fluffkin79 Posted October 24, 2012 Posted October 24, 2012 I volunteered to make Thanksgiving dinner this year, so I get to pick the time. An earlier meal might mean getting a nap before the BF madness begins, but if we have a later dinner I could sleep later in the AM and just stay up. I'm used to having our big meal around 3pm (how did that tradition start?), but I'm leaning towards 5pm this year. What time does your family eat? If you could change it, what time would you make it and why? Cooking the meal really isn't that big of deal for me. I have a husband and 3 kids so cooking homemade meals is pretty much a daily chore. Our Thanksgiving meal won't be much more complicated than what we eat every day. I'll make deserts and apps the day before so on T-day all I have to do is pop the bird in the oven, boil and mash some potatoes, mix up green bean casserole and stuffing, and make the gravy. I'll be feeding my family, one aunt, and 3 grandparents who barely eat. They all want to bring something, so I'm sure we'll have more than enough food. I've never hosted this side of the family so I don't know how long they'll hang around after dinner, but the grandparents do wear out quickly. I don't know if I'll be able to get to sleep after dinner even if everyone goes home early, so I'm thinking of sleeping later in the AM and staying up for BF.
guilliam Posted October 24, 2012 Posted October 24, 2012 Another thing to consider is: With the stores starting the sales earlier, is there anything you or your family will need to get in line for early? I know last year the lines for the bigger items at Walmart (xbox bundle, tvs, laptops) started forming around 5pm, and we live in a very small town. Our family usually eats Thanksgiving dinner around 2pm. But we always have.
Elmck Posted October 24, 2012 Posted October 24, 2012 We always eat at 1:00. We do a lot of the cooking and prep on Wednesday night. We have started asking anyone coming to bring a dish so that helps to. Everyone takes home leftovers too.
Kanyon71 Posted October 24, 2012 Posted October 24, 2012 We usually do anywhere from 3PM to 6PM depending on how long some things take.
faceofboe Posted October 24, 2012 Posted October 24, 2012 I try to have it early but it never fails that I'm waiting on something to cook. We usually sit down around 2 or 3.
fluffkin79 Posted October 24, 2012 Author Posted October 24, 2012 (edited) I try to have it early but it never fails that I'm waiting on something to cook. We usually sit down around 2 or 3.I think that's how my family got the 3pm lunch/supper. As a kid I remember being very hungry, but Mom kept kicking me out of the kitchen because dinner was "almost ready", for 2 hours! Now that I'm the mom, I want to help my kids out by serving our meal closer to our normal time (usually around 6:00). Being hungry in a house that smells like Thanksgiving is torture! Unlike my own mother (who was awesome BTW, but always late), I'll have a quick lunch on hand for the kids - some hot dogs or something else we can get out without much effort. Edited October 24, 2012 by fluffkin79
cassgurlie04 Posted October 24, 2012 Posted October 24, 2012 We always have had it early to mid afternoon. I don't know why my mother did it that way, and I don't know why it rubbed off on me because regular dinner time is around 530 or 6ish. But between 1 and 3 is thanksgiving dinner time.
fluffkin79 Posted October 24, 2012 Author Posted October 24, 2012 Another thing to consider is: With the stores starting the sales earlier, is there anything you or your family will need to get in line for early? I know last year the lines for the bigger items at Walmart (xbox bundle, tvs, laptops) started forming around 5pm, and we live in a very small town. Our family usually eats Thanksgiving dinner around 2pm. But we always have.I probably won't be lining up for much, if anything. As a matter of fact I'd like to say that I could skip BF, but I know better! I have most of my kids gifts taken care of already, thanks to Target's toy clearance and other deals I've stumbled over. I'll probably be looking for the typical deals this year: video games, team apparel, household stuff for myself, girly stuff (think robes, slippers, makeup, etc.). If I miss it in one place, I can always catch it somewhere else. I won't be waiting in any long electronics lines. I might wait for a little while outside a store or 2 just before opening, maybe get to JCP early if they are doing the snowglobes again, but if this year's openings are like last year's I'll probably do a lot of shopping online, the venture out to B&M's for some "nice to have's". No pressure!
mrsjackrabbit Posted October 24, 2012 Posted October 24, 2012 when i attend family get togethers, all holiday meals are early afternoon....1p-3p. im guessing it is due to family from out of town that would have to travel home afterwards. but when its just us at home, i really prefer to keep it closer to our normal dinner time 630ish.
Buckeye Shopper Posted October 24, 2012 Posted October 24, 2012 We eat around 1:00, we like to have the rest of the day to hang out and eat desserts.
Erdica Posted October 24, 2012 Posted October 24, 2012 We deep fry our turkey so we will put it in around 330 PM and eat around 5 PM. Then do pie around 630 PM and have some time to clean up and get ready to head out for BF...of course that depends on what time the stores open this year.
stacyk9 Posted October 24, 2012 Posted October 24, 2012 Last year we had two Thanksgivings at our house. On Wednesday, we had my in-laws for dinner around 6:00 pm and then my parents came on Thursday for lunch around 1:00 pm. I hate eating at odd times, so when it's at my house, I make sure it's around our usual time.
Gator Pam Posted October 24, 2012 Posted October 24, 2012 I'm in new circumstances this year, and not in my "own" home (although I'm told to think of it as my own), so I do not know what the tradition is here. When I prepared the meal entirely, I aimed for about 6:00 pm.
mgmckny Posted October 24, 2012 Posted October 24, 2012 Last year I set the time as 1pm but by the time the procrastinators showed up we ate about 3.....In my family it's best to tell them an early time if you want to eat at a certain hour since they will be late...drives my kids and I nuts!
jakesmommy403 Posted October 24, 2012 Posted October 24, 2012 We have dinner at my house, and we have a small family (just my parents and my 2 brothers, plus me and the hubby and our 2 boys). We tell them to get here any time between 12 and 12:30 and we eat at 1:00-ish. We take our time with our meal, then spend the rest of the day visiting, eating desserts, watching football, looking at BF ads, eating again. They're usually ready to leave around 8:00, and then my brother and I get ready for a night of BF shopping. I can't wait!!!
Jen198 Posted October 24, 2012 Posted October 24, 2012 We usually have Thanksgiving between 1pm - 2pm. We go to my Mom's for all the Holidays because we all love her cooking! =)
hillbillyswife Posted October 24, 2012 Posted October 24, 2012 We do 2pm but this year I want it earlier so I can get a nap lol Only problem is the earlier it is the earlier I have to get up to put the turkeys in
bribri25 Posted October 25, 2012 Posted October 25, 2012 Depends on when the opening times are.... Dinner might be at 8am this year.
angelbabymommy Posted October 25, 2012 Posted October 25, 2012 Depends on when the opening times are.... Dinner might be at 8am this year.Omg!!! I literally have tears coming out of my eyes from laughing LOL ...hillarious!
Mandy4Matt Posted October 25, 2012 Posted October 25, 2012 We eat around noon, and then graze on leftovers throughout the day.
grouchers Posted October 25, 2012 Posted October 25, 2012 Officially all holiday dinners are at 2 pm. Of course that is the target time and we usually sit down about 3.
pogiporkchop Posted October 25, 2012 Posted October 25, 2012 Whenever we feel like it - it's not like we have family dinners to go to and I've given up on cooking turkeys because no matter how small a one we get half always seems to get tossed. Maybe we'll order special take out... Boston Market is very close by...
peppysfireball Posted October 25, 2012 Posted October 25, 2012 Dinner is always noon , no matter what the holiday. At xmas we open presents afterwards. EVeryone drives to my parents next door, after dinner, we do dishes, visit and people like to get home at a decent hour.
Gator Pam Posted October 25, 2012 Posted October 25, 2012 Only problem is the earlier it is the earlier I have to get up to put the turkeys in Besides the flavor, one reason why I love dry brining my bird and then using Alton Brown's Roast Turkey recipe. A 14-pound bird only takes about a total of two hours in the oven. I do dry brine instead of using AB's brine recipe, but his brine is good too. Watch the videos on the link, if you haven't seen the Romancing the Bird episode of Good Eats. Some great tips there.And I disagree with AB about stuffing. It's great, when made in the crockpot instead of the bird!
bugsette Posted October 26, 2012 Posted October 26, 2012 Yikes with stores open early and early might be at 11:00am because my one sister in law has to get up so early to work black friday
bugsette Posted October 26, 2012 Posted October 26, 2012 years ago we use to eat at 3PM every year get earlier and earlier
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