Are you planning your Thanksgiving yet?

[MsDisney23]

I have mine already planned and have not shared with anyone except DH , DD and God Mother! I have decided to have a nice quite family only Holiday! I am not going to have anything to upset me this year! If no one esle likes it to bad! This is now my new family tradition!

I have had it with all the problems that the Holidays seem to bring! So here are our plans!

I am going to fix a nice Thanksgiving Day meal.

Menu:
Turkey w/stuffing
Gravy
Mashed Potatoe's
String Beans
Dinner Rolls w/butter
Pumpkin Pie

DH can do whatever he wants up in his computer room/office etc.
DD can now whatever she wants as well, I told her she can invite a friend over if she wants for dinner.
Me, I can watch the Thanksgiving Day Parade on tv in my Jammie's! Then look at all the Sales paper's for Black Friday (oh I don't go out on that day-to crowded for me) but who knows I just might this year! Oh and I can DIS!

After what the in-laws did to us at Easter last year that was the last straw for me! MIL and SIL (dh brothers wife) got together for Easter dinner and did not tell anyone else. it was a big secret, then they acted like it was nothing! Excuse me, after all the Holidays meals that I put together and made sure everyone had somewhere to go! I did Xmas dinner lastyear, even though I was sick from just having my transplant, so SIL could go to her Mother's and MIL could come here! Not happening anymore! My feelings where very hurt last Easter! I told dh then, that was it.

I am looking forward to a nice Thanksgiving with my family! Oh yeah, I might start to plan my trip to WDW on Thanksgiving Day!

 

[nativetxn]

We will be driving to Houston for a family Thanksgiving. No Thanksgiving at my house this year.

 

[Missy1961]

I understand your feelings. Good for you! Family should come first.

My family (dad, 2 brothers, 2 sisters-in-law, 3 sisters, 2 brothers-in-law, 7 nephews, 5 (almost 6) nieces) like to get together for the major holidays (Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas). My brothers are both doctors, so they don't always make the family get togethers, but the sisters & their families do. My brothers both live in the Richmond, VA area, 2 of my sisters (1 married with 3 kids, the other single) live in Northern VA. I'm not married & I live with my dad, my sister & her family (2 girls) live in NY too. So we alternate the major holidays between NY & Northern VA. This year, Easter & Christmas in VA, Thanksgiving in NY. This year, my older brother is on call, so he won't be coming, and my younger brother & SIL are expecting their 5th child in December, so they won't be traveling either. It will be dad, me, 3 sisters, 2 BIL, 2 nephews, 3 nieces. But that's not as big as our family gatherings can be: last year, my brothers came as did my BIL's mom & brother, so we had 25 for Thanksgiving.

We have started some planning. We all pitch in & do the cooking, even the guys. My dad makes his special olive mix every holiday. I do some appetizers, my sisters do some others. We make 2 turkeys, since one of my nephews has food allergies, so we don't put stuffing near one (allergic to wheat). We have sweet potatoes, green beans, peas & carrots, mashed potatoes, lots of cranberry sauce, etc. etc. We use paper plates to make clean up easier, but we'll all help to wash pots & pans. Then we'll sit around, watch football & movies, then sit down to dessert--about 3 or 4 different pies, ice cream, etc. Then the sisters will plan their day after shopping---I'm sleeping over at my sister's so we can get out early. It'll be loud, crazy & fun! We'll argue a bit, but we'll get over it quickly. We're not a perfect family, but we do get along most of the time!

I'm looking forward to it.

 

[Pop Daddy]

nope, but Im hungry

 

[CookieGVB]

We're not going anywhere; my son has to play at the "big rival game".

 

[Rozzie]

I'm working...but hoping to have Christmas off!

 

[ADisneygirl]

We are going to WDW for Thanksgiving!

 

[Alice's Mom]

yes I have, but thats because Thanksgiving is my birthday, so I am having desserts at my place, I'm a much better baker than cook so I thought this would be a good route to go...

Pumpkin Cheesecake
Vanilla Creme Brulee
Pumpkin Mini Bundts
Rustic Apple Tart
Sweet Potato Pie (I have never made this before, must do test run)
Sweet breads, cookies and ice cream

I love Thanksgiving!

 

[barkley]

alice's mom-have you ever tried bread pudding made from pumpkin bread? yum-awsome!

we will be returning from wdw and disney cruise the weekend before thanksgiving and will have no family at our house this year ! i'm going to grab all of the non perishables and stock the pantry before we go (the pecans i need will be bought and frozen-too much of a chance the store will be depleted when i get back). monday morning i'm going to hit the grocery store and get all else i need.

i'll still make a ton of food (and dh will bake several pies) cuz we love leftovers. in fact i do a couple of thanksgiving type dinners a year just to enjoy the goodies (i do confess-i think cooking a turkey is so easy, i tend to do these meals when i want to kick back and relax on a weekend).

the washer/dryer will be humming to the sound of vacation clothes being laundered, the kids will be power sleeping (one of the few advantages of jet lag), the house will be filled with nice aromas from the kitchen...and me and dh will get through 2 weeks of tivo'd shows

 

[DisneyJen0504]

Planning in that we are planning where we will be for Thanksgiving.

 

[LoveWDW]

Yep! We are meeting family at a restaurant.

For Christmas, though, I have started planning. I am cooking, so I now have a shelf that I have started collecting what I'll need for the meal. So far I have cans of gravy (used to easily thicken the turkey drippings), cans of cream of mushroom soup and green beans for "that green bean casserole", and a couple cans of yams. I had the meal for the first time last year, and afterwards I made a record on the computer about what I would do differently- more or less of certain items. Last year I cooked and carved the turkey the day before and reheated on Christmas. I baked a ham Christmas day. I made two kinds of dressing- regular bread dressing and also pineapple dressing- discovered that making these the day before made them soggy- a dish that didn't turn out at all well. Cran sauce, cran/orange sauce, sauerkraut, baked mashed potatoes- let me know if you want this recipe- it is made with cream cheese and chives- can be made the day before and baked the day. It is one item that made a huge batch and that was all eaten.

 

[gr8tpanther]

TV dinners....

 

[dcgrumpy]

We're having dinner at Yacht Club Galley with my sister, brother and their families

 

[Swimnoid]

I have no idea what we are doing this year yet. Usually my BIL and family come here but I dont think they are this year. When this happens we usually go to a restaurant but I like the leftovers so much I'd just as soon cook. If so it would be:

veggie tray
turkey breast
stuffing
mashed potatoes & gravy
cranberry compote
corn pudding
a veggie dish

then maybe apple cake and pecan pie & ice cream

 

[escape]

For the first time ever, I am breaking from family and going to a spa for five days with a good friend who lost her parents around Thanksgiving last year. She is really looking forward to this and I'm glad I can go.

 

[CJK]

Been there, done that!

Canadian Thanksgiving was last weekend. We just finished our leftovers!

 

[crazelion]

Thanksgiving Menu
Turkey legs and dressing
Macroni and Cheese
Collard greens
sweet potato pie

Mom's Sister house does have no idea what they is having for dinner that day. The After Thanksgiving Black Friday shopping looking for a cheap DVD Recorder and digital camera all under 150.00 dollars this year.

 

[Kitty 34]

Actually, I've been planning my Thanksgiving for quite awhile. That's when our band takes their trip to Disney!!

 

[Saphire]

Yes, starting to plan here. The best part is my two sons coming home from school! I am looking for new appetizer recipes and found a few that sound good...spinach and cheese stuffed mushrooms, fresh seafood dip (shrimp and clams) with carrot and celery sticks. I am also looking for a vegetable casserole to go with the squash...any ideas?? Most everything else will be traditional foods. We always go out on Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, to a Christmas tree farm and cut our own tree. I stay as far away from the stores as I can!

 

[barkley]

i love reading the menus! i find it interesting to see what the "must haves" are in everyone's home for a holiday meal. in ours, it would not be a holiday without small sweet pickles and black olives (not so much for eating as for finger adornments for the kids ).

our thanksgiving menu (more or less):

turkey
stuffin
mashed tatos
gravy
sweet tatos-w/marshmellows
sweet tatos-creamy with pecan pie like topping
green bean casserole-standard recipie but w/cheese & water chestnuts in it
cranberries
rolls
sweet pickles/olvies /artichoke hearts

apple pie/punkin pie/dh's choice of pie (he does the baking)
pumpkin bread pudding (new addition).

if there are any garlic lovers in the house: i have an easy, awesome recipie for "killer bread" that can be used as an appetizer.