Paper, plastic, or china?
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wvugrrrl · 11-13-2007, 08:29 AM

We are another family that "eats off the good stuff," although, at the children's table, they eat off of the regular, Corelle (ie unbreakable) plates. My grandmother also decorates the table, and my mother always brings Thanksgiving napkins and little dessert paper plates with turkeys and pilgrims on them. Personally, I really do wish we'd switch over to paper plates. Even with a dishwasher, it's still a pain in the rear.

tkmom1972 · 11-13-2007, 09:02 AM

it depends on where we are if its my house fancy plastic plates and such (no dish washer ) but if we go to my DSis mother in laws the real stuff but because all of our kids are butterfingers the get the plastic stuff no matter what

GATechGal · 11-13-2007, 09:04 AM

Since the kids are older now, it's fine china, silverware, and crystal for all. We have also started mixing the ages together, so it's not just adults at one table and kids at the other. I like getting out my good stuff, even if it's a pain to clean. There's no sense having it if you never use it. And it reminds me of my Grandmother.

Nimros · 11-13-2007, 09:26 AM

Since it's generally just our family for Thanksgiving, we use our every-day stoneware. But last year, for the first time, I broke out the crystal. It just dawned on me - why do I have this if it's never going to be used? What was I waiting for?!?!?
It had either been packed away from moving (3 times in the last 5 years!) or else had sat in the cabinets. I had NEVER used it since I began collecting it at 20!!!

So this year and from now on....it's the good stuff!

simbarel · 11-13-2007, 09:29 AM

We just use the regular stuff. Leftovers are brought home on paper/plastic.

Lemap760 · 11-13-2007, 09:32 AM

We use our everyday dishes but my mom brings out the fancy silverware for some reason. She'll also put on her Thanksgiving table cloth on the table. There's only 7 of us this year so everyone fits nicely at the table.

**Eeyoresmom** · 11-13-2007, 10:56 AM

My mom and I both use the china, etc. I agree - why have it, if you're not going to use it. (Heck, my mom even breaks out some of the good stuff when she hosts card club).

When I eat with my in-laws, it's not china (I forget if they do paper or regular plates) because we always rent a beach house for that week - and who would want to pack the china. My MIL does use china for Christmas, though.

SouthernBelle · 11-13-2007, 11:13 AM

We will be at the in-laws house in PA for Thanksgiving and it is very formal, tablecloth, the good china, crystal and all the decorations. Except we will all be in jeans

Grumpy will carve the turkey, I will make the gravy......

eawsmom · 11-13-2007, 11:52 AM

China! Always china--I had to argue to get to use paper plates for Elizabeth's birthday parties! And tablecloths. No particular decorations unless someone happens to bring some flowers. We will have 2-3 tables depending on the number of people.

We have enough silverware to feed 40 at once although we've not had to do it! I think the most we've had at one time was 32. We have enough dishes that we could probably feed 80 without washing plates (but we'd have to wash forks!). Thankfully we have a dishwasher!

Tink and co. · 11-13-2007, 12:39 PM

We break out our Christmas tableware for the first time on Thanksgiving and then it goes into the cupboard, and we use it til New Years. We all sit at the same table, since there's only six of us. We have sparkling cider in my fine plastic wine glasses.

Last year the kids use our DCL glasses from the drinks of the day.

RobinKay6573 · 11-13-2007, 01:15 PM

When we would have Thanksgiving dinner with my grandmother we would ALWAYS use her China. Even the "little kids" got to use China. It made for a special day. I can't even imagine using paper plates!

We would always have lit candles on the table too. I really miss those huge family dinners.

tjslgs · 11-13-2007, 02:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Teresa

I keep wanting to just say "the heck with all of you" and having it at home with just US, but then I think about all of the family we would miss seeing.

You should do what we do, we have a small intimate family dinner just DH, DS, DD, and me, and then we go visit the relatives. This would only work if everyone lived in the same area of course!

wdwlovers · 11-13-2007, 02:58 PM

We eat at the big table on regular plates.

We usually eat at DH's aunts with his mom's side of the family. It's a HUGE affair. This year we've decided to have my parents over for dinner and the Packer game. I'm making cornish hens.

**Jookiba** · 11-13-2007, 04:02 PM

Probably styrofoam plates because cleaning up is just a BEAST after you've collapsed with a full tummy and all those feel-good endorphins released are circulating throughout the body after ingesting all those carbs! (how was that for the ultimate run-on sentence?)

ripkensnana · 11-13-2007, 04:21 PM

The first year in this house, I made a huge dinner - actually, I made I think about 3 huge dinners, because of all the kids having "other obligations" with spousal families and so on...so had to spread it out over the whole weekend. I used my good Avon Cape Cod dishes, which have since been passed on to DDiL...

So, since most of the family always has "other obligations", I've quit asking them. Sometimes my youngest DS comes up from KY with his wife and son, and we either eat here (on chinet) at my Mom's (on styrofoam), or at Old Country Buffet, which is what we're doing this year. If DS doesn't come here, we do the restaurant thing.... no leftovers

but at the same time, no cleanup