It wouldn't be Thanksgiving dinner without....
Marcy
6 years ago
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susanwv
6 years agoChi
6 years agoRelated Discussions
The Party that Wouldn't End...Is there any help for me
Comments (9)I agree with the other posters. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but now you know why more people don't try to give 2 parties in the same day! Basically, you set yourself up for 10 solid hours (plus pre-2:00 prep) of hosting, clean-up, re-set-up, and hosting again. Who could do their best with that kind of challenge? In addition, even though you are experienced hosts, I think you took on quite a bit here -- entertaining 75 people, including clean up and set up in between, without any paid help -- well, I am sure you must have been exhausted; who wouldn't be? And when you are that tired, it is indeed a big deal to have people stay late. If you had only one party, with either a smaller number or some sort of help, I bet it wouldn't have seemed so overwhelming when people stayed late. I am not sure why you are so outraged that people arrived at 2:00 for a 2:00 party. I agree it's nice to give the guests a little cushion and come a few minutes late, but you really can't get mad or be surprised if someone arrives on the dot. Sometimes people have to leave early because of another commitment, so they come as early as they can. (I've had people show up 30-60 minutes EARLY -- how would you like that? Once I was just getting into the shower!) I also don't understand this at all: "Almost everyone else showed up between 3:30 and 4:30 (the event was supposed to end at 5:30)." What is wrong with that? You said it was an "'Open House' from 2 - 5." My confusion isn't whether it was 5 or 5:30, it's that I don't understand what is wrong with coming between 3:30 and 4:30 for a 2-5 (or 5:30) open house -- isn't the whole idea that people come and go within the time frame? 2:00 is too early, 3:30 is too late -- and this is "laid back"? Regarding people staying late for the evening party -- well, they were having fun, so good for you! It must have been a good party. But here again, I don't understand a few things. First you don't seem to like it that many guests didn't come until 10 -- but you didn't plan to feed them dinner (and evidently were clear about that on th invitation), so perhaps they went out to dinner first or something. People come on time for a dinner party, but they don't feel they must be there at the very beginning for a munchies "shindig" -- four hours seems like a lot for that. Regarding staying past midnight: few adult parties (other than open houses; see above) set end times. Even if you'd put it on the invitation, I bet some didn't remember or even notice it. I also don't understand why you were surprised or resentful that you were in the kitchen: you invited a LOT of people to your home, and you started running low on food, so you did what any good host does: you got something for them to eat. If that happens again, spare yourself the work while your guests are there, and order a few pizzas. But as Lindac says: the most important thing is whether your guests had a great time. And it sounds like they did!...See MoreThanksgiving Dinner Rant and Cooking Help Required
Comments (21)Cynic, is that all???? I better get moving. LOL Maybe I will surprise my family and leave them to fend for themselves and take that trip to England for Christmas. I'll let them have my house and they can do their own cooking. Fat chance, they would starve. I think Laura's boyfriend knows how to cook though and my brother's specialty is Greek pasta salad. My sister is the Queen on Lean Cuisine. LOLOL Not exactly a nice Christmas dinner is it. Okay I have been reprieved, a ton of weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I just called my brother and he and his girlfriend are driving to Toronto for Thanksgiving. David is still at his store counting stock and will be there pretty much all night since the store just closed. He sounds happy to be retiring but I feel kind of sad for him. End of an era. I then called my friend Kathy to see if she had any bacon on hand and she said she did. I asked her to make me some bacon bits for the broccoli salad but she said not to bother making it since rarely do we have a cold salad at Thanksgiving and then she said I ruined her surprise. Kathy is one of my childhood friends and it has always been the tradition in her family to have that marshmallow 24 hour salad for their holiday dinners. I consider that more a dessert salad but hey who am I to mess with tradition and this is her first Thanksgiving without her Mom so I said that was wonderful she made the salad. I like it but usually at a shower or something like that. I never thought to make what we call my Grandma's green lime jello salad made with pineapple, celery and cream cheese LOLOL At our family dinners there was always that pale green Pyrex casserole dish on the holiday table that held the lime green salad. Refreshing it was and I had forgotten all about it. I will have to remember it for Christmas. Out of all the vintage Pyrex I have in my huge collection that pale green casserole dish is one I have never been able to find at yards sales or thrift shops. I think my sister Lizzie absconded Grandma's green dish so I will have to ask her if she still has it. Lime green cream cheese jello is just not tradition without serving it in that dish. Oh my. I now don't have to put 2 extenders in the table now so I should have a table cloth that will suffice. I know I should do it anyway but now I don't have to make that extra effort to make sure everything in my house is in perfect order and now I can hide books and my computer stuff on the attic stairs and the dog can still have his toys out and the dog food bag can remain where it is. I was getting ready to get on my butt and start cleaning baseboards since the "girlfriend" was coming. Tomorrows Menu Turkey Stuffing Cranberry Sauce Brussel Sprouts sliced cooked with garlic and cream Orange glazed carrots Squash Mashed turnip Mashed potatoes and gravy Tray with raddishes, olives, my pickled beets 24 hour salad Rolls Pumpkin pie Butter tarts - my Mom's filling recipe, Tenderflake shells I will go raid my Pyrex collection for all the autumn coloured pieces and that way I can keep the food warm in the oven and put right on the dinner table to serve. I wouldn't do that with good china which I don't have right now. I'm still waiting for my Grandma's china to make its way back to Windsor - it just needs a ride LOL Grandma's Royal Doulton china and her pale green Pyrex dish now that for a beautiful holiday table. Thanks again for helping me and listening to my rant. I am so relieved and now will be able to enjoy myself more with the usual suspects in attendance. Anne...See MoreWhat is your favorite side dish for the holidys?
Comments (42)can't find the recipe tonight, but about 30 years ago a woman where I worked brought the best potato salad to a holiday spread! It involves diced potatoes, dill, mayo (I still remember her cautioning us, "No Miracle Whip; it gives it a whang!"), & vinegar, & you mix in some mashed hardboiled eggs & top it with a few sliced ones. My Aunt Bea used to make something she called Heavenly Rice, the recipe for which nobody thought to ask for, & now she's gone. It involved cooked, chilled rice, shredded coconut, & chunk or shredded canned pineapple. I'd really love to have that again. just remembered: Years ago, I had to go "home" for Thanksgiving. My father was ill, & I didn't dare not show up, although trips to the old homestead always gave me what I now know to be migraines & I have deteriorated bone & teeth from the grinding that I did in my sleep after a visit. so I went. with trepidation. My mother always insisted on cooking the turkey & dressing, & there was no telling how it would come out. One year it was like eating ground sage straight out of the can, one year she forgot to add something to the brownies, can't remember if it was sugar or cocoa... This year the turkey looked stringy & "wet", & just as I decided to try the world's smallest bite of it, my brother's wife said, "This is really different, Mama, what kind is it?", & my mother replied, "wild. Daddy shot it the other day." I know many people have no problem with this kind of thing, but I couldn't eat it, felt like I knew its personal life story or something. For a few years after that, my traditional Thanksgiving Day included tacos from the Jack in the Box that I passed before I got "home"!...See MoreThanksgiving dinner?
Comments (6)Arcy, if your DIL is truly southern, she ought to be used to it by now. According to some people who reside in the rest of the country, all we eat is roadkill, fried chicken and biscuits and gravy. Everyone is a raging racist and a bible thumper. And they KNOW this because they talked to some people from the south once, passed through it a couple times on their way to somewhere else, AND they watched EVERY EPISODE OF THE DUKES OF HAZARD. Lol. I was just poking fun about the southern thing. The south has some of the best food anywhere! (TeeHee, I wouldn't expect the canned possum to turn up anywhere too far north or west though :) )...See MoreDawnInCal
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