Thanksgiving as a guest question

[jiminyC_fan]

As one who has hosted for 43 years all Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas gatherings, I found this whole thread interesting. It is an expensive and time consuming ordeal. IF anyone asked me to bring rolls, cider and a veggie tray I would certainly be willing. You have to take into account what the hosts are putting out for the family gathering. Next time, host it yourself and don't ask anyone to help you. You would certainly see it from a different prospective. As the host, I really don't care if someone brings the salad that I personally don't like or brings a duplicate of what I made. It's ok if they bring the canned cranberries instead of fresh. If you would like to introduce us to your baked squash, feel free to do so. We might find another dish that we can't live without. It's the fact that they are putting out the effort to help that I appreciate the most.

A private dinner not related to a holiday is different. I don't ask or expect help with food.

 

[brooke789]

My ILS always have everyone bring something. I usually ask what's on the menu before I decide what I'm bringing. For example, for Thanksgiving this year the only dessert was pumpkin pie which the kids would not eat. So, I said I'd bring a variety of desserts. We also get hungry waiting so I brought a snack mix to munch on while we waited to have our meal! Christmas will work the same!

For my sister's house when we get together for Xmas, I'll make half the appetizer type foods. For my parents which we'll drive many hours to attend and stay for a weekend we don't take anything. We encourage buying everything from the frozen section or a restaurant and we'll buy it!

 

[arminnie]

Yes - I live in New Orleans (uptown on St. Charles). Moved here 10 days before Katrina. (answer to a question page or two back). I love New Orleans food. I think people are willing to do things differently (loved the boiled turkey example) so don't feel as pressured to have all of the traditional food. I just was surprised when a dinner a few years ago didn't have mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes or cranberry anything. Now don't get me wrong - the food was fabulous. I love oyster dressing and mirliton casserole. Oyster and artichoke soup, spinach madeline, oyster patties, eggplant dressing are other dishes that are more likely to show up in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast than in other parts of the country. This year we had carrots with lots of cayenne - delicious.

 

[LSUmiss]

Yes - I live in New Orleans (uptown on St. Charles). Moved here 10 days before Katrina. (answer to a question page or two back). I love New Orleans food. I think people are willing to do things differently (loved the boiled turkey example) so don't feel as pressured to have all of the traditional food. I just was surprised when a dinner a few years ago didn't have mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes or cranberry anything. Now don't get me wrong - the food was fabulous. I love oyster dressing and mirliton casserole. Oyster and artichoke soup, spinach madeline, oyster patties, eggplant dressing are other dishes that are more likely to show up in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast than in other parts of the country. This year we had carrots with lots of cayenne - delicious.

Now mashed potatoes I’ll give you. We rarely have that. We are more apt to have rice & gravy. My mil always makes mashed potatoes, but she is not originally from here. I prefer mashed potatoes over the rice myself though.

ETA: 10 days before Katrina-yikes!

 

[Southernmiss]

As one who has hosted for 43 years all Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas gatherings, I found this whole thread interesting. It is an expensive and time consuming ordeal. IF anyone asked me to bring rolls, cider and a veggie tray I would certainly be willing. You have to take into account what the hosts are putting out for the family gathering. Next time, host it yourself and don't ask anyone to help you. You would certainly see it from a different prospective. As the host, I really don't care if someone brings the salad that I personally don't like or brings a duplicate of what I made. It's ok if they bring the canned cranberries instead of fresh. If you would like to introduce us to your baked squash, feel free to do so. We might find another dish that we can't live without. It's the fact that they are putting out the effort to help that I appreciate the most.

A private dinner not related to a holiday is different. I don't ask or expect help with food.

No true words ever spoken

 

[luvsJack]

Yes - I live in New Orleans (uptown on St. Charles). Moved here 10 days before Katrina. (answer to a question page or two back). I love New Orleans food. I think people are willing to do things differently (loved the boiled turkey example) so don't feel as pressured to have all of the traditional food. I just was surprised when a dinner a few years ago didn't have mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes or cranberry anything. Now don't get me wrong - the food was fabulous. I love oyster dressing and mirliton casserole. Oyster and artichoke soup, spinach madeline, oyster patties, eggplant dressing are other dishes that are more likely to show up in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast than in other parts of the country. This year we had carrots with lots of cayenne - delicious.

Oh wow! 10 days before Katrina! I would have had to have some serious doubts about our choice of moves after that!

We love New Orleans and the food is the best part!!!

 

[Wishing on a star]

Just noticing that this thread is still on page one.
I just have to say... Look around people... Look at some of the issues here in our families, communities, our Nation, the world.
If being asked to bring something to help out with a gathering, or the possibility of two similar pies or casseroles, is something that one might be so offended over, or post almost TEN pages over... Is that really where we want to be?

Let's all offer Thanksgiving and offer Peace and understanding.

 

[arminnie]

Oh wow! 10 days before Katrina! I would have had to have some serious doubts about our choice of moves after that!

We love New Orleans and the food is the best part!!!

Your food (South Mississippi) is just as good. It’s a Gulf Coast thing (including Alabama).

I went to college in New Orleans but lived all over the country for decades because of work. I went back to New Orleans multiple times a year staying with friends. As I’d sold my CA home and was living with my elderly father in Arkansas I decided to bite the bullet and just buy my own place in New Orleans.

After Katrina I was really not that worried that i’d lost my home - but I was afraid I’d lost my city. I have a small condo on St Charles - not one of those big homes. I’m on a high floor and the flooding basically stopped at st charles anyway. My only furniture was a couple of air mattresses and 2 folding chairs. It cost me $62.50 to fix the wind damage so I was very fortunate.

I love New Orleans. I could have lived anywhere after taking early retirement - but I love it here. It’s so unique. Go Saints.

 

[arminnie]

Now mashed potatoes I’ll give you. We rarely have that. We are more apt to have rice & gravy. My mil always makes mashed potatoes, but she is not originally from here. I prefer mashed potatoes over the rice myself though.

ETA: 10 days before Katrina-yikes!

Rice with pork gravy is one of my very favorite foods.

 

[Pamlur]

I love New Orleans, too, and it has been a few years since I got there. I need to go back soon and refresh my soul.

 

[CarolAnn856]

Just noticing that this thread is still on page one.
I just have to say... Look around people... Look at some of the issues here in our families, communities, our Nation, the world.
If being asked to bring something to help out with a gathering, or the possibility of two similar pies or casseroles, is something that one might be so offended over, or post almost TEN pages over... Is that really where we want to be?

Let's all offer Thanksgiving and offer Peace and understanding.

Um, the vast majority of posts are nothing like you describe. And of the few that are, people were mostly saying that was the case for smaller dinner parties, not large family holiday meals.

Perhaps, instead of chiding people, you should examine why you paint everyone with the same, ridiculously exaggerated, brush. That attitude is doing great harm in this world.

 

[smiths02]

I did Thanksgiving this year, but only for 8 people. I didn't have anyone else bring anything (but I didn't cook everything either, I ordered some of the food).

For all other holidays, we drive to my in-laws out-of-state (and usually Thanksgiving, until this year). We aren't usually asked to bring anything because we have to drive so far, we had small children, and they already had an established menu of who cooks what; however, between the women up there (grandmother-in-law, great aunts-in-law, and MIL), no one cooked everything even though the houses often rotated. Doing an elaborate meal for 20 or more people is very difficult and expensive, not to mention oven room and refrigerator room.

 

[ronandannette]

Just noticing that this thread is still on page one.
I just have to say... Look around people... Look at some of the issues here in our families, communities, our Nation, the world.
If being asked to bring something to help out with a gathering, or the possibility of two similar pies or casseroles, is something that one might be so offended over, or post almost TEN pages over... Is that really where we want to be?

Let's all offer Thanksgiving and offer Peace and understanding.

Feel free to start threads about some of those things (instead of about bathrobes) if there’s something in particular you’d like to discuss. But if you thought this was a think-tank dedicated to solving the world’s problems, you’re mistaken.