Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've seen plenty of decent looking disposable plates that are strong at the party store, for a good price. And plastic ware that looks like the real stuff. I'm so happy my family isn't so fussy that they would have issue with disposable plates! I stopped using our china for holiday meals b/c that requires hand washing vs. the dishwasher. Our regular plates are white stoneware, so paired with some good decorations and nice table linens, it looks great. If I was hosting 25 ppl, I for sure would use disposable!

If you don't use your china for holidays, when do you use it? If you don't use it, why do you have it? I think it's sad that our society is ALWAYS placing comfort/convenience before taking the time and effort to make something truly special, like an elegant holiday meal.

What if you don't consider it an "elegant" holiday meal, but more of a family dinner, sans pretension?

"sans pretension" may just be the best phrase ever uttered.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've seen plenty of decent looking disposable plates that are strong at the party store, for a good price. And plastic ware that looks like the real stuff. I'm so happy my family isn't so fussy that they would have issue with disposable plates! I stopped using our china for holiday meals b/c that requires hand washing vs. the dishwasher. Our regular plates are white stoneware, so paired with some good decorations and nice table linens, it looks great. If I was hosting 25 ppl, I for sure would use disposable!

If you don't use your china for holidays, when do you use it? If you don't use it, why do you have it? I think it's sad that our society is ALWAYS placing comfort/convenience before taking the time and effort to make something truly special, like an elegant holiday meal.

What if you don't consider it an "elegant" holiday meal, but more of a family dinner, sans pretension?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've seen plenty of decent looking disposable plates that are strong at the party store, for a good price. And plastic ware that looks like the real stuff. I'm so happy my family isn't so fussy that they would have issue with disposable plates! I stopped using our china for holiday meals b/c that requires hand washing vs. the dishwasher. Our regular plates are white stoneware, so paired with some good decorations and nice table linens, it looks great. If I was hosting 25 ppl, I for sure would use disposable!

If you don't use your china for holidays, when do you use it? If you don't use it, why do you have it? I think it's sad that our society is ALWAYS placing comfort/convenience before taking the time and effort to make something truly special, like an elegant holiday meal.

+1

Carrying the logic of comfort and convenience to its logical conclusion, why not eat in our sweatpants or pajamas?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've seen plenty of decent looking disposable plates that are strong at the party store, for a good price. And plastic ware that looks like the real stuff. I'm so happy my family isn't so fussy that they would have issue with disposable plates! I stopped using our china for holiday meals b/c that requires hand washing vs. the dishwasher. Our regular plates are white stoneware, so paired with some good decorations and nice table linens, it looks great. If I was hosting 25 ppl, I for sure would use disposable!

If you don't use your china for holidays, when do you use it? If you don't use it, why do you have it? I think it's sad that our society is ALWAYS placing comfort/convenience before taking the time and effort to make something truly special, like an elegant holiday meal.

Do you have place settings for 25 people? Where do you store them when you're not using them?

I do. I have 10 regular plates for everyday, another 8 china/fancy plates, and then 12 cheap Pier One plates I bought for $12 (total) at a thrift store. The regular ones are in the kitchen, the china in the dining room china cabinet, and the cheap ones on a shelf in the basement.

They have fancier plastic disposable plates. It's used for like cocktail or pre wedding for gatherings. They look just as fancy.

i guess it depends on the type of dinner you are having. you know your guests best.

With our extended family, Thanksgiving is all about gathering, not about the plates and utensils and the show. With over 30+people and now with babies too, we always use plastics and buffet style. The highlights are usually the many pies and the catching up anyways. We've been doing this for decades and with new unions and closer friends, no one comments on the plates. if it's not good enough for the guests, that's too bad. Do you do the dishes?!! in this case, no one does the dishes!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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?

Actually, the china, flatware, bar ware, and overall ambiance does have an impact on the experience of a festive holiday meal, including the food.

Agreed. If you went to your favorite special-occasion restaurant, and they served you the same food on disposable plates and out of plastic cups, because they ran out, would you or would you not have a less enjoyable experience?

The top PP wasn't talking about the experience. The top PP was talking specifically about the food.

It has an impact, because food is not just about taste. It is about the whole sensory experience.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've seen plenty of decent looking disposable plates that are strong at the party store, for a good price. And plastic ware that looks like the real stuff. I'm so happy my family isn't so fussy that they would have issue with disposable plates! I stopped using our china for holiday meals b/c that requires hand washing vs. the dishwasher. Our regular plates are white stoneware, so paired with some good decorations and nice table linens, it looks great. If I was hosting 25 ppl, I for sure would use disposable!

If you don't use your china for holidays, when do you use it? If you don't use it, why do you have it? I think it's sad that our society is ALWAYS placing comfort/convenience before taking the time and effort to make something truly special, like an elegant holiday meal.

I use my china for smaller formal dinners. I don't have china for 25-30. If I wanted to have a full-on elegant, up-scale Thanksgiving dinner, I'd leave out of the extended family and just invite the grandparents. But our family values togetherness more than formality and has always been "the more the merrier" types. We truly don't care about the formality of the tableware and long as the food and company are good and everyone is comfortable.

Hardly anyone has china for 30 people, but many people have 8 place settings of regular dishes and 8 of china...if you get a box of 12 plain white plates, you can serve everyone off real dishes.

If we're going for "elegant," I don't think 8 settings of china, 8 settings of every day, and then 12 plain white all mixed together really do it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've seen plenty of decent looking disposable plates that are strong at the party store, for a good price. And plastic ware that looks like the real stuff. I'm so happy my family isn't so fussy that they would have issue with disposable plates! I stopped using our china for holiday meals b/c that requires hand washing vs. the dishwasher. Our regular plates are white stoneware, so paired with some good decorations and nice table linens, it looks great. If I was hosting 25 ppl, I for sure would use disposable!

If you don't use your china for holidays, when do you use it? If you don't use it, why do you have it? I think it's sad that our society is ALWAYS placing comfort/convenience before taking the time and effort to make something truly special, like an elegant holiday meal.

I use my china for smaller formal dinners. I don't have china for 25-30. If I wanted to have a full-on elegant, up-scale Thanksgiving dinner, I'd leave out of the extended family and just invite the grandparents. But our family values togetherness more than formality and has always been "the more the merrier" types. We truly don't care about the formality of the tableware and long as the food and company are good and everyone is comfortable.

Hardly anyone has china for 30 people, but many people have 8 place settings of regular dishes and 8 of china...if you get a box of 12 plain white plates, you can serve everyone off real dishes.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would rent the dishes. You won't even have to clean them, so a win there, too.

That's still really expensive, on top of the hundreds of dollars it already costs to host that many people. Maybe all of the guests who are offended by plastic disposables can offer to pay for the dish rentals?

It's actually not expensive to rent simple dishes (or glasses or whatever) from a big caterer like Ridgewells--especially if you pick them up yourself. I've done it many times.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've seen plenty of decent looking disposable plates that are strong at the party store, for a good price. And plastic ware that looks like the real stuff. I'm so happy my family isn't so fussy that they would have issue with disposable plates! I stopped using our china for holiday meals b/c that requires hand washing vs. the dishwasher. Our regular plates are white stoneware, so paired with some good decorations and nice table linens, it looks great. If I was hosting 25 ppl, I for sure would use disposable!

If you don't use your china for holidays, when do you use it? If you don't use it, why do you have it? I think it's sad that our society is ALWAYS placing comfort/convenience before taking the time and effort to make something truly special, like an elegant holiday meal.

I use my china for smaller formal dinners. I don't have china for 25-30. If I wanted to have a full-on elegant, up-scale Thanksgiving dinner, I'd leave out of the extended family and just invite the grandparents. But our family values togetherness more than formality and has always been "the more the merrier" types. We truly don't care about the formality of the tableware and long as the food and company are good and everyone is comfortable.

Anonymous wrote:If you're going to do more larger-scale dinners, buy the plates.

People are supposed to pitch in and help with the dishes (or loading the washer) on Thanksgiving.

People are supposed to do lots of things.

Usually, in my experience, the "people" in this case means: "women".

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've seen plenty of decent looking disposable plates that are strong at the party store, for a good price. And plastic ware that looks like the real stuff. I'm so happy my family isn't so fussy that they would have issue with disposable plates! I stopped using our china for holiday meals b/c that requires hand washing vs. the dishwasher. Our regular plates are white stoneware, so paired with some good decorations and nice table linens, it looks great. If I was hosting 25 ppl, I for sure would use disposable!

If you don't use your china for holidays, when do you use it? If you don't use it, why do you have it? I think it's sad that our society is ALWAYS placing comfort/convenience before taking the time and effort to make something truly special, like an elegant holiday meal.

Do you have place settings for 25 people? Where do you store them when you're not using them?

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.

Now you have made me intervene to clarify an important issue regarding large scale Thanksgiving entertaining. Although paper plates may not be used for the main course, it is perfectly acceptable to use paper plates for dessert. One may buy the festive Thanksgiving themed plates for this purpose. One usually finds these plates in the same store where your guests will purchase the plain white or cream colored note cards used to write thank you notes. It is all in the spirit of the holiday.

Why is it ok to use paper plates (with turkeys and cornucopias on them) for dessert, but not for the rest of the meal? Because people would feel bad eating turkey off plates with happy cartoon turkeys on them, but wouldn't feel bad eating pumpkin pie off plates with happy cartoon turkeys on them? Please explain?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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?

Actually, the china, flatware, bar ware, and overall ambiance does have an impact on the experience of a festive holiday meal, including the food.

Agreed. If you went to your favorite special-occasion restaurant, and they served you the same food on disposable plates and out of plastic cups, because they ran out, would you or would you not have a less enjoyable experience?

The top PP wasn't talking about the experience. The top PP was talking specifically about the food.

If you're going to do more larger-scale dinners, buy the plates.

People are supposed to pitch in and help with the dishes (or loading the washer) on Thanksgiving.