Thanksgiving Day...

[HunnyPots]

Wow... That's next week! Time to get busy...

So what are your plans? Are you hosting or are you a guest? What will be on the table? Do you have any special traditions? Let's share!

I am hosting, as I have done for the past several years. It will be a small gathering with just the four of us, DD's boyfriend, my mother and my brother.

We will have turkey, cornbread dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes for DH and my mom, rolls and cranberry salad. For desssert there will be cheesecake and pecan pie.

That night after the guests have gone and the kitchen is clean, we will watch our first Christmas video of the season while eating leftovers.

I can't wait!

 

[LindaBabe]

I'll be alone - dh is flying home to his mama. But don't feel sorry for me - I'm having a football free holiday! Also a cooking free weekend! What will I do? Go back to bed after delivering him to the airport. Have something simple to eat. Watch macy's parade from end to end. Scrapbook. Scrapbook. and Scrapbook. Saturday is a 12 hour crop and my LSS and Sunday I expect to get in 7 more hours before I have to pick him up. (Oh, and did I forget to mention SHOP?)

 

[Twigs]

DH has to go to work at 3pm, so we will have an early dinner, just the 4 of us. I haven't planned out the whole menu yet, but will definetly have turkey, stuffing, sweet potato tipsy (I posted the recipe on the other thread). I make a lot of vegetable dishes which includes spaghetti squash, and cold broccoli salad. I will make my usual pies -apple, pumpking, chocolate pudding. My best friend who lives in Maryland will be on L.I. visiting her sister, and they are having an early dinner so she will be coming over to spend the evening with me, and we haven't been able to spend much time with each other for a few years, so I am looking forward to that!

 

[crazyforpooh]

First I'm going to get all the adds for BF, then we are picking up our DD from the airport her first trip home since leaving for college in late August, then the four of us dd, dh, and dd's bf will have a nice dinner together

Turkey, stuffing, gravy, garlic mashed potatoes, fresh green beans, butternut squash, sweet potatoes.

Then we will take my homemade applies pies to a friends for dessert later in the day.

Then off to bed early for me as I will be out very early on BF to shop till I drop

 

[graygables]

Just our family, me, DH, and 2 of my DDs, turkey, stuffing (NOT cornbread...yuck!!! ), cranberry sauce (the sliced kind! ), mashed potatoes, green beans, wild rice, corn, sweet potato crunch, pumpkin and pecan pies, oh, and homemade rolls. I cook while DDs watch the Macy's parade and call me in every 5 seconds to see the next "cool" thing! I get my exercise running back and forth! In the evening, this year, I'm going to see if we can get DH to come and watch The Santa Clause 2 with us...I LOVE that movie...it's the Holly Hobby Oven that gets me every time!

Friday is time to decorate the Christmas tree/house and the Sunday after is the first Sunday of Advent this year, so we'll do our family time in the evening. We have a piano this year, so DDs have been practicing to try to play along with our singing a bit.

 

[WDWMom]

My mom and stepdad willing be arriving Wed. night. Mom and I will be teaching DD14 how to cook a turkey this year. Along with turkey we'll have dressing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, greeen been cass, cranberry sauce and cressant rolls. Mom and I will scour the ads for BF and get up early to shop. It's not really busy inour town so it's not so bad.

 

[ksjayhawks]

Dh, ds, dmom and I are flying to Irvine CA on Sat, the 19th and returning the 29th. We will spend the holidays with dd, dsil,dgd, dgs and celebrate dd and dgd birthdays as well.

Food: turkey, sage dressing, cranberry relish, mashed potatoes and gravy, green bean casserole, yam casserole, pumpkin pie, graham cracker crust cream pie, rolls,, creamed corn casserole.

The guys will go to the Turkey Night car race while we gals and little ones relax and go eat ice cream!

 

[saucymb]

DH and I will drive the 4 hours to my dad's parents house. Lunch will be at 12:30, the usual turkey, dressing, and fixings. There will be lots of extended family there, probably around 30 people.

Then we will leave and drive one hour to DH's family's house, we have to be there by 2:30pm. That will be a more elaborate, formal dinner, with another 25 or so people.

Finally, we'll drive another hour to be at my mom's family's house by 6pm for yet another country style Thanksgiving dinner.

It's a lot of riding around, but I truly love it. I wouldn't trade it for anything! We are able to spend time with our family year round, so the fact we are only there on T-day and Christmas for a few hours at the time is not as big a deal as it would be if we only saw them once or twice a year. My entire extended family is very close.

Christmas is very similar, except we visit 5 homes on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day for even more celebrations and food.

I don't know if I'll be able to eat three dinners on T-day, but I'll do my best! After all, I'm eating for two...

 

[graygables]

DH and I will drive the 4 hours to my dad's parents house. Lunch will be at 12:30, the usual turkey, dressing, and fixings. There will be lots of extended family there, probably around 30 people.

Then we will leave and drive one hour to DH's family's house, we have to be there by 2:30pm. That will be a more elaborate, formal dinner, with another 25 or so people.

Finally, we'll drive another hour to be at my mom's family's house by 6pm for yet another country style Thanksgiving dinner.

It's a lot of riding around, but I truly love it. I wouldn't trade it for anything! We are able to spend time with our family year round, so the fact we are only there on T-day and Christmas for a few hours at the time is not as big a deal as it would be if we only saw them once or twice a year. My entire extended family is very close.

Christmas is very similar, except we visit 5 homes on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day for even more celebrations and food.

I don't know if I'll be able to eat three dinners on T-day, but I'll do my best! After all, I'm eating for two...

I just had visions of a Dharma and Greg episode!!! Sounds like a lot of fun, just don't eat full meals!!!

 

[saucymb]

I just had visions of a Dharma and Greg episode!!! Sounds like a lot of fun, just don't eat full meals!!!

I plan to graze and take home lots of leftovers!

 

[nicurn]

I'm working 7a-3p (in theory anyhow) and then we're going to my mom's for dinner. I think I'm supposed to be making something, not sure yet. (guess I should find out eh? ) only bad part is no leftovers. maggie

 

[pjlla]

We will be at my DH's brother's house (about an hour away). His wife is a terrific cook and it is always yummy! There will probably be about 30 of us (all of DH's siblings, their kids, etc). We usually arrive around 1pm, fill up on appetizers and then try to eat a full meal around 4pm!! I always offer to bring something, but she knows that I hate to cook so my usual contribution is a cooler of soda and beer and a few bottles of wine!! That evening we drive to my parents' house where we USUALLY spend the remainder of the weekend with my brother and his family. Unfortunately, they had a tragic death in the family this past weekend and will not be joining us for Thanksgiving weekend. My kids will be heart broken to know that they won't get this time with their cousins. ..................P

 

[nicki dahling]

Marc has to preach in the morning then we are heading out of town to have thanksgiving dinner with my mom, sister's and neices and nephews. I don't have to cook anything, because I am hosting Christmas. But I will be taking some pies, cranberry sauce and paper products.

This was last thanksgiving :

http://www.twopeasinabucket.com/pg.asp?cmd=display&layout_id=527112

Cyndi

 

[JudithM]

Cyndi, great layouts of thanksgiving! Thanks for sharing.

We'll be at my 81 year old neighbor's home for Thanksgiving. He, his daughter & I will be cooking. I think I'm making the dressing. I love dressing! Last count there will be eight of us.

I think I'm supposed to be making something, not sure yet. (guess I should find out eh? ) maggie

I thought you didn't cook !!

 

[FantasticDisFamily]

Dinner will be at our house as usual but not until around 4-5 pm as DH always works Thanksgiving Day (deer season in Michigan and he is one of those guys making sure those out playing do it legally).

We usually have a crowd - our 4, my folks, DH's mom, and assorted other officers and families. Unfortunately we are at that stage in life when we are seeing our parents' lives shift due to loss of spouses, etc. So the friends we usually see are off in other directions, as is my dad and his new wife. At the moment it is either 5 - me, DH, DD, DS and mom in law - OR that plus 8 from my best friend's family. She is trying to find a "compelling reason" to convince her 80+ mom NOT to fuss. DH says I'm the open door for whoever. And I guess that is true. I'm hoping Char and her crew will join us as cooking for 5 seems sort of pointless as I'm used to doing this for 15-20.

In any event the menu will consist of:
* Turkey (and Sue I'm glad you're letting Kelli in on the secret that cooking one of these things ISN'T that hard - don't forget the camera!)
* Wild rice stuffing
* Mashed potatoes
* Scalloped Sweet Potato Bake
* Tossed Greek-ish Salad
* Green Bean Casserole (this is now DD's "specialty")
* Cranberry Bread & Pumpking Bread/Muffins (I do all of this baking for the holidays now and put my freezer to good use!)
* Pumpkin & probably cherry pie for dessert

Deb

 

[mickeyfan2]

Guest at relative's house. Niece will be there, she in in Chef school right now, so who knows what treat is in store for us.

 

[jedi_librarian]

Well, it's at my Mom's this year (she lives in the same building, so I don't have to go very far!) We get the turkey in the oven first thing in the morning, send my dad out to get both Chicago newspapers (in case one is missing a sale ad we want!) so we can get ready for Black Friday. We watch the Macy's parade. Last year we watched the Chicago Thanksgiving parade because DH was in it dressed up as Captain Jack Sparrow. Then all the relatives come over about 3 or so, and then it's total chaos. They usually don't leave until late, too. 11 or so? So by then, I'm exhausted (mentally and physically!!)