Disposable plates on Thanksgiving

[Anonymous]

Completely ok!

We hosted Thanksgiving last year with me pregnant with #2, so we decided to focus on the food and use disposable plates and cutlery as our way to cut corners. We found some with autumn leaves on amazon. It looked nice, and we'll use our china again down the road.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We're hosting 25 people on Thanksgiving and it's our first time hosting. Should I buy cheap plates somewhere (we don't own 25 plates!) or is it okay to use the nicer/sturdier disposable plates? I can't decide if it's okay or tacky. But it would certainlymake cleaning up so much easier!

Do you have any elderly neighbors you could invite and when they ask what to bring you say "china".

[Anonymous]

Looks like I am an outlier, but I would NEVER EVER ask my Thanksgiving guests to eat off a disposable plate. This is one of a very few big holidays during the year. Most of us have happy childhood memories of Thanksgiving with parents and grandparents no longer with us, and I bet you ate off of a real plate. My saddest Thanksgiving ever was as a 30-something singleton as a guest of extended family who had gone to very little effort and, yes, made me eat off a paper plate. Cutting the turkey with a plastic knife was tricky.

OP, I am really curious, not trying to be snarky. Why would you offer to host 25 people on a holiday if you do not want to do the work of cleaning up? I understand those who do not cook well catering the meal, but please just borrow some extra dishes and cutlery.

[Anonymous]

If you are worried about the environment and using disposable plates, my friend sells these great biodegradable plates (which I think are really pretty). They are hand-crafted from the fronds of the areca palm tree. I am going to use them for Thanksgiving this year.

http://www.kwaihome.com/our-products/

[Anonymous]

I use disposable plates for Thanksgiving and no one has ever minded. They make really nice disposable plates these days.

And the flatware! They make great disposable flatware that could pass for the real stuff. Use it and don't feel bad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Looks like I am an outlier, but I would NEVER EVER ask my Thanksgiving guests to eat off a disposable plate. This is one of a very few big holidays during the year. Most of us have happy childhood memories of Thanksgiving with parents and grandparents no longer with us, and I bet you ate off of a real plate. My saddest Thanksgiving ever was as a 30-something singleton as a guest of extended family who had gone to very little effort and, yes, made me eat off a paper plate. Cutting the turkey with a plastic knife was tricky.

OP, I am really curious, not trying to be snarky. Why would you offer to host 25 people on a holiday if you do not want to do the work of cleaning up? I understand those who do not cook well catering the meal, but please just borrow some extra dishes and cutlery.

In OPs defense she said she didn't HAVE 25 plates, not that she didn't want to clean them up.

I'd probably borrow plates or buy enough to supplement. They don't all have to match and mixing is chic these days. So if you've got service for 12, you just need another 12 or so (you can use plastic for the kids table). Lots of places sell inexpensive sets of 12 - I think I've seen them at World Market for one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Looks like I am an outlier, but I would NEVER EVER ask my Thanksgiving guests to eat off a disposable plate. This is one of a very few big holidays during the year. Most of us have happy childhood memories of Thanksgiving with parents and grandparents no longer with us, and I bet you ate off of a real plate. My saddest Thanksgiving ever was as a 30-something singleton as a guest of extended family who had gone to very little effort and, yes, made me eat off a paper plate. Cutting the turkey with a plastic knife was tricky.

OP, I am really curious, not trying to be snarky. Why would you offer to host 25 people on a holiday if you do not want to do the work of cleaning up? I understand those who do not cook well catering the meal, but please just borrow some extra dishes and cutlery.

Exactly. When I think of my happy childhood memories of Thanksgiving, I think of my family and friends who were there. I don't think about what kind of plate I ate off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some of us think a key feature is the food, as well.

Does the food taste different if you eat it off a disposable plate vs. a permanent plate?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Looks like I am an outlier, but I would NEVER EVER ask my Thanksgiving guests to eat off a disposable plate. This is one of a very few big holidays during the year. Most of us have happy childhood memories of Thanksgiving with parents and grandparents no longer with us, and I bet you ate off of a real plate. My saddest Thanksgiving ever was as a 30-something singleton as a guest of extended family who had gone to very little effort and, yes, made me eat off a paper plate. Cutting the turkey with a plastic knife was tricky.

OP, I am really curious, not trying to be snarky. Why would you offer to host 25 people on a holiday if you do not want to do the work of cleaning up? I understand those who do not cook well catering the meal, but please just borrow some extra dishes and cutlery.

Not OP, but the PP who hosts 25-30 people every year. I offer to host because Thanksgiving is DH's family reunion that people fly in for all over the country. We're the only ones with a house big enough to fit everyone, so we host. Fortunately my in-laws are awesome people who would never think to criticize us for using disposable plates, they just appreciate us doing all of the work of hosting them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:IKEA plates can be super cheap:

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10057067/

$2.50 x 25 = $62.50 for plates. But actually you need 50 plates, because of dessert, so either $125 for plates, or somebody has to wash and dry 25 plates. And then OP either has to find a place to store 25 (or 50) plates, or OP has to give 25 (or 50) almost-brand-new plates to a thrift store.

[Anonymous]

It's a little tacky but it's ok. Use real silverware, glasses, and napkins.

[Anonymous]

I bought some non-disposable white plastic plates on super clearance off a Target endcap a few years ago. They were something ridiculous like 4 for 99 cents. They aren't fancy, but are studier for holding food, can be tossed in the dishwasher at the end of the night.

Stores are trying to clear out their BBQ/picnic/summer stuff right now, so check there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:IKEA plates can be super cheap:

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10057067/

$2.50 x 25 = $62.50 for plates. But actually you need 50 plates, because of dessert, so either $125 for plates, or somebody has to wash and dry 25 plates. And then OP either has to find a place to store 25 (or 50) plates, or OP has to give 25 (or 50) almost-brand-new plates to a thrift store.

I think if OP went this route, festive paper plates are acceptable for dessert. We always ate off my grandmother's china and silver for Thanksgiving dinner, but had our pie on turkey paper plates.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:IKEA plates can be super cheap:

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10057067/

$2.50 x 25 = $62.50 for plates. But actually you need 50 plates, because of dessert, so either $125 for plates, or somebody has to wash and dry 25 plates. And then OP either has to find a place to store 25 (or 50) plates, or OP has to give 25 (or 50) almost-brand-new plates to a thrift store.

I think if OP went this route, festive paper plates are acceptable for dessert. We always ate off my grandmother's china and silver for Thanksgiving dinner, but had our pie on turkey paper plates.

Agree. Plus OP just needs to supplement her plates, not buy 25 matching plates.

One thing I would do is buy or rent some tables. It's much easier to eat at a table.

[Anonymous]

Is there going to be a table? We eat on disposable plates. The combo of disposable plates + sitting on the couch is what gets to me. If I have to slave over my inlaws food for days beforehand, I don't want to eat it on the couch on a paper plate.

So wish I could host a holiday!