Thanksgiving Planning

Planning a Thanksgiving dinner timetable requires grocery shopping before the rush, ordering a large turkey well in advance and doing most of the cooking the night before. Create an organized timetable, making sure to accommodate for all of the guests’ dietary needs, with tips from an event coordinator in this free video on holiday parties.

Expert: Lori Randall
Contact: www.SimplyDevineEvents.com
Bio: Lori Randall established Simply Divine Events after working as an event producer in Tampa, Fla. managing dozens of corporate affairs throughout the state and across the country.
Filmmaker: Christopher Rokosz

Duration : 0:2:3

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There are some game and family activities in the articles here
http://www.celebrationideasonline.com/fun-thanksgiving-ideas.html
some have downloadable game sheets included. Hope that helps!

How do you set your table? What sort of center piece?

Fresh flowers in Autumn colors with candlelight. I love candle light for Thanksgiving dinners, it truely brings out the feeling of the season! Have fun with it!

I’m looking to add some good vegetarian dishes to my Thanksgiving dinner this year. Simple enough for me to find the ingredients at my local chain grocery store, but a little more than just basic. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
I will be roasting a turkey, but it would be great to have at least one substantial dish that was vegetarian – I dont want to just offer sides to my vegetarian family members, I want them to have a full meal. Thanks!

Thanks for realising vegetarians don’t want to be fobbed off with side dishes.

Have a look at these recipes; we don’t have Thanksgiving where I live, but I’ve made the creamy mushroom puff and the cashew nut roast with sage and onion stuffing at Christmas before and both were really tasty

http://www.veganfamily.co.uk/yule.html

I try to have Thanksgiving dinner done by 2:00pm. While waiting, the kids always want to nibble. I need some ideas for appitizers. Not nothing to fancy, I’m busy enough with Thanksgiving Dinner. Any ideas would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Busy Mom

Veggie trays are easy and cheese and crackers. Carrots, Celery, Olives, Peppers, Cheese, Crackers, Veggie Dip Yummy! Better yet, try and get the kids outside playing a pick up football game or something – America’s youth doesnt play outside like we used to!

I’m trying to get some ideas for some new sides to bring to our familys potluck. I’m running out of ideas and am looking for a little inspiration! I’m also interested on some new salad ideas (I’m so sick of the standard fruit and ceaser salads)

Stuffing and mashed potatoes are the obvious choices. My mom usually makes sweet potatoes with marshmallows, which are absolutely delicious, and roasted veggies, like carrots. We also have green bean casserole – it’s amazing!

I am hosting a thanksgiving themed baby shower and have several games in mind but they arent thanksgiving themed. Do you have any cute ideas?

You could print out a list from gerber.com of all the baby foods they make as an answer guide for yourself, then have guests try to name as many baby foods that are similar to traditional thanksgiving foods.

It will be funny to see who thinks there is mashed potato baby food, or dinner roll baby food, etc 🙂

That is all I can think of with a thanksgiving theme.

I work in a infant/ toddler room at a day care and I get to decorate for thanksgiving! Any good ideas?

Get some baby pumpkins and some gourds to spread around. Also, those orange Halloween lights are also good for Thanksgiving. Then maybe you could have your toddlers help cut out pieces of construction paper (with a design already embedded in it) to make a turkey. You could put pieces that they cut out onto another whole piece of construction paper, and then they could see their work and their classmates’ work. 🙂

I’m looking for some unique bread recipes to make with my Turkey feast. I have a bread machine and I also enjoy traditional recipes. Any suggestions would be great.
Thanks and Happy Thanksgiving!

Pumpkin cranberry bread is always a hit, and you can make it a couple days ahead.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_20765,00.html

I’ve also baked this in a muffin pan for brunch Thanksgiving morning. Bake at same temp, but start testing for doneness after 15 min or so.

You could also make a compound butter by blending softened unsalted butter with some pumpkin pie spice.

Its just going to be my husband, son, and i for Thanksgiving this year. Both of our familys live out of state and we are not going to be able to travel this year to meet them.

Any ideas on how to go about celbrating Thanksgiving with just the 3 of us?

We would still like to have a Thanksgiving dinner, but need smaller dinner ideas.

Butterball boneless stuffed white turkey breast.
Baked boneless ham half glazed with golden corn syrup.
Baked potatoes with the skin on seasoned with celery seed.
Sauteed portebello mushrooms and snowpeas.
Baked saffron and coriander bannock.
Dr.Oetker instant caramel creme custard.
Graham crackers iced with white mint flavoured icing and decorated with Smarties.
Cranberry juice.