topic Re: Your Thanksgiving Table in Home

Your Thanksgiving Table

Nicnacsmommy — Wed, 22 Oct 2014 01:10:14 GMT

Do you decorate your Thanksgiving table or cover it with food? We have a large eat in kitchen with a nice sized counter between the fridge and the bakers rack that can be used as a buffet area. At holidays though I just put the food on the table. Less up and down for everyone. I do have the table decorated now with a nice fall table cloth, placemats, and pumpkin decorations down the center.

Re: Your Thanksgiving Table

brii — Wed, 22 Oct 2014 12:34:47 GMT

I serve Thanksgiving buffet style. It's just easier that way for us. I keep rolls, a water pitcher, and wine on the table.

It's kind of annoying to pass platters of food across the table, IMO.

Re: Your Thanksgiving Table

NiteStar — Wed, 22 Oct 2014 12:55:51 GMT

We also serve buffet style. And we don't use any special plates, decor, etc. We all meet at my mom's since she is sort of the halfway point for all of us coming in from other parts of Texas, and she lives in a mobile home and since there are usually 15 or so of us there, there is not much room for anything else! LOL

Re: Your Thanksgiving Table

shesallthat — Wed, 22 Oct 2014 12:59:29 GMT

we serve buffet style,too!

Re: Your Thanksgiving Table

Mominohio — Wed, 22 Oct 2014 13:01:32 GMT

I would love to have enough space to place everything on the table, but don't. Even when the table has all leaves in it, I feel it is too crowded and doesn't look good with all the food on it (for a big holiday meal that is, now if it is just a regular meal with a salad and a lasagna, I can still make the table look nice with the food on it).

I go to a lot of trouble to set a holiday table, with centerpiece, tablecloth, placemats and chargers, candles, cloth napkins arranged in rings etc. so I don't want to get the table too full with the food. It makes it uncomfortable for people trying to juggle things.

I set a buffet on the counter between the kitchen and dining room, with all pieces matching the table settings, and often a centerpiece there as well. I want the buffet to look as good as the table does. Just seems to work out best for us.

Re: Your Thanksgiving Table

Tootie15 — Wed, 22 Oct 2014 13:10:03 GMT

We meet at mom's house and she insists (and there is no changing her mind) that we set all of the food out on the table. Brii, you are so right!! very annoying passing food across the table (and it usually happens just as you are ready to take a bite of something!!)

Re: Your Thanksgiving Table

PamelaSue72 — Wed, 22 Oct 2014 13:29:44 GMT

DH's elderly parents come to our house for all the holidays and for picnics and large family dinners. They are both in their 90s and it's very difficult for them to walk around; we are thankful that they can even come to us for dinner. DH will bring them to our house and then take them back home when they're ready to leave. We did the same for my parents when they were still living. It's important to us that our parents are able to be with us.

So yes, our table has a small centerpiece for the holidays or the dinner and I serve the food on the table. I will not make them get up to walk over to a buffet, nor will I get their food for them from a buffet. They would not want that. I put the food on the table and we all pass around the dishes. Sometimes we hold the bowl of food while they're serving themselves and then continue passing the food to the next person.

That being said, I still try to make the table as inviting as I can. A pretty tablecloth to suit the holiday, a pretty centerpiece, some lit candles, etc.

So no buffet here. I don't worry about it.

Re: Your Thanksgiving Table

mdseredyahoocom — Wed, 22 Oct 2014 13:35:40 GMT

I decorate it formally a week before Thanksgiving, and I add holiday accents. But the morning of I refresh the china, glassware, and flatware.

At meal time I remove what is ancillary decorations, and use space to fully serve the big meal, with a couple of extra heating trays on the buffet table.

I don't want my guests having to get up and down , or move around the house carrying plates of food.

My joy is in preparing and serving them and making them as comfortable as possible, without them having to work to get and eat their meal.

Re: Your Thanksgiving Table

lucymo — Wed, 22 Oct 2014 13:37:00 GMT

We do buffet style. I don't want to decorate the table and then have to take away some of the décor to make room for the food. That's what we've always done and family and friends enjoy eating at the table decorated in festive style. I look at pictures on TV and in magazines of people eating at a table with all the food there, turkey in center and it looks so nice. I also don't want to carve the turkey on my good table cloth and also the guest would probably end up with turkey all over them. Buffet style works better for me.

Re: Your Thanksgiving Table

CardinalGirl — Wed, 22 Oct 2014 13:49:57 GMT

We have a lot of guests for Thanksgiving dinner, so buffet style makes the most sense. Since we're doing buffet, I get really elaborate with my table.

Here is one table from a couple of years ago. Disclaimer: my dining room table is not this long....we also had a plywood table built that butts up against our regular table for Thanksgiving:

Re: Your Thanksgiving Table

Kindaglitzy — Wed, 22 Oct 2014 13:53:09 GMT

On 10/22/2014 PamelaSue72 said:
DH's elderly parents come to our house for all the holidays and for picnics and large family dinners. They are both in their 90s and it's very difficult for them to walk around; we are thankful that they can even come to us for dinner. DH will bring them to our house and then take them back home when they're ready to leave. We did the same for my parents when they were still living. It's important to us that our parents are able to be with us.

So yes, our table has a small centerpiece for the holidays or the dinner and I serve the food on the table. I will not make them get up to walk over to a buffet, nor will I get their food for them from a buffet. They would not want that. I put the food on the table and we all pass around the dishes. Sometimes we hold the bowl of food while they're serving themselves and then continue passing the food to the next person.

That being said, I still try to make the table as inviting as I can. A pretty tablecloth to suit the holiday, a pretty centerpiece, some lit candles, etc.

So no buffet here. I don't worry about it.

It was the same for our family for many years, when there were many elderly members who simply could not navigate a buffet. We always had side tables close by to put the food dishes on that did not fit on the table so was never a problem. Also for variety of reasons buffets that require people to eat off their lap or stand and hold their plate don't work for my family. IMO sort of rude to invite relatives and friends for a major holiday meal and not provide a table to sit at.

Re: Your Thanksgiving Table

lucymo — Wed, 22 Oct 2014 13:55:33 GMT

On 10/22/2014 CardinalGirl_ said:
We have a lot of guests for Thanksgiving dinner, so buffet style makes the most sense. Since we're doing buffet, I get really elaborate with my table.

Here is one table from a couple of years ago. Disclaimer: my dining room table is not this long....we also had a plywood table built that butts up against our regular table for Thanksgiving:

Looks very inviting. Love the tablecloth.