Throwing a fun and informal Thanksgiving party is as easy as
pumpkin pie. By following our tips you can host a holiday
celebration that your family and friends will be talking about
for years to come.
First things first:
Settle upon how you want throw your informal Thanksgiving party.
Are you going to have a buffet where people can gather around
the TV and watch football or Thanksgiving movies, or do you want
a sit down dinner where everyone gathers around the table to say
grace and rejoice in the holiday.
Second: Decide upon a menu.
Turkey, stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes,
cranberry sauce, green bean casserole and pies galore is a
traditional Thanksgiving menu. At times when you are serving a
large crowd adding in a spiral sliced honey ham and including
plenty of mouth watering appetizers will stretch you food supply.
Third: Shop, Shop and Shop some more.
If you plan ahead and start early this does not have to be
stressful. Start by deciding are you serving on fine china,
every day dishes or paper plates. If you are going for the paper
plates spring for Thanksgiving themed plates, napkins and cups.
This will lend to the festive feel of the day and make for an
easy Thanksgiving clean up.
Next write up a shopping list for your Thanksgiving meal. Be
sure to include spices, butter, milk and sugar. These are all
items that are usually on hand but often in limited supply. To
confirm this point think about the last time you ran to a
convenience store on Thanksgiving, how many husbands were
standing their with scowls on there faces purchasing butter and
milk. Football is still mighty important to the non-chefs in the
family.
Fourth: Start Cooking.
Start a day or two ahead of time assembling the casseroles and
stuffing. Even pie can be made a day ahead and still be
Thanksgiving fresh for the big day. If you are serving a very
large crowd ask your guests to each bring a side dish or pie.
They usually are happy to help and it makes your day easier.
Remember to thaw your turkey. Thanksgiving starts with a 't' and
so does turkey. So start early and make sure you turkey is
thawed and ready for cooking on the big day.
Finally: Lay out the party.
If you are serving buffet style a quick tip is to set up a table
in the living room for appetizers and snacks. This way your
guests can catch every minute of the big Thanksgiving Day game
while enjoying your homemade delights.
Then set up the dinning room table with the main course. This
gives you plenty of room for your guests to mingle around the
food.
Always remember to relax. Thanksgiving should be fun; you're
with your family and friends enjoying wonderful food and
company.
About the author:
Shauna Hanus is a gourmet cook who has written a special
Thanksgiving e-cookbook with 73 recipes for leftover turkey,
with this you also get two bonus e-books a special holiday ice
cream cookbook that includes favorites like pumpkin pie ice
cream and pecan pie ice cream and a holiday planning guide to
help you have the most enjoyable Thanksgiving ever. You can find
all of these at
http://www.turkey-leftovers.com
