Who is having a non-turkey Thanksgiving?

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Well, I found a 13.7 pound turkey today for 74¢ a pound, ($10.14)! I've got it sitting in the sink still in it's packaging, and will put it in the fridge overnight.

I'll probably not wait until Thursday, unless it takes that long to thaw. Whenever it's ready, I'll roast it, make stuffing, and gravy from the giblets and drippings. I have some canned sweet potatoes that will round out the meal.

I realize this doesn't belong in this thread, but until I went shopping today, I had no plans to have turkey for Thanksgiving.

you got yourself a good deal on your turkey zee! i would have had to spend an additional $35.00 in groceries to get the .39lb. deal on the turkey at our market--not so much of a "deal" after all....
 
Vitauta-- I hope you and your mom enjoy the celebration of the holiday together. In fact, because it is a holiday, I hope you set the table with the "good dishes", a real tablecloth, not just place mats and wear your holiday Sunday-go-to meeting clothes. And a Apron when you are in the kitchen, which should be removed before sitting down at the table. I get lazy around home most days, so this is as much a self-reminder when I forget my own manners and ettiquette rules. I join other family members at their house, but I always bring along my best pair of slippers to wear, as we remove shoes and their floors are chilly. It works.

As far as vegetable side dishes, I recommend brussel sprouts. To me, these are a holiday food, because it's one I seldom make other times. And Delicata or dumpling squash, which are available (here, anyway) only in the fall. Fall Squash takes so little oven space and a piece of foil under them if you don't set them in a pan, in case they leak butter. I also think rutabaga is a treat when diced, cooked and mashed in with Mash potatoes.

An easy way to make brussels sprouts is to take a frozen package, use however many you want, cook until crisp-tender, allow to cool to handling stage, cut the larger ones in half and pour pre-made caesar or italian salad dressing over and let them macerate for serveral days ahead. Instant pickles. Add additonal herbs or a garlic clove or dried chili pepper to the marinade. Well, I like pickles. Watermelon pickles, beet pickles, spiced crab apples. Any one or several makes a holiday table seem more special.

One of the fun things to do on thanksgiving is to run around the block while dinner cooks. When you come back in the kitchen, take a deep breath and just smell how delicious everything is. I can hardly wait.

Fred
 
how nice, fred, that you took the time to think of us, and offer your holiday suggestions for a special and successful thanksgiving day. i will be following most of your ideas.--no running around the block for me, though. smile. brussel sprouts for a veggie has been on my mind for days, but i didn't find a recipe i liked until you offered yours for an intriguing pickled version. sounds like our kind of food--thanks.:) from another thread, i read with interest your description of a ham dinner party you had at your home. you seem to know how to throw a great party, and feed your guests well, despite a handicapped kitchen....:)

a blessed and bountiful thanksgiving to you and yours, fred.
 
Vitauta - I'm curious what you will end up making. I never seem to make traditional things at Christmastime but, like Mrs. Hoot, I remember my family and their traditions through food at Thanksgiving, so it is very hard for me to stray from tradition. (Kudos to Hoot for giving her that!)

At Christmas one year, I made traditional Mexican foods: Tamales, Turkey with a Mole' sauce, rice, citrus salad, tortillas, etc. It was fun and yummy. One year, I simply made the best filet Mignon I could buy with a saute of cranberries, green beans and shallots served beside garlic mashed potatoes. This year, I am considering a spin on the Feast of Seven Fishes for Christmas, even though I know it is traditionally made on Christmas eve.

Perhaps you could do a scaled back version of traditional Thanksgiving using a roasting chicken and prepare some of your mother's (and your) favorite recipes! Or perhaps you could find out something she especially enjoyed "back in the day" that is rarely served anymore. (For my mother, this was wilted lettuce with a bacon dressing.)

Like Fred mentioned, I would spend a good amount of time on the table settings to make the day special. And something wonderful for dessert.

Please share what you decide to make!

~Kathleen
 
Thanks Vitauta for remembering my dinner party the other week. I seldom entertain, so it was special. I cook for two, and since my Cat doesn't eat people food, there is always leftovers to get creative with the next day and most recipes/ things I make do not scale to less than 4 or more servings, then there is often a lot. Well, I do not waste any. That's not the point. Thanksgiving, when you may want leftovers, and you are invited to a family gathering, there are no leftovers sent home. That's not the point either. I will make a pan of stuffing/ dressing and some cranberries on Thanksgiving Friday and a little something to go with it for the weekend. That's just good planning, heheh.

I, and we all, I am sure, have so many things to be Thankful for. And, Most of them do not involve Actual Things. I hope you and we all enjoy our Thanksgiving celebrations !! Thanks.

Fred
 
I am going to my son's home to eat. They are having ham. I don't like turkey, but I do love ham. I am also bringing an apple pie that I made. Right now it is sitting in the freezer and I will give it an egg wash Tuesday and bake it.

My son asked what could they serve for a side. I suggested baked mashed sweet potatoes inside a baked ½ acorn squash for each person, with brown sugar and butter in the bottom of each squash. His wife's family (and his wife) come from Albania and are not too familiar with a lot of our customs. They had seen a story of wild turkeys on TV one day. They thought my son was going out to shoot one for dinner. We are still giggling over that one. They have never had turkey. But neither my son or I like it. So maybe for one holiday we will roast a really small one to they can taste it. But they have had ham. I stopped making turkey for holidays when the kids were small. The only part they would eat was meat from the legs. The rest went into the big soup pot. Carcass and all.

I will be taking the commuter train to the town next to them and they will pick me up from there. It is about an hours ride. It is the same time if they came and picked me up with the car. But that is a lot of gas to come and get me and then bring me home Friday. I know the train will be crowded, but being handicapped, I am guaranteed a seat. And being elderly, the ticket will only cost me $3.00. Not a bad deal. Every other rider will pay $8.50. I love being old and handicapped.

Well, Happy Thanksgiviong everyone. And if I hear all of you moaning and groaning about having a tummy ache, I will know you ate too much.:chef:
 
one year hubbie and i weren't into thanksgiving dinner, we did steaks out on the grill, baked potaotes, mixed greens salad. garlic bread. It was great!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
I might be. I haven't decided on Thursday's dinner yet. I've got half a notion to have stuffed pork tenderloin.
 
No one in our family likes turkey. In addition, our kids will not eat beef most of the time. So we have to come up with options for the holidays. My last edition of the ChefWannabee newsletter covered this in more detail. But it looks like ham for Thanksgiving and probably a pasta salad as a backup if they don't like the ham options. Of course my selection would be prime rib. So my wife and I had an early Thanksgiving diner last weekend with prime rib and trimmings.

yogiwan
Your Smart Kitchens
 
Aunt bea I love leftovers, Hubbie on the other hand, will eat only one hot turkey sandwhich for lunch the next day and thats it. So no left over ok. I make turkey dinners often so It really isn't missed. I have full dinner this year. Hubbie already said wants Roast beef for xmas. so thats easy this year.
Hope everyone has a safe & happy Thanksgiving
 
Kathleen has been talking for about 2 months about doing HER Thanksgiving dinner. It has been a few years since she has made it because we have traveled for the holiday. This year she has been planning her dinner, and I have been looking forward to eating it and watching football.

She has come down sick and since last week.

Today I got a duck. I offered to do a turkey, but she wants to do one (maybe next weekend).

Yay roast duck!
 
Just picked up some fresh Oysters this evening and some local shrimp. I'm thinking of Steaming the oysters and having Shrimp Alfredo on angel hair pasta on Turkey Day. I'm not sure what veggie. Maybe Grilled Asparagus.
 
Ok.. so my plans changed.

I bought a duck that was a frozen block, and while I have plenty of time to thaw it, it is now in the freezer.

I picked up a fresh duck for Thursday. So the real change in plans is not thawing out a duck. :)
 
Ok.. so my plans changed.

I bought a duck that was a frozen block, and while I have plenty of time to thaw it, it is now in the freezer.

I picked up a fresh duck for Thursday. So the real change in plans is not thawing out a duck. :)

I woke up at 3 this morning, remembering I hadn't pulled the ground beef and pork from the freezer. Yes, I got up anyway after trying to go back to sleep. They are now sitting on the counter, should be thawed after 10 hours at work.
 
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