Thanksgiving 2011

[GLC]

It's at our house this year, so I make the meat, and others bring everything else. Saturday, I ordered and put down a deposit at the butcher for a whole beef tenderloin to pick up the day before. The butcher will trim it, cut it into two parts, and truss it. That goes on the charcoal rotisserie. And I'll roast a small turkey in the oven.

Now, while I was checking out prospects for some turkey parts to use in making up basting broth and gravy ahead of time, I saw turkey tails, which my grocery hasn't been carrying before. They're so cheap, I figured to use them. But now that I look around, I see so many good sounding recipes for tails and so many compliments on the meat, I might have to buy double and make one batch up braised. Kind of reminds my of my young adulthood when we would get together and buy a bunch of chicken backs, because they nearly gave them away, but they had that perfect "oyster" meat part.

 

[Steve Kroll]

In all my years, I have never once hosted Thanksgiving dinner, or even so much as cooked a turkey (my least favorite meat). We've always had it at one of the other family member's houses. My wife has always said it's my one day off from cooking.

This year, that's changed. My sis-in-law usually hosts it their house, but was unable to do so this year, and asked if I would mind taking it over. "Ok, sure," I said.

So I guess I'd better bone up on turkey cookery.

 

[CWS4322]

LOL Steve. You could smoke a turkey or you could just serve up the paella you made and throw some smoked turkey in it (or smoked turkey sausage or venison sausage!). You don't have to make turkey. Since you are starting a new "tradition" by hosting at your house, you could do the "Non-Traditional" T'day theme.

 

[Aunt Bea]

I was not going to cook a turkey this year but I was in Wegman's and they had them for 49 cents a pound with a twenty five dollar purchase including the cost of the turkey.

Here we go again!

 

[Steve Kroll]

LOL Steve. You could smoke a turkey or you could just serve up the paella you made and throw some smoked turkey in it (or smoked turkey sausage or venison sausage!). You don't have to make turkey. Since you are starting a new "tradition" by hosting at your house, you could do the "Non-Traditional" T'day theme.

All true. I'm not really the traditional type anyway. But nevertheless, I thought I would give it a stab. My sister-in-law recently lost both her brother and brother-in-law to illnesses. I think that her losses have taken the wind out of her sails and that's why she is reluctant to host this year. She is a very traditional gal, so I thought I would try to keep the traditional aspects for her benefit.

 

[Andy M.]

All true. I'm not really the traditional type anyway. But nevertheless, I thought I would give it a stab. My sister-in-law recently lost both her brother and brother-in-law to illnesses. I think that her losses have taken the wind out of her sails and that's why she is reluctant to host this year. She is a very traditional gal, so I thought I would try to keep the traditional aspects for her benefit.

It might be helpful to your SIL if you tried to involve her a little in the preparation for Thanksgiving. Kind of a therapy to make her feel better.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

It might be helpful to your SIL if you tried to involve her a little in the preparation for Thanksgiving. Kind of a therapy to make her feel better.

Yes, definitely call her and ask for her opinion and assist. She needs to know she is still needed, even if she can't handle it all.

 

[ChefAli3]

Gravy

Okay, so I'm doing my first Thanksgiving, and luckily it'll be a small, no stress affair, but I was wondering about gravy recipes. I've watched my mother make a simple gravy in the pan after the turkey comes out with flour and gravy master--but I'm wondering how other people do their gravy because this is my first time doing it--not just watching.

Any suggestions?

 

[Andy M.]

That's the basic process. The fat and bits stuck to the pan are the basis for traditional turkey gravy. Gravy Master is optional.

Turkey broth provides the liquid and flour is the thickener. Seasonings can consist of anything you like but traditionally some garlic and sage are good additions.

 

[powerplantop]

Looks like I may not make it home this year. Its still possible but I don't think so.

 

[Steve Kroll]

It might be helpful to your SIL if you tried to involve her a little in the preparation for Thanksgiving. Kind of a therapy to make her feel better.

Yes, definitely call her and ask for her opinion and assist. She needs to know she is still needed, even if she can't handle it all.

Good thoughts. I know she was planning to bring a couple of dishes, but maybe I should see if she has any interest in coming up earlier to help with the dinner.

Her brother always brought the pies for our Thanksgiving get togethers. I suggested that this year we go "pie-less" in his memory. She seemed to like that idea.

 

[Aunt Bea]

Okay, so I'm doing my first Thanksgiving, and luckily it'll be a small, no stress affair, but I was wondering about gravy recipes. I've watched my mother make a simple gravy in the pan after the turkey comes out with flour and gravy master--but I'm wondering how other people do their gravy because this is my first time doing it--not just watching.

Any suggestions?

If you brown the flour in the pan with the drippings you should not need the gravy master. Also try to use boiling stock or water. This will help to prevent lumps.

If this is your first time at making gravy you may want to pick up a container of Wondra instant flour. That will insure no lumps.

 

[CharlieD]

I don't know, for me thanksgiving is very simple. I love turkey, mashed potato with mushroom gravy, some sort of green slad or more likely simple green beens with almonds, wy wife will make sweet potato pie and probably pecan pie. If we eat all of this we will explode. So nothing else here. I do not even like to have anything else, becasue I only make turkey on rare ocasion and I love it.

 

[CharlieD]

I learned how to make gravy thanks to good people of this forum. 2 table spoons oil; 2 table spoons flour; 1 cup liquid. Liquid could be chicken, or beef or turkey stock, or even wine. I love using swet wine for example. One very important detail: Liquid should not be hot. It should be either cold or room temperature.

 

[Whiskadoodle]

It will work Steve. I remember DxW ( and I) had Thanksgiving dinner at her house with less than a week's notice lat year; forget what the fam emergencey was that entailed change. I brought over a box of good dishes, extra silverware, and our son was storing some furntiture at his mom's so we hauled his dining room table up from the basement and put it together in the living room. Just enough seating for everyone. Just remember if you use a frozen turkey to allow enough days to thaw in the frig, pull the packet of giblets out and hopefully you have a thermometer to test when it's done. Even if you do things your way, it's good to include what your family considers your traditional favorites too. That, and an extra hug for your SIL to thank her for all the times she had the holiday gathering.

 

[Addie]

My days of cooking holiday meals is over. Now I go to their house. I do bring the pies. The apple pie is in the freezer just waiting for me to make it next Tuesday. And I seemed to have started a new tradition. Last Year I made some loafs of Pumpkin Cranberry Bread. I made a number of them for the church fair and a few for family members. Well it seems that they were such a hit, the church has asked me for some copies of the recipe. And my kids each want a loaf for Thanksgiving breakfast. I am going to my youngest son's home. He is married to an Albanian girl and her mother is a great cook. My son has been raving about the Pumpkin Bread, so his wife asked me if I could bring a loaf for snacking. Last year I made a beautiful apple pie, and while everyone was sitting around the supper table chatting the night before, the pie came out and disappeared. So I am hoping that they go for the Pumpkin Bread instead and leave the pie for the holiday dinner. But it is not my home and not my place to say. I am happy that they like the food I bring. It is nice to go to someone's home and not have to do any work. But if I am asked, I will pitch in and help.

 

[babetoo]

you sound like me addie. several years ago, i turned it over to the young women. just didn't have the energy to do it all myself, anymore. i do take green bean cass. and a dessert. this year a pumpkin dump cake with candied pecans on top. quick, easy and i hope tasty.

 

[buckytom]

yay, half of my siblings and their kids will be going to my parents' house, so we don't have to cook and haul everything down there thanksgiving morning. i'm thrilled that while it's only half of my immediate family, there'll be about 25 coming for dinner. i have deeply cherished memories of big family thanksgiving dinners when i was young, so i'm happy that my son gets to experience all of the fun and love (and incessant teasing) of our big family.

my eldest sister will go down the night before and help mom make 2 turkeys, and everyone else are bringing the sides.
we are responsible for the stuffing, which will be turkey sausage, apple, and mushroom stuffing (dressing, really), and an aple pie. we still have loads of apples from when we went picking last month.

i can't wait to try my p.i.t.a. sil's "special" potato dish. every thing she makes is such a big deal, and we all have too ooh and aah about it.
i hope it's edible, or i may have to emply the "not enough room on my plate right now" technique. at least she makes good devilled eggs, so there's that, lol.

 

[Addie]

Many, many moons ago I got a call from my daughter. We had the holiday all planned. I would go to her house the night before and help her prepare the big meal. On the Friday before Thanksgiving, with a fridge full of food, her fridge decided to die. And I mean DIE! they called a repairman and it would cost more than a new fridge. They didn't have the money at that time. So SIL came over to my house with a few large coolers and filled up my fridge. Thjanksgiving is fast approaching and the problem of getting the food back to her house, cooking it and still keeping it safe raised its ugly head. So the calls started. "Ma, can you cook the turkey and then bring it with you? Ma, can you peel the potatoes and cook them and bring them with you? Can you....? Can you....? Why don't I just cook the whole meal and you all come over here to eat. So I put the leaf in the dining room table, broke out all the good china, tablecloth with matching napkins, etc. Even the good crystal. My daughter and her family had, had such a stressful week, I felt they deserved something nice. I did all the sides and pies on Tuesday, cleaned the turkey on Wednesday and popped it in the oven early Thursday morning, and set the table. When the family walked in, my SIL said it looked like an inn where you go for a romantic dinner or weekend. Sure it was a lot of work. But so well worth it. When we went around the table to say what we were thankful for, he said, "That I have a great mother-in-law."

 

[Hotpie]

We goin ta have Cohon De Lait, beats the heck outta Turkey, delicious yeah cher.............