Spice Up Thanksgiving Dinner This Year

LOS ANGELES (TheStreet) -- On Thursday, matriarchs across the country will roll out the wedding china and serve Thanksgiving dinner. The meal is usually served buffet-style or on an old white tablecloth, with overcooked side dishes and a ceremonial turkey.

Here are 10 simple ways to spruce up America's favorite holiday.

10. Dress to impress: Send e-mails or printed invitations to your holiday guest lists that encourage them to dress up. The simple visual of having all your family or friends in their holiday best will breathe fresh life into a dinner often fraught with sweatshirts.

9. No afternoon dinners: In most parts of the world, any meal served before 5 p.m. is considered lunch. There is nothing less impressive than a Thanksgiving meal served while the sun is still out. Everything looks worse in daylight, especially a dry turkey. Dinner should be served no earlier than 6 p.m.

8. Themed cocktails: Scour through your favorite cooking magazines and snag a recipe for a festive Thanksgiving drink. Pomegranate martinis or kir royales offer a snazzy tough before dinner. Nothing says trashy like beer bottles and cans of Coke. Remember, plastic is bad for the environment and worse for dinner parties. Everything should be served in glass.

7. Unexpected appetizers: Spice up your appetizers with something fresh and unexpected. Go with more formal appetizers like crab dip served with toasted bread points or a tower of shrimp cocktail. The added appetizer can save you from having to prepare an additional side and keep your guests fed while the bird cooks a bit longer.