So who's started cooking already for TG?

[r4blessings]

Haven't started cooking yet, and I'm a little freaked out to be leaving it all for tomorrow! The kids are home from school tomorrow, but my sister is coming to help out and play with them (a Thanksgiving tradition!). I cleaned all day today, so the house is spotless.....I will just have to keep up with the laundry and then vacum and clean bathrooms on Thur.

We are having 22 people.....tomorrow I will make

brussel sprouts au gratin
sweet potato casserole
mashed potatoes
corn muffins
cranberry relish
cranberry pear bread pudding with custard sauce
buffalo chicken dip

The turkey is brining in the fridge. Tomorrow after all the cooking I will set up the three long tables, put out all my placecards, favors and chill the wine!

Thursday morning our Elf on Shelf arrives, we watch the Macy's parade while I start cooking the turkey and salad and get breakfast sandwich specials from the deli and wait for our guests to arrive.

I also LOVE Thanksgiving.....I love to cook, and love to count my blessings and it has none of the added stress of presents....I could never do Christmas...my SIL does that!

 

[sylvenmaid]

My turkey is in the fridge defrosting. We are having 12 people this year and I am doing all the cooking except for the rice dressing. My mil makes the best so she said she will bring it. We aren't eating until 6pm on Thursday so the turkey will be roasting all day. Tomorrow I'm doing all the pre-cooking so all I have to do is throw the sides in the oven after the turkey is done. I am making the pumpkin pie and cranberry sauce tomorrow night. I'm also going to hit the stores at open on Thursday to get a little Christmas shopping out the way like CVS.

 

[disneydreamersx4]

Not yet, I'm only making sweet potatoes and green bean casserole. I'll just make both on Tgiving day before we go to DBF's parents.
OP would you mind sharing your sweet potatoes with brown sugar recipe? I don't like traditional sweet potatoes so I'm trying something different this year, was curious to see how you do yours.
I think I might also take a pear/apple crisp, they only asked for 2 desserts to be brought and there will be 12 people. Whatever doesn't get eaten we will bring home with us so it will get eaten. LOL

OP here - Hi. I don't have a recipe so here's what I do. 5 lbs. sweet potatoes, bake them for one hour *unpeeled* at 375. Cool then peel the potatoes. Cut into slices about 1/2 inch thick. Layer potatoes with some butter and brown sugar sprinkled on each layer. Heat in oven til brown sugar and butter melts and potatoes are hot. Sorry I don't have exact measurements but they do taste so good baked.

And some of you with 18 - 22 people for dinner, WOW is all I can say We only have 9 people.

 

[sallysue66]

I just put the dry ingredients for my bread together. The turkey is almost thawed. I just realized I'll be running behind schedule because normally I have the day before Thanksgiving off, but not this year. Guess I'll be up late tomorrrow night.

 

[Robindianne]

I'm hosting Thanksgiving this year and doing all the cooking. (My Mom is recovering from some surgery) I decided to cook a lot, and then I won't cook all weekend.

So far today I have made; collard greens, bourbon cranberry sauce,YUM! have the turkey in the brine, baked a German Apple Cake, made two batches of potato rolls dough that are rising on the counter, boiled off turkey stock for gravy from the neck and have the Virginia Country Ham (MY favorite!!) simmering on the stove. You have to do that before baking or your mouth will turn inside out from the salt.

Tomorrow I will prep the oyster dressing, the cornbread stuffing, cook the sweet potatoes in brown sugar and butter, prep the broccoli, bake a chocolate pie, pumpkin pie and pecan pie. Hopefully my DDs will cooperate and help their Mom!

I love Thanksgiving. It's a lot of work, but I love all my family around me.

My grandma used to make oyster dressing when she was alive.

 

[maslex]

We're going to my SIL's house for Thanksgiving. There will be 10 of us. I'm in charge of the green bean casserole (which I will wait until Thanksgiving to make), I bought all of the soda and already dropped it off at her house. I think I might make up some deviled eggs tomorrow (I have a ton of eggs that need to be used up) so I will boil those up sometime today. And then I am in charge of desserts. I have made all but one so far and froze them. Will take those out of the freezer tomorrow morning. I made....

Chocolate Chip Cookies
Peanut Butter Cookies w/ Hershey Kiss
Almond Thumbprints w/ Raspberry Jam
Chocolate/Caramel/Oatmeal Bars

I also bought a lemon meringue pie (for DH) and some mini eclairs.

And tonight I am making a Pumpkin Crunch Cake

***I noticed that a lot of you brine your turkey. I've never done that.....can you tell me how it comes out?

 

[shortbun]

Baked the pies last night.

 

[NVDisMom]

Started a little yesterday since we are heading up to ski some powder this morning. We have 14 this year. The cranberry sauce is done, the cream cheese apple dip is done, all of the veggies are prepped(except peeling potatoes), and the bread for stuffing is chopped. The house is clean. It will just need the once over Thur morning. This afternoon when we get back from skiing, I will do all the baking: the cinnamon rolls(PW recipe) and pumpkin muffins(Disney recipe) for tomorrow's breakfast, the rolls and corn bread for dinner, and probably make the mashed potatoes to reheat. Oh, and the turkey will go in its brine overnight. Desserts are being made by others, as are the sweet potatoes, but the rest falls to me. Thursday cooking begins at 8 am lighting the BBQ fr the turkey! I love to cook, so this is fun stuff!

 

[lovesmurfs]

"Tom's" thawing in cold water now. When I get home from work, I'll be making the pumpkin pie and apple pie. I'm also making cinnamon rolls to bake and deliver to our pastor tomorrow morning.

Tomorrow will be the scalloped oysters, stuffing, sweet potato casserole and mashed potatoes, green beans. DD wants me to make fresh rolls, too, so that will be tomorrow as well.

 

[bigmama67]

It's just me, DH and the kids (7 and 2) but I love to do the whole dinner! I made my cranberry sauce last night and today the kids and I are making miniature pumpkin pies. I'll leave the rest for Thursday as when we eat, we eat (I'm shooting for 2-3 p.m.) I need to pick up gravy, pineapple, and ice cream today and I think then we have everything we need. We are having turkey, roasted fingerling potatoes, a broccoli/cauliflower/carrot blend (frozen), sweet potatoes (oven roasted AND pureed because I like both), stuffing orr course, and then the mini pumpkin pies and also brownies. DH is on a low-cholestoral diet so the brownies are low-fat. I also told DS if he eats well, he can have a root beer float (that's a MAJOR treat for him) so the A&W is chilling now, as well as some sparkling grape juice. Looking forward to it!

Tonight we are just having pasta and peas/carrots so I can work on getting the place a bit straightened up.

Happy Turkey Day to all!

 

[pixiewings71]

OP here - Hi. I don't have a recipe so here's what I do. 5 lbs. sweet potatoes, bake them for one hour *unpeeled* at 375. Cool then peel the potatoes. Cut into slices about 1/2 inch thick. Layer potatoes with some butter and brown sugar sprinkled on each layer. Heat in oven til brown sugar and butter melts and potatoes are hot. Sorry I don't have exact measurements but they do taste so good baked.

And some of you with 18 - 22 people for dinner, WOW is all I can say We only have 9 people.

Oh that sounds super good!! I may have to change the recipe I was going to use! LOL mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

 

[5stljayhawks]

Got the brine done, the turkey is eying the pot. Stuffing will be made tonight.

 

[kinntj]

Yesterday when OP first posted: I was cleaning the living room and deep cleaned the kitchen.

Today: I cleaned the entry way, I'm baking 2 pumpkin pies now and I'll bake an apple pie after. DH will cube the bread to dry out for the stuffing. We pre chopped the celery and onion for various things tomorrow.

Tomorrow: Get turkey in the oven first, stuffing and potatoes. Heat rolls in
2nd smaller oven. MIL is bringing whole cranberry sauce, deviled eggs, and apple salad of some sort (she makes it every year). My mom gets her canned cranberry sauce.

DH is out at the store now picking up stuff I missed. DH asked how I could forget the beer. I did pick up the Pinot Noir.

Happy cooking everyone!

 

[Tarheel Tink]

Reading this shamed me into putting my frozen pumpkin pie in the oven tonight, lol!
Just DH and I tomorrow; pork loin with cherry sauce, mashed potatoes (Bob Evans), french rolls (Pepperidge Farm), broccoli cheese casserole, maybe a salad, and the above mentioned pie.
Appetizers- cranberry meatballs (frozen) and bacon-wrapped lil smoked links with brown sugar. Soooo healthy!
All of the above I'm doing tomorrow afternoon after going to see Tangled; I feel like such a piker after reading everyone's prepping! As you can tell, I took the easy way out.

 

[mom2kazkids]

Not only I am cooking tonight, but it is Thanksgiving for us. As I have to work 12 hours tomorrow.

 

[Dizneydaz]

Getting ready to make creamed corn soon. Pies later.

 

[Robindianne]

Well, I worked so hard to get in my car and pick up our turkey dinner (cooked and ready to warm tomorrow) from PCC market. All that after I spent so much time on their Web site choosing apple vs pumpkin pie before clicking the order button.

(I know; I am a loser - but it really tastes good [had it a couple of years ago] and most ingredients are organic and turkey is free range)

But, I want to try some of the things you all are making, like the cucumber salads - mmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

 

[Graciesmom77]

So far I have made the rolls, green beans, mac and cheese, dressing, sweet potatoes and baked the frozen pies, which are berry, pumpkin and peach. Usually I make them all homeade, but I am 5 months prego, and taking care of my 3 girls all alone while dh is out of town for work since September. I decided to make things easy on myself this year and do all desserts frozen. A MILLION times easier!

Tomorrow I have to roast the turkey, make the corn casserole and regular corn, gravy, and reheat everythingg. If I have energy I may make a cake. Well, let me rephrase that. I am sure I wont have the energy, but I may have the craving! Then all I have to do is reheat everything I made today and make the punch. I meant to get stuff for appetizers, but pregnancy brain set in and I forgot! Oh well, I guess we will just have more room for dinner!

I hope everyone has a GREAT Thanksgiving!

 

[bigmama67]

Both kinds of sweet potatoes and the mini-pumpkin pies are in the fridge. Turkey defrosting nicely and is now in cold water in the downstairs fridge; first thing in the a.m. I'll do a rub with Smart Balance (we use that instead of margarine) and spices, then into the oven it goes! Plan to eat around 3:00. Hopefully it'll time out well. Can't wait!

I also plan to hit Kohl's and Target in the middle of the night for a few things and be back in bed by 5. We're planning to see TANGLED Friday morning. Yay!

 

[tinkmom2]

We injected our turkey with a Grand Marnier mixture earlier this A.M. I just got done with two pumpkin pies.(I dozed off but had the kitchen alarm set) Now I have to set the alarm again to wake up in 2 hours and put them in the fridge.
I made 2 pumpkin cheesecakes, cranberry relish, and boiled the eggs for deviled eggs tonight. We are eating later than normal tomorrow because of my DH's insulin schedule. He's a third shifter and I will let him sleep til around 3pm and then get him up to deep fry our turkey. I will probably start fixing my sides around 1ish. I am making sweet potatoes with marshmellows, caulliflower gratin, orange fluff, zesty mashed potatoes, stuffing, rolls, relish tray, and my Mom is making the sweet coleslaw with pineapple and marshmellows... Well atleast I don't have to get up early! The parade is on at 9 Can't wait to see the new Mickey DCL balloon!