Do you do the traditional sit down dinner, with the good china and silverware, place cards, crystal and linen napkins or do you just have an informal meal with whatever?

Was just thinking about this after talking to my Mom, she always goes all out with all the good stuff, and then spends all afternoon cleaning everything and putting it back....Over the past few years we are started going with Paperplates, a cheap turkey roaster(disposable kind) that I sit inside my roasting pan, so no clean up there either....I try to keep the clean up to a minium because I'd rather spend the time with my family....How do you do it...

This year is definately a paper plate year since we are now hosting over 70 people.....

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We are semi formal. We do dinnerware with all the extras but not the really good stuff

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"Never loan your car to someone you have given birth too"

We do the "good stuff" and no kids table (hated being separated like this when I was a kid...all the "good stuff' always happens at the 'big" table. But, we never have more than 15. Now, if I was having 70, it would definitelly be a paper/plastic kind of day for me too!

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mabear - love the idea of the disposable roaster inside the good roasting pan. Thanks for the tip! Much easier than lining the pan with foil and then cleaning up the mess that seeps underneath.
jeanief - I agree about the kids' table. I like everyone sitting together. We're only 15 people too, so I can use the good stuff. Any more than that and I'd be using paper plates, too, mabear.

We go to DH parents on Thursday and it is the good stuff (and SIL ALWAYS brings up how expensive it is) - lots of dishes to wash.

On Friday, my parents come to my house. We don't use china, but all nice stoneware and silverware.

Growing up my mom hosted it every year and she never used paper plates, but her stuff didn't match. She didn't enough of the same plates or forks and she didn't have any steak knives. It used to drive me crazy!

Lisa

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We eat in the dining room on the good china, crystal, and silverware and real tablecloth and napkins. If we didn't, we'd never use the stuff....


cj/

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I was walking home one night and a guy hammering on a roof called me a paranoid little weirdo. In morse code. -Emo Phillips

we do the same.

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It is just my dh & I on Thanksgiving. I am lucky if I can get him to put on pants lol. Need I say more

informal these days we just stay home & its just us

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mom of 3 greats girls

Use a cooking bag!! There are bags made specially for a turkey. Makes for a wonderful moist turkey. I was watching a cooking show the other day and the chef said to cook until 150-160° with a meat thermometer to keep from overroasting.

Formal dish wear here.

I once saw a show, forget what it was......talked about how they eat off the "good stuff" every day, why save it??? I agree. We have a "good" set we use often, and my great g'mom's set we recently acquired. Not sure when/if we'll use that.

As for clean up, we all pitch in and get it done quickly, then relax over the desserts and coffee. Looking forward to Thanksgiving.

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I use a bag also.......I have never dared cook a Turkey without one...I'd be too afraid of drying it out....I just like the disposable roaster to catch all the juices, so I don't have to clean the roaster.

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"You can never really pay back. You can only pay forward."

Wayne Woodrow “Woody” Hayes

O-H-I-O

Exactly. I only bring out the good stuff on Thanksgiving since Christmas we go to my husbands parent's home. So, we really only use it once a year. Since my in-laws gave us the china, I better use when they're here!

Dressing up is fine, but not required. Jeans are welcome!

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Nothing Fancy here. I rather spend the time with my Family than putting stuff out for a show..

This year its all toss away pans and roasters. I have my Stepdaughter and her family coming in for out of state, Since we only get to see them 2 times a year , We talked it over and got all toss away so there's little to no cleaning to be done.

For the Adults its chinaware throw away. For the kids I got them Dora plates, cups and plastic forks.

I have my little dishes I will use like the trays that can be washed in just a few Min's and dip / chip trays.

But every thing that needs to be wash will and can be done in 15 Min's or less.

There's going to be 19 of us here , possibly 22.

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When I was home with Family,we did the formal Dinner nice china and silverware ,linen napkin goldtrim glasses.. now that it Dh and I ,we're so far away from our family now, we still have semi-formal each year..My Mom bought our First chine set for our wedding gift two year ago...I use it each year for Thankgiving,and christmas and our Anniversary each year..No kids so we have to enjoy it now..Happy Thanksgiving have fun with your famly and enjoy your dinner

no formal ware just pretty plastic disaposibles that look like real china.

Using formal dinnerware is not putting on a show and doesn't take away from time with my family.

In fact, the kids absolutely adore sitting at the dining room table drinking kiddy champagne from crystal glasses. They look forward to it. Washing the dishes is a family affair...and though I don't remember much from my childhood, I do remember all us girls washing dishes with grandma after the big family meal....and it is a positive experience. Only difference now is that it's boys' work too! LOL

Also on the plus side, they know how to set a formal table and how to behave, which utensil to use for what, etc. There will come a time when this experience and knowledge will come in handy for them (at a wedding, a business meeting, etc) and keep them from looking like a dolt.

Use formalware, use plastic, use paper, eat off the floor...whatever works for you... but no need to dis anybody for their choices and traditions....

cj/

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I was walking home one night and a guy hammering on a roof called me a paranoid little weirdo. In morse code. -Emo Phillips

This is exactly what we do

I hope you don't think I was implying that you were choosing Formal settings over family time....I know every family works different.

In family it would be that type of a choice, just because I'm the only one that really cleans up, so I would be loosing a great deal of family time (and football time) but growing up we used all the formal stuff, and everyone, grownups, kids, men and woman, all helped to clean up and put things away so it didn't take long......Since we always have a lot "strangers" for the holidays I like to keep it simple, because often they do not feel comfortable helping, or can sort a get in the way......

Every family is different, I was just curious as to how everyone else did it.....

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"You can never really pay back. You can only pay forward."

Wayne Woodrow “Woody” Hayes

O-H-I-O

My first marraige I did the formal..Im over it now............. kids are grown . they know how do behave, black tie and all.... youngest 16 , the rest are spread out from Las Vegas to Va.
Its the new hubby now, and we do the toss away roaster and fake china!.... lol..... Im over the hoopala of thanksgiving. Its a time to give thanks not spent in the kitchen cooking and slaving and the rest sit in front of the TV and veg....... !

coodos to those that still like the traditional and to the ones who are like me!

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"Madison AnnMarie " 6/13/2008

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Ditto for us!

Welcome to the boards luvmyrugrats we are glad you are here. If you ever have any questions dont hesitate to ask. Karrie

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"Madison AnnMarie " 6/13/2008

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Heck, no! I didn't think you implied that at all. I just wanted to point out that setting a formal table wasn't always for show and didn't always cut into family time. And I agree, every family works different. What a bore it would be if every family was the same!

cj/

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I was walking home one night and a guy hammering on a roof called me a paranoid little weirdo. In morse code. -Emo Phillips

We celebrate Thanksgiving at DH's late Grandmothers house. My family and his get together in the old country house out on the farm and it is very informal. The plates are paper as are the cups, silverware doesnt match and neither do all the chairs around the table It is very homey , warm and comfortable. Last year the boys got to ride around on the big John Deere tractor after dinner then they chased chickens

Just me and the DH so we just use our everyday plates. I usually do the clean up because he's more interested in the football games. If I sigh and bang things loud enough he gets the hint! LOL

What ever ! Did you read anywhere that I said YOU were putting on a show ? or taking time away from YOUR family. If not then leave my post alone Ok .. Didnt ask you to comment on what works for US. if was asked what do YOU as in ME and MY Family and I replied to what WE did.

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