Smooth Sailing Through a Dinner Party: A Thanksgiving Special

In lieu of the Thanksgiving holiday I have begun to prepare my home and my mind for the festivities and the amount of work to come. This entry is all about the recipe of smooth sailing through a dinner party. Here are some simple steps you can follow for this Thanksgiving and any holiday party to come. These are the 10 steps I have followed and will follow this Thursday. I might be missing some steps that you might find helpful so please add them below in the comment section. Thanks!

1. De-cluttering your home. My house is spacey for two but cluttered for 18. Since we are having a few families and children over I want to get rid of any nick-knacks that make a clutter or are dangerous to the little ones. Get rid of any candle sticks, souvenirs, pictures, etc. that are in children and pet reach. Also anything fragile should be put away. Don’t leave the crystal vase your great grandmother gave you out in the open on such a cluttered day. My advice, get a big storage box and pile everything in there. Shove it in the close or on the balcony for the night and feel the space just OPEN up. Also if you have a small kitchen, like I do, get ride of anything on the countertop that isn't needed. You'll need as much counterspace as possible and the air in the kitchen for this day.

2. Prepare ahead what you can, in terms of decorations, tables capes, silverware, etc. I already curled up all my napkins and stuck some rings on them. I already printed out all the table seating cards and have them ready to go. I prepared my centerpieces and votives on a tray so I can get them to the table as soon as needed. These little things can be done a week ahead and just be there waiting for you.

3. As much as you are dying to use your fancy china and crystals leave those to small dinner affairs and invest in some beautiful disposable settings. I went to Amazing Savings and picked up everything from napkins, utensils, serving plates, plates and soup bowls for my big crowd. Yes it cost about $100.00 but the clean up with be quick and we will all have a ton of time to relax and enjoy our company. I don’t have a dishwasher so I really need this, but even if you do—use the dishwasher for the wine glasses, the large serving trays and the pots and pans. Trust me your clean up will be there with or without the real plates and cups.

4. Know your menu. Don’t try to come up with your menu the day of. Sit down a few days before and really map out your menu. Write down what you need and guy out a few days before to pick up as much of the goods as possible. Some things are better bought the day of, but don’t keep everything to the night before or the day of, chances are things will run out on such holidays or you’ll end up not finding what you need.

5. Don’t experiment too much with new recipes on such days. The last thing you need is 18 people NOT eating your food because you screwed up the recipe. If you have a chance, try the recipe before to make sure it’s good and that you know how to make it successful. Also, a holiday like thanksgiving is all about traditional foods so make things you’re good at and you know will come out successful. Also, don’t make a bunch of foods that have no connection and don’t make too much of the same thing. My mission is to make a little of everything so at the end of the night nothing is left over. I’d rather people get a taste of everything on the table than just eat once dish and then me have one huge bowl of cranberry jelly left.

6. When deciding on recipes, consider how many people you have to fill. If it’s a small crowd then it’s not an issue but if you are planning to feed 15-20 + people you want to be conscious of the foods you choose. Why? Because you don’t want food that will cost you an arm and a leg. I almost spent $20.00 on brussel sprouts today and was like um never mind I’ll go for the zucchini instead. Look at your prices and make some conscious decisions. Even simple things like buying spinach. You have bunches spinach, bagged spinach and boxed baby spinach- which one would you choose? I do an entire math calculation in my head to get my money’s worth and you should too. See how much you are getting per pound and see what’s a better value. Don’t just grab and go like many people do.

7. On the night before plan out what takes the longest to prepare, the longest to cook, etc. Plan out what to do first, second and third. Check to see if you have everything you need. If you still need to run to the supermarket in the morning for one last fresh ingredient make not of it so it can be your first run in the morning.

8. The night before would be a perfect night to set your table as well. Arrange your seating. This way if you realize you need more chairs, more cups, or an additional table you still have time to call a friend and ask them to borrow. (My cousin Raya does this and so I realized what a wonderful idea it is and stole it. Thanks Raya =)

9. An hour before your guests arrive make sure the kitchen sink is clear, the counter tops are cleared of clutter and that the garbage cans are empties and refreshed with a new bag. This will really help with the clean up during and after dinner.

10. Make sure to shower before dinner, do your hair and makeup. You want to be a part of the dinner and not the servant. This is why time management is key here. Thanksgiving lunch/dinner is typically done at an early time than typical dinner parties so you want to make sure you have time for yourself.

*Thanksgiving Recipes will be shared after the Thanksgiving holiday.