Thanksgiving 2015 - Planning Time

[Bookbrat]

We have a couple of farm-raised turkeys on order with a friend. I got one last year, pre-salted it for two days before roasting, and it was the best turkey we've ever had. I was happy with our Costco fresh free-range turkeys, but now we're totally spoiled, so this year I ordered two.

DD is gluten intolerant and SIL has Crohn's so we will make two dressings, cauliflower mash along with the potatoes. And I'll get used to using cornstarch in my gravy, yesIwill...

Beyond that we tend to do whatever suits our fancy at the time. I'll make Aunt Margaret's Rolls for for those of us that do gluten, some sort of fruit salad and vegie. And something pumpkin-ey for a dessert. SIL makes a mean creme brulee, so maybe we'll make a pumpkin brulee.

We'll probably invite my sis to fly up from Palm Springs since we'll have a month-old great-niece for her to meet!

 

[Dawgluver]

I'm envious, BB. We have friends who are hobby farmers and raise livestock, including a few turkeys, but I've met the turkeys and they're pets. No way I could eat them.

 

[Bookbrat]

Dawg, I hear you. That's why I don't raise my own. I like my homegrown meat frozen in packages. My friend tried to introduce me to last year's TDay dinner and I declined.

 

[taxlady]

We helped raise a goose, Irene. We had her for Solstice supper. It didn't bother me or my ex. It did bother our friend. It also gave all the dogs a real scare. We were living in a trailer at the friend's dad's trout farm. There were seven dogs.

 

[Dawgluver]

Taxy! You ate Irene??!

I grew up in farm country, and I still don't know if I could eat any animal I met. Like Bookbrat, I prefer my meat frozen in a package.

 

[taxlady]

Taxy! You ate Irene??!

I grew up in farm country, and I still don't know if I could eat any animal I met. Like Bookbrat, I prefer my meat frozen in a package.

Yeah, I'm afraid we did. I was kinda horrible. I played this song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGNkaoWnLjU

Me And My Goose Lyrics - Arlo Guthrie

 

[Dawgluver]

I still don't know if I could eat a friend! With a name!

 

[cinisajoy]

I doubt we do much for Thanksgiving since it is just the two of us.
When I was growing up, grandmother did the holiday cooking.
After my granddad died, my aunt took over.
When her younger daughter moved out of state: I offered to take over Christmas.
The years passed and her grandkids grew up.
The younger granddaughter got married and wanted to do the holiday thing.
Both me and my aunt said what can we bring.
Now they have all moved away so now it is just the two of us.

 

[Addie]

Living on a farm, you learn early on that the animals are for eating. It never bothered me when we took the pigs up to North Truro for slaughter and then brought them home all cut up for the freezer. I would see the hams hanging in the barn and never gave it a second thought that I used to have to feed them. Or when a chicken made it into the pot for supper, that was just one less chicken to feed.

Even working with 4-H kids, they knew when they brought their hand raised animals to the fair, it was for the purpose of not only winning ribbons, but also selling them for next winters feed for their new animal project. It is a mindset that you teach farm kids from the start. If you want them to have a pet to love, then give them a dog, cat or some other animal that isn't headed to slaughter. The only names you give your farm animals are the names that are on the certificate showing lineage.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

It's like our butcher tells it: when the kids asked for a "pet" cow, he told them only if they named him "Pot Roast".

It's looking like we'll still be in MA for Thanksgiving, then head to OH for Christmas. Since my SIL has had Thanksgiving the last couple of years, I think I'll host this time. At least I will have a reason to clean. Now that the garage sale is over, I can start pulling out all the different recipes I've accumulated over the years. I have a great one for cranberry sauce made with port wine.

 

[taxlady]

We're off to visit the mummy-in-law for this long weekend. Monday is Canadian Thanksgiving.

 

[Andy M.]

Happy Thanksgiving, TL and all the other Canadians here on DC.

 

[taxlady]

Happy Thanksgiving, TL and all the other Canadians here on DC.

Thanks Andy.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Happy Thanksgiving Canada!

 

[Dawgluver]

Happy Thanksgiving, Taxy, LP, CWS, and all our other Canadians!

 

[Whiskadoodle]

Happy Thanksgiving, Taxy, LP, CWS, and all our other Canadians!

And Alix and everyone too. Happy Thanksgiving.

I am hoping to grill a turkey breast to help celebrate with our Northern friends. We are out of town this weekend, so may actually do this on the real day!! Cranberries and dressing casserole. Oh, and gravy.

 

[Dawgluver]

Must have gravy. There needs to be a law.

I actually defrosted a 20 pounder that will be cooked shortly to free freezer space, perfect since I'm half Canadian. Didn't realize it was Canada's Thanksgiving till I saw this post!

 

[lyndalou]

You will do a bang up job, I'm sure. We are traditionally invited to a friend's home and hope too be going there again this year. She has the biggest house of all of us so, we all bring food and wine and have a great day. she is having surgery later this month, so prayers and fingers crossed.

Well, since I last wrote this, she has had to cancel her Thanksgiving dinner. Sooo, I am having people over that day. There will be just 8 of us and I am planning a traditional dinner. How large a Turkey should I buy?

 

[GotGarlic]

I think the rule of thumb is 1.5 pounds per person, so 12 pounds should do it. That's the size I always buy for just the two of us, but I really like Thanksgiving leftovers

 

[Andy M.]

Thursday I bought the sacrificial Thanksgiving turkey. It is an 11 pound store brand turkey I paid $0.69/Lb for. I found it's much cheaper than buying packages of wings and such for the stock.

Today I will practice my butchering skills and deconstruct that bird. I will separate two boneless breast halves, two boneless thighs for future meals. Then the rest of the turkey and giblets will be roasted and used for stock. I'll probably do the roasting and stock tomorrow.

SO wants a turkey dinner tonight so I'll probably do one of the breasts.