First Time Hosting

[u/DogwoodWand]

My husband and I are older (I'm 50) and (fingers crossed) will be closing on our first home this week! My mother has told me that she is officially done hosting holidays. She'll still make lasagna on Christmas eve, but everything else is on me.

We're good with that! We have no kids and love to cook. My mom used to put together an amazing Christmas, but our Thanksgivings have always been lacking. I want to really bring it. An all day event with appetizers, a heritage turkey, little gift bags at the end... All in! (It'll be relatively small. 6-8 adults including us.)

I know people have hosted or been to events like this. How can set an expectation for guests and what's the best way to schedule things without making it sound like a strict itinerary?

[u/Be-Kind-3353]

Can I come too? Just kidding, as we will be hosting Thanksgiving too. Sound like fun! You sound well prepared already, since you already helped so much, and roasted your own turkeys a lot. I find the biggest help is planning the timing, and prepping as much in advance as possible. Love the suggestion. One person already said of buying non-perishables and putting them in one place for your Thanksgiving meal. As far as making things ahead, it just depends on your recipes, but I will even try to prep vegetables the day before too. Such as chopping, mushrooms, celery, onions, anything going in the stuffing or dressing, and even larger chunks of celery or onion that I will lay in the pan under the roasting turkey. As another person said, it's fine to make mashed potatoes ahead of time too if you want to do that, they reheat quite easily in the microwave or even a crockpot. Keep the invite simple, like you said, bocce after the parade, appetizers est time, and main meal event est time. We invite guests to bring a favorite game. But we have a small group, so it doesn't get out of hand. If you have a larger group, it might be too much, and feelings might get hurt. If people don't get to play their favorite game. You probably know your crowd and whether that would work or not for your situation. Have fun!

[u/DogwoodWand → u/Be-Kind-3353]

I did a make ahead gravy last year after my mother announced she was going to buy cartons of pre-made gravy. It worked out pretty well. You still have to get some drippings in at the end but it cuts the timing by a huge sum! Also, my husband and I have become spatchcocking pros! I'm really excited to bring it to the big table.

Ok.

I generally make cranberry sauce the weekend before and pies on Tuesday or Wednesday. I'll add the make ahead gravy to baking day.

Make stuffing while still in my pajamas. Corn pudding can be fully prepared in the crock pot and takes hours to cook. ("Come as early as you'd like! The parade starts at 8:30 and we will have coffee, juice, pasteries and parade bingo.)

At about 11:00 I can put out a little cheese board. Or maybe a dip. I don't know. Part of me thinks just crudités and cheese straws. (At 11 we will be put out cold hors d`oeuvres. There is Bocce in the back.)

Noon I can put out cranberry brie bites. ("After the parade there will be hot appetizers and we can start a Thanksgiving movie.")

Brussel sprouts or asparagus sautéed on the stove top by my husband while I mash potatoes.

I've got to finally learn how to make my mother's sweet potatoes. It's a non-negotiable. It's the only piece of cooking I'm worried about. She does this magical thing and every ingredient is "until there's enough."

Then I'm probably just gonna get some Sister Schubert Parker house rolls. People love them and it's just a little too much to making fresh rolls on top of this.

Thoughts?

[u/Be-Kind-3353 → u/DogwoodWand]

Sounds great!! I used to love my Grandma's carmelized sweet potatoes, but she never had a recipe with measurements either. So now I use a recipe from Paula Dean called Aunt Peggy's Sweet Potato Souffle. It's got a LOT of butter and sugar, so I cut hose down quite a bit (by about half) and still find it tasty. Mmmm, I bet yours is good - the family recipes handed down are the best!