For families looking to get organized for Thanksgiving and holiday parties I recommend Punchbowl, so much so I joined the company.

Online invitation sites like Punchbowl and evite.com are good for organizing guest lists and managing RSVPS.  While most holiday parties require an RSVP, if your family is like mine you already know who is coming to Thanksgiving dinner (depending on the relative, you might want to un-invite them as well) so using an online invite site isn’t needed.

While we don’t need the RSVP tracking, we’re using Punchbowl for their Potluck feature  or menu planning.  Basically it allows the dinner host to tell guests what they are serving, specify what they need in terms appetizers, entrees, desserts and drinks and then lets guests select what they want to bring or add items.  Simple, easy, efficient.

For the software and tech crowd I see this as Collaborative menu planning or workflow driven eating.  For busy Thanksgiving cooks - it’s a definite time saver.

Let me know if you try it or know of any other good menu planning sites.  Screenshot below from our team soccer party.