It’s that time of the year again, the Christmas movies are already playing, and turkeys are in supermarket freezers as far as the eye can see. The grocery stores are filling up and Thanksgiving break feels closer than ever! For most this is a time to spend with family and friends, making new memories and reliving the old ones. As many are busy making plans to fly home, do a mini vacation somewhere, or just visit family somewhere on the island, some of us do not necessarily have that option. What do we do then when it’s finally turkey day? We have a Friendsgiving instead! Friends can definitely be family and sometimes that is all the family you need on a thankful day like this.
Planning a Friendsgiving may sound like a lot of fun or maybe it just sounds like a lot of stress. Either way people love to inform others there is plenty to stress about, from the food to who can actually come. In my opinion, there is no need to stress! I am here to tell you that you can host a memorable Friendsgiving, without tension or strain being involved. While I have been busy planning for my own Friendsgiving, I could not help but think about sharing some of the tips I have found along the way! Below is a list of some helpful tips to help you create your own memorable Friendsgiving!
Invites
(Texts will do just fine)
Before you go out and buy five, ten, or even fifteen fall festive placemats for your table, make sure you put the idea out there to your friends about a Friendsgiving. Get a feel of who would come or at least who would even be around to receive an invite. Some may already be making plans, so the sooner you get the idea out there the better chance you have of having a large group come over. Now you do not have to formally send out invitations unless you want to, but a simple text or face to face invite should do the trick! Do not worry if you only manage to have a group as small as two or three people, all that matters is that you have friends (family) by your side on this day. No one should ever be alone on a holiday that is the emphasis of togetherness. So even if you haven’t spoken to someone in a while, or you are only acquaintances with someone, send them an invite, if only to show that you had them in mind while planning!
Food
(Sharing is caring)
Now, I know some of you are very proud of your cooking and want to show it off to the world. That does not mean you have to create the entire meal by yourself! First off, groceries of this magnitude can be pricey for anyone, especially a college student. Do not be afraid to throw the idea out to your friends about having them bring something to the meal, from a side dish to a dessert of some kind. As for recipes, some may look easier than you thought when mom or dad was making them in the past. Have no fear, Pinterest is here! Pinterest, the amazing website it is, can help you find any recipe you want at any level of difficulty. From an entire turkey to just a turkey breast, from pies made from scratch to easy appetizers, Pinterest is a good place to start if you are feeling overwhelmed! Overall, everyone loves a good home cooked meal, whether it is completely homemade, or not, anything is better than nothing. A little tip for those of you who are planning to cook the majority of the meal, plan ahead. Create a grocery list with everything you will possibly need for all of your recipes. You may even want to plan out how the day of will work in regard to the oven and meal prep. Start the cooking process early by creating the dessert the day before or prepping all the veggies by slicing and dicing beforehand. Do whatever you can in order to make your Friendsgiving move as smoothly as possible while in the kitchen!
Decorations
(Hello Target)
Prepping for a Friendsgiving does not always involve food. If you are more of a decorator than a chef, then say hello to Target, Walmart, and/or Pinterest! On top of whatever money you are already spending on food, I am sure you do not want to spend even more on overpriced turkey decorations. This is where that beautiful section of Target comes along filled with just about everything for five dollars and under! From placemats and plates to cute little turkeys and pumpkins, you can find simple decorations here! Walmart also has some cute decorations within their holiday aisles that are extremely cute but cheap, even compared to Target. Pinterest also has tons of ideas for those of you who are more of the “do it yourself” type of decorator.
Traditions
(Use old ones, Make new ones)
Although some believe traditions are everything, there is nothing wrong with making new ones to add to the others! From recipes handed down from generation to generation, to creating new recipes of your own, you can have a little bit of both at your meal! Traditions are not always everything, so it is okay to branch out and form new ones. Creating new traditions with new people is a part of growing up and anytime is a good time to start making them! With new traditions comes new memories that you will never forget, even if they are made in your dorm room or community kitchen. It is totally okay if your Friendsgiving turns out to be more of a party or potluck than a sit-down dinner. Don’t want to have the traditional food normally served during Thanksgiving? That’s okay too! Whether you are vegan, vegetarian, do not like turkey or cannot cook, the important part is that you are surrounded by good people and good food!
Remember, a Friendsgiving is supposed to be filled with good people, good food and good fun! Worry about making memories, not burning the mashed potatoes or those last-minute decorations. Everyone is going to appreciate everything you have done for such an eventful day, trust me. In the end, the food nor the decorations will last, but the memories and traditions made with family and friends always will.
With that said, from us to you, have a happy Friendsgiving!