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Trying something new – Hosting Friendsgiving

  • Tobia
  • November 19, 2022
  • 16 comments
  • 3 minute read
hosting friendsgiving
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For years the husband and I have talked about hosting Friendsgiving. We more or less decided to do it in 2020 but than the world changed. Obviously it wasn’t going to happen. A bit sad but also a bit relieved. I have no freakin clue how to do a turkey. I am not so familiar with hosting a dinner. A potluck buffet thing no problem. A dinner puhhh. But you gotta leave your comfort zone. And just like Jenny hit the button on something big, we hit the button sending the invites without really having a plan.

Maybe a quick side note: Thanksgiving is not a thing in German. We don’t celebrate it. It has no meaning here. Turkey is not a common occurrence in stores – whatever the time of year.

So why do it? Well for one of course because of FRIENDS. One my husband was growing up going to an international school with lot of Americans. I lived in the States for a year. We just felt like it would be something fun to do.

So here we are. Earlier this week we realized it creeping up really close to us … this Friendsgiving thing.

When I sent out the invitations I did have some research done beforehand – so when I say have no freakin clue it really means I have no practical experience. Everything else is in a google doc.

I found this article that walks you through preparing Thanksgiving. Mainly what to do when a timeliest for the weeks leading up.. Well I already failed in keeping the list. We are now a week prior and I have not done much in form of preparation.

Ok. As I said, I have a list. I have logged down the menu. My friends and family are great and all menu items are covered. I am NOT cooking it all. Everyone chips in. So much so that the last guests to respond don’t really need to do anything. I have ordered turkey. I found a local farm shop – just 10 minutes from here – specialized in turkey. And offering thanksgiving turkey. I however requested two breasts and a leg. I am pretty positive a whole turkey wouldn’t fit in my oven. And this way I have no issue cutting it, filling it and all those things.

Yesterday we took a spontaneous trip to IKEA. The husband needed boxes to hide the last evidences from the move and also wanted to see if we can get any decorations. He is in charge of thanksgiving decorations. I just wanted to look at Christmas stuff. So I trudged along.

hosting friendsgiving ikea

it wasn’t a really successful trip though. We started realizing the store closes an hour earlier than we had anticipated. The boxes – the main reason we went – was out of stock. The decoration didn’t fit our style – of course we don’t do orange. We didn’t even find the right candles…

But it was a fun evening to spend and since the store closed early and we couldn’t eat there the husband convinced me to go his favorite take-out – KFC. Every time I have that I know why I can do without…

hosting friendsgiving KFC

Anyway, back to Thanksgiving. It is time to sit down and write that shopping list. I have another business trip coming week unfortunately and tomorrow I want to driver over to the country home. It is Ewigkeitssonntag – Sunday of the Dead a holiday I do take quiet serious. I wrote about it a couple years back when I talked about what my grandparents taught me.

Wow, my mind is all over the place today and I really am jumping around here….

I need to read the recipes, write the grocery shopping list. Need to set aside time for deep cleaning the apartment.

Better get going and get some things crossed off.

Do you have one good tip for thanksgiving I can implement? Do you precook the turkey and then just heat it up?

Happy planning

Tobia

Cover photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash

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16 comments
  1. J says:
    November 19, 2022 at 9:33 am

    I cannot tell you how charming this post is, of people who are not from Canada or the US celebrating our holiday. I LOVE IT. You are already doing it right, with everyone chipping in and no one having to do everything. Regarding the turkey, just google some recipes. My MIL mixes together some butter, onions, salt, and pepper, and squishes that in under the skin, and it’s great. Thanksgiving is really about the friends and family, and regarding food, about the sides. Turkey looks like the main thing, but no one really cares about it much until they want leftovers for sandwiches.

    Good luck, I hope you have an amazing Friendsgiving! Eat, drink, and be merry.

    Reply
    1. Tobia says:
      November 19, 2022 at 10:38 am

      Thank you for the encouragement. I am looking forward. I told everyone one beforehand I have no clue what I am doing and lets figure it out together so I. am not putting much pressure on it – at least until now…
      I let you know how it went.
      Do you have any thanksgiving traditions?

      Reply
  2. Mel says:
    November 19, 2022 at 2:14 pm

    Tobia, I’m so glad you can host your friends this year – getting together is the most important part! YOU GOT THIS, and I know it’s gonna be great! Happy Thanksgiving!

    Reply
    1. Tobia says:
      November 19, 2022 at 7:41 pm

      Thank you Mel. I am looking forward having everyon eover. I just realized I need more chairs and plates. Happy thanksgiving to you too.

      Reply
  3. NGS says:
    November 19, 2022 at 6:09 pm

    The truth is that no one cares about the turkey. Don’t freak out too much about it – if you’re delegated sides to others, they’ll bring sure-fire hits and that’s the magic of Thanksgiving. It’s all about the sides. And making sure you have a television set for everyone to watch football because even if you don’t want to watch football, someone will.

    It sounds like fun and it’s going to be a great time!

    Reply
    1. Tobia says:
      November 19, 2022 at 7:37 pm

      It is going to be fun that is for sure. We won’t be watching the game as we are doing it on Saturday. Thanksgiving is not a holiday so everyone is working. I am excited what the people will bring and come up with. I put down a couple recipes for each side dish and now they do their own version. I also have a tone of turkey so hopefully someone likes it.

      Reply
  4. Elisabeth says:
    November 20, 2022 at 1:14 am

    This sounds so fun (but also stressful – hosting tends to leave me feeling exhausted)…I love that everyone is pitching in. Looking forward to hearing how it goes <3

    IKEA trips can be so hit-or-miss and lately so many items are out of stock! I haven't seen that Gingerbread chocolate bar at my local IKEA, but it sounds yummy!

    Reply
    1. Tobia says:
      November 20, 2022 at 7:58 am

      The chocolate was yummy. Unfortunately I inhaled it rather quickly.
      Friendsgiving will be fun. The cleaning of the apartment puts me more under stress than the cooking as of now.

      Reply
  5. Meike says:
    November 20, 2022 at 4:03 am

    I am sure you 2ill have a fabulous Friendsgiving! Nothing to recommend but a story to prove you likely made the right choice not to get a whole turkey: my boss back in Germany started the tradition of having Friendsgiving when he came back from the US. The first year he got the bird ready to go in the oven when he realized it would not fit. Luckily he lived next to a beer garden which had a commercial sized oven and they were nice enough to let him vcook the turkey there.

    Reply
    1. Tobia says:
      November 20, 2022 at 8:01 am

      Oh wow that was lucky he had nice neighbors. I didn’t even bother measuring I just knew. My new oven is not as great as the previous one so I don’t trust it.

      Reply
  6. San says:
    November 20, 2022 at 5:41 am

    I agree – it’s all about the company and I think it’s great that everyone’s chipping in. Cooking the turkey is really not that big of a deal (I am doing a half turkey breast this year in the oven, previously I’ve always done a chicken)… it’s not complicated, just takes a while. I am so excited for your Friendsgiving. How many people are coming over?

    Reply
    1. Tobia says:
      November 20, 2022 at 8:03 am

      I might have gone overboard with the amount of turkey since I have no idea how big they are…. Only one person who was invited can’t make it so we are 11 in total. I didn’t expect that. Now I need to get more chairs and plates

      Reply
  7. Jenny says:
    November 22, 2022 at 10:16 pm

    I don’t have any turkey tips, but my one piece of advice is- cook as much as you can in advance! Anything you can make the day before and heat up- do that. I’ll be interested to here all about this Friendsgiving!

    Reply
    1. Tobia says:
      November 23, 2022 at 7:37 am

      My initial idea was to cook everything together but I realized that is not possible with my oven space. My cousin that said it would be better everyone cooks at home. That was a stater way. Now I have already prepared the turkey rub and parts of the stuffing. Also got some of the drinks. It will be fun. Very much looking forward to it.

      Reply
  8. Anne says:
    December 19, 2022 at 1:41 am

    Too late for tips, but I can’t wait to hear the report on the day! (I sincerely hope you posted about this…?) You have my admiration for taking this on, particularly when the stores around you aren’t exactly catering to American Thanksgiving. Around here, it’s hard to buy groceries that aren’t Thanksgiving specific that week! :)
    Anne recently posted…The order of thingsMy Profile

    Reply
    1. Tobia says:
      December 19, 2022 at 8:05 am

      I guess it would be very difficult if I wasn’t living in Berlin. But once I found the turkey everything else was possible too. I did write about it how it went.

      Reply

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