I have a family reunion coming up next month. It’s right after Thanksgiving, but since we’re leaving for my grandmother’s house (where this event will be) on Thanksgiving morning, we’re making the reunion our Thanksgiving dinner day. And being a “pot luck dinner”, my mom wants everyone to bring something to serve. :S Yea… not great in that area. My husband is the chef in this house. Although he does have a great chicken he makes. It’s so yummy. But I don’t think we have enough money or time to make it for… my entire family.
So I’ve been cruising the internet for a recipe we could make to satisfy everyone. But it’s hard because people have allergies to certain foods. I don’t know who they or what they can’t eat. But you’d think they’ll be smart enough to stay away from it if they can’t have it, right? Well, yea. They would. But then there’s those people who end up in the hospital just from being around whatever it is they can’t have. :oops: Ah well…
So I thought I’d make some Onigiri and try it out, see how it is, and see if it would be worthy of sharing with the rest of the family. It requires some different ingredients then we have in the house and my husband says it can be done with what we have, whereas the recipe writer says it can’t… So I’m gonna have to shop around and see what I can find. ‘Cause I’d really like to try it out. 
What would you suggest when it comes to making a dish for, oh say, 30-40 people, or more?
Okay, in a joking manner my husband would say just kill a whole pig and roast it. That oughta feed ‘em all! But, I on the other hand would suggest pulled pork. It is so easy to make and it can feed a lot of people. What do you think??
Not sure what to suggest but be sure to have lots of veggies and fruits on hand. That way folks have things to snack on. And a diaper cake is a new baby gift. Basically diapers arranged to look like a wedding cake. If you click on the Shop link you will see some examples on my blog http://www.cutiebootycakes.com
Mainly stick with lots of greens and veg on the table….also you may give a try to some nice wine to make it look like a get together.
Aw yeah controlling our nerves is the hardest thing to do, I think. I also feel the same as you, but I can control it (well, at least I can control it until the performance ends)
It’s a hard work though, because after my performance ended, I always have a stomachache and headache 0.o isn’t it strange? LOL.
Whoa, onigiri! I love it
I love Japanese food very much. Do you like it too? I always want to cook Japanese food, bt I’m afraid that I would certainly fail, haha. I love cooking though 
Well, maybe I have to give Japanese food a try someday 
Hi Jennifer. Cooking is not my thing, either!
Thanks for participating in the 30-minute challenge – just make sure you add a link back to the post on Steady Mom as well.
Thanks,
Jamie
Hmmm, I always like a baked pasta dish with garlic bread and salad for serving a multitude. Not really appropriate for thanksgiving though, from what I understand US custom to be
P.S. Onigri sounds like far too much work if cooking is not your thing. Go easy on yourself!
I’d go for sushi – easy and cheap to make, BUT most variations have fish or seafood, and I know for a fact that people allergic to seafood/fish dishes react even by being close to the stuff they’re allergic to.
There’s a Finnish dish called karjalanpaisti that’s pretty cheap to do and is generally allergy-friendly as it only has several different meats in it. Not sure if a reindeer/cow/pig meat mix is readily available in stores outside of Finland, though. There’s also a bread-of-sorts called karjalanpiirakka, but most people would find the appearance of said dish a bit questionable so I wouldn’t make it unless your family has Finns in it…
Hmm. Dumplings always work. Filled tomatoes/bell peppers?
Wow, I don’t know. That’s a big crowd! Let us know what you decide on.
What about a soup? You could do a simple vegetable soup, which should fit into all dietary restrictions, or go more complicated and fancy with a french onion or roasted squash… One pot can feed an army and you won’t spend all your prep time cooking. Let us know what you decide!
Chili? You could stretch it out with beans!
You too? My husband is the chef in our family — holidays are his specialty. I am embarrassed to say, I’ve never cooked a Thanksgiving turkey. Wouldn’t know how, so I’m no help to you there.
I can say that the good thing about pot lucks is you don’t have to make something that feeds everyone — or works with their allergies. So if you have a salad or dessert that you like, do it — maybe just double the recipe.
Visiting from MBC.
Onigiri sounds great!
For New Year, we did (and will be doing again) curry. In the end we made to much for even 50-ish people.
Cooking is definitely not my strong suit either but Onigiri might just manage to no offend anyone. Good luck.
Cooking is soo not my thing although I would really love to learn. Maybe you could just bring veggies and fruits. It’s cheaper than meat but still very yummy!
Wow the reunion sounds like so much fun! I have never cooked for this many people! Maybe you could just make a lot of different dishes? Perhaps you could just make dishes that you know how to make but just cook them multiple times and then put them in larger serving containers? That’s what my small mind thinks of.
Hey there… sorry you couldn’t read my post very well. Do you use Windows Explorer? That might be why? I chose a very neutral (white background) with a font that is easy to ready, so I may have to change it if it is not easy for other browsers?
Please let me know.
Thanks,
Traci
GREAT BLOG!
Looks like it would be easier to just make Maki. I think they would present better & people would be more familiar.
Kappa Maki & California Rolls would be inexpensive to make. :money: