Thanksgiving plans???

I can't believe it's that time of year already. Thanksgiving day will soon be here.
What are your plans?

My hubby dad, step mom, sis and bil will be coming over. We're planning on smoking our turkey this year. I usually stick with the classics, candied yams, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole. Last year I made this awesome cauliflower dish so will do that again this year. and of course pumpkin and apple pie
My step mom in law asked what time were we going to eat? hubby replies 9AM to midnight....LOL
Hubby and son usually go to one of the HS football games in the morning.

"We're planning on smoking our turkey..."

Let us know how it comes out, since my regularly prepared turkey is always a bit dry.

Enjoy!

I will use the rotisserie to cook the turkey, will have the whole famn-damily plus a few hunters who come in hungry. ^_^

My cousins bring the turkey, my sister makes green bean casserole, I grate 5lbs of potatoes for kugli, also make mashed rutabaga with bacon & onions, fresh cranberry-orange relish, & pumpkin pies. If brother & sil come, we'll have a gelatin salad!

Boston
Turn that turkey upside down and cook - use a meat therm and not rely on anything else (if it has a button etc.)

The juices will flow downward.
The breast won't cook as fast as it would in the upward position.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

We are having dinner with daughter and her family
My bro is flying up to NC from Fla and we will all go together

Turkey and Stuffing -- traditional italian stuffing but with bro's recipe with can of fruit cocktail. (doesn't that sound disgusting???? But it brings folks in for miles and you'd NEVER guess what was in it except if you run into one of those green grapes ...and if you didn't know about the fruit cocktail...that grape can terrify!!)

Sweet potato and banana casserole
Regular mashed potato and this year I will try Russet per a suggestion at another thread
Corn - and it 'has to be frozen 'green giant in the bag with butter sauce or everyone will cry like babies
brussel sprouts - mashed maybe with bacon
fresh cranberries with orange
Deviled eggs (I know these don't belong on Thanksgiving table ..but you don't understand... sort of like the frozen corn...kids gotta have)
some kind of pasta - not sure if baked ziti or just ravoli depending on time and energy
asparagus
NO cinnamon baked acorn squash (whoopee!!! I love the things but for some reason I can't juggle all of it and the squash time-wise) (Daughters oven not so big)
Rolls
Cider
Roasted Chestnuts
Bowl of fruit
Some kind of dessert and if I know those kids it will be DEVIL DOGS and Social Tea Cookies! and I'll pick up a store bought cheese cake


And......A Happy Thanksgiving to you whether you are a 'family' of 1 or 100. I am thankful to 'know' all of you and to get such good advice all year long.

missingrosie:

Thanks for all that info......and all that typing !!!!!

You must be a generous soul to spend several minutes sharing your expertise!

I'll write down the info you provided (I'm an oldster, and still use handwritten notes).

You will go to "culinary heaven" for passing along your knowledge.

Thank you very much!

Rosie, TOOOOO funny, hubby just asked for deviled eggs too!!!!

We always added a touch of dijon mustard, plus some finely minced shallots, to the deviled eggs.

They always "disappeared" quickly.

I've never made them before since I don't eat them

have to deep fry ours... think it might be just Randy and I this year

You can always take a road trip to Maine for Thanksgiving dinner Allison.....the door is always open. ^_^

oh thanks Celeste... very sweet of you... if I had the time off of work I would be going to my sisters in Ohio... BUT I don't... have to work on Friday... and going to doggie sit for Michele .. so in a way we will have a full house... just not people... LOL

Boston - you ain't that old!

All you have to do is hold down the button on your mouse and highlight what you want to save (what you intend to write down)..........then let the button up.....

go to 'file' and then 'print' and after you click on it a screen will pop up and you can choose what you want to print.... you click on 'selection' or 'print selection' - and you will only print what you have selected (highlighted)

Jen - when I am busy and everyone is standing around WATCHING me trying to get everything together (either they are standing or sitting with a fork in one hand and a knife in the other --it doesn't matter if dinner is two hours away) and then I have to stop and peel those eggs...... and sometimes the things won't peel right.......... grrrrrrr. OK I feel guilty ...they do ask if they can help but if I say yes, they look like they wanna die.

I really don't want anyone in the kitchen when I'm cooking.....cleaning up is a different story....that's when the kitchen is eerily empty!

Robin can't get away from it

all one big happy room kitchen flows into dining - no door, no doorway.

missingrosie: thanks for the computer help, and it sounds like you could use a bit of help getting everything ready!

Yes, it is like this every year but as we know ...got to make lemonade from lemons and so when I feel crazy at Thanksgiving..... I just think of Christmas Eve and then I feel rather 'underworked' because Christmas eve with the struffoli and the mussels .... now that is crazy! (grin)

My mom wants to stay at her home for Thanksgiving so my son and I are planning on driving to her house, kidnapping her and then driving to my sister's in Albany, NY. She'll be a little cranky at first, but she'll end up having a great time. I don't ever want to see her spend a holiday alone.

Bring a blanket for the car, preferably one of hers, and she'll settle in better for the drive.

My step mom in law will actually clean up for me and do the dishes...I LOVE HER!!!!!!!!!!

No one should be alone on the holidays!

She sounds like a gem!

I think anyone who is "Host" for a holiday should have a family assistant who knows the gameplan. It's so much work for just one person.

Yeah a gameplan and a bottle of booze --for flavoring the gravy of course (Grin)

Yep, back on the old TV show "The Beverly Hillbillies": "Granny" always had her "medicine" bottle around for challenging times.

She stayed sprite as ever!

This will be the first year David won't be home for Thanksgiving, so it will be just DH and I.
I'll still cook a ton of food. I'll still watch the Grinch, but might not make the donuts.

To make a moist juicy turkey, brine the turkey - there are lots of recipes, but basically soak it in some salt water for a few hours before cooking, comes out perfect. I also only do a turkey breast, so that helps cause it's less cooking time than the whole bird. But I have done it with a whole bird too, just hate to throw out the dark meat that nobody eats.

Thanks for the brining tip.

(I'd have eaten that dark meat for ya!)

A buddy says she adds sugar to the brine mix too

I wanted to try it but I couldn't find a pot big enough to hold the turkey that also would fit in the fridge along with all the other Thanksgiving things needing refridgeration.

I have a plastic container that I put in the sink, then fill the sink with ice and cover it all with a towel.

Oh yeah send that dark meat to me!!!!


We brined our last year and didn't think it was as moist as when we smoked it.

Didn't think of ice in the sink. I wonder what is wrong with my brain. It is always down one track --never going off to the side for a better solution. I could have even put it in a big garbage bag filled with ice and set it somewhere. Live and learn!

when it's cold out.. we brine ours in a big cooler with a garbage bag in it.... brown sugar, herbs & citrus.. makes for a wonderful flavor

oh yeah forgot to say .. when it's cold enough outside ... we just leave the cooler on the deck

We brined last year and liked it. My wife loved it - so we'll be doing tit again.

I want to go to Rosie's and Celeste's!!

Alton Brown on the Food Network outlined the entire turkey brining process using a cooler, and it's probably on their website.

I hope "flowAgen" repeats the great results she got last time with the smoked turkey (apparently it stayed moist and flavorful)...smoking it might be "the wave of the future."

healthier than deep frying

:)

Door's open Victor!

I had a smoked turkey leg this summer and did not care for it.....tasted like ham instead of turkey. Don't get me wrong...I love ham, but that is not what i expected when I bit into a turkey leg!

In my best hippie impersonation: 'I've smoked a lot of s***, man, but never a turkey.'

Hee hee he!

Since my cousin is baking the turkey, I'll have to go with whatever he brings.

Victor - I'm traveling closer to you this year or you would be welcome.
Holiday cooking will go on at daughter's house. The activity in that kitchen ought to be something to behold! I am just going to push away the cases of Hamberger Helper and Mac and Cheese and blow the dust out of the pots and "hit it!!" Keep your finger's crossed for me.