Talk Turkey Part I
It’s the first Tuesday of November and that means it’s time to begin our annual Talk Turkey series which aims to help you plan a stress free Thanksgiving this year!
Item one on the list is to decide the guest list -will it just be immediate family? Do you include extended family or friends or some combination of both? The guest list will determine all of the future planning for your Thanksgiving. Go on and issue invitations early this week so that your guest can look forward to attending your Thanksgiving celebration.
Next you can plan your menu. Here’s where the guest list comes into play for the number of guests you are hosting will steer the type of menu you will have. If it’s just an intimate gathering of a few guests you can do a seated dinner and menu items that can require more individual attention such as a pumpkin soufflé for dessert. If it’s a large gathering (12 or more is usually my cut off) than you most likely will want to do a buffet and ask your guests to contribute a side dish, drink(s) or dessert.
That leads us to assigning menu items. Some hosts like to plan their menu and specifically assign dishes to guests. For example your mother in law can bring sweet potatoes, your cousin a pumpkin pie, etc. Other hosts like to offer the main entree in this case turkey or turkey and ham and then let their guest decide what side dish to bring. I always liked to compromise somewhere in the middle by asking guests to bring a type of dish but not the specific recipe. For example, some one will bring a vegetable, some one else a dessert, etc. that way I know how many of each side dishes are coming but it lets the guest decide what their favorite dish is to bring.
The next matter for consideration is the layout for your seating and buffet. Many people do not like to host because they are concerned that their space is not big enough, however I have found with a little creativity you can really host quite a number of guests even in a smaller space. You don’t need a huge dining room or great room to entertain. Based on the number of guests on your list you will plan out the seating. Will that be at table(s) or on sofas, side chairs, etc or some combination of both? This will also help you decide the food presentation. Will it be on your kitchen island, a side board in the dining room, I have even hosted with the buffet table in the entry way of our house and then the guests seated at tables in the tv room, dining room and living room. Also, don’t forget about outdoor spaces. I know it might be cold and/or rainy on Thanksgiving day, but often it’s not and utilizing patio or deck seating even just for appetizers or dessert setup is a nice alternative.
Next step is to go ahead and place orders for your turkey, any bakery items like rolls or desserts and any items you are “outsourcing” like pre made pies, appetizers or sides. There are lots of grocery stores that offer premade items for Thanksgiving without having to buy an entire meal, although Fresh Market and Pauls Fruit Market both offer a full meal that is lovely.
The last thing for Part I is to start a grocery list. I keep a working list going thru November and just keep adding to it as I think of things. I usually do a separate shopping trip from my weekly grocery and split it in 2 trips one with pantry staple items and then a trip right before Thanksgiving to get the fresh items.
I hope this has been helpful in getting started planning your Thanksgiving. Join me next week for Part II of Talk Turkey!
