HI moms, I usually host Thanksgiving dinner for about 20 people and I really enjoy the holidays, so I don't mind hosting duties. But, I also work full time and have a very active toddler and sometimes, the amount of time it takes to prep for a holiday along wih trying to get her to leave the china alone (I set the table a few days in advance, etc.) is not something I look forward to this year. As a working mom, I try to spend as much time as possible with my daughter and we've hit a stride where she's really retaining the things we're learning, like spelling her name and numbers past 25 and such-so I want to keep at it. The idea of spending hours grocery shopping and prepping is giving me pause this year and I am considering catering the dinner. Has anyone done this and how did it work out for you? Is there a caterer you would recommend?
Last year a friend of mine had a holiday dinner party for just friends. She ended up ordering food from Heavenly Ham. OMG it was the best ham I ever had. She also got mashed potatoes, green beans & a couple other items I cant recall oh & dessert too. We all said this is the way to go it was very good. Good luck
G., I used to do what your doing. It made me nuts. Got to the point where I was pretty much a cranky angry mass by the time the guests would arrive. The breaking point for me came when I had a health issue. From that year forward we still host the holidays. But I make the main dish and a couple sides but each guest brings a dish to pass also. It was hard for me to do that as I wanted specific dishes made a certain way (old family recipes) turns out other people have old family recipes too WHO KNEW LOL. but anyway we set up a banquet table across the front of the fireplace with a nice table cloth on it. everyone puts their dish on it and I put out the main course. I get nice papergoods hobbylobby has beautiful thanksgiving paperplates and napkins. and wala the mess is pretty much gone. you get to visit with your guests and everyone feels like they were part of the making of the holiday. I still do nice dinners with the china etc just not when we have 20 people over. good luck
S.
ps: your daughter is old enough to help with the holiday have her make the place cards or place matts we have done this for years with my kids and our daycare children.
A woman from a church we used to attend got the turkey from Jewel and then her family each brought a side dish and she made dessert. She had 3 little ones and the stress of trying to do it all was just too much, plus she didn't get to enjoy the holidays. She hosted both Thanskgiving and Christmas.
My mother-in-law is hosting the whole extended family this year--28 people in all! It's so many people and everyone is in town for 3 days (staying in nearby hotels), so it's not just one meal. So this year she is focusing on making it easy on herself. She is going to get the turkey from a caterer--I think there's a turkey farm near them that provides cooked turkeys as well. We will all contribute the side dishes, since there are so many of these that are special recipes we'd be sad to not have them. It seems like a good middle ground.
After all, Thanksgiving is supposed to be about giving thanks and being with family and loved ones anyway, right? So if this is what you need to do to enjoy your time, I say go for it!
