Thanksgiving poll: regular dishes or disposable?

[Aura]

(Hopefully the poll shows up...never done that before.)

 

For Thanksgiving dinner, what do you use as dinnerware? What about those you visit? For any family get-togethers, we use disposables as much as possible, although we usually get a bit nicer ones for Thanksgiving. The same is true whether it's my family or dh's. None of us wants to wash up that many dishes when it's over! What do you do?

[Ellie]

Always china/other dishes. A special once-a-year meal calls for the best dishes and whatnot. :-)

 

I might use paper/disposable plates for a cook-out or something very informal, but not for special meals.

[Onceuponatime]

For the last 30 years I've used my china. This year we are eating off pretty Thanksgiving paper plates. I am also delegating more of the chores and food prep. This is a combination of increasing family attendance and the pathetic state of my sore arms.

[CTmom]

My family and in laws are mostly out of the country, so I host with 4-5 families who are our friends and the kids are all the same age. I like to use good china and dishes. My kids insist that this be a formal seated affair where everyone is around the same, albeit a long connected series of tables and say what they are thankful for this year. It has been such a wonderful tradition and we all look forward to it. 

 

This year will be the largest group and so i think I will use disposables for the serving dishes and still use the good plates and flat ware. 3-4 families will be staying over and the next day, I will just use disposable. It will be a wonderful squeeze, looking forward to it :-)

 

 

[regentrude]

We never use disposable dishes. We have a dishwasher. Even for our annual summer garden parties with 40 people I have reusable (plastic- since it is outdoors) plates, and when we have parties for our homeschool group, each family brings their own reusable dishes, for environmental reasons.

 

A holiday meal would not feel festive if served on paper plates... and don't get me started at wine from plastic cups...

 

My parents have never used a paper plate when entertaining the large extended family.

[Tap]

My mil started using nice disposables a few years ago so I will do the same this year since I am hosting. I don't have enough dishes for 15-16 people and since I use fiesta ware im not spending $80 to buy 5 or 6 more plates for one dinner.

 

We do have enough silverware and glasses though so that won't be a problem.

[MrsMommy]

We use washable dishes for the meal, but disposable for dessert. I like finding fun dessert plates decorated with turkeys or something else cute. Plus, by the time we get to dessert, I don't want to look at another dish!

[Amira]

We always use washable dishes for everything, but it's an environmental thing for me. I can't stand to throw away that much stuff. But I have no need to eat off real dishes just because they're supposedly nicer. I'm not a formal person at all.

[Tenaj]

I'm using disposable mainly because we have about 21 people coming and I just don't have enough place settings for that many.  I wish I could do it with fancy dishes but it's the way it is.  I do dig out my fancy serving platters and serving dishes that we received for our wedding because the only time they get used is for Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter.

[Just Kate]

I voted disposable, but this is only because my SIL has started hosting and that's what she prefers. Sadly, I live in a small house and she and my brother live in a very large house...so it makes sense for them to host. But I really prefer our thanksgivings from previous with nice dishes, flat ware, glasses, and real tablecloths.

[Susan in TN]

Thanksgiving is one of the few times we use the china. But if this were a huge family/friend gathering, I'd likely use disposable so we could spend more time together relaxing and less time cleaning up (even with disposables, there is always quite a bit of cleaning to do).

[marbel]

We have always used reusable dishes.  When we used to host dinners for around 25 people, I sometimes had to have people bring a few plates to supplement ours. The littlest kids would get plastic. 

 

I'm not opposed to paper plates for some uses; tonight we are having pizza and will use paper for that.  But for a holiday I like to use the real thing.

 

I would not think less of someone who served me Thanksgiving (or Christmas, or whatever) dinner on paper plates if that's what worked for them! 

 

 

[Heatherwith4]

It's Thanksgiving, so china. However, no judgement from me if others like to keep it more casual. ;)

[AK_Mom4]

As the official washer of dishes here, I personally always vote for disposable.  I am always soundly outvoted by the eaters in the family who firmly believe that no disposable dish is EVER sturdy enough for a decent meal, let alone all the goodies at Thanksgiving.

 

 

ETA - I used to use china, but it was my mother's set and after she passed away, my sister really wanted the dishes, so now we eat from every day plates. 

[LaxMom]

Regular dishes. For large extended family and friends gatherings, my MIL rents dishes from the local party/catering place.

[mathnerd]

I don't own that many dishes. And I don't have storage to store them if I bought them. So, it is always disposable at my house.

[lewber]

I use real dishes for almost all our entertaining, although sometimes I'll let kids eat off of disposable at an informal get together. But, I do not try to wash them all right after the meal. I have no problem putting in one load and letting the dishwasher do the work while the rest of the dirty dishes are piled waiting their turn.

I often wish my mom would let us use disposable. I'm on dish duty there and we hand wash the ones that can't make it in the dishwasher so we don't leave her with a messy kitchen.

[Excelsior! Academy]

We are using disposables and having it catered. In my defense I am hosting two complete dinners that day and picking up someone from the airport in the middle.  I even own really awesome china. 

[trinchick]

We use real dishes. We have approx 35 for dinner so they don't all match, but it's OK. 

 

DH complains vociferously each year as he is the primary dishwasher. My concession is to serve dessert on paper plates.

 

It's actually not the plates that make clean-up hard, it's all the serving pieces. Since we have such a big crowd, there are usually 4-5 bowls of each item like potatoes, stuffing squash, etc. Plus numerous gravy boats, platters, relish trays, butter dishes, etc. Even pulling them out of the cupboards and putting them all back is a chore, much less washing/drying them.

[bobbeym]

My mom always uses her china, alternating sets each year.

 

Since I'm hosting this year and we're not eating until 6pm (as opposed to our normal 2pm time), I went with disposable.  We'll use real utensils, but heavy cardboard platter-plates and clear plastic cups.  My serving dishes are disposable this year too.

[MomtoCandJ]

Usually real. If we host something it's only an additional 3 to 4 people at the most. Anything more we would have to use disposable because we don't have enough (well most would DFIL refuses to use a paper plate unless he's camping and even then it's iffy)

[Night Elf]

We use real dishes to serve the food, real flatware, but disposable strong plates and cups for eating. I honestly don't have enough dishes and glasses for 9 people and I refuse to buy another set for one holiday. I don't own china anyway. I own Corelle.

[PrincessMommy]

I like using special china dishes - not everyday stuff.   I'm not very good at creating holiday traditions - and this is one easy thing I can do.   I found a set I really liked at Salvation Army or a yard sale or something years ago for less than $20.  It was great find!

 

 

[catz]

I only use disposables if we're on the road and need to. Otherwise I always use real dishes/silverware/glasses. If we're hosting a holiday meal, I get out the nicest stuff usually.

[Carol in Cal.]

"Other" --fine china

[Baseball mom]

It will be a big family meal.  Sil doesn't have enough dishes so disposable it is.  If I were cooking at home for just us we would use regular dishes.

[Luanne]

I voted other.  I think it depends on the number of people at your gathering.  There are only going to be five of us at our Thanksgiving dinner this year so I am sure we will be using regular plates (probably the nicest my sister owns).  If there were going to be twenty of us, I am certain we would be using disposable dishes.

[Trish]

I'm getting out the china, and for that effort I don't think it belongs in the same line as "everyday" and "whatever!"

 

The extra work should get its own privileged choice in the poll.

 

Grrmmph!

[nd293]

Growing up, disposable dishes were never used at indoor meals - maybe ok for BBQs, but never for indoors. We had regular extended family get togethers, and everyone pitched in with the washing up. Now I use fancy disposable plates if we are travelling on a holiday, but never at other times, holiday or not.

[Wabi Sabi]

At home I would use china, but we eat at my granny's house and she loves those those heavy-weight divided disposable plates.

[Forget-Me-Not]

Disposable. I'd rather hang out with family than do dishes, or worse, hand-wash a bunch of stuff that can't be machine washed :D

[RanchGirl]

I break out the medium best china (dishwasher safe) for any sort of company event, even just relatives (haha) and the formal china (handwash only) for holidays.  I never serve anything on paper plates unless we are camping.  However, my dear late SIL served on paper plates all the time, perhaps because she had a tiny dishwasher and she was just fairly casual in genera... never bothered me.  I really don't care for drinking out of plastic cups though (disposable or reusable type), it just tastes wrong to me.  So I say do what you want, but avoid plastic cups if possible!   :)

[Luckymama]

The good china----our set and my parents' set (they coordinate; thanks Lennox!)----plus silver flatware and serving dishes and good stemware. The youngest kid (she's two) will get a small Fiestaware plate. My youngest nephew, now 8, has been eating off the china since he was five.

 

I set a nice table, remembering my mom as I do so.

 

Dh, bless his heart (in a good way :lol:), does all the clean-up after Thanksgiving and other large meals we host. He puts the leftovers away, loads/unloads/reloads the dishwasher, and hand washes all the pots, china, silver, and stemware. I dry everything and leave the dishes etc on the cleared dining room table to be put away in the morning.

[shukriyya]

I'm not hosting this year but when we do host for any parties etc I always use real china. In fact it never occurred to me use anything else until this thread. Even when we do road trips I use re-usable bamboo or melamine plates, real cutlery and mugs for hot drinks. Never, ever would I use disposable for tea or coffee, the feeling of cardboard on the mouth ruins the flavor and experience of tea or coffee.

 

We don't have a dishwasher either so it's a fair bit of cleanup but that's all part of it.

[marbel]

I'm not hosting this year but when we do host for any parties etc I always use real china. In fact it never occurred to me use anything else until this thread. Even when we do road trips I use re-usable bamboo or melamine plates, real cutlery and mugs for hot drinks. Never, ever would I use disposable for tea or coffee, the feeling of cardboard on the mouth ruins the flavor and experience of tea or coffee.

 

We don't have a dishwasher either so it's a fair bit of cleanup but that's all part of it.

 

I agree, though I've gotten used to it from getting coffee at Starbucks and such where china cups are rarely offered.

 

But wine in plastic, ugh.  Even when we use plastic cups for soft drinks and water we use real glasses for wine. 

[Aura]

I'm getting out the china, and for that effort I don't think it belongs in the same line as "everyday" and "whatever!"

 

The extra work should get its own privileged choice in the poll.

 

Grrmmph!

:lol:

 

I was mainly just wondering who washed dishes and who didn't, that's why I lumped all the washables together. But here's :thumbup: for your extra effort. ;)

 

 

 

I'm one that would rather use nicer dishes, but I don't have enough to go around for my extended family, and neither does anyone else, so it doesn't matter whose turn it is to host. We always use disposables. Saves on clean up, too. So, with growing up with the habit of using disposables for special occasions, I've never really thought about NOT using them until recently. It's my turn to host this year, so I may throw everyone for a loop and use real dishes, and make it a little extra fancy, if I can get enough dishes together. I may borrow some from my mom.

[LucyStoner]

I don't like eating off of paper plates. So we always use china or regular dishes.

[creekland]

When we all gathered and ate at my grandma's house, it was always real dishes and the fine silver for holiday dinners.

 

Now that we're all gathering to spend the day with her at the nursing home, it's disposable stuff.

 

I'm a believer that it's the company that counts - not what you eat off.

 

(And Thanksgiving is NOT the only time she gets visitors or large gatherings to be with her... my family always has someone with her and local family gets together a couple of times per month.)

[Seasider]

And nice table linens, too.

 

(I mean to go with my real china, eta.)

[OrganicAnn]

Best china.   I can hand wash once a year.

[Crimson Wife]

China (kids get the cheapie white set that coordinates with the Wedgewood), crystal, silver, cloth tablecloths.

 

It's not a 4th of July BBQ.

[KrissiK]

The adult tables get regular tableware. The kids' table gets paper plates and cups. There will be 30 of us altogether, and besides just the sheer clean-up factor, we do a buffet line and I don't want the little kids walking around with nice dishes.

[mrsrevmeg]

Most years we eat off china and use the good silver for Thanksgiving, but not this year. My husband has to work and I don't particularly want to be doing dishes all night by myself. Chinet is just fine. It's the food that is served and the loved surrounding that matters, not the dish.

[Guest]

We only use the Blue Willow for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Nobody's allowed to wash it but me. Yea, I'm anal, but we haven't broken a piece yet.

[KungFuPanda]

Real plates, glasses and utensils, but disposable bakeware where I can get away with it. I don't think the plates are the real clean-up problem.

[Liz CA]

Always china/other dishes. A special once-a-year meal calls for the best dishes and whatnot. :-)

 

I might use paper/disposable plates for a cook-out or something very informal, but not for special meals.

 

I cannot imagine the tablecloth, the tapered candles and... paper plates on it. Even though I have to handwash every single dish and utensil, I could not bring myself to resort to paper products.

[Pod's mum]

I voted other because in Australia we just don't get thanksgiving. Why not just hang on a few more weeks and have Christmas.

WHY WHY would you do it twice?

 

But for Christmas definately china. All the nice stuff.

It's a special meal, why would you want it to look disposable?

[Seasider]

We only use the Blue Willow for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Nobody's allowed to wash it but me. Yea, I'm anal, but we haven't broken a piece yet.

I wash alone, too! I like the decompression time.

[Element]

My mil started using nice disposables a few years ago so I will do the same this year since I am hosting. I don't have enough dishes for 15-16 people and since I use fiesta ware im not spending $80 to buy 5 or 6 more plates for one dinner.

 

We do have enough silverware and glasses though so that won't be a problem.

This. Too many people, not enough dishes. :)

[Jaybee]

If it were just us, I'd use the nicest I had. However, we are hosting 19, and there is just no way. So disposable it is. Serving pieces, cups, and utensils will not be disposable, but others are having to bring cups and utensils to make even that work.