What does your Thanksgiving look like?

Discussion in 'The Village Square' started by Ronni, Nov 24, 2015.

  1. Ronni

    Ronni Hardy Maple

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    Because my son in law William has a huge, extended italian family, there are always 2, and sometimes 3 separate Thanksgiving events they have to attend Thursday. Plus I and the kids who always have friends who share thanksgiving with us. Plus I take in "strays"... anyone who doesnt have a place to go for Thanksgiving, so for some years now I've held my Thanksgiving feast on Friday, and sometimes even Saturday, to accommodate all that. I don't care about the WHEN of it all, just THAT everyone can get together. My daughter Paige is eternally grateful for my flexibility...her favorite Thanksgiving get together is the one she shares with her family (though she does love her in laws too) and she loves that she doesn't have to try and squeeze that one in with all the rest, but that it can have its own day and she can fully enjoy it. It enables whichever of my boys has a current significant other to spend time with those families on Thursday too, and still get to attend their own kinfolk celebration with no stress.

    We eat an early dinner...4 30 - 5.00. I never do the turkey. It's either purchased or someone else cooks it. This year William will roast it. I do a bunch of sides and desserts, but it's potluck too, so everyone brings something as well.

    The menu currently:

    Appetizers.
    Shepherd's bread dip
    Chutney glazed Cheese pate. (Cameron)

    Dinner
    Rolls
    Giblet Gravy (Alreadys started)
    Cranberry/Ginger relish
    Dressing (Terry)
    Turkey (William)
    Mashed potatoes
    Broccoli casserole
    Corn Casserole
    Sweet potato casserole
    Garlic green beans (Ned)
    Mac n cheese (Grayson)
    Cole Slaw (Ned)

    Desserts
    Apple pie
    Blackberry cobbler
    Pumpkin Pie
    Cheesecake
    Pecan Pie
    Pumplin Lush bars (Paige)
    Ice Cream
    Fresh Whipped cream.

    I think that's everything.

    YOU?
     
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  3. toni

    toni Mistress of Garden Junque Staff Member Moderator Plants Contributor

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    We are creatures of habit when it comes to thanksgiving food, turkey, dressing, gravy, mashed potatoes, candied sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, jellied cranberry sauce, rolls, pumpkin pie, fudge pecan pie and apple pie. Youngest daughter and Randy really prefer Duck, so I added duck breasts to the routine menu a few years ago.

    Most recent years it was just Randy, me and our youngest daughter and we would usually have a LOTR marathon after the Macy's parade and the National Dog Show. After oldest daughter became a single mom, her boys would spend the weekend with their dad and his parents so she joined us and we were required to have the Cowboys football game on in the background. :rolleyes:

    This year we are going to her apartment, because her ex- is such a screwup, he cancelled out on the boys so they will be home too. She is doing the two kinds of potatoes, mac and cheese for the boys and pumpkin and apple pies. We will be taking the other foods there with us.

    And on Friday she will have her place decorated for Christmas by 5 that afternoon.
     
  4. 2ofus

    2ofus Hardy Maple

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    Our sons and their families are too far away but our daughter and grand-daughter will be with us. We will be having Turkey, gravy, cornbread dressing, mashed potatoes, almandine green beans and side dishes of pickled beets and bread and butter pickles. Desserts will be fresh apple cake, cream cheese cake, apple pie and cherry pie. I'm sure that's too much but any extras we can freeze.
     
  5. wannabe

    wannabe Young Pine

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    There is only my husband and I this year so we are not having turkey. We are having Lasagna and a salad with Romaine lettuce, tomato, cucumber and red onion rings. If I get ambitious tomorrow we may have a pumpkin pie.
     



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  6. Netty

    Netty Chaotic Gardener Plants Contributor

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    Mmmm... it all sounds so yummy! Canadian Thanksgiving has already passed (October 12th this year), but it sounds like we do similar meals. We had roast turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, sweet potato with pecans, green beans and carrots from the garden, and fresh baked dinner rolls. I also made fresh cranberry sauce. Don't forget the pumpkin pie and whipped creme! Oh gosh, I am getting so hungry just thinking about it ... I love turkey!
     
  7. Tooty2shoes

    Tooty2shoes Hardy Maple

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    Oh my Ronni. With that much food I wouldn't know where to stop or start. Yummy!
    This year I am also not doing the normal turkey. It will only be myself, my hubby, my Mom, Son (daughter-In-love will be home cooking for later in the day),and Grandson. So since my son and his family are having another Thanksgiving meal at her families in the evening. I decided to have, Burgundy Pepper Spoon roast, gravy, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, coleslaw, fresh cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie of course.
    This spoon roast is so good. We get them at Festival Foods grocery. It is already marinated in a delicious marinade and just falls apart when roasted. Yummy.
    HAPPY THANKSGIVING to all my Stewbie family. We have so much to be thankful for.
     
  8. marlingardener

    marlingardener Happy

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    Just the two of us, but we will have turkey, pull-apart rolls (homemade of course), dressing, green beans almondine, a molded cranberry and orange salad, and pumpkin pie with whipped cream, all washed down with a dry Reisling. I dearly love Thanksgiving--a holiday that celebrates food and being thankful!
    I echo Tooty--HAPPY THANKSGIVING to all my Stewbie family. We have so much to be thankful for!
     
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  9. fatbaldguy

    fatbaldguy In Flower

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    My roast Turkey is gonna look like Norman Rockwell painted it!!!!! Taters are boiling to get mashed. Turkey got stuffed too. Gravy to smother it all. Just me and the missus, she's feeling poorly and I'm doing the cooking. Dried apple pie got made earlier this week. Might could have some Ice Cream on that pie.

    Hope all of you get the holiday you wish for!
     
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  10. waretrop

    waretrop Strong Ash Plants Contributor

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    My sister gave us 2 turkeys that she got for free at our local grocery store. When she passed away in March I knew we would not be able to use the 2 turkeys so I canned them. I made one jar of dark turkey and one jar of light turkey, in honor of my dear sister.

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    I chopped up my dehydrated mushrooms and put them in boiling turkey broth.
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    Drained the broth off and put the mushrooms into the stuffing mixture

    Used the mushroom broth as part of the gravy fixins. AAAAAAAA.jpg
    First bowl is gravy, middle is turkey and the right is my canned mash potatoes. The potatoes have butter pepper and heavy cream.
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    My hubby is having a bad case of gout and we have no company. It was only me and him this year. So I pulled up the TV trays and served the food right in front of the TV. He loved it. The poor thing with his swollen foot...

    That was out Thanksgiving this year. We had strawberry short cake, that we picked and froze last year, for desert. It was a nice out of my pantry meal.
     
    Frank likes this.
  11. 2ofus

    2ofus Hardy Maple

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    I did eliminate some of the deserts and we just had homemade pecan pie and a special cream cheese pudding I make each year. That was plenty for all of us 'fluffy' people here! I decided instead of rolls I'd make Red Lobsters cheesy biscuits. They were a real hit.
     
  12. waretrop

    waretrop Strong Ash Plants Contributor

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    2ofus, Red lobster cheesy biscuits was my daughters favorite. They are delish.
     
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