Hosting our 1st Thanksgiving

Anyone else?

I'm a little nervous
does anyone have any cute centerpiece ideas
or any advise on how
to make it go smoothly
TIA

Re: Hosting our 1st Thanksgiving

We are hosting our first also (usually we are in SC for it). To make things go smoothly, I asked everyone to bring one of their "favorite" dishes. DH & I are handling
Turkey
stuffing
gravy
stuffed mushrooms
biscuits

Re: Hosting our 1st Thanksgiving

Message edited 11/12/2008 1:53:58 PM.

Re: Hosting our 1st Thanksgiving

We are planning on ours not going smoothly. It looks like the contractor will be done before Thanksgiving, but just barely.... We have no idea what state the house will be in, where the furniture will be, if we'll have flooring by then, etc.

However, Thanksgiving is all about family getting together, so just the fact that we have a house with heat and electricity is good enough.

Re: Hosting our 1st Thanksgiving

Take people up on t heir offers to bring something. Make it easier on yourself! Let everyone who offers bring something, so it's one less thing you have to worry about.

If you're not a baker, you can always order (or outsource to family) desserts. I'm a baker, so I like to make my own, but not everyone is. Bakeries are our friends.

Anything you can make in advance, do so - including setting the table and cleaning up the house. Same goes for food items - For example, my parents make turnips the day before and just reheat and they taste exactly the same.

For your first holiday, keep it simple. Don't go overboard with a million different dishes. Concentrate on ones you make really well and know how to make easily.

Go with easy appetizers or at least ones that won't require much cooking / work the day of. You'll have enough to do with dinner, so don't get bogged down with the appetizers -- and I say this coming from a family who is big on appetizers. Shrimp cocktail, cheese and crackers, and a veggie platter can be done in advance or quickly and don't require any day of cooking. You can wrap cocktail franks the day before and pop them in the over the day of -- but only if you have two ovens.

Also try to relax and enjoy the day, too. The company is the most important part.

Re: Hosting our 1st Thanksgiving

Good luck!! If people are bringing stuff have them tell you what they will bring. I went to a party where evryone was told to bring a side dish or a dessert everyone brough dessert. We had turkey with chocolate chip cookies and apple pie .

If you have enough alcohol no one will care if the food was bad. If you burn the turkey just make the punch stronger.

When i cook I like to have it all set up the night before. I check that i have enough pots and serving dishes for everything. That way if I am short I can give my mom a call. I also like to have all the stuff that can be done ahead of time taken care of. I set the table and the bar up the night before.

Re: Hosting our 1st Thanksgiving

you guys awesome- thank you so much for the great advise!!
and the good laughs too

Re: Hosting our 1st Thanksgiving

for center piece ideas.

I took gords and small pumkins and hollowed them out and place a tealight in them
It was a low center piece that didn't take up to much room.
Table room on Thanksgiving is very important.

Everyone commented on how sweet & simple the display was.

Another thing I did, was make place cards and on the back of the cards, i wrote why i was thankful for them for being in my/our lives.

ok....i'm a bit of a mush!


oops! i forgot the most important thing.

Have fun!!!!

Message edited 11/12/2008 4:44:56 PM.

Re: Hosting our 1st Thanksgiving

I set the table the night before so I don't have to worry about it the day of. Nothing gets dusty overnight.

Re: Hosting our 1st Thanksgiving

We are hosting our first thanksgiving as well... I have a few ideas on centerpieces but nothing solid. It will be fine. I would advise to do the big stuff or desserts the tuesday before. That is what I am doing.

Good luck!!!

Posted by lolipep

Anyone else?

I'm a little nervous
does anyone have any cute centerpiece ideas
or any advise on how
to make it go smoothly
TIA

Re: Hosting our 1st Thanksgiving

I did my first Thanksgiving last year and I have to say I agree with many of the other posters.

I let others bring dishes, and it helped tremendously! Also, don't put too much pressure on yourself, everyone is there to have a good time.

This year my best friend told me that she brings Pumpkin Ale from John Harvards to her brothers every year. I am going to pick some up the day before for my guests. I like to do something different every year, so hopefully they'll enjoy it!

Good luck!

Re: Hosting our 1st Thanksgiving

Good luck and don't stress too much!!!

Centerpiece idea: I filled a vase with cranberries and then added a couple of tealights to the table - simple and it came out very pretty. Afterwards, I used the cranberries to make cranberry bread!

Make as much as you can before hand. I make baked mashed potatoes and cook those partway the night before. Same with the green bean casserole. Definitely take people up on their offers to bring something, but try and get an idea of what it is and if it will need to be heated in the oven.

One of the best things I did for myself, since I have one oven, is buy a separate roasting oven. It plugs in and cooks the turkey and frees up the oven for the sides. Plus, I think the turkey comes out moister that way. Be careful - the meat seems to cook faster in the roasters. You can find these all over. I found mine in Ace(!) Hardware store last year.

Finally, don't try to make new dishes that day - definitely try them out before hand to reduce any surprises!

Re: Hosting our 1st Thanksgiving

Posted by MrsT08

We are hosting our first thanksgiving as well... I have a few ideas on centerpieces but nothing solid. It will be fine. I would advise to do the big stuff or desserts the tuesday before. That is what I am doing.

Good luck!!!

Posted by lolipep

Anyone else?

I'm a little nervous
does anyone have any cute centerpiece ideas
or any advise on how
to make it go smoothly
TIA