Thanksgiving in a new seting

[Eeyores Butterfly]

What's more ironic, this thing had a special blade that made it impossible to cut yourself (or so it said.) He opened the package enough to get it out, then used it to cut the package open the rest of the way (he was trying it out) when he cut himself. That blad was not so safe after all. I have not seen it since.

 

[Stacerita]

My daughter and I eat Thanksgiving dinner out every year. It is just the two of us and we would rather eat out than have me spend my holiday cooking. This year, we will be eating at Portobello at DTD. Several years, we ate a hotdog at the movies. It isn't about what we eat. It is about spending the time together and being thankful that we are able to do just that.

That's what its about. Spending time together. We have done the traditional dinner, the non traditional dinner, go out to dinner, go camping that day and what not. Its about being with the family. Not what actually is on the table.

We ate Thanksgiving dinner out last year. I work full time outside the home, it was just the 4 of us, I didn't feel like cooking. We went to Mimi's for dinner one night and saw their sign that said "book your Tgiving reservation now" so we did.....LOL It was delish!!!!! One of the BEST Tgiving dinners we've had and the portions were huge!!! Call around Brittney, maybe you and Mom can eat someplace else instead. But I also went to Denny's once for Christmas dinner, it was years ago and it was just DBF and I so we went to Denny's, they did have a turkey meal available and pumpkin pie as well.
This year we will be in DLR so we are eating at Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen. Enjoy your Tgiving!

We ate there last year for Thanksgiving and it was wonderful. you will love it!


Now here is something to think about. Be thankful OP you have family to spend the holiday with. We recently "adopted" an adult. She has no family since her mother past away some years back. She was in the Air Force for years and now works with the government. Because of that she moved a lot and never had a "home" to speak of. So before we met her, she spent her holidays alone at Denny's. Denny's isn't the sad part of the story, its that she was alone for all those years. So really think about it. Is having the traditional dinner really that important, or being with your family. Lucky for my new "sister", she has family to come home to and have holiday meals with. This Thanksgiving she is in Afgahnistan, and she won't be home for Christmas either. But a chair will be set for her and a stocking will be hung. Family is what makes this day special. Not pumpkin pie.

 

[locolala]

First off, I feel bad for you because your parents didn't teach you how to cook. You live on your own, I'd say it's time to learn!

Secondly, I agree with going to Cracker Barrel for Thanksgiving dinner. They have incredible food for good prices. I love Cracker Barrel.

 

[S. C.]

Who eats ham on Thanksgiving? Ham is for Christmas and Easter. Turkey is for Thanksgiving; that's why its called "turkey" day.

We always have ham on turkey day. No one in this house likes turkey well enough to cook one.

 

[kafitty]

out of curiosity-- I hope you get a holiday bonus for those days, right?

HA that's funny! Well, some may, but i certainly would be shocked to hear it.

Did you really have to say this three times?

you'd be shocked at how many people have NO IDEA how to tip. for instance, if you keep me at my job an hour after close, and your devil child has made a huge mess of my table, you should be compensating for the fact that i had to stay until you left and then clean up after you. We don't get paid hourly, so it really stinks when people don't respect that we have lives, too.

yes, we know what we're getting ourselves into when we wait tables, but that doesn't necessarily means we WANT to do it. i am a college graduate - do you REALLY think i want to be in a service position? HECK NO. But i need the money, and i can't find a decent job otherwise, and i'm pretty gosh darn good at what i do, so i'm doing it...there are good parts, and there are bad parts, just like any job, but it certainly hurts worse when you're not getting fairly compensated for it.

i do acknowledge that tipping is not mandatory, and i agree that it should be based on the merit of the server - but if the guest hadn't created the demand for service, then we wouldn't have to work. Y'know, a little generosity won't be bad for your karmic juju...

i know i do any time i get a nice tip, even if it's not extravagantly over 20%...it's just a nice thing to do, if you can spare it. It may be only a dollar or two more for you, but it can really add up for us!

 

[ksjayhawks]

Thanksgiving dinner at Dennys would bum me out too. Come to think of it, the thought of ANY dinner at Dennys would turn me off.

Totally agree with this!

I would order a dinner from a grocery store that is cooked and ready to serve. Cost would not be much more than eating out, I would assume.

 

[disykat]

Thanksgiving dinner isn't that hard to cook for a small group. At a restaurant like Denny's you'd only be getting the most obvious sides, so you could do that at home pretty easily either homemade, with convenience foods, or doing a mix of both.

I hosted my first Thanksgiving dinner for 5 at about 22 (my parents and sister drove to where I lived because I had to work that weekend and a another single friend came) in a small apartment with a not particularly well stocked kitchen. It turned out fine!

 

[dawn1620]

We have been eating at Cracker Barrel for the past two years and loved it - great food, in and out and you have the rest of the day to enjoy yourselves. Also it has just been DH, DD and myself.

But we've been roped into the whole family thing this year again. We love our families but they make it too hard (fighting, backstabbing, whining, griping - and that is only the first 10 minutes of being in the door).

 

[blana]

We always have ham on turkey day. No one in this house likes turkey well enough to cook one.

We always have ham because there are quite a few of us who DON'T LIKE TURKEY!

 

[allison443]

Thanksgiving dinner at Dennys would bum me out too. Come to think of it, the thought of ANY dinner at Dennys would turn me off.

Does anyone else remember the movie "The Santa Clause" where Tim Allen had to take his son to Denny's for Christmas Eve dinner after he burns the turkey at home? Talk about depressing...
That's what I thought of when I read this thread..

 

[pixiewings71]

By now, I'm sure you can't get reservations at any decent restaurants.
I'd go the prepared supermaket meal route. If you want to eat out, try Cracker Barrell. Not much more than Denny's, much less depressing of an atmosphere...

You might be surprised at what you can find at a restaurant. I still think the OP should check around.

That's what its about. Spending time together. We have done the traditional dinner, the non traditional dinner, go out to dinner, go camping that day and what not. Its about being with the family. Not what actually is on the table.



We ate there last year for Thanksgiving and it was wonderful. you will love it!


Now here is something to think about. Be thankful OP you have family to spend the holiday with. We recently "adopted" an adult. She has no family since her mother past away some years back. She was in the Air Force for years and now works with the government. Because of that she moved a lot and never had a "home" to speak of. So before we met her, she spent her holidays alone at Denny's. Denny's isn't the sad part of the story, its that she was alone for all those years. So really think about it. Is having the traditional dinner really that important, or being with your family. Lucky for my new "sister", she has family to come home to and have holiday meals with. This Thanksgiving she is in Afgahnistan, and she won't be home for Christmas either. But a chair will be set for her and a stocking will be hung. Family is what makes this day special. Not pumpkin pie.

Thanks Stace! I'm very excited about it!!!

Does anyone else remember the movie "The Santa Clause" where Tim Allen had to take his son to Denny's for Christmas Eve dinner after he burns the turkey at home? Talk about depressing...
That's what I thought of when I read this thread..

LOL This movie was mentioned earlier in the thread.

 

[smidgy]

Holiday or not, waitstaff must still "earn" their tip, not consider it a "given", just because they are working a job they know involves working holidays.

You know, I've seen you plugging for 20% tips on here before and I'm sorry, but just because it's a holiday doesn't mean you automatically deserve 20%. Heck, even if it's not a holiday, you don't deserve it. You have to earn it

My point is, just because it's a holiday you shouldn't "expect" a great tip.

You have to earn it.

out of curiosity-- I hope you get a holiday bonus for those days, right?

As for that tipping post, I tip based on service - not whether someone is working on a holiday..

I also tip based on service, even before I was a waitress. I personally start at 20%, and if service is not good, the tip does go down. of course servers "earn" the tip, by serving the customers. (It is part of their ay) but if sevice is poor they shoudgetlesser tips . a tp is custoary, and people consider that part of the cost of going out to dinner. (or else the servers would make more money and the etress would be more expensive.)
but no, serers do not get
holiday pay" or "bonus". the bonus is you get to earn all those extra holiday tips. ok, sorry,I said, what I (and most people I know) tip.. 20%. what I should have said was: whatever you intend to tip, please add more, because of the holiday... a holiday tip. and most people tip extra at Holidays. God bless them!

to the OP, even though Denny's wouldn't be my favorite, at least you'llbe together, and you won't have to cook or do dishes!!!!!

 

[Boxley]

If Denny's is so depressing, why not just cook the Thanksgiving yourself?

 

[Jennasis]

I am sure there is some family dynamic we are not aware of. So no judgements from me on why you can't cook dinner yourself.

I would trade places with you...see my thread about Thansgiving biting the dust. We're working on it though. I'm hoping to convince my MIL to let us order T-Day dinner from the store or a restaurant.

If you have a Cracker Barrel nerby, their T-Day dinner is AWESOME.

 

[Magic Mom]

I am sure there is some family dynamic we are not aware of. So no judgements from me on why you can't cook dinner yourself.

I would trade places with you...see my thread about Thansgiving biting the dust. We're working on it though. I'm hoping to convince my MIL to let us order T-Day dinner from the store or a restaurant.

If you have a Cracker Barrel nerby, their T-Day dinner is AWESOME.

Jennisis, I think you can order Thanksgiving dinner from Cracker Barrel (take out). At least you can have the yummy food even if you have to stay at home.