Help an English person create Thanksgiving please.?

Question

I have 4 American people coming over. I am doing turkey, mash, gravy, pumpkin pie and brownies.
What veg should I have? What goes with the pumpkin pie (we'd eat custard but I don't suppose you do)?
Do you eat butternut squash with brown sugar and cinnamon as dessert or on the main meal plate?
What extent do you decorate your home?
Should any other food be provided?
What non alcoholic drinks should I serve?

Thank you so much!!

Answer 1

This is a great start at a menu, and I would really like to say that you are on the right track. Whatever you do, the best advice is not to get overstressed.

Our typical menu is a turkey with stuffing, garlic smashed potatoes, gravy, peas with pearl onions, and pumpkin pie. My cousin has contributed a fruit compote that is wonderful. You will probably want a dinner roll or baguette to (a) sop up the gravy, or (b) eat the leftovers in sandwiches.

One of the best and easiest stuffing recipes comes from the Betty Crocker Cookbook. The link is provided below. When making stuffing, we make an extra batch to provide snacks for the kids -- serving a little bit in bowls. Using margarine or olive oil in the recipe makes it a little healthier.

My sister always insists on cranberry sauce. I don't.

While I am cooking dinner, my wife is usually busy decorating the home for Christmas. That way we are all busy. It is a good Thanksgiving tradition.

As far as drinks, we like to serve a mulled apple cider, which also adds to the aromas and flavors of the holiday. Milk, tea, and coffee are also appropriate.

Other food? Wow... I am not sure you will be able to handle much after that! (humor intended)

And by the way, as someone else said, thank you so much for your thoughfulness. Thanksgiving is really my favorite holiday because there is little expectation or pressure around it. It is just a day for fellowship and for the family to get together. You are definitely observing the spirit of Thanksgiving.

Answer 2

Hi, whip cream goes great with pumpkin pie, if you eat custard then make that an option as well. A little bit of your tradition mixed with the American is what Thanksgiving is all about. (When I was a kid, we sometimes ate BBQ ribs, french fries and cole slaw for Thanksgiving.) I think the squash would be a good side dish. As far as veggies are concerned corn is a good side dish as well as maybe mixed carrots and peas. Oh don't forget the stuffing and the cranberry sauce! Those are very traditional Thanksgiving must. I don't like Turkey but I always fill up on the stuffing (some people call it dressing) and the other side dishes. Macaroni and Cheese, greens, and sweet potato pie are some other traditional side dishes and deserts that are served in America.
As far as decorating your home, maybe a small center piece with a gourd or a pumpkin or some maize, you know the pretty looking kind that are red and black, with some straw that should be enough.(look at a Martha Stewart Mag. for additional ideas) I don't know what kind of drinks you should serve, I like cranberry juice personally, but that's just me. Any drink should be fine. (just a note, find out if everyone likes Turkey, you may want to have a chicken handy because I know I don't like Turkey as well as some of my friends, and we make chicken instead) Good luck, and have fun.

Answer 3

Your menu sounds great. We usually eat squash with the meal. If I were one of your American guests I would love to sample some English foods too. We keep our decorations simple. Maybe some autumn flowers on the table. Non-alcoholic cider is a good choice.Apple pie is an all American dessert. Happy Thanksgiving.

Answer 4

As an American who has lived in Europe for many years, I will mention how kind it is that you are making Thanksgiving dinner for your American guests. It's one of my favourite meals of the year.
It sounds like you have a good start on your menu. Our family always had green beans with browned slivered almonds and we had squash with the main meal. As others have said, whipped cream from a can will do fine with pumpkin pie. Decorating isn't necessary, just some nice autumn-coloured flowers if you like. I don't know of any traditional Thanksgiving drinks. :)

Hope you have a wonderful meal.

Answer 5

Wow, all of the others have given you loads of info, the only other thing I can think of is stuffing, lots of stuffng. Unfortunately my wife and here sisters do the stuffing, so I'm of no help there, but you can probably find some cookng sites that will give some hints.

I guess the only thing left is to somehow get a way to watch the Cowboys and the Jets play (4:15 ET) and the Lions play the Packers (12:00 ET). Now that would be impressive.

Answer 6

Everyone has their own traditions.

Turkey, Stuffing, Gravy, Mashed Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Cranberry Sauce/Relish, Corn, Turnips, Yams, Pumpkin/Apple/Cherry Pie

Butternut Squash would be served with your main meal.

Answer 7

We like to also have sweet potatoes, green bean casserole and maybe a soup or a green salad. I am making a corn chowder because corn is a traditional Thanksgiving vegetable. It sounds like you are doing very nicely, I would serve the squash with the meal. Apple cider is a favorite drink but soda is also fine. You might consider whipped cream on the pie.Decorations are seasonal, fall leaves gourds etc. Don't fret your meal will be fine.

Answer 8

Good for you , and good luck too!
Whipped cream with the pie, definitely. I've never had butternut squash, but I can highly recommend sweet potatoes/yams. You can either do them like mashed potatoes and pop them in the oven with a bit of brown sugar on top, or cook them then sautee with sugar (my gran always put marshmallows in as well). They were a main course.
Veg wise, go for sprouts, green beans, sweetcorn.
Other food: a nice tossed salad would probably be appreciated, and an alternative for those who don't like turkey. (my family always had lasagne, but that's a different story)


someone below mentioned slivered almonds with the green beans...don't buy frozen green beans if you can avoid it. don't make them soggy, and try a few small bits of bacon in it to season. This may be a family thing, but there's nothing quite like gently fried green beans (tastes a lot better than it sounds!)

Check out www.recipezaar.com for loads of recipes, just remember that US and Imperial measurements are a bit different!

Answer 9

for veggie you can serve corn, greenbeans and/or glazed carrots.

i would serve the sqash with the meal.

dessert is traditionally the pies (pumpkin, apple, berries, etc.). with the pie whipped cream is traditional.

for drinks, wine is traditional (so my family substitutes grape juice with seltzer), water with the meal and coffee with dessert.

I wouldn't worry too much. Sounds like you have a good menu going and everyone has their own traditions so you'll be fine. Also, no need to decorate except for a formal dinner setting.

Answer 10

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