Thanksgiving 2018

[Cheryl J]

OMGosh, I don't know where to begin. First of all there are so many wonderful sounding menus here and I'm drooling over all.

Welcome, Siena. Hope to see you around here more.

Whisk...holy cow...you are so busy! I hope DX recovers soon from the medical issues - I love hearing about your gatherings with your X - not many can do that.

Joey...that orange cranberry cheesecake looks SO good!

Carol...good to see you here again!

Ross....OMGoodness...after 7 years, so glad you and the family can enjoy a Tday dinner all together again.

Andy...I love hearing how everyone wants the old faves. That's pretty much how it is here, too.

Princess, Dawg, and Addie.... especially thinking of you all...

OMGosh....too many more to comment on....I hope with all my heart that everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving!

 

[Addie]

OMGosh, I don't know where to begin. First of all there are so many wonderful sounding menus here and I'm drooling over all.

Welcome, Siena. Hope to see you around here more.

Whisk...holy cow...you are so busy! I hope DX recovers soon from the medical issues - I love hearing about your gatherings with your X - not many can do that.

Joey...that orange cranberry cheesecake looks SO good!

Carol...good to see you here again!

Ross....OMGoodness...after 7 years, so glad you and the family can enjoy a Tday dinner all together again.

Andy...I love hearing how everyone wants the old faves. That's pretty much how it is here, too.

Princess, Dawg, and Addie.... especially thinking of you all...

OMGosh....too many more to comment on....I hope with all my heart that everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Thank you. For several years now, I would go to my daughter's home for holiday meals. No more. I can't go up the stairs. But that is okay. My daughter is going to bring the meal to me this year. So I definitely have a lot to be thankful for this year.

Here's wishing everyone in this forum a really happy holiday time. Even those who don't celebrate with us.

Thank you to all of you for putting up with my nonsense at times.

 

[Cheryl J]

As usual, I'm just making a simple Tday dinner for a few family members. Roast turkey, dressing, mashies and gravy, a couple of veggie dishes, rolls, fruit, and a store-bought berry pie. (Claim Jumper....so good!)

I always do 'make ahead gravy' with turkey parts so that there's extra gravy, so I prepped that today. I thought I was going to have to buy the 'parts', but in searching through my freezer the other day I found a turkey leg, wing, and neck. Those lovelies got roasted and simmered and now there's a nice stock for extra gravy.

Fridge has already been cleaned out and there's room for the anticipated leftovers that I have left after sending leftovers home to my bachelor brother. I chopped celery and onions today and ziplocked them for the dressing. Tomorrow I'll do the mashed 'taters, and make the dressing....my goal is to be pretty much done with the preps by noonish Thursday and just need to reheat - except for the turkey roasting in the oven....and prepping the fresh veggies for the appetizers and dips. Yum.

 

[Kayelle]

Ykies...got off the cruise ship yesterday morning, and my darling Souschef did all the grocery shopping by yesterday afternoon. That man is amazing.

Today we made the dressing (the most important part) at least to him, and also the fresh cranberry sauce. Tomorrow we'll make the required strawberry/pineapple pretzel cream cheese salad. Sometime in there we have to unpack and do the laundry...lol
The turkey breast and thighs will be roasted Thurs. along with with fresh asparagus, and the taters and gravy will be done then too.
Our table will be for only five, as the rest of the family is out of town.

DIL will bring dessert, so I think we'll pull it all off.


Best wishes to all for a Happy Thanksgiving...

 

[larry_stewart]

I just found out, due to unfortunate circumstances, I'm doing Thanksgiving this year.
My parents usually did it in the past, but have since moved to a smaller house, and the family has grown significantly, so although they participate with some of the dishes, they have passed the torch to my brother and sister in law, who have a huge house. We all usually chip in and bring something, but this year had a few curve balls thrown at us.

1) 2 weeks ago, my father passed out ( due to all the meds he is on, dropping his heart rate to below 40bpm, after my mom performed CPR ( she was an intensive care nurse for 25 + years), he was rushed to the hospital where he stayed fro 4 or 5 days to stabilize his meds. He is now in a rehab facility, cause he kinda got banged up on the way down.
2) Last week, as my mom was leaving the rehab facility ( after visiting my dad), she got in a car accident, totaling her car. She is ok, but just added to her misery.
3) That brings me to yesterday, about 6pm I get a text from my wife, that my sister in law, while preparing for Thanksgiving at her house, was up on a chair searching for serving platters and such, fell off the chair and busted her leg. needless to say, she is not up to having a house full of people, and serving them.

So, my wife offered our house , and originally it was a go. But, we live about an hour from everyone else ( and the rehab facility), and we wanted to somehow include my dad in the festivities. So, we all decided to keep the group to immediate family, having it at my mothers house. Im in charge of preparing and bringing the bulk of the food. After dinner we will bring all the desserts to the rehab facility to have it with my dad.

My sister in law got a little pissy at first when we said we'll do everything but not the turkey ( since we are vegetarian, and Im understandably not about to start roasting a turkey). So instead of saying " Hey, thanks, I really appreciate you offering to hold thanksgiving". her reply was , in a very very snotty tone " what's thanksgiving without turkey? " Well, we were the bigger people and just ignored her stupid remark ( to her face, but behind her back we cursed her sniottiness and attitude). Now, since it will be at my moms, I think someone else is preparing the turkey and bringing it.

So, I now have to first start shopping ( since I just found out) and shop for, and prepare enough food for 15 people.

For the Thanksgiving themed Items, I will do Roasted veggies, roasted or BBQ'd potatoes, stuffing, stuffing stuffed mushrooms and cranberry sauce ( since I have gallons of cranberries from my cranberry picking experience a few weeks ago).

In addition, I will make a veggie meatballs ( which were suggested by everyone, as they love them), and a bunch of pasta dishes ( lasagna rolls, pasta with garlic, spinach and feta, baked ziti and garlic bread along with a salad.

My sister will cover the desserts and I assume the turkey.

And with al the bitching and complaint, Ill put money on it that my dishes all go, and there is left over turkey. And Im glad there will be left over turkey, cause that's when I tell my sister in law where she can shove it .

Sorry guys, just had to vent

Happy Thanksgiving everyone !!!

 

[Just Cooking]

Wow Larry... Sorry to see so many problems at Thanksgiving..
I hope it all works out for you..


My contribution will be the dressing and pre dinner snacks..


Baked the corn bread last evening, so it will dry out and I can put together the dressing today..

I will also put together the crab dip (family tradition) so the flavors will meld for tomorrow..


TG morning I will put together the relish plate..


My daughter and sil will roast the bird and make the side dishes..


Should be a fun day for our little family..


Ross

 

[larry_stewart]

Wow Larry... Sorry to see so many problems at Thanksgiving..
I hope it all works out for you..

Thanks, we considered spending our thanksgiving indoors, wrapped up in bubble wrap with the doors locked.

 

[blissful]

Thanks, we considered spending our thanksgiving indoors, wrapped up in bubble wrap with the doors locked.

+1
"Friends are God's apology for family."

 

[Addie]

Oh my Larry. Here's hoping when everyone sits down to eat, all is forgiven and everyone raves about the food. Right now your mother needs all the support she can get.

Good luck Larry and remember, you are all family. And that is what is important. Without family, what do you have that is more important.

 

[CharlieD]

Not a menu, not even a plan. Though planing to properly cook turkey is a part of planing. Anyway I have a question. I see recipes and about 50:50 are saying cover turkey first and cook then open and the other half says cook open first and then cover. the main concern in both cases is proper roasting of the top, how dark the skin should be when turkey is done.

I've always cooked covered first and then open to get nice crisp skin. What about you peoples? What gives?

 

[Andy M.]

We cover in the beginning while roasting at a high temp. Then we remove the foil and lower the temp.

 

[roadfix]

We're having Spanish style turkey (wet/juicy to make tortas) and rib roast (for folks that don't care for wet turkey, like myself). And since my wife will hog the oven most of the afternoon I'll cook the 2-bone rib roast in the little Cobb Grill, burning only 8 briquettes, low and slow.
At the end, we decided to spend TD at home.... last minute decision. Our 2 daughters, their hussies, and kids will join us.

 

[Just Cooking]

We're having Spanish style turkey (wet/juicy to make tortas) and rib roast (for folks that don't care for wet turkey, like myself). And since my wife will hog the oven most of the afternoon I'll cook the 2-bone rib roast in the little Cobb Grill, burning only 8 briquettes, low and slow.
At the end, we decided to spend TD at home.... last minute decision. Our 2 daughters, their hussies, and kids will join us.

That in bold is one of our fave dinners (I do admit to using the oven tho).. I really need to do that more frequently..

 

[msmofet]

Not a menu, not even a plan. Though planing to properly cook turkey is a part of planing. Anyway I have a question. I see recipes and about 50:50 are saying cover turkey first and cook then open and the other half says cook open first and then cover. the main concern in both cases is proper roasting of the top, how dark the skin should be when turkey is done.

I've always cooked covered first and then open to get nice crisp skin. What about you peoples? What gives?

We cover in the beginning while roasting at a high temp. Then we remove the foil and lower the temp.

+1 & 2 I always cover first. Then remove foil to crisp. NO basting.

 

[msmofet]

We're having Spanish style turkey (wet/juicy to make tortas) and rib roast (for folks that don't care for wet turkey, like myself). And since my wife will hog the oven most of the afternoon I'll cook the 2-bone rib roast in the little Cobb Grill, burning only 8 briquettes, low and slow.
At the end, we decided to spend TD at home.... last minute decision. Our 2 daughters, their hussies, and kids will join us.

Thank you for the giggle.

 

[Janet H]

Last minute prep and shopping going on here... We have a bunch of folks coming for the weekend. Today I checked out all the romaine I have carefully laid in for salads and sandwiches and scrubbed out my fridge as recommended by the CDC. Not really what I had planned to do today. Then I had fun trying to buy replacement lettuce - looks like everyone is a few hours ahead of me and the stores have NO lettuce left. Fortunately costco had butter lettuce still, in a 2 pack.

 

[Addie]

It is at times like this that I am glad I am sold on iceberg lettuce. BTW, I always remove the core on the head of lettuce. One good bang on the bottom of the lettuce head, on the counter, and the whole core comes right out. Helps peeling off the leaves one at a time.

 

[simonbaker]

We're having a traditional Thanksgiving meal. Turkey, Ham, msh/gravy, candied sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, corn ( frzn from the garden) stuffing, dinner rolls, cranberry relish, salad, devilled eggs, pickles and olives, & vegetable tray and dip.
Pies:. Pumpkin, pecan, cherry, ruhbarb, & peanut butter/chocolate with a chocolate chip cookie crust.
Hosting DH's family. 39 people.

 

[Cheryl J]

It's 5:45 here, and everything that can be prepped ahead of time, is done. Whew. Just have to prep and steam (or roast) the broccoli and carrots tomorrow while the turkey is roasting, and reheat the mashed taters, dressing, and gravy. Kitchen is cleaned up, dinner is done, and I'm ready to settle in for the night with a glass or 3 of wine and the TV.

Wow, some of you have a lot to cook for - here it's only about 5.

Larry, so sorry to hear about your dad. Hopefully the holiday will go as smoothly as possible. Best wishes to you and yours.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

 

[simonbaker]

We both come from large families, sometimes I think it would be nice to have a holiday meal where everyone could all sit around 1 table.