# Thanksgiving.... What do YOU do?



## Frosty1 (Jul 12, 2011)

Thanksgiving's approaching!!! What is your usual plan for it? What dishes are "traditional" for your family, and which is your favorite?

Here's what my family has: turkey, cranberry sauce (homemade of course! No canned goods for us...  ), dressing, mashed potatoes, a special sweet potatoe and apple casserole that my mom makes, rice and gravy, fruit salad, some type of rolls, and of course......

PIE

We always have at least one pumpkin and one apple as well as typically a cherry, a pecan, and another random pie. My mom is the queen of pies, and we have a big family, so pies are taken seriously around here... Hehe


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

HAMMMMM!!! My grandmother makes the most incredible ham and mashed potato.


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## xymenah (Jul 1, 2011)

We always have roast turkey, ham glazed in a brown sugar, cranberry-grape juice, cloves, and some other secret ingredients, mashed potatoes and giblet gravy, biscuits, stuffing, candied yams, apple crumb pie, pumpkin pie and chocolate pie. We may even have more dishes this year. In case you can't tell we eat in this family. I would have to say my favorite part is honestly everything. All those things on one plate ugh I'm in heaven. We normally start the feast at twelve because we are such a boisterous family that we are talking too much and don't get done until probably two or three. Beware because at my family get together's you're going to get food up your nose from laughing at all the jokes.


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

Sounds like it is all good. I love Thanksgiving but again I don't. I say that because it is such great food and so much of it. There is so much work that goes into it and I swear you eat it in like 30 minutes. Hours and hours and bang, it is over.

We do about the same thing. I will say it is nice, I have been married almost 30 years (just a few months away) and I have never cook a holiday Turkey or meal, my hubby loves doing it 

He deep fries a turkey, we do a corn casserole, Sweet potatoes casserole, mashed potatos, stuffing and cranberry sauce hubby makes from his Great Grandmothers receipe.

Is anyone going anywhere, or are you have a big group getting together? We are going to Kansas because my daughter has to work Wednesday Thurday and Friday. She has a house and her room mates are all leaving and her boyfriend has to work as well and his family is to far away for her to go for a few hours, so we are packing up and going out there. It breaks my heart to see people alone on Holidays.

I hope everyone has a safe and WONDERFUL Thanksgiving. Just pick one thing you are VERY thankful for. Don't forget what it is all about.


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## caprine crazy (Jun 12, 2012)

Menu: Turkey, ham, homemade noodles, mashed taters, salads (bean salad, potato salad), cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie (YUM!!!)
Since my grandma passed away (it's been 3 years) it's been a little different. She was the one who held the family together. My mom got into a fight with her brother and sister. It only got worse after grandpa died. She resolved conflict with her sister, but her brother is so pig-headed! So, we don't have Thanksgiving with that side of the family except for my aunt. We're having 7 people over to our house this year, the most we've ever had since grandma and grandpa passed away. This should be a great one though, with family and friends.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

I started making Thanksgiving dinner in 2004 when we found out that it would be my dad's last Thanksgiving with us... he was in end stage liver failure with diabetes/ kidney failure and given 6 months to live in October 04, he passed in April 05. I decided at that time and promised my dad that myself, hubby, my mom, sister and niece and nephew would always be together on Thanksgiving... this year will be very different however, I'll still make my traditional slow roasted turkey stuffed with my special bread stuffing, mashed taters, giblet gravy, green bean casserole, molasses sweet taters, cranberry sauce, broccoli with cheese as well as pumpkin, apple and elderberry pies but my niece and nephew won't be at our table this year  My sister divorced 2 years ago and her ex has the kids this year so it will just be myself, my mom, hubby and my sister.


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## packhillboers (Feb 2, 2011)

Awe.. I love reading about your Thanksgiving. I absolutely love Thanksgiving. It is our favorite. My husband and I celebrate 30 years this month. In the past 6 or so years we have had enormous Thanksgivings at our house since.. we have been the (home base) for my family with the grandparents living here. We have had so many here over these years. My parents.. my Dad's brother, & sis and his wife and their grandchildren, my moms brother and wife and her mother and brother.. my cousin and her family, all of my brothers and their wives and family.. my newest daughternlaws and all of her sisters and their family- our son's college friends ... oh and also my husbands parents too! Amazingly there is somehow always lots of room.. even with extra dogs that come along with the crew. When my Father died two years ago.. Oh.. how empty we all felt. He was the patriarch of all of our family get togethers and now that legacy continues with my husband and I and my mom and each of us to carry on this legacy. Last year we had 37 total.. my son and daughternlaws first Thanksgiving with her parents also and brother. They are East Indian and with my cousin here who is American indian, we truly could say that we had 'real' Indians at our thanksgiving. Its a joyful time. With this many people - We take out the living room furniture and put up extra tables. My mom and niece and others will decorate the tables all fancy. My mom.. or my husband will say the blessing. Mom is now the Thanksgiving patriarch.. so hard for her now with dad gone but she will share a scripture or two or a thot' to keep us thankful to God. Our house is rather small and hard to cook in so with my mom next door.. extra oven in the travel trailer and huge crockpots(even the outside burner).. we all pull this off nicely. We end this time with a traditional singtime with my sons.. my husband and brothers on the guitars all praising God in thankful songs. Its a wonderful joyful time. 

Oh.. food.. ? I forgot about the food.. A usual Thanksgiving.. Turkeys and ham, mashed potatoes and gravy. I make rolls and also have to make some gluten free rolls and pies for my husband. I have good recipes for that. Last year my dear India friend(my daughternlaw's mother) we really cooked up a feast and she made an Indian potato dish. My mother and I will both cook a turkey. My sister n laws bring lots of food and my daughter n laws and her sisters always help clean up the dishes. Everyone seems to know just about where all the dishes belong so things get cleaned in a nice way.
Our Thanksgiving is all about the people. We don't ever stress about having enough food or enough room. It always works out. I have invested in a huge amount of dishes to serve all these people with and everyone feels like they have contributed in some way to this event.


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## Dayna (Aug 16, 2012)

this is going to be a weird thanksgiving for all of us.

this is my first thanskgiving since my Mom passsed away. This will be my first thanksgiving since I moved from Alaska to Hawaii so it'll be my first without extended family.

Plus, it's the day after my hip surgery so I'm going to be out of it. The first thanksgiving I've not cooked since being out on my own.

Hubby is going to make a chicken with stuffing, green bean casserole and my daughter will make deviled eggs.

Usually I make a full spread, like 20 dishes, 3-4 different meats, pies, upside down pineapple cake, etc.

I think this year, I'm just going to try to hold it together emotionally and get through the day without having any sorts of breakdowns.


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## Jessaba (May 13, 2010)

We use to make everything and have family over. My mother pased away in 2011 and we have since decided to just go out to one of the restaurants that are open since that is less painful memory wise .


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## packhillboers (Feb 2, 2011)

Oh Dayna.. this will be a hard one for you. These kind of Thanksgivings are hard especially your first with your mom gone. The day after your surgery will be a good recovery day for you. A good day to reflect and watch a fun movie together. I remember one thanksgiving being so sick that I couldnt cook and we couldnt go anywhere. as I had recovered from a surgery only to get a very awful flu. That wasnt our fondest Thanksgiving memory but we sure have some fun ones too ... like the oven quitting on us- no turkey that year for us. The hardest will be recovering from your surgery and not having your mom there.


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## Frosty1 (Jul 12, 2011)

I hope all of you who have lost loved ones will still have a very happy Thanksgiving.. :hug: 

As for us, this will be the most people I can remember having over. 11, plus our 5!!

Edit: Having a "moment"... Lol We're actually having 6 over plus our 5. 11 total. :roll:


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

We stay home for Tday, usually it's just hubby, kids and me, but sometimes his brother/wife/kids come over. 
This year I am keeping it simple:
Turkey
stuffing
gravy
mashed potatoes
Candied Sweet potatoes
Crescent rolls <per my kids request lol>
Green Beans
Cranapple relish
Tropical fruit in yogurt with mini marshmallows
Banana & pumpkin bread
Pumpkin Pie
Pecan Pie

Plus I might do mac n'cheese w/broccoli

I do the Tday/BF store sales since I have 3 kiddos and a tight budget for the holidays, so Tday morning I'll go to Kmart and get what I need and then go back in the evening. I'd like to browse some of the stores that open Fri morning, but it depends....my SUV died on Thurs and not sure it will be fixed in time, so I'll have to share the car around my husband's work schedule.


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## Arkie (Sep 25, 2012)

Turkey can be cooked in ways that make it reasonably edible. Deep fry, or cured and smoked come immediately to mind. The Wife's traditional baked turkey, unfortunately doesn't quite fall into the edible category (in my humble opinion at least). That's why I slow bake a cured ham on the bbq grill! Put the ham in one a them oven bags with cherries, pineapple, etc, place it on the rack of a baking tray, add plain water to tray till it's not quite touching the bag, then get the gas grill up to 325 for a couple hours.

Bob


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## xymenah (Jul 1, 2011)

We are having the family come to us like we normally do. We have a 4,500 square foot house so there is plenty of room for turkey coma relatives. This year we are going to have my sister and her daughter fly out from West Virgina on Monday until Sunday, my brother, my aunt, her husband and her three daughters and two of her daughters boyfriends, my mom, my dad and of course me. Everyone is staying the night Wednesday since its my brother and one of my cousins birthday.



Arkie said:


> Turkey can be cooked in ways that make it reasonably edible. Deep fry, or cured and smoked come immediately to mind. The Wife's traditional baked turkey, unfortunately doesn't quite fall into the edible category (in my humble opinion at least). That's why I slow bake a cured ham on the bbq grill! Put the ham in one a them oven bags with cherries, pineapple, etc, place it on the rack of a baking tray, add plain water to tray till it's not quite touching the bag, then get the gas grill up to 325 for a couple hours.
> 
> Bob


Arkie you cook ham similar to what my grandma taught my mom. We put cherries, pineapple, brown sugar, cranberry-grape juice, cloves and a bit of mustard then slow cook. You can't get any better than that.


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## kiddoe (Oct 8, 2012)

I like to have Thanksgiving at my house (or my mom's 'cause that's who taught me to cook), because I know the food will be delicious! Everything is homemade. :yum:

I am 34 years old and have had three Thanksgivings away from home. I am hoping that will not ever happen again. Call me a brat, but if I can help it, I will always be the host (or my mom). I just like my turkey to be savory and juicy and NOT have the consistancy of turkey jerky, definatly no instant potatoes or jarred gravy. HA!

I will be having 13 (maybe 17) at my dinner. I serve turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes and turky gravy, jellied cranberry sauce, deviled eggs, candied sweet potatoes, corn, green beans, cressent rolls and sweet brown rolls, pumpkin pie, sweet potato pie, and of course pecan pie!

I better get busy and start cleaning my house!

*:hugs:HAPPY THANKSGIVING, FRIENDS!:hugs:*


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## Frosty1 (Jul 12, 2011)

Lol kiddoe, I've been cleaning like crazy for the past week!!  So what do you all make that is special for your family? My family has always made homemade cranberry sauce. Put cranberries, sugar, and an orange (rind and all) into a food processor and blend!! It's absolutely fantastic!!


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

I am having all of my kids and their families over, plus my husbands siblings and their spouses
plus his 91 yr. old mother. (Mine is in Fla. I'll see her over Christmas). We will have 20 people there! 
For me, that is a huge crowd! I don't like crowds or cooking, but I have a feeling his mom won't be around
many more years. (she is pretty healthy mentally and physically!). It will be fun to see everyone. (They all like to talk!)
We will have the traditional turkey, mashed potatoes, green bean casserols, sweet 'tators and stuffing, pie etc.


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

Sounds like everyone is going to be having a great time in a few days.

Lots of great food to be eaten.


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## kiddoe (Oct 8, 2012)

sweetgoats said:


> Sounds like everyone is going to be having a great time in a few days.
> 
> Lots of great food to be eaten.


I sure hope so! I have invited my uncle. He and my dad have had a sibling rivalry since, well, since my dad was born. My dad is 7 years younger. Dad turned 71 in October. It's quite a shame, really. I suggested to my dad that we invite he and his family. To my surprise, dad said "that might be nice!"

Hopefully this will be the beginning to a reconciled relationship!ray:

To be continued...


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

I love cranberry jellies & relish, my husband does too , but my kids...not so much.
Still I make it every year.
I put a can of frozen apple juice in a pan, along with a couple of cinnamon sticks. When the juice is thawed, I add the cranberries. I usually use a low-med setting, so it's not boiling too hard, just enough that eventually the berries start to pop.
BEFORE that happens, I peel, and dice up a couple of apples. So by the time the cranberries start popping open, I add the apples, and they will be soft/tender when it's done.
I put it in the fridge so it can chill, take the cinnamon sticks out just before serving.

I'm going to stuff granny smith apple pieces up under the turkey breast again this year. My husband and kids really like it that way  Otherwise it's just a traditional type of turkey - rubbed with butter, stuffed, 2 cans of chicken broth and seasoned with sage & rosemary.
I cut up a small apple and add it to the chicken broth as well...


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## Frosty1 (Jul 12, 2011)

Yum! Sound good HS!! I knew a lady one time who cooked her turkey in a paper bag, and she said it was delicious! Anybody ever done that before?? I heard that it leaves the moisture in the turkey, but I've never tried it.


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

Thanks Frosty! I have also heard of people cooking in a paper bag, but can't remember if my mom ever did that or not. I'll have to ask my sister sometime she might know. I know my mom used to make homemade Chicken & dumplings, and while I didn't care for them as a kid, I sure did as I got older, and I don't know how to make them the way she did  BUT my sister does!

My husband brought home another turkey today...his brother gave it to him <he got it from work>. His wife isn't sure how to cook a turkey, so they want me to cook it! AHHH! I have no clue how to do this, because both turkeys are not going to fit in the oven!
I know it doesn't matter what turkey they eat/we eat, as long as we have turkey LOL But I also don't have enough sides...I guess I have to try and see what's left at the stores tomorrow afternoon!


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## newbygoatmama (Oct 19, 2012)

hi all what i am doing this year is cooking for us at home I used to host a huge dinner for all my family but since my grandfather died part of my family it still in fight mode and i havent had a thanksgiving with my mom or aunt in 5 years so i normally would go to my grandmothers but she had planned to go to my other aunts in northern co and it was too far for me to go and leave all my animals i also am an adult adviser on 4h coucil here and have to help with our 4h float for the parade of lights the day after thanksgiving so i have planned to have my mother in law over and my kids and husband something small this year then my grandmother backed out she was too worried to travel to hard on her body so she is going to make a dinner at her house too lol its funny how one plan can change things so much but its ok it will foce me to move on and get over my issues with the loss of my grandfather so i will be cooking and crying lol now for the best part the food it is cajun tradition to at least have our version of dressing (dirty rice) that we have kept a tradition for everyone it is our number one dish well i wish you all the best turkey day to you all and eat till your full then eat again lol


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