Are you like me when cooking a feast for others?

Yes. I'm exactly like that at my own house. With a very few exceptions from foodie friends, mine is better. Sorry not sorry. If we're having Thanksgiving at someone else's house, though, I will enthusiastically eat whatever they're cooking and offer to bring something as well. Snobbery stops when I leave my own house. 

But I thought this post was going to be about cooking waaaaaay too much for the size of your group. Because I also do that. 

Yes, I feel that way too. I usually tell them to bring a salad, veggie tray, or appetizers. That way I can take care of the main meal. Even if someone brings a dessert, I almost always make one too.

Another reason I like to just do the meal is that I can plan for oven and frig space and make sure everything is done when it needs to be served. 
I think for me, I just want to do the hosting. It's what I like to do.

In 28 years of marriage, I’ve made 27 Thanksgiving dinners. I got the year off in 1996 when I was pregnant and on bed rest with DS. We’re a military family and have never had family with us, but lots of friends often join us. I always tell them to bring any family must-haves. But I make all the traditional foods, I just serve theirs as well. That way, I know the food is good and I may even find a new favorite, like the sweet potato casserole that I added after that one wonderful Tday dinner that a friend cooked when I wasn’t able!

Let me tell you about the barbecue seasoned Brussels sprouts. The whole wheat bread brick with no salt or sugar. Tough cookies, store bought cookies, the boiled ham with at least 209 cloves stuck in it. The people who let their dogs lick plates clean and don’t use the sanitize cycle

I don't mind what others bring. I usually make the main course and sides that I like and ask that they bring appetizers or another side so it always seems to work. What I don't like is when someone brings something and then needs to prep it when they get here. I don't have the room for that when I have several things going and it's hard to give up oven space at the last minute.

I'm right there with you. I understand the need to "bring" something but let it be fruit. Or flowers for the table. I usually don't eat from other people so I don't want your food on my table.

(That sounds so snarky. Sorry)

I like to be in control of my entire menu for a "feast". Heck, any gathering with my whole family involved was usually a feast. BUT, when my siblings or parents would ask what they could bring, I'd usually say that they could bring wine or champagne, or if they had a specialty side dish or dessert that they made, I'd ask them to make it and include it in the feast.

As a sidenote: I really miss the prep work (shopping, cleaning, setting up the table, setting up a space to put ALL of the desserts and extras), and I miss the cooking. We'd have about 20 people over and I loved it! Now we're down to 3 people here so it's laid-back, but my entire family in NY still does the huge family feast.

Hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

This is so the opposite of me. Bring whatever you want! If mine is better then that’s fine. I don’t host any dinner parties, just the kids’ friends and sometimes mine and if a friend wants to bring something that’s okay with me. I store bought my thanksgiving meal and the pie! Store bought is fine with me too.

Okay I will admit that often other people’s cooking isn’t as good as mine, my husband’s family usually cooks Christmas dinner and I will swear to you my store catered meal is better because his aunts turkey and ham are sooo dry and the veggies are all can. But it is fine. I just eat it anyway except the stuff that is just bad like the bread is usually dry and tough.

I’m with you. I don’t want anyone to bring anything. I’m a good cook and take pride in crafting a great meal. I spend a lot of time building my menu, testing my recipes, and planning the timing so everything is done at the right time. That’s way easier when I have control of the food. But people usually insist, so I assign things like bread/rolls, meat and cheese platter, vegetables and dip for before the meal, or desserts. They feel good about contributing but it doesn’t mess with my plan

I remember the year my mother in law insisted she would bring pumpkin pie. Well, I looooove pumpkin pie. During the holidays I could eat it morning, noon and night. When I was pregnant, I craved it madly. She shows up with some janky “mock” pumpkin pie that she made with CARROTS. Not a speck of pumpkin in the entire pie. I could have cried. But I did learn my lesson. No one fucks with the pie.

My mil serves her pumpkin pie uncooked and cold. Not the same as a stupid carrot pie (wtaf?) but it’s gross. So I make my own for my house because I’ve grown to love pumpkin pie as an adult. (Hated it as a child).

i am totally you. as a matter of fact, i just sent out the text to family NOT to bring anything.  people who know me, know that i'm a touch OCD about the menu landscape.  i am not an expert cook by any means but i do like the home cooked look and feel of a table.  i'm not big on the big plastic containers from the supermarket or the chaos of food that need to be heated up when people get there. i like food to be plated on serveware that compliments the table setting and not in random containers.  like i said, i'm a touch weird about stuff like that.  

Yes. If I have to do it, and apparently I do (actually I enjoy hosting and although I hate cooking I don't mind cooking thanksgiving, it's better than dh cooking and making a giant mess) then I prefer to just do it all.



OMG, yes! Dh sets the menu and provides the recipes. We're having 10 people here including us and 3 are under age 10. We'll have 3 veggies (not including 2 potatoes) and 2 cranberry sauces, 3 appetizers, 2 desserts and god knows whatelse.....and apparently cutting recipes in half is just crazy talk

Wait, as in the pumpkin is fresh out of the can and not cooked at all? Gross!

For Thanksgiving I have certain dishes that I make and my mom has a few that she makes. She's the only 'guest' that comes for the holidays so it's not a big deal. If someone was coming and wanted to bring something I'd tell them to bring whatever it is that they like to drink (alcohol or otherwise) or some rolls.