How to have Friendsgiving in a dorm
Yes, the kitchen is small. Yes, all the appliances are from 2002. But that doesn’t have to ruin the day.
So you want to host a Friendsgiving–maybe you are stuck at UNC over break or planning one last get together before the holiday–but you live in a dorm. There are certain complications that come with this task, like finding that perfect time when no one is using the floor’s kitchen because all freshmen freshly cook their meals, right?
Speaking from experience, Friendsgiving in a dorm is going to be a bit of a hot mess, but its very worth it in the end to be able to eat all the delicious food with your best friends.
Here are some pointers to get you started:
Planning
The most important part of a Friendsgiving is that your friends actually want to have one. Make sure the whole group is on board before buying the turkey and stuffing. Assign everyone a dish to cook and make sure they can make enough for everyone. The last thing you want is to run out of mac and cheese. Also, make sure not everyone volunteers to make the dessert–unless that’s what you’re going for.
Everett Residence Hall at UNC. Photo by UNC Housing // Facebook
Gathering the ingredients
So, you probably don’t have a car, which makes grocery shopping a nightmare. If you have a really nice friend who is willing to drive you and all of your friends to the Super-Target, more power to you, but you’re most likely going to need to take the bus.
Whether you and the group want authentic or easy cooking is part of the decision you can make at the grocery store. You could hand mash 10 pounds of potatoes (I think my arms are still sore) or you could just buy the box mix. Make sure everyone knows the deal before going all in.
Preparation
Yes, the kitchen is small. And yes, all the appliances are from 2002. But that doesn’t have to ruin the day. Take shifts, or make it a cooking party. Not everyone needs the stove at the same time, so plan out a cooking schedule. Make sure to leave time for the appliances to catch up to you because sometimes the water can take 45 minutes just to boil on the rinky-dinky dorm stoves.
Whoever the brave soul is that volunteered to make the turkey must be ready for making it in a broken-down oven that won’t pre-heat for at least an hour. All of this can be avoided by just getting carving board turkey from the deli section, but where’s the Thanksgiving spirit in that?
It helps to know the resident chef on your floor in case you forget any ingredients, like an egg, some butter or all the utensils you didn’t even think to buy.
Eating
Once everything’s done, push all the tables together in the study lounge for a make-shift dining room table– very classy, very adult. When everyone comes up for air while eating, maybe say what you’re thankful for and yes, garlic mash potatoes are a valid answer.
After
Can’t forget that clean-up! Save the left overs for your next 13 meals. Post your insta pic and watch the likes roll in.
Have a great Friendsgiving everyone! Oh, and yeah, Thanksgiving too.