We host thanksgiving every year for family and friends. Several years ago we decided to do meals from different countries. So far we've had Italian,French,and this year Spanish. It has added a element of learning and tasting different foods.

I host every year for my in laws and some of our friends, usually 10-12 people. I try to rotate in one new item every year, but my in laws resist change! I can usually experiment with the green vegetable. The year someone brought angel food cake with pumpkin sauce instead of pumpkin pie, almost caused a riot!

not this year! But hoping it will be warm.

I leave the cooking to the culinary experts in my family. For my part, I help clean up well...this includes eating everything on my plate as well as clearing away the dirty dishes :) #BeSeenBeSafe

I host a Thanksgiving Eve Pie Party. The main dish is quiche or pot pie and everyone brings a pie they've made for dessert. We get a variety and aren't too full to enjoy it. This is simple, fun and no pressure.

Really like that idea, bat. Sounds like fun!

Te

We have over 50 at our Thanksgiving table every year. All are Dads, Moms, Brothers, Sisters, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, grandchildren, and great grandchildren of the host and hostess.

We have a very small family. I host Thanksgiving Dinner each year. It's a very traditional dinner, and everyone is asked to come comfortably dressed ready for a good meal and family fellowship. We have a Bible reading and discuss our thankfulness for our blessings. It's also the day we rid ourselves of pumpkins. We love shooting guns, so everyone (no kids in the family) that wants gets to target shoot pumpkins. It's so fun and a good stress reliever for those who need it. Then we settle in for the movie, "Christmas Vacation" where we all laugh and prepare for the next holiday. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Wishing everyone a great celebration.

We own a bed and breakfast in central Florida and always host Thanksgiving. As soon as the breakfast dishes are cleaned up, my friend from Miami and I, start preparing an elaborate feast. This year we will have 20 guests for dinner so I will roast a turkey and grill a turkey. We are adding some different sides this year - collard greens and macaroni and cheese along with the traditional dressing, sweet potatoes, green beans and mashed potatoes.

For more than 20 years Thanksgiving has always been at my house. My MIL did not like to cook very much so she had the meal once, I think. Unfortunately, she passed this summer and will not be here, but my son and some of his friends will be here. This will help a lot. We always have made a house party of the entire weekend, so I am making coffee cakes and pastries for breakfasts and snacks. I always do the big traditional dinner on Thanksgiving day. We are all accustomed to having the big meal of the day in the evening, so our Dinner will be served at 6pm. One of my specialties is pie, so there will be several pies, including an apple pie made with rose water that requires no sugar and pumpkin pie from an old family recipe. Most of the meal is the same as we have every year so I can whip through the preparations without really thinking much about it. I will make the pies in the morning and the rest of the meal in the afternoon. Our turkey gets smoked in the Big Green Egg while the ham bakes in the oven late in the afternoon. We all relish the sameness of this holiday from one year to the next. Christmas is the time for a totally new meal every year but Thanksgiving is always the same. The people change a bit, but the meal is comfortingly the same.

Table set. Pumpkin ceramic place cards hold dark chocolate caramel treats from Trader Joe's, fall leaves collected in the mountains and pressed and dried are sprinkled around the house. Tiny LED battery operated lights from RAZ add magic all around. Serving pieces are designated and waiting in the cupboard. Almond cakes with kirsch and sour cream pound cakes done and in the freezer. Tiny pumpkins and gourds line the ledge of the stone columns on front porch. Spiced hot apple cider recipe ready to go. Thinking of making a "I am thankful...." List personalized for each of my adult children letting them know the little things I am thankful for about them and their lives. Print it in the computer and tuck under their plates.

Table in progress.

One trend I am noticing is decorating for Christmas before Thanksgiving. I like to savor the holiday and continue the fall decor one more day.

I will have guests here for Thanksgiving this year. 6 or 7 people, small group, but I'm looking forward to it. We usually go to my brother's house every year, but this year we will be at home for the first time in about 20 years. The menu includes some not exactly traditional dishes, ham, sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes, baked parmesan asparagus, whole hot garlic green beans, fried corn (in a skillet with lots of butter and whole cream added at the last), a fresh fruit salad, yeast rolls, a buttermilk pie, a coconut pie, a lemon glazed pound cake, and a fresh apple cake. And of course hot spiced cider and egg nog... Not very lo-cal, but who cares?? It will be fun, and whatever table decorations I use will be rustic, red-leaved small branches in mason jars, candles in rustic holders, that kind of thing. (I live way out in the woods, so that's what I have on hand.) I'll post pictures later on...

I will be hosting a very large meal for a small group of family and friends. I love to cook and I love it when everyone enjoys it! My dinner will be my scrumptious old fashioned dressing that was my grandmother recipe handed down to me from my mom. The turkey will be smoked and my ham is from Honey Baked(simply because everyone loves it) . I cook lots of vegetables, green beans, turnip greens, roasted corn( prepared in oven), purple hull peas, red potatoes w/ fresh rosemary, carrots in a white wine sauce( delicious). I always cook macaroni and cheese because its always a favorite for everyone. My meal is never complete without "hot water cornbread" and hot rolls. My desserts this year will be a simple to make 7 up pound cake with strawberry and cream topper and sweet potatoe pie is a staple in my home! We all give thanks to Jehovah God and we all tell why we are grateful for our lives. I always have carry out plates available for those who want to take food home with them! To God be all the glory, and I pray that all of God's children have a wonderful Thanksgivings.

This will be my first Thanksgiving in my new house and the second one that I have ever cooked. I'm very stressed out and excited to have my family over at the same time. If the turkey doesn't turn out, there's always salad. I don't think I can screw that up :0)

ncntada....I love your attitude and leave out the stress just keep the excited! My first Thanksgiving in a house that had two ovens taught me just that. I was so excited and carefully set the oven to cook the turkey overnight. The next morning I woke to a blackened, charred piece of coal. My "careful setting" had gotten the right temperature but the wrong oven! Fortunately, I had a frozen turkey breast that I threw in and managed to at least have food on the table.

I'm afraid I don't always take my own advice though and tend to stress out a bit toward the end of cooking pretty much every holiday meal. I have a wonderful daughter who steps in and pushes me out of the kitchen to finish everything up. Advice we should all take is to "just breathe." Holidays are no fun when the food is more important than the family and friends.

With my double ovens broken and waiting on city approval of our remodel plans, we will have a sous vide turkey breast finished off in my small convection oven with a honey garlic glaze. It won't be as adventurous as last year's turducken, but it sure will be a whole lot easier. The rest of the feast will be prepped by me but cooked in my adult children's ovens who fortunately live close by.

Since one set of grandchildren are with their father on alternate holidays, we will have our Thanksgiving celebration on Friday when everyone can be together.

When life throws up a road-block, look for an alternate route!

We are all gathering at my sister-in-laws along with her family, so about 30 of us. We are in Louisiana so Cajun fried turkey, smoked turkey, dressing, green bean casserole, 7 layer salad, sweet potato casserole, mixed vegetable casserole, fresh cranberry relish, rolls and bread pudding is on the menu.

Mark Bischak, my one daughter teaches at university and invites any of her students who are not going home to join us for Thanksgiving. It's what we do...

My daughter is hosting her first Thanksgiving but since she is not an experienced cook, she's asked me to come over early to help with everything. I have a feeling I will end up cooking most of the meal!

We live in Kuwait, and my 1st Thanksgiving here was the worst ever...I invited locals and no one came! So now I do a formal sit down Thanksgiving dinner for 40 Americans who would have no family to go to, I always make a little speech about the Pilgrims and finish with "being thankful for the kindness of strangers" I go all out with the decorations, to make everyone feel special, and that it is an important event in the history of America. I cook the entire meal myself, except if someone tells me that they have to bring a specific dish because it would not be a Thanksgiving with out it.

Beautiful. I'm sure they are thankful for you and your kindness. Well done!

My boyfriend and I are hosting Thanksgiving for my three adult children, my son's girlfriend, and my parents at my vacation home. It is a central location for all of them. I have to bring extra pots and pans, serving dishes and so much more but it is worth it to have everyone together. The house is high altitude so we have to put the turkey in sooner!!!

Ncntada, don't make your menu too fussy and allow yourself plenty of time on Thanksgiving day. You'll be fine.....afterwards thank God it all worked out......

We are hosting our second annual "Pie Noon" open house...eat dessert first! We had 33 come through last year!

I have to work the night shift. I'll be off Friday at 7 AM.

we meet our son in law's family at a campground and have our celebration at the large gazebo there. The day is spent hiking, playing games and of course, deep frying the turkeys. At night we visit around the fire pit.

Of course I love Thanksgiving, but I've got to be honest...the meal preparation defeats me. I love setting the table, done many days in advance. But the cooking of so many different things sends me into a tizzy. So last year I asked some guests to bring a specific dish and it did help, but I still found it to be too much for me. Maybe it's age.
This year we will be attending an AA Gratitude meeting in the morning with our family member who has been sober for nearly 6 months. Then we'll go to a family member's home for the meal.
Enjoy the day no matter who cooks it!

Thanksgiving will be at my house as usual and I truly enjoy that time with all of my family. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday because it's all about family for me.

Our original plan was to have family at our house, however my husband's elderly parents began coming up with excuses why they would not be able to come. They live one hour away, an easy commute via interstate or main highways and roads clear of snow. We determined that they are just plain scared they might get lost getting to our house, this has happened before. They will not use the car GPS or cell phone maps, but they do have a print out map. Of course they do not want to admit age (mid 80's) might be catching up with them and we certainly don't want to embarrass them by making a big deal about it. So we will celebrate at their home this Thanksgiving, but with a twist. My in-laws are from the South and when hosting have always put on a big show at Holidays. So I know my mother-in-law will want to do things up the same way she has in the past. I'm going down to their place a day ahead of schedule and make sure she doesn't kill herself in the process! Keep it simple, other family members will be bringing food, and there's no reason to slave and cook like she's going to feed an army! Thanksgiving really isn't about having the house spic and span, all the snack trays, big holiday dinner, desserts or football games, it's about sharing time with family and friends, especially the elderly, cause we never know how much time any of us has. Wishing you all at Houzz and all who read this a wonderful Thanksgiving!

My daughter hosts Thanksgiving at her house and the guests list includes my ex and his new wife, her husbands parents who are also divorced and their spouses/S.O., kids, siblings, step-siblings and ex/step siblings...everyone gets along great it's always fun times. I'm in charge of appetizers this year.

@Judy.... wow.... just wow.... I applaud you all!

Would never happen in our house! But good for you all!

Thanksgiving at our house. Turkey is actually easy to cook, it is more a timing issue. Bigger issue is having vegan guest! No butter, bacon, egg, honey, etc! Fortunately, Trader Joe's makes a good tofu "turkey" with gravy so will get that for him. One thing I will add, if you have elderly family, treasure them! Five years ago we had 6, now only one is left, and she is fragile. Thought would have at least one more holiday season with my Dad, but he died in June...

Yes, I am hosting this year, 20 family members , my favorite party is setting the table , then sitting around the table with the family . It is much preparation but everyone brings a fish which certainly helps .

Yes , we alternate hosting, it is my turn with 20 people . It's a terrific holiday and my favorite part is setting the table and enjoying the company. Family members bring a dish which lightens the load . Happy Thanksgiving !

My post uploaded twice , sorry about that ! How can we delete replicate posts?

Nancy, are you on a PC? If so its just clicking the x in the upper right corner of the post/comment. I don't believe the option is a available on tablets. :)

@Nancy...it's so pretty though...I don't mind seeing it replicated!

Really it is....Whynot? ;) It is pretty. :)

I was planning to host 16 this year but our mostly diy kitchen remodel is dangerously far from the finish line. So I called my sister yesterday and she's taking over graciously. I'm still cooking nearly everything but the bird, but at least I can take my time getting the details in the kitchen done right. And it will be gorgeous by the time I host my huge Christmas Eve party! Here's the mess this am, granite comes tomorrow! I can't wait to have counters again! Just a zillion coats of paint to go, and a million subway tiles to install. Sigh
Pics of before, and the mess today, aftershave coming soon!

Congrats on the new kitchen for the new year! Enjoy! :)

I am hosting a very special Thanksgiving. My parents are both ill; my Father has cancer and my Mother has Alzheimers. I have moved them in with me. This summer my Dad was hospitalized 6 times and almost died in ICU. I live in the south and they are from the north so this will be the first Thanksgiving they will have with us and their grandchildren. We have a lot to thank God for...Dad's cancer is in remission and he is doing great, Mom has begun to adjust to the change in environment and my daughter is pregnant with our first grandchild and their first great grandchild! 8). God is so good! Oh yeah, dinner will be traditional turkey and the "fixins". Happy Thanksgiving y'all!!!

teich3 God bless you & yours. My heart is touched!

teich3 Gob Bless You and Your Family. I have walked that road myself and it isn't an easy one. Congratulations on your first grandchild! Hope you all have a Happy Thanksgiving, the wonderful silver lining is all of your family will be together. My prayers are with you and what you're going through. Cynthy

I am a New Yorker but am married to an Irishman and we're living on the SE coast or Ireland. As much as I love this charming little country, I do miss home. My husband likes to help me keep "American traditions" as much as possible so, although I have no family here, we are having our group if friends over to celebrate with American style dishes on Sunday. I'm excited to share some of the dishes that I was raised with and for many of our friends it will be their first time experiencing such fare!

Having thanksgiving at my relatives and don't have to cook a thing!
-Angeline,GKB

We have the biggest table and the best cooks at our house.