Thanksgiving 2015 - Planning Time

[GotGarlic]

I fear if I go to my cousin's this year, I go alone. DH did not like the food at all.

One year when we had an exchange student with us, I invited us to my aunt's house for Thanksgiving, because she has four kids and several grandkids and I wanted to show our student a family Thanksgiving.

OMG! I love her, but she cooked the turkey two days before because it's easier to carve cold The gravy and stuffing were from a packet and box mix. My cousin brought pecan pie from a grocery store. The only homemade fresh food was the mashed potatoes my second cousin brought and the broccoli-cauliflower-cheese casserole I made.

I cooked an entire Thanksgiving dinner that Saturday so we would have a good dinner and yummy leftovers.

 

[FoodieFanatic]

We get a free-range, organic, fresh turkey. Started this about five years and will never go back to frozen or injected birds. The flavors are so much more intense IMO. Traditional all the way with the stuffing (in the bird) and dressing in a casserole, homemade cranberries, creamed onions, yams, mashed potatoes and homemade pumpkin pie. Leftovers of Thanksgiving are the best. I think I look forward to the leftovers more than to the meal.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

PF, your oven looks fairly clean. I'd give it a try. As long as it works, chances are it will be fine.

Thanks Andy!

I preheated it, smells like a hot oven. Not sure what temp I got, you would think I could find an oven thermometer around here. But it works fine and it was quick to get to the set temp.

 

[Dawgluver]

One year when we had an exchange student with us, I invited us to my aunt's house for Thanksgiving, because she has four kids and several grandkids and I wanted to show our student a family Thanksgiving.

OMG! I love her, but she cooked the turkey two days before because it's easier to carve cold The gravy and stuffing were from a packet and box mix. My cousin brought pecan pie from a grocery store. The only homemade fresh food was the mashed potatoes my second cousin brought and the broccoli-cauliflower-cheese casserole I made.

I cooked an entire Thanksgiving dinner that Saturday so we would have a good dinner and yummy leftovers.

I can totally relate! I've bought a turkey breast, cooked it, made dressing and fresh cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, and most importantly, GRAVY! When we returned home after the 3 hour trip. Just to wash the taste of my cousin's meal out!

Bless her heart, I have no idea what she feeds her DH, or how her kids ever grew to adulthood. Come to think of it, they all look kind of skinny and pallid.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

I can totally relate! I've bought a turkey breast, cooked it, made dressing and fresh cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, and most importantly, GRAVY! When we returned home after the 3 hour trip. Just to wash the taste of my cousin's meal out!

Bless her heart, I have no idea what she feeds her DH, or how her kids ever grew to adulthood. Come to think of it, they all look kind of skinny and pallid.

A funny scene from a movie whose name I can't remember comes to mind. The setting was the deep South. In he scene, one of the actresses states that in the South, women have found a way to justify saying mean things about each other. They simply add the qualifier - Bless her heart - before saying the negative thing they want to say.

Some examples would be;

1. Bless her heart, Sylvia always looks so disheveled when she leaves her house.

2. Bless her heart, BobbySue wares entirely too much make-up for her pale skin.

3. Bless her heart, she tries so hard to keep those children on the straight and narrow. Can't she see that she's smothering them?

Dawg, you don't live in the Deep South, do you?

Yes, I know you want to. Go ahead. Say it. Bless his heart, the Chief is such a brat.

Seeeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[Aunt Bea]

My mother's line was "Bless her heart, she tries!"

 

[Cooking Goddess]

Chief, now you've reminded me of a family gathering we were at ages ago. My Mom and my dear Aunt Helen had just heard a joke about a young girl who was sent to finishing school and was taught to say "Fantastic!" instead of "Bull....". Aunt Helen had one too many by the time the hostess was taking family members to see her newly redecorated living room...the kind with plastic covers on all of the furniture and a plastic carpet protector along the room's travel path. Needless to say, every time pretentious Aunt Irene mentioned the cost or the hard time the decorator had finding something, Aunt Helen said "fantastic!". BTW, Aunt Irene had not heard the joke - hopefully she never did!

Dawg, if "Bless your heart" is too tame, you can go with "Fantastic"! I'll never tell...

 

[Dawgluver]

Fantastic, bless your hearts!

 

[msmofet]

I fear if I go to my cousin's this year, I go alone. DH did not like the food at all.

I usually bring the dressing/stuffing, which I make to my own personal specifications, with bread. It is neither gluten-free nor vegan. Last year's lack of gravy was a complete and utter travesty. There were a couple of turkeys that were edible, one was even smoked. Other than that, the menu mainly consisted of various Brussels sprouts dishes and sweet potatoes. Two of my most despised dishes.

I also brought a big plate of deer sausage, cheese, and crackers. Guess what completely disappeared first?

 

[msmofet]

Probably the same menu as usual, last minute changes, omissions or additions are common place .


Appetizers/Soup
Stuffed Mushrooms

Entrée
Roasted Turkey
Stuffing
Yams/Sweet Potatoes (maybe Candied Sweet potatoes/yams)
Green Bean salad
Brussels sprouts
Sautéed Mushrooms
Mashed potatoes (with butter and Philadelphia cream cheese chive & onion spread)
My Turkey Gravy
Cranberry/Tangerine Relish
Cranberry sauce

Dessert
Apple pie
Pumpkin pie
Homemade Whipped cream

Beverages
Assorted soda
Sparkling cranberry apple cider
Coffee

 

[GotGarlic]

Oh me, Oh my! Thanksgiving is fast approaching, first our Canadian friends and neighbors on Monday, October 12 and then American on Thursday, November 26.

Who is coming for Dinner?
Where are you going?
Trying a new recipe?
Traditional or something else?

We have the need to know, please use this forum to talk out your menus, ask questions and offer ideas.

Me first:
Family, all coming to MY house. This is the first Thanksgiving celebration with family in the last 23 years.
I will be assigning dishes to bring and those with special needs will be asked to bring at least one dish that complies with their diet.
Chairs, they need to bring chairs. I only have 8 and there will be 20 of us...I think.
Traditional Dinner, Mom elected me to host the meal...I hope I can do it up right.

I'm sure you'll do great. I did Thanksgiving for 18 a few years ago and the old saying is true - many hands make light work

 

[Andy M.]

I think my idea of doing a turducken for Thanksgiving has died. First of all, you need a really big crown and second, they have to be interested in the idea. I have neither.

 

[GotGarlic]

It will probably be the two of us for Thanksgiving this year, and we'll probably do the same menu as always, too. Looking at msmofet's menu, though, maybe I'll plan a light lunch this time - I'm thinking cream of peanut soup and a fruit-cheese-crackers tray for nibbling on. Since it's just us, we usually end up eating dinner later in the day.

Roast turkey
Sage and thyme stuffing with raisins
Mashed potatoes
Roasted veggies - onions, carrots and Brussels sprouts with balsamic reduction
Gravy
Cherry sauce
Yeast rolls
Pumpkin pie with homemade cinnamon whipped cream

 

[Steve Kroll]

Oh me, Oh my! Thanksgiving is fast approaching, first our Canadian friends and neighbors on Monday, October 12 and then American on Thursday, November 26.

Who is coming for Dinner?
Where are you going?
Trying a new recipe?
Traditional or something else?

My goodness, you guys plan early. Thanksgiving is like... what.... 3 months away?

My plan for this year currently involves getting in the car and driving an hour to my sister-in-law's house. Of course, that might change at any time.

 

[Steve Kroll]

I think my idea of doing a turducken for Thanksgiving has died. First of all, you need a really big crown and second, they have to be interested in the idea. I have neither.

Andy, if you decide to tackle something as ambitious as a turducken, you are indeed worthy of wearing a really big crown.

 

[Addie]

Thank you for your vote of confidence, LyndaLou. Funny...I got rid of my large serving platter a few years ago as I was never going to cook a whole Turkey again.

I'm hoping I can get my new stove before Thanksgiving rolls around. I may have to try out the oven on this old thing and see how it handles roasting.

Mom's house is just up the street. See if she has a large platter. Since she is not doing the cooking this year I bet she will be glad to loan it to you.

I have my mother's platters. The large and small one. I should pass them down to the next generation. I doubt I will ever use them again. It is hard to let go of them though.

Just out of curiosity, just what size turkey are you planning on cooking? Or are you one to make two different meats when you cook for a crowd?

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Shrek wants Etouffé, I'm sure everyone else is expecting the Turkey with fixings. We've spent too many years doing our own thing on holidays. So I will be doing the Turkey with full layout. Shrek will get his Etouffé since I can do that in the electric pressure cooker.

Have one mushroom hater (she is very vocal and crude about it), so I plan on using porcini powder in anything I can flavor. There are three Ketogenic dieters (Mom, Dad, me) the rest will or will not eat what is put in front of them. I never realized how picky some of my relatives are when it comes to food. I'm sure several of them would be happy with Hamburger Helper.

I've come to the decision I will be cooking for me, everyone else...if they go home hungry it's their fault.

 

[Andy M.]

Andy, if you decide to tackle something as ambitious as a turducken, you are indeed worthy of wearing a really big crown.

Steve, I need a really big crown because I have a really big head! As an aside, a turducken will feed a really big crowd.

 

[Addie]

Shrek wants Etouffé, I'm sure everyone else is expecting the Turkey with fixings. We've spent too many years doing our own thing on holidays. So I will be doing the Turkey with full layout. Shrek will get his Etouffé since I can do that in the electric pressure cooker.

Have one mushroom hater (she is very vocal and crude about it), so I plan on using porcini powder in anything I can flavor. There are three Ketogenic dieters (Mom, Dad, me) the rest will or will not eat what is put in front of them. I never realized how picky some of my relatives are when it comes to food. I'm sure several of them would be happy with Hamburger Helper.

I've come to the decision I will be cooking for me, everyone else...if they go home hungry it's their fault.

Good for you. They are getting a free holiday meal. If they don't like it, they can go to a restaurant. Make a pot of Hamburger Helper with chicken. I doubt they will even notice it is not turkey.

I have friends that cook two or three meals for the one. Who doesn't like this, that one doesn't like that, and the third will only eat one thing. Not me. I always put nutritious food on the table. Eat it or go hungry. But I always insisted my kids take even one small bite of every thing. When I insisted on a spoonful of veggie, it was always just a tsp. on the plate. Fewer battles. As a result, they all know how to behave when invited to a home for a meal.

 

[taxlady]

If we end up going to my beloved cousin's again, I am bringing my own gravy. Last year's gluten-free, vegan, organic, gravy-free meal was, um, well, words fail me.

You will do great, PF! I know there will be plenty of gravy!

Vegan just doesn't work for meat eaters for Thanksgiving.

I was visiting my sister one year at Thanksgiving. She brought me to a vegan resto. The vegan turkey, was, um, sorta edible. It was not a nice meal. When we got home it occurred to me that the "turkey" was some sort of soy stuff. I'm not supposed to have soy. I had only recently found out, so I didn't think of it in time.