For many people, Thanksgiving provides a time and venue for families to spend time with one another. If you have a large family, this can mean a lot of children running around or a lot of guests who want entertainment as well as food. Keeping some inexpensive playing cards on hand can give your guests something fun to do as they socialize with friends and family. Read on to learn more about some classic card games for Thanksgiving that you can use to make your holiday lively and entertaining for all your guests.

Go Fish

The game “Go Fish” has seemingly been around forever, and many kids and adults of all ages enjoy it. The game works for 2-6 players. Each player begins the game with 5 cards. The rest of the cards form the draw pile. Players take turns, and on each turn the player asks an opponent for a specific type of card, saying something like, “Bob, give me all your fives,” or “Lucy, give me all your diamonds.” If the player being asked has any of the types of cards requested, he or she must give them to the player who requests them. If he or she does not, the player says, “Go Fish.” The person who asked for the card now must take a card from the draw pile. The goal of play is to collect four of a kind—all the kings, all the twos, etc.–and discard them from one’s hand. The first player to run out of cards ends the game, and the person with the most sets of four wins.

Crazy Eights

This game works for 2-6 players as well, and many people like to add variations and twists on the basic game to make it more complicated or more fun. Each player begins with 5 cards, and the cards that are left form the draw pile. The dealer flips over the top card of the draw pile to create a discard pile. Play rotates in a clockwise direction with each player attempting to run out of cards by discarding them. To legally discard a card, it must match either the rank or suit of the card already on top of the discard pile. If, on your turn, you don’t have any cards to discard legally, you must take a card from the draw pile until you receive one you can discard. Eights are considered wild, and players can place an eight on the discard pile at any time. The person who plays the eight can simultaneously call for a change in suit. Only another eight or a card matching the suit change can be discarded on top of an eight.

If you’re looking for more party planning ideas, search TalkLocal to find a reputable party or event planner.

With Thanksgiving tomorrow, cooks everywhere are turning to their trusted cookbooks and perusing online sites for stuffing or dressing recipes, whichever you prefer. There is no shortage of recipes and we all have our favorites. Most stuffing recipes have some form of meat in them, like bacon or sausage or a meat broth. However, the thoughtful cook will be mindful of vegetarian friends by preparing a vegetarian stuffing recipe. Following are five amazing vegetarian stuffing recipes.

Chestnut Stuffing
Serves 16

Ingredients:

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Slit surface of chestnuts with sharp knife. Cover with water in medium saucepan and boil 25 minutes or until tender. Drain, peel, and chop.
3. Melt margarine. Stir in chestnuts, onion, salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning. Sauté until tender, about 3 minutes. Transfer to baking dish. Add bread cubes and toss.
4. Beat eggs and milk, pour over bread mixture and toss again.
5. Bake 30 to 45 minutes until crisp and golden brown.

Herb Stuffing
Serves 12

Ingredients:

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Grease shallow baking dish.
3. Arrange bread on two, large ungreased cookie sheets; toast 15 minutes or until golden. Turn once during baking.
4. Sauté vegetables in oil until tender, stirring occasionally.
5. Stir in seasoning.
6. Reset temperature to 325 degrees.
7. Place bread in large bowl. Add broth and vegetable mixture. Toss until moistened.
8. Spoon into baking dish, cover with foil and bake 30 minutes.
9. Remove foil and bake 15 minutes or until golden.

Cranberry Stuffing
Serves 12

Ingredients: 

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In large bowl toss bread, sautéed vegetables, cranberries, juice, and seasonings.
3. Spoon into greased baking dish.
4. Bake 20 to 25 minutes.

Cornbread, Leek, Pecan Stuffing
Serves 12

Ingredients:

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Toast pecans for 7 minutes. Chop and combine with cornbread in large bowl.
3. Add sautéed vegetables, broth, herbs, and beaten eggs with cornbread mixture. Toss.
4. Transfer to baking dish. Bake 30 minutes until golden.

Mushroom Stuffing
Serves 8

Ingredients:

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Sauté vegetables, add mushrooms, cook covered 7 minutes. Cook uncovered 15 minutes. Add to large bowl.
3. Add bread, broth, seasonings, and beaten eggs.
4. Place in greased dish.
5. Bake 25 minutes, covered. Bake 20 more minutes uncovered.

So here’s hoping you have a great, inclusive, and happy Thanksgiving! If you need to contact professional party planners, or have questions, contact TalkLocal. It is quick and easy.

Thanksgiving is a time for family, friends, and feasting. It is easy to focus on food and forget that the most important part is being together. Preparing an activity or game will engage guests in creating a party atmosphere. Here are 5 fun family games for Thanksgiving.

Family Trivia: Teams with all ages, males against females, or one family against another compete to answer questions in history, sports, and miscellaneous categories. Questions like “what is Grandpa’s middle name?” or “who got a ticket for going too slow on the interstate?” help families learn history and invite family stories.

Photo Scavenger Hunt: Divide guests into teams with a camera for each. Provide a list of 8 to 10 pictures needed, like a picture with the oldest family member, the team gathered in a small bathroom, or the team engaging in an activity. The winning team is the one which completes the tasks the fastest.

Impromptu Talent Show: In a basket place a number of slips of paper on which are written who is to perform and what the act will be. For example, everyone with a birthday in June, July, and August will sing the national anthem or everyone wearing something orange, green or brown will perform a bowl game cheer.

Turkey Feather Relay: This is a relay race that allows everyone to participate, including grandma with her walker and a waddling toddler. Divide guests into teams and provide each team with a feather. Designate a starting line and a turnaround point. The challenge is to go from the starting point to the turnaround point and back again with a feather on the top of the head. No hands allowed. The winning team is the first to have all members complete the challenge.

Thankful Turkey: Create a simple turkey using a paper plate for a body and construction paper for other parts. Cut enough bright colored feathers for every guest to have one. Ask each to write one or two reasons to be thankful on the feathers. One by one each guest shares and attaches the feather to the turkey.

Long after the meal is forgotten, guests will remember all the fun of celebrating Thanksgiving at your house. These games are more than time fillers, they are memory makers. For more help planning the perfect Thanksgiving gathering consult with a party planner found at TalkLocal.

While many people eat turkey on Thanksgiving, several people have dietary restrictions or eating preferences. Which unfortunately  means that they might get left out of the festivities. So here are 5 simple vegan thanksgiving stuffing recipes, that are just as tasty as the original and which ensures that everyone can enjoy Thanksgiving to the fullest! You can create these vegan thanksgiving meal or vegan thanksgiving side dish quickly and easily: –

Recipe #1 – A substitute for the traditional stuffing

Combine all ingredients except for the liquid. Once all the dry ingredients are mixed together, add the veggie stock/veggie bouillon until your stuffing reaches your desired thickness. Don’t stir too much or the mixture will become mushy.

Recipe #2 – Mushroom delight

Mix all ingredients together and bake in an oven for 30-45 minutes in a greased casserole dish at 350 degrees.

Recipe #3 – Add some rice

Mix all ingredients together and bake in an oven for 30-45 minutes in a greased casserole dish at 350 degrees.

Recipe #4 –  Fruity melee

Mix all ingredients together and bake in an oven for 20 minutes in a greased casserole dish covered with foil at 350 degrees. Take off the foil and bake for an additional 20 minutes.

Recipe #5 – Back to the basics

Mix all ingredients together and bake in an oven for 30 minutes in a greased casserole dish covered with foil at 375 degrees. Take off the foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

Use these simple thanksgiving recipes to include all family members in the feast! For more ideas or for help planning your Thanksgiving party or Thanksgiving feast this year, search TalkLocal for assistance from a trusted professional.

If you’re hosting a Thanksgiving dinner this year, a beautiful fall centerpiece is a must have. Centerpieces take your meal above and beyond, giving the entire room an ambiance and scenery that puts everyone in a celebratory mood. Contrary to what you may think, a gorgeous and creative centerpiece does not have to cost an arm and a leg. In fact, the best way to obtain an artistic centerpiece is by making one yourself! Autumn is such a beautiful time of year and nature leaves objects to use all around us. Hunting for objects to incorporate in your centerpiece is half of the fun and it’s also an excellent activity to get the kids involved in. Read on for some simple DIY Thanksgiving centerpieces using Fall finds.

Baskets, gourds and other base
First, you’ll need a base of some sort. Baskets and cornucopias made of wicker or wood are very inexpensive, and it’s a safe bet that you can even find them at your local thrift store. You could also hunt for a colored vase in a fall color such as amber, plum, mustard yellow, or moss green. A hollowed out pumpkin or gourd with the top cut off makes a beautifully festive flower and twig vase that you can simply toss out at the end of the evening and these give a rustic fall feel to any room. A large metal mixing bowl or colander is another option and this works in a pinch since most of us have these lying around anyway. You can fill bowls with larger objects such as gourds, small pumpkins, and dried corn.

Acorn, baby pumpkins and other fillers
You’ll need some filler items for your centerpiece, and these will be a breeze to find outside, or if you’re looking for a less temporary centerpiece you can purchase plastic objects. Acorns, especially when attached to branches, make an earthy statement. Baby pumpkins and squash come in a variety of colors and textures. Don’t forget vibrant fall leaves and flowers: these will add a delicate, earthy touch to any centerpiece. Dried corn is almost an homage to the history of the holiday. If you have candles lying around, they will make an excellent addition, as would a string of white Christmas lights.

Thanksgiving can be a very busy time, so if you need assistance in decorating for your party, simply call TalkLocal. They can connect you with a professional party planner. This will make your load lighter, and that’s something we can all celebrate.

Thinking about throwing a party but don’t know where to start? Party planning can be an overwhelming process. Everything from creating the guest list to coordinating the food takes lots of time and consideration. Whether you’re celebrating a birthday or a promotion, organizing your huge party is much less stressful when following a checklist.

First thing’s first: figure out the time and date of the party. This will help you set up a timely party-planning schedule. Once you figure that out, you can begin your party-planning checklist.

 Two to five weeks before the party:

-Create a Budget. Figure out how much money you’re willing to spend on the party.

-Decide who you are going to invite. Who is on the guest list? Get the invitations in the mail!

-If you want to hire entertainment, caterers, or other help, do this now as well.

-If it’s a birthday party, you should order the cake, if you aren’t baking it yourself.

Two weeks before the party:

-If it’s potluck, assign the dishes to the guests.

-Start compiling entertainment such as music or games.

One week before the party:

-Review menu preparation timeline. Are you on target with make-ahead dishes?

-Look over RSVP’s and make sure everyone has responded.

 One to three days before the party:

-Clean your house

-Purchase fresh food

-Make sure your camera is charged and ready

-Wash glassware

-Set table and/or buffet

-Set up the bar

-Purchase and arrange any decorations

Day of the party:

-Buy ice

-Chill refreshments, make punch

-Put finishing touches on decorations

-Start the tunes, and greet your guests!

If you still need help planning your party, TalkLocal can assist you. Simply visit  www.TalkLocal.com to be put in contact with highly rated party planning companies in your area. By entering your service needs, location and times available, TalkLocal will match you with several professionals willing to help within minutes.