That's Entertainment

[valancy_jane]

I've run into the oddest problem that not even Miss Manners can help. No matter how hard I look, I can't find anything online that helps you plan how to serve a Thanksgiving dinner in terms of suggested arrangement, necessary tools, timing, etc. In fact, to my disappointment, most house guest-related articles seemed to focus on how to handle grumpy guests and get rid of unwanted guests. Mind, I'm not perfect, but are we all so ungracious now? It was disappointing.

Having just experienced my first hosting of a proper family dinner, I now know a few things that I should've thought of ahead of time, like, say, needing a gravy boat, tablecloth (so my beat-up table could escape criticism :p - I did say I wasn't perfect), more cloth napkins, proper serving tools, a buffet table, and a butter plate, but I'm sure there are other tips that would've helped. (In particular, setting up a full coffee/tea station in the morning would have prevented some grumpiness, as well as planning on a late-dinner snack after the Thanksgiving 2pm meal; some folks went home a little hungry, which was the opposite of what I wanted!)

If anyone has some sage advice to share, I'd appreciate it. Surely there are folks out there who still entertain?