dancglady Posted November 1, 2008 Share Posted November 1, 2008 We are having a few extra people for Thanksgiving this year. A few extra people in our little 900 sq ft house it a lot extra! Should we do buffet instead of sit down? What do you do at your home? BTW I refuse to do a kids table... I always hated that when I was a kid! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrabbler Posted November 1, 2008 Share Posted November 1, 2008 It depends on whether you have the room to do a buffet area. I have a great room, dining room/living space all one large area and a small kitchen. I set up tables end to end the length of the great room and then had a buffet area in the kitchen. I set plates and had the guests pick their seat, grab their plate and fill up in the kitchen and then sit. Since no one was in an awkward place where they couldn't stand up and get more, it worked for us. I had the usual on the table, condiments, relishes, water pitchers, milk etc but the main entrees, one had to go to the buffet area. I like buffet as long as people don't have to completely leave the conversation to visit the food. And I like buffet because then there are too many bowls on the table. Also, if the conversation is going well, sometimes people hate to interrupt to ask for food to be passed. Hope you have a great Thanksgiving! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
candlesbytammy1 Posted November 1, 2008 Share Posted November 1, 2008 I do buffet style....I understand you situation. I live in a single wide mobile home and this year we are having 14 attend (including us). The numbers keep going up every year. The only good thing is, I make 2 turkeys, potatoes, and corn...the basics and everyone else brings a dish or two with them. It makes it alot easier. When the turkeys are done everything is set up and ready to go. They help themselves and sit down where ever they can find room. Good luck and enjoy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jstluvem Posted November 1, 2008 Share Posted November 1, 2008 with 8 children -(3 at home the other 5 bring their spouses and our grandchildren) so the total is 21(unless others drop by ) for dinner so a buffet is our friend....we have a kitchen/dining combo and we do a childs table.While it is not connected to the "adult" table it is very close.Our grandchildren get to set their table with the same placesettings and all the trimmings just like the big one. If you are not against it, you could ask the children who will be coming over how they might feel. However you decide, have a blessed Thanksgiving. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcster Posted November 1, 2008 Share Posted November 1, 2008 We go to my MIL's. She does it family-style (take some and pass). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
booga12345 Posted November 1, 2008 Share Posted November 1, 2008 We always do buffet style. I like it, because there is more space on the dining table. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noehlp Posted November 1, 2008 Share Posted November 1, 2008 We always do family-style. But usually it's just my mom, the kids, and I, so not too many people. But if I were having a lot of people and had the room, I would so go buffet style. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samisma Posted November 1, 2008 Share Posted November 1, 2008 It depends on how many extra. The past two years we've had 13-15 in which case we do it family style. This year it looks like we might have more than that, in which case it will be buffet style. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stacyk9 Posted November 1, 2008 Share Posted November 1, 2008 We do buffet-style. Keeps alot of extra stuff off the table while we're trying to eat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angel-too Posted November 1, 2008 Share Posted November 1, 2008 We always have a large group and do buffet style. I think everything stays warmer and remains that way set up in the kitchen for second helpings! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avsfan Posted November 2, 2008 Share Posted November 2, 2008 We always do buffet (potluck) for about 15-20 people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kellane26 Posted November 2, 2008 Share Posted November 2, 2008 We have a lot of people so we do buffet style (potluck). It's much easier this way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leefamily23 Posted November 2, 2008 Share Posted November 2, 2008 I think it depends on what you can do. We switch up the 3 major holiday's. My mother does Thanksgiving. She is able to serve us all family style at her dining room table. Usually there is in the range of 10-13 people. My sister does Christmas, and usually there is 9-10 of us. She cannot accomdate us all at her table, so we do a buffet style meal. Then pick a seat wherever you can get one between her kitchen and living room (which are open and connected). I usually do Easter. In the past I always could accomodate the 10-13 people in my dining room. So we all had it sit down- family style. This year we are in a much smaller place (about 1/2 the sq footage). If I continue to do Easter, it will have to be buffet style (I have no dining room now, and my eat in kitchen is not large enough for everyone). Personally, I prefer sit-down, family style meals. Just had a funny thought, when we do our holiday meal at my inlaws I always refer to it as "grab n' growl". There is never enough room for everyone to sit- anywhere, and never enough food. Always baffles me because it's always the same # of people every year, so it should be better planned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lelee24 Posted November 2, 2008 Share Posted November 2, 2008 We usually have 18-22 depending on girlfriends, step-kids, etc. so we do a buffet. Makes it easy to leave things out for 2nd helpings and late arrivals, etc. My mom always worries about me having to "entertain" that many, but I love it...even trying to figure out how many extra tables to set up and how far I can exten my dining room table. One year we had one end in the foyer...too funny! The more the merrier! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kandy Posted November 2, 2008 Share Posted November 2, 2008 I do it as a buffet style. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancglady Posted November 3, 2008 Author Share Posted November 3, 2008 I think it depends on what you can do. We switch up the 3 major holiday's. My mother does Thanksgiving. She is able to serve us all family style at her dining room table. Usually there is in the range of 10-13 people. My sister does Christmas, and usually there is 9-10 of us. She cannot accomdate us all at her table, so we do a buffet style meal. Then pick a seat wherever you can get one between her kitchen and living room (which are open and connected). I usually do Easter. In the past I always could accomodate the 10-13 people in my dining room. So we all had it sit down- family style. This year we are in a much smaller place (about 1/2 the sq footage). If I continue to do Easter, it will have to be buffet style (I have no dining room now, and my eat in kitchen is not large enough for everyone). Personally, I prefer sit-down, family style meals. Just had a funny thought, when we do our holiday meal at my inlaws I always refer to it as "grab n' growl". There is never enough room for everyone to sit- anywhere, and never enough food. Always baffles me because it's always the same # of people every year, so it should be better planned.LOL that is funny. My DH and I always fight because "we make too much food" I would rather have too much then not enough! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theboyzmom Posted November 3, 2008 Share Posted November 3, 2008 it really depends on your set-up and how many people... with Thanksgiving, I usually host and have 9-10 people, I can fit 8 at the main table and a small table to the side for my twins works well for us we just had my ds 13th birthday and had 20 people here...no place for everyone to sit, so we did it buffett and had two tables set up in different rooms and tray tables in the room connecting the two rooms you do what you have to do....I prefer family style, so whenever possible, that's what I do, but sometimes it just won't work and I agree with leefamily23...food should be much better planned...I ALWAYS over make cause I'd rather have leftovers too (like dancglady) :) although one year at my grandmother's for Thanksgiving (this was many years ago), we were sitting family style, but the food was passed around and when it got back to the head of the table, my grandmother put whatever was leftover into Tupperware!!!! Nobody got seconds on anything!!!! It was a weird year cause she also set the table with paper plates, plastic silverware and Dixie cups with water (dishes were never a problem cause I always washed them for her).... families....lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts