Hosting Thanksgiving Dinner

One of my most favorite holidays is Thanksgiving. This holiday is filled with joy, excitement, friendship and food. It also officially begins a period of holiday spirit and cheer that will not end until New Year's Day. Of course, each and everyone hosting a Thanksgiving gathering would certainly like for Thanksgiving to take place without any problems or setbacks. Thanksgiving can definitely be a challenge when you are the individual hosting a number of people and inviting parents and in-laws. The key to success, when hosting a Thanksgiving dinner event, is to plan well in advance.

The Invitation

First of all, make sure to invite people well in advance. The holiday season in general can be a very busy time for all adults. There is shopping, parties, and tons of other things to do. Do not assume that your parents or in-laws do not have a full schedule during this time. Invite everyone early and get a proper head count so that you can make necessary arrangements. The best way to accomplish this is to send out a small invitation via mail and follow up with a friendly phone call. I recommend that the guest list be confirmed at least two weeks prior to Thanksgiving.

The Menu

The key here is to have more than enough food. If there is one day in the entire year that you want to have so much food that you must eat leftovers for several days to come, Thanksgiving is the time. As host, you are responsible for the entrée. With parents and in-laws being involved, you should make sure you have something to suit everyone's taste. I recommend the traditional baked turkey, a Cajun fried turkey, and a smoked turkey. Add a few pieces of grilled salmon for those who like fish and provide a few prime cuts of venison or tender roast beef. Having a variety of entrée choices is very important for this occasion. For side items I recommend dressing and stuffing, potato salad, green beans, squash, tossed salad, congealed salad, baked sweet potato, macaroni and cheese, collard greens, fresh cranberries, cranberry sauce, corn on the cob, a casserole or two, rolls, and cornbread. Assortments of desserts are also in order. Try to find out the favorite dessert of your mother and mother-in-law and have them available. A nice red velvet cake, pumpkin pie, or banana pudding should do just fine. Brownies and ice cream should also be available. If you feel comfortable, ask your guest to bring a side item but I personally recommend doing everything yourself. If you request that a guest bring something you could be in for a big disappointment. They could arrive late or the food simply could not taste very well. This could be a major problem and cause great embarrassment for the host. If guests insist on bringing an item, suggest that they bring a bottle of wine or sparkling cider to share.

Entertainment

While preparing, cooking, and serving Thanksgiving dinner will fully occupy your time if you are hosting the turkey day event, entertaining your guests is yet another important aspect to be considered on the day of the feast. You need to give people a wide variety of outlets to keep them engaged before and after dinner. If people are not properly occupied, their boredom can sometimes lead to discussions of politics and religion which can be detrimental to the Thanksgiving environment that you want to promote. Cocktails, coffee, and hot chocolate should be available before and after dinner. Pull out your IPod and docking station and play some festive upbeat tunes. If upbeat melodies are not fitting, at least have some calming background compositions playing throughout the house. If you have multiple televisions, I suggest that you place the channel on the big football game. There will always be an NFL game on and you will most likely have a regional college football game as well. Have toys and games available for any children that might be present. Make a trip to the local toy store or pull out those old traditional board games like Monopoly, checkers, chess, and Operation. Likewise, you might find that some adults would like to join in the games as well. A gentle game of touch football or even badminton can be fun and relaxing for guests. Also, it is always a good idea to have a few current magazines on hand along with a couple of copies of a local newspaper. Many older guests take pleasure in reading the newspaper as well as reviewing the sale ads for the day after Thanksgiving bargains.
Overall, Thanksgiving with parents and in-laws can be an extremely cheerful occurrence. Getting together at a time of thankfulness can allow for high degrees of merriment and fellowship. Take the time to properly plan and you are well on your way to a wonderful holiday.