As the Thanksgiving holiday approaches I've been thinking about how nice it would be to have a more elegant and beautiful dinner this year. Maybe because in everyday life when it comes to eating meals around here it's anything but elegant and beautiful. I have a suspicion we're not alone in our habit of filling a plate with food and plopping in front of the tv to watch the evening news. I know that's bad... but sadly it's everyday life.
Our family gatherings at Thanksgiving tend to be quite informal as well. It's usually Buffet style where everyone grabs a paper plate (gasp!!) and heads for the couch or even the floor (gasp!!) to gobble up the turkey and mashed potatoes!
I remember a time growing up when my Grandmother hosted Thanksgiving dinner at her house! Now that was a true Thanksgiving celebration!
Yes... we all sat around the lace tablecloth draped dining table! The Blue Willow dishes, linen napkins and good silverware were retrieved from the buffet. We were always crammed shoulder to shoulder around that table but my Grandmother wouldn't hear of someone going off to eat in another location.
Good memories!
I've gathered some photos for inspiration and thought perhaps you'd enjoy them too!
Tall and elegant candles! Dripless would be charming... and the long zinc tray as a centerpiece... how neat is that!
So simple.. yet elegant and wouldn't these be awesome at night!
No celebration is complete without fresh flowers...
How about Pumpkin Pie Martini's served in elegant crystal stemware after dinner INSTEAD of traditional PP and (Cool Whip)gasp! ...recipe HERE
So elegant!
Go visit SimplySuzannes web page for an elegant Thanksgiving Dinner menu with recipes including one for petite Pumpkin Cheesecakes with sweet sour cream topping.
Grandma would be proud! I happened to have inherited her set of BlueWillow dishes! They are in a box in the basement and sadly haven't seen the light of day for quite a few years.... but after our kitchen remodeling is done I have plans to retrieve them and maybe next Thanksgiving they shall grace the dinner table!
So no plans for an elegant sit down dinner this year unfortunately!
It's nice to dream.
Would love to hear about your Thanksgiving table...
fancy or paper plates (gasp!!)?
Cathy G
We go to my brother's every year. Of course his significant other does everything (except carve the turkey and make the gravy). We have a sit down dinner with the good dishes and silver, but it is a very small group. Still NOTHING as elegant and classy as you have shown.
ReplyDeleteHappy Thanksgiving to you, hubby and the furbabies.
Hugs :)
Lauren
Up to our cabin in Warrens. No fancy table but I would love to do this someday!
ReplyDeleteOur Thanksgiving is small - only 10 so we will use good dishes and sit at one table. Our Christmas is a different story. We host 25 - 30 each year and that is only my husbands side! So paper plates and a buffet but we all eat in one room :)
ReplyDeleteBlessings, Patti
they're all wonderful!
ReplyDeleteI love blue willow!
(we are with the first bunch, anywhere and every where), but the memories are great, nonetheless!
When I lived in Fl it was in the dinning room, nice plates, cloth napkins. Now in the NW we have no dinning room, it's the kitchen table, nice plates, paper napkins. All the food on the island to server your self. Just not the room, which I miss. The food is always good, so that's what matters.
ReplyDeleteFancy plates and football on the tv! Hurray for dishwashers! lol!
ReplyDeleteMy parents had all meals at the table especially Thanksgiving and other holidays. Even with just my husband and I we eat at the table and Thanksgiving has all the fixings.
ReplyDeleteThanksgiving here is just DH & me. I won't bother setting a table. It will pretty much be dinner as always, but using my Fiestaware dishes rather than the usual paper plates, & still sitting in front of the TV but watching a nice Christmas movie. Lots of good eats though : )
ReplyDeleteMy daughter does Thanksgiving for me and his side of the family and it is formal all the way.. china, glassware, flowers, etc. Beautiful to sit at for 20 minutes and then hours of clean up. But she loves doing it all so that is ok with me.
ReplyDeleteThanksgiving at my house is not as fancy as it used to be. It's just my husband and I. When all the family were here with their young kids , my table had a tablecloth with cloth napkins my daughter made and was plainly set but there was nothing plain about the food and desert. Everyone went home later that night, with full tummies and great memories of good food, good wine and laughter and tired babies and kidos.
ReplyDeleteI love a nice table setting too. Some great ideas for next year.
Stay warm.
Hugs,
JB
Morning Cathy, our Thanksgiving is all done here in Canada, have it in October. Loved all the pictures you showed, Have a great one, Happy Thanksgiving, Francine.
ReplyDeletei use my Fiesta plates. Our amount of food would fold the strongest paper plate. I use to use my china until the number of guests out numbered my plates. I did buy cloth napkins and fall tablecloths last year, before that it was just plain white tablecloths. We usually have a large crowd. We operate recovery homes for Addicts and Alcoholics for men, so any that can't go home spend the day with us. A couple of families this year from church that their families were not getting together. So a large crowd. I do have to set tables up to seat all the extra people. It is nice when it is warm in Georgia and we can it outside on our covered porch. But not this Year it is COLD! I wish you and your family a Blessed Thanksgiving.
ReplyDeleteLoved these pictures, but am afraid it is paper plates and buffet for us too.
ReplyDeleteThese pictures are divine to look at, but stress inducing to actually see through !!
ReplyDeleteWe keep our table set simply and let the food be the star ;)
Rose
Since the kids just moved in we're still rather disorganized.
ReplyDeleteSoooo....it's going to be somewhere between formal and paper plates. It will be food in the middle of the table and my everyday Corelle. And we will all be in the kitchen sharing the cooking before eating.
Only four people is nice and non-stressful.