By Caroline Dehn, AEIC
The Thanksgiving season is a wonderful excuse to show gratitude for the people you love in a variety of ways– especially with food. Friendsgiving serves as an opportunity to bring your ‘chosen family’ together and share a meal that celebrates the joy of friendship. If you are looking to host this year’s Friendsgiving, here are some tips to make the experience as low-stress and put-together as possible.
General Tips
Before getting into the nitty gritty of planning a Friendsgiving, these tips will provide some helpful guidelines for hosting.
- No need to be traditional: Sure, turkey and mashed potatoes are delicious and common dishes on the Thanksgiving table, but Friendsgiving can be a great way to experience food from all the guests’ cultures. One of the best ways to learn about people is through their familial or cultural recipes!
- The more the merrier: Though hosting a large group can be a lot to manage, Friendsgiving should not be an exclusive event. Not only will there be more food to try, but having a big group can provide you with great energy, a community feel, and gratitude going into this holiday season.
- Consider unplugging: This might be an intuitive thing when hanging out with your favorite people, but – after a few pictures of the spread and of the group together are taken – try your best to have a night of limited phone use. This holiday is about gratitude and spending quality time with loved ones. Truly immersing yourself in conversation and soaking up your time together will not be regretted.
- All contributions are good contributions: Not all friends are going to show up with a home-cooked, three-course meal and that’s okay. Just because your friend grabbed cookies from Whole Foods does not mean that they don’t care or didn’t want to put in effort – not everyone has a bunch of cooking experience or the time to create an elaborate spread. Their presence is still appreciated and needed!
Far in Advance
A potluck style dinner is the best way to limit hosting stress while also giving everyone the opportunity to bring a dish that is special to them. Long before the date of the party, make a shared document that can be sent out to all of the guests and have them mark down their contribution to the potluck. This will prevent too many repeats while also allowing others to find gaps in the menu. You can also ask the guests to mark their dietary restrictions and allergies so that everyone can be accommodated. Make sure your dorm or apartment has enough backup serving utensils and appropriate cooking tools for the more complicated dishes if you plan on making them. If a run to the store or an online order is needed, you will have plenty of time before the party to do so!
The Day Before
The day before Friendsgiving will be the designated shopping and food preparation day. Make sure to browse your cupboards to ensure you know what ingredients you already have and which ones you will need to buy. Head to the grocery store with a list of all of the foods you will need to make your dishes. In addition to the shopping, preparing some of the cooking the day before can help alleviate some of the pre-party jitters and give you more time to get your space in order for guests on the day of. Most dishes taste the same (if not better) the next day, so there’s no waste in getting this step out of the way in advance.
The Day Of
With the shopping – and possibly some of the cooking – out of the way, the long-awaited day of your Friendsgiving event can be reserved for cleaning your dorm or apartment and situating the space for a larger group. Turning on your favorite artists while cleaning will make the time go by quickly, especially if you have a roommate to help you. Lighting a delightful-smelling candle after the cleaning is finished serves as the cherry on top and will leave your space with a lovely aroma. Next, while many of us do not have large dining tables to fit a big group of people in our college accommodations, you can make a comfy space on the floor with pillows and blankets for guests to sit on. Just before guests arrive, you should throw any warm sides in the oven to reheat and put on a comforting playlist for all to enjoy. Once people arrive, it’s important to remember that your hosting duties are not necessarily done. However, it’s also important to sit back while enjoying the moment and the company of friends over some delicious food.
