Final 12 months, we hosted 23 individuals for Thanksgiving Dinner. Whereas which may not look like lots of people for some, it’s an enormous quantity for us! For one factor, I’m no Martha Stewart, so cooking a meal for a crowd that measurement was already intimidating sufficient. However we additionally don’t have an extra-large eating room, and even an open-concept flooring plan that makes a room really feel extra expansive.
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Our eating and lounge mixed is simply 300 sq. ft. So how is it even attainable to host that many individuals in such a restricted area?
That’s a query I ought to have requested myself as our visitor listing grew from only one household to yet one more. However as a substitute of asking questions, I discovered myself joyfully accepting each request to affix us on Thanksgiving Day. I suppose it’s because my coronary heart for my family and friends should be greater than any doubts I’ve about my small home.
To my shock (and nice aid), I found it’s completely attainable to host a big group in a small area — with some creativity. So, for anybody like me, who has a way of optimism that’s immeasurably bigger than the dimensions of their house, right here’s what I realized from internet hosting 23 individuals in our humble abode.
Serving buffet-style is the way in which to go.
When area is at a premium, serve your Thanksgiving dinner buffet-style. A sideboard or buffet is right for placing out a wonderful array of luxurious Thanksgiving dishes. But when that isn’t an possibility, you may at all times current your Thanksgiving unfold in your kitchen counter tops or island, leaving extra room on the desk for individuals to dine. As a result of our kitchen isn’t spacious both, we rapidly ran out of countertop area, so we served our drinks and dessert from the kitchen, appetizers on a facet desk, and saved our foremost dishes and sides on the eating desk.
Who says everybody has to take a seat on the dinner desk?
I like my mother-in-law’s artistic answer to seat everybody collectively at her Thanksgiving dinners: She joins two tables collectively, covers them in overlapping matching tablecloths and lets the desk lengthen into her lounge. However we selected to go the much less formal route at our home and let individuals sit wherever they happy. Fall climate is normally cool and nice the place we reside, so a few of our company selected to eat outdoors on the deck. Some selected to take a seat on our lounge couches and we offered small tables for many who wanted them. However many of the youngsters liked our wild suggestion for them to take a seat on the ground of the hallway and eat!
Put together for extra bumps and spills when feeding a crowd.
Feeding a crowd in a good area means there’s a better chance for messes. And with youngsters, it’s nearly inevitable. It’s finest to let mother and father sit and feed their infants and toddlers at a desk. However our uncarpeted hallway labored surprisingly nicely for the older youngsters. Spills had been really easy to wipe off the flooring and partitions (sure, partitions), however for these consuming in our lounge, we put washable throws on the ground to guard our stunning, white, shag carpet. We nonetheless use that nifty little trick whereas consuming in the lounge to maintain our carpet almost pristine.
Plan some enjoyable group time.
Simply since you’ve unfold everybody all through your private home for the meal doesn’t imply you may’t spend some high quality time collectively as a gaggle. After dinner, we cleared our plates and all of us cozied up in our lounge to sing songs collectively and play some group video games. Whereas there are many get together board video games to select from, there are additionally many concepts you could find on-line for group video games which are low- or no-cost.
Create some lasting reminiscences.
I’m so grateful that we deserted all doubts and insecurities about having a small residing area to make this extra-large gathering occur. We created some lasting reminiscences that aren’t in any respect about being careworn, squished, and uncomfortable in a small home, crowded with individuals. Our Thanksgiving reminiscences are solely of sharing a joyful, treasured time surrounded by family and friends in our love-filled house.
Supply: Residence Remedy
