Holiday Discussions

I cook a full turkey every year...and Thanksgiving is every day to me.  I would cook turkey more often if I could get it at the store.  So I buy a big one and freeze alot. 

Growing up, we got takeout and rarely did we ever eat together to avoid fights.  It was all good though, honestly all I cared about was getting food.  My mom had a lock on our freezer/fridge, which is probably why I eat so much today.  The world is my menu, lol...

I am going to my parents' in RI for Thanksgiving - and - hallelujah! we are eating out! It's scary, but I don't like turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, gravy... it's really un-American. But here I live.

Well, the centerpiece of course will be a large golden turkey stuffed with our traditional stuffing.  Sides will include garlic masshed potatoes, roasted red potatoes w/ Rosemary, a sweet potato casserole, sauteed broccoli and cauliflower and perhaps roasted Brussel Sprouts.

Appetizers will include veggie and cheese platters and of course a baked brie w/raspberry preserves.

Pumpkin and Pecan pies a la mode for dessert.

It is all good :) We'll be doing Thanksgiving at my sisters, Appys to start will be Italian style marinated vegetables, stuffed mushrooms, a variety of cheeses and fruit tray, roast red peppers with garlic and herbs, a variety of breads and crackers. Assorted wines and other beverages.

The main course of course ! roast turkey, buttery pecan and walnut topped sweet potato casserole, traditional mashed potatoes, stuffing (or dressing), peas with roast pearl onions, homemade chunky cranberry orange sauce, butternut squash and glazed carrots.  Phew!

Deserts are aplenty as everyone makes something different, everything from pies and cakes to cookies and candy. I can't wait !!

Every Thanksgiving dinner is different in my family.  Last year we went to a restaurant slash hotel to eat, The Governor's Inn, some years we all, all is me, my brother, cousin, grandmother, and brother, go to my mom and dad's house.  My mom cooks and burns the rolls each year.  Its tradition, I think its bad luck if she doesn't burn the rolls!  The one constant is that no matter what it is always me and my son and my parents.  It usually includes my little brother, but sometimes he spends Thanksgiving with my aunt, her kids, and grandparents.

I do a traditional dinner but most of the time it comes from a turkey farm all cooked:)

Did I forget the Cranberry Sauce?  Gotta have it on Thanksgiving.  We prepare it from scratch.  Love it!

Mmm my mouth is watering. Rudi and AprilB, tell me about the stuffing, I usually do cornbread stuffing in the bird, and some outside of the bird because DH is a vegetarian and he also love stuffing. Ours has onions, celery and spices as well as white button mushrooms. mmm I like mine with giblet gravy and or cranberry sauce.

Rudi

Ohhh care to share the recepie-- or at least hit at it if it is a family secret. I love Cranberry Sauce. I tried to make it once, it was great! But I am looking for tips.

I don't even know where we'll be this year for Thanksgiving, let alone what we'll eat. Hopefully it'll just be the normal fare with family and friends.

My whole family goes to my grandma's. She and my grandpa are 71 and they still make Thanksgiving dinner every year. We have a huge Turkey, a Ham, homemade noodles and chicken, stuffing that my grandpa makes from scratch (hes a retired cook in the army) that is the BEST! Coleslaw, Sweetpotatoes, Mashed Potatoes, rolls, Baked Beans, Corn Casserole and I know I left some out...for dessert theres always Pumpkin Pie, Cheesecake and my aunts Banana Creme Pie!! After dinner the grandkids help bring up the Christmas tree decorations and we all decorate for Christmas. I love the Holidays.

Kaci that sounds lovely.

Ok this year I am going to cook for my in-laws (probably at their house) Yikes!

Actually they are lovely people so I am excited to do so. My traditional dinner is a turkey, stuffing (corn bread with onions, celery and mushrooms), giblet gravy, rolls, collard greens or kale, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole (with marshmellows), baked mac and cheese, cranberry sauce. Sweet potato pie!

But my DH is a vegetarian, my FIL is gluten free, and my BIL doesnt eat something ... I have to figure out what that is.

So I am not sure what I am going to cook. Maybe something non traditional. Maybe we will just order in. ...

Currently do not have any traditions, yet growing up we always had a home grown and roasted goose, homemade from scratch biscuits and pumpkin pie (grew the pumpkins and roasted the seeds) and a fabulous cranberry, lemon, walnut dessert.

This year going back to a Fried Turkey. My kids got mad last year when we didn't fry one. Had a baked Turkey and Ham. This year going to do both the Ham and the Fried Turkey. First year w/ my son -in - law so my daughter wants me to have Friend Turkey. Gotta please the mother 2 be. .She's now expecting and this is one craving I can see is going to continue till we make that Fried Turkey! LOL!

Every Thanksgiving Day is different in that the people who will be there changes each time. I normally spend the day with my son and his family along with my DILs family. Never know who will be there. We just make certain there is a lot of food.

We have the traditional turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, candied yams, cranberry sauce and pumpkin or potato pie. We now have collard greens and macaroni and cheese. This was a new addition but my DIL prepares wonderful collard greens.

I often bring a veggie platter for something healtful or an anitpasto plate.

Whatever we have, we always have a wonderful time.

We have broccoli casserole and chicken noodles. My all time favs. I can't wait.