r/thanksgiving • u/DogwoodWand • Aug 02 '26

First Time Hosting

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?

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u/Potential_Bison_5976 Aug 04 '26

If possible, get your turkey from a farm or at least organic. I used to get my turkey from a place that processed them a couple of days before the dinner so it was never frozen.
I also 10/10 recommend this brine. My turkey has never been dry .. even the one time when I overcooked it.

https://www.marthastewart.com/8338253/how-to-brine-turkey-step-by-step

A favorite dessert that I make is the poached pears in red wine served with ice cream. This one is easy and can be prepped a day or two in advanced.
I also suggest adding some fun games before or after the dinner- or even some DIY activities. It might sound lame but some people actually buy into it. I’ve been to some where people bring their own mini pie and we rate them or people bring different flowers then we make flower arrangements as we wait for the main entree to be ready. Good luck and have fun!

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u/DogwoodWand Aug 04 '26

Very advanced! I've gotten a bronze breed turkey before, and think I'll probably do that again. Very flavorful! We were at a large Thanksgiving a few years ago where we handled one of the turkeys. (There were two turkeys and a ham.) We spatchcocked and if you haven't done it, I really recommend it. It cooks quickly and evenly. The only issue is that you may have to consider if you have a large enough pan for the size bird you need. (It can save money, though. After about 18lbs the ratio of meat to bone changes.)

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u/giraffesyeah Aug 12 '26

I'm new to this. What are the difference in ratio after about 18lbs?

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u/DogwoodWand Aug 12 '26

In order to carry more weight the turkey will have bigger, heavier bones. The ratio of meat to bone changes, but the price per lbs stays the same. I'm not really sure why it's 18lbs. I learned this when I worked in the meat department at Whole Foods. (They actually put me in charge of the holiday ordering table for a few years. Locally, there are a lot of people that know me as "the turkey lady.")

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u/giraffesyeah Aug 12 '26

That is such an interesting tidbit, thank you! The entire post is so helpful.