Have you and your friends decided that instead of traveling home for Thanksgiving you should all stay at school and celebrate together? Have your friends also decided that you have the best house to hand out at? Being a first time host for a holiday can be stressful but if you make sure to have all your turkeys in a row (couldn’t pass on that corny pun-sorry not sorry!) it will be much easier and enjoyable for you!
First things first, don’t panic!
Know your staple items and if you don’t have them yet- GO BUY THEM!
The grocery store only gets more frustrating the closer to the Thanksgiving you get. Check these items off your list and if you need recipes check out the ones below.
-Turkey: ‘World’s Simplest Thanksgiving Turkey’ – FoodNetwork
-Stuffing: ‘Classic Stuffing’ – Martha Stewart
-Mashed Potatoes: ‘Classic Mashed Potatoes’ – Epicurious
-Veggies: ‘Best Thanksgiving Vegetable Side Dish Recipes’ – FoodNetwork
-Pies: ’35 Best Thanksgiving Pies’ – CountryLiving
Assign out side dishes to friends that are attending.
You’re already hosting the event, take some responsibility and items above off your list and ask friends to sign up to bring different items. To make things even more fun ask everyone to bring something that is traditional to their family celebrations. Everyone will get a taste of home and it’s a fun way to try new things!
Know how to cook your turkey the day of.
This is imperative. No pressure, but the turkey is the star of Thanksgiving it is the most important part! Turkey’s take a long time to thaw and prepare. Know how to do it right. You’ll feel like a superhero when it all comes out perfectly! The NYT How to Cook a Turkey Guide is perfect, review the steps and follow the directions its as easy as that.
Make your home festive.
This may sound silly, but a few flowers, a pumpkin, and some hand turkeys go a long way. If you really want to kick it up a notch get some candles for your table- it will really set the ambiance. Pinterest’s Thanksgiving Table Decor is a great place to start for ideas or try your hand at the crafty Leaf Turkeys above. The bonus is this is where you really get to let your creativity run wild, it can be as simple or as intricate as you want it to be!
Make sure you have enough dishes/flatware.
I cannot state this enough. We all generally have a mish-mash of dishes. If you are expecting 10 people but only have 6 plates- go get some paper plates. You can find some really fun holiday themed ones in stores right now. There’s nothing worse than stressing over people needing to share plates or silverware. BONUS- cleanup becomes a breeze!
Make a playlist.
Put together a mish mash of your favorite songs, some holiday favorites and some oldies. Instant entertainment and it will stop everyone from fighting over who gets to pick the next song at least for the first few hours. (Does this only happen to me?!) If your short on time leave it up to the experts at Spotify with their ‘Turkey to Table’ playlist.
Last but certainly not least….
ENJOY!
Enjoy your first grown-up-ish celebration with friends! It is guaranteed to be the first of many. This is the time in life when you realize your friends become your family. Feel grateful for the love and support you are surrounded by and try not to overeat yourself into a food coma.