Countdown to Turkey Day: Time to Check In

Eight, eight days to go.

You have now been getting ready to host Thanksgiving dinner, a little at a time, for three weeks. If you’ve ever wondered why hosting a dinner or party has felt overwhelming in the past, maybe this series has made some of the unconscious labor that goes into hosting more apparent. Do you have to break it up into four weeks to do it right?

Of course not.

The goal of this series has been to keep everything in bite-sized tasks to keep hosting Thanksgiving from overtaking your life in an already busy season. If you need to check your progress, here you go.

Today’s task. Check-in with those you have invited to firm up your guest count.

You can then use your guest count to finalize the amounts you need for things like ice and beverages.

Speaking of ice, I have seen two conflicting guidelines: 1/2 lb per glass or one – two pounds per person. I find the second guideline easier to remember when I’m at the store, we’ll have ten people total, so I’ll grab one bag of ice. No, we are not going to talk about our ice maker, it’s just too frustrating. The larger estimate seems to include the ice you will need to keep drinks cold, too.

In addition to ice, don’t forget you will need beverages.

Lemonade, and iced tea, both sweet and unsweetened, are excellent, budget-friendly options.

If there will be children, juices are a nice option but check with the parents. Most considerate parents of very young children will bring what their kids need. However, you know your guests and can try to anticipate what may happen. Sodas can be fun, but consider having an option without caffeine, especially if it will be a dinnertime meal.

Will you be serving coffee? Do you need decaf? Generally, you can estimate one cup per person; the same goes for hot tea. These beverages are often served with dessert. Don’t forget to have sugar, cream, etc., on hand.

Note: when it comes to alcohol today, we’re just touching on quantity estimates. Tomorrow we will discuss serving guidelines and parameters that should be put into place, and we’ll share a few recipes.

If you will be serving wine, estimate approximately one bottle for every two adults who will consume it. Just don’t open them until you need them.

Beer – estimate two bottles or cans the first hour and one each subsequent per guest.

Champagne / Prosecco – one bottle will fill six flutes. If you are only doing a toast and then serving different beverages, you only need the initial serving, plus a little extra for the one auntie who prefers prosecco. She gives the best Christmas gifts, plan accordingly.

Hard alcohol – To control your budget, you may want to limit what is available to one festive or signature drink. If you have a relative/guest with a specific preference, eg, Uncle Jack’s rum and Diet Coke, and it won’t break your budget, by all means, have those ingredients on hand.

PreviouslyAssigned menu items their dishesGiven thought to reasonable health precautionsThought about food safetyFinalized the menuInvited the guestsLearned how to keep a safe kitchenDecided what we will prep aheadThought about dishes to make aheadDecided on the turkeyLearned about homemade stockMade a plan to make doing the dishes easierEnsured we have enough place settingsCreated a plan to grocery shopCreated our soft menu planWritten a tentative guest listFigured out how our guests’ needs affect our plansCleared the tableSet the intention to keep it clear.Made a point to try to stick to the weekly chore schedule