or asks if they can bring something let them. Be specific about what they can bring too...side dish, salad, dessert, appetizer, etc. Then you can cross that off your list. Get all of your recipes that you are going to use together and make a shopping list of what you might need. Call your grocery store and order a fresh turkey that you can pick up a day or two before the big day. Pick a night the week before to get all the non-perishable things you will need (you will avoid crowds too). When you go to pick up your bird you can get all the other perishable items you might need. Make everything you can 1-2 days before the big day, so you don't have as much to do.
Usually I make everything myself because I have inlaws who don't believe in helping. Last year I was fed up with doing all the work....not to mention I had a newborn baby, so I cheated and ordered a turkey dinner from the grocery store. It had a 15 lb turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, rolls, and a pumpkin pie. I also went ahead and made a couple salads and some sweet potatoes, a ham, and a side dish to make the meal more personal. Everything from the store was already cooked, so I just had to warm it up.....I am used to home made everything, and wasn't expecting anything great, but it was all pretty good, and no one complained.
2006-10-31 04:16:09 · answer #2 · answered by deerogre 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Relax and enjoy your guests. Don't worry too much if anyone is enjoying themselves. If you are, they are.
If you're not sure of your cooking, cater the meal, or ask someone to do the cooking for you. Ask your guests to bring food for a potluck.
Make food ahead of time. Maybe the stuffing, veggies, or appetizers.
Enlist kitchen help from all. Give your guests chores to do throughout the day. Possibly "John" can do the mashed potatoes, or "Mary" can stir the gravy, etc.
Consider serving the meal buffet style. Easier for you and fun for your guests.
Hire a crew to come in to clean up, or assign guests to do the cleaning up.
Decorate your home with things that mean a lot to you. Pictures, items, and photo albums that have sentimental value to you. Personalize place cards, cards, invitations, or anything else you may have the talent for.
Offer disposal cameras for your guests and let them choose what to photograph.
Do you have any Thanksgiving Day family traditions? Don't forget to do these. For instance, one of my family's "things" was that after everyone ate, Dad would make his wineglass sing by rubbing his wet fingertips along the rim of his glass. This would invariably start an all-out concert from everyone. (Silly I know, but after my father died in Sept, this is what I'll be missing most this Thanksgiving.) These little things are the best part of the day.
Set up a games for the day. Scattegories, Charades, Pictionary, Trivia Pursuit, or Monopoly are good suggestions for groups of people.
Have a movie going on the TV, IF no one is watching football, of course. "Miracle on 34th Street" is a good one, as well as any Christmas movie.
Relax, Enjoy, Good luck and HAVE FUN!!!
2006-10-30 15:58:12 · answer #3 · answered by tklines 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Make sure all of your cleaning and decorating is done ahead of time, if you are using dishes or silverware that have been put away for a while get them out and wash them ahead of time, set the tables and chairs up the day before with the cloths and decor on them, double check your grocery list and shop before Wednesday, buy a fresh turkey not a frozen one, get all of your serving dishes and serving spoons out...make sure there is a dish for each item you're serving. Any foods that can be prepared ahead of time, cook on Wednesday evening after ALL of the above mentioned things are complete. Put cranberry sauce in a dish in the fridge the night before and set up your pickles and olives the night before as well. If you wake up on Thanksgiving morning and your house is sparkling clean and all you have to do is cook your day will be a breeze. Also, ask other people to bring the desserts.
2006-10-31 17:43:40 · answer #4 · answered by DeborahDel 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
First if you inviting them you can do it one of two ways.
You can have people bring different dishes if there from a different culture or just have people bring food.
The other is most place will cook the food for you the day before you just bring it home.. put it in the oven and cook it.
Most stores now sell hotel turkeys and hams. The are already precooked so you just have to put water in the pan and cook them.
2006-10-31 13:21:13 · answer #5 · answered by dee luna 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Have each person that is coming over bring something with them and you make the turkey. Then you don't have to cook a lot.
2006-10-30 11:13:36 · answer #6 · answered by THEcraziest1 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I host a lot of Thxsgivings, and although I would not recommend seeing my Grandma nude, my attitude is...
They are there to eat, you are going to cook. NOT entertain these people! The entertainment takes care of itself with a large group, so as long as the host is not stressed, the house will feel it and enjoy themselves. Don't have the attitude you're meant to 'cater' (pun) to everyone.
.
2006-10-30 10:30:33 · answer #7 · answered by twowords 6 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Enjoy the moments you have. Take many pics and have a good time. You cant get back these memories and one day they will be very sacred.
2006-11-03 07:46:03 · answer #8 · answered by Motts 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
seat them at the table male female male and so on and during pie and cake the females can give the males hand release under the table HA HAA HA HA HA!!!!!!!!! BABA BOOEY TO YOU ALL
2006-10-30 10:33:46 · answer #9 · answered by rectal itch 1 · 1⤊ 2⤋
make it a nude party
2006-10-30 10:27:20 · answer #10 · answered by Diender 1 · 1⤊ 2⤋