Thanksgiving is a major holiday especially if you are the host. Most people understand that spending time with friends and family is the true reason we celebrate and get together at Thanksgiving. Still I’m sure you want your first Thanksgiving to turn out just as you envisioned. Here are a couple of things to remember as you start to plan and come up with your grand holiday meal.
Start off by making dishes that you know well. You definitely don’t want to plan out an elaborate meal that you’ve never made before. Timing is everything for a dinner like Thanksgiving. Relying on your knowledge of familiar dishes will come in handy when things get hectic towards the end when all the dishes start finishing up at the same time.
Start your guests off with some appetizers. This will keep them happy and in other parts of your home other than the kitchen. The last thing you need are people hanging around the island as you are trying to concentrate on getting your dishes in the oven. It always makes me nervous when people are staring at me while I’m cooking.
Think about different types of dietary needs when you are planning your menu. There are so many different ways people eat now. Not only are people eating healthier, but some people have certain diets set by their Dr. for health concerns. I’m not suggesting you have to make a separate vegan meal, but it would be nice to make a couple sides or speak to your guest about how to best help them. They may be interested in bringing a side for everyone to share.
It’s very important that you stay calm and be patient. Nothing good comes from getting frustrated and flustered. If you need to excuse yourself to count to ten and regroup go to the bathroom and come back out smiling and ready to continue. Remember your guests are enjoying visiting with friends and family and they are not too concerned if it will be an extra 10 minutes.
Don’t forget to take pictures and mingle with your guests. Enjoying yourself is very important. You have worked very hard to get this dinner prepared and presented to your guests. Try to be in the moment and enjoy it. Don’t forget to take pictures so you can remember your special gathering.
I hope this post was helpful. I will try to post three times a week through the holidays. There is so much I want to share with you so keep coming back for some more ideas for the next couple of weeks. Check me out on social media as I post very frequently there with updated pictures from my home and what I’m up to.
