Celebrations

I love to do celebrations at home! I don't mind having a nice cook out on the grill and everyone is in and out. The air is off, the fans are on, and the TV is right there. If anyone wants to nap out, pick a bed. I have however had people steal while over so I would hide all valuables in a locked room somewhere, or in the basement or attic.

I hope your grandmother lives forever, as I would always tell mine that! By the way, she is on life support right now and is about to pass away, she will live forever!

 

Ooh what a grand celebration! I bet your grandmother will have fun. I actually would rather have celebrations done at home. It feels a lot more intimate to me. You can enjoy yourself and be silly without people staring at you. Plus, it really is cheaper in my opinion. Especially when it comes to food, because unless you're going to a fast food restaurant, you're going to pay nearly double with what you could make at home.

I always try to do celebrations at home. There are times I can't, but when I can it is a lot easier. I can feed a ton of people for 20-30 dollars. I can make a ton of chicken, spaghetti, chili, a cook out, etc for that much money and that is maybe 3 plates of food at a restaurant depending on where you go.

 

With a large family gathering, it depends on the group of people. I like to have a pootluck in such situations, because there is way more choice of food, and everyone will be sure to have something they like. It allows people to show off their cooking, and making food in large batches is actually quite fun. It's also cheaper, so people who are less fortunate in terms of finances. Finally, you avoid the hassle of having to go to a restaurant, and that means no time limit, no tipping, no trying to be quiet, etc etc, allowing you to have a most splendid time. The only complicated part is finding a family that is willing to host the party, and to figure out what everyone will bring so there will be enough vegetables and dessert.

 

I can't cook for so many people too well, so going out to eat is my go to choice for such celebrations. If there is a chef in the group however, I love entertaining at home and having everyone in a familiar place to bond and share a laugh or two while making some good memories.

 

I prefer just eating out for large group dinners, because even if it gets a bit more expensive than just preparing the meal at home, it's just way more convenient, considering you won't have to clean up afterwards. 20 people leaving used plates and utensils is no small task when it comes to dish washing, and that's not even taking into account all the other mess that could come about such as table cloth stains, napkins, etc. Still, there are benefits to dining at home as well such as getting to be as loud or messy as you'd like without having to worry about the other people around you, and I think the privacy is a big deal especially when you want to really be intimate with your family.

 

We usually do celebrations at our homes. Everyone usually does their part with food or money. You can stay however long to want you can just be yourself at home. Usually after everyone (THE WOMEN..LOL) pitches in and help clean and its actually fun. We all talk and laugh.

 

It's substantially cheaper to eat at home, especially with a large group of people. If you go out to eat, even at a popular chain joint like Applebee's, you are easily looking at $20 a head even if you each order a reasonably priced dinner, plus a drink plus tip. You're paying like $2.50 per person just for a soda or iced tea right off the bat as soon as you sit down. If you've got a group of 20 people, that's $50 right there, and with a 20% tip, you're up to $60 - and you haven't even ordered any food yet. Then you're paying like $15 or more per plate for food that would have cost under $5 a plate to make at home. Using that same group of 20 people, assuming each entree is $15, that's a $300 for food, and $50 for drinks, and a total of $70 for gratuity (at 20%). That would bring you to about $420 in total. You can easily feed 20 people at home for far less. A large spiral sliced ham, a tray of rigatoni and meatballs, and some baked chicken could be made for well under $75, then just pick up some sides like frozen garlic bread, and some inexpensive vegetable side dishes, along with a few two-liters of pop and you're done.

 

I agree. I remember when I was younger we got 40 or so guests from a church visiting my mum. We had to choose between making them a meal at home or taking them all out to a nearby hotel. My old man contacted the owner and asked for an estimate. The dough quoted was so high that though cooking for such a large group would be hard, we [I was the cook along with one of our neighbors] did it and for under $200 the guests gorged themselves and we still had a lot of leftover food.

So like Ohiotom, I'd suggest having your party at home.

 

Oh, I think when celebrating the grand age of 90 there shouldn't be too much thought spent on money, but rather on the enjoyment of the fact that your grandmother has been around for so long. I don't know, perhaps I am sentimental, but I think that such a special occasion deserves only the very best wherever possible.

 

Sometimes, eating out is a good break from the usual chores at home. It's a good chance to just let everyone enjoy the occasion. If you do it at home, there will be one or two people who will be bothered because they have to prepare or clean up afterwards. When you go out, you have more choices in terms of what to eat, plus the fact that you basically just need to go to a restaurant and that's it. It makes everything easy for everyone.

 

Our family is never the type to invite friends or relatives over for special occasions, I think if ever we do, it's very rare and I can count them by my fingers. I think we really aren't fond of hosting such get-togethers, because of the added expense and effort. But then again, I'm speaking for myself, I don't know about the rest of them.