Thanksgiving prep

I still can't believe Thanksgiving is next week already!!!!


What are your plans? Having it at your place? How many people? Do you have your menu all planned?

We're having it here with hubby's side of the family his brother, sister, brother in law, father and step mom

We usually do just a traditional menu
hubby will be smoking the turkey again this year

Not sure if dinner will be here or at son's house around the corner. Don't know the menu yet. Could be 7 adults and 3 kids and one baby unless DS invites others. guess we should figure out what we are doing soon. Heehee

On the 24th will be at our house with my brother, 2 of his kids' families, 2 of our sons and their families. Pray for good weather, so the kids can be outside playing leaf tag.

going to DH's sister's house. the cousins ususally come too.

(can't spell today)

This message was edited Nov 15, 2012 4:28 PM

We go to my BILs usually about 30 of us, that includes all family from all sides, in-laws out-laws and then some! everyone brings a dish. I'm doing a turkey, sweets and carrot cake.
Then Saturday we go to my sister's for dinner with my family, this year there will be about forty of us with all the kids and grandies. Same thing, we all do a dish. I'll be taking hot wings, apple pie and some kind of cake. So far for that day we are having a huge meal, ham, mac n cheese, pot salad, some kind of chicken casserole, baked ziti, baked beans, slaw, tons of appetizers and desserts. My jeans are already tight!!

Just hubby and me, son and his family ( including brand newest baby) an elderly lady / patient that has no family to spend thanksgiving with, a longtime friend and perhaps son's buddy. He is usually a surprise guest.

Menu is planned what can be bought is. Turkey is probably stll going gobble gobble at this point -- but days numbered. Few menu items to be decided.

My children & grandchildren come here, my brother Alan is coming this year , I think there will be 16 or 17 this year.
But anyone who wanders through my door is fed. ^_^

The usual Thanksgiving meal, taters, turkey, stuffing, veggies, cranberry, and lots of pies!

After the yearly arm wrestle with my MIL we will have it here for a traditional dinner for the four of us. The wrestling is all about not having to eat two t-dinners, if we go there we end up cooking another bird here on Sunday with the sides and for the leftovers. This way one bird and less calories. We give up the Christmas, New Year Day, and Easter meals and have them there. I think it is a fair trade, still we have the yearly musical chairs.

T-Dinner will be early this year in accordance with late game kick-off of the Cowboys game:)

My girlfiend is hosting us this year so I will bring sides and soup. When I host, she is designated cats-off-the-table-keeper and she still need more training on that one!

LOL

just the 2 of us here. So duckling . DH doesn't really care for turkey & we would be eating it forever.

The host does the turkey - her choice as to what parts or whole. She asked if we could have cornish game hens this year. I said NO! Which reminds me I have to go to the ethnic grocery downtown and get cornish game hens for my cats Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner!

1 year we just did a turkey breast cause hubby hates dark meat

I don't like turkey. If I force it it has to be breast meat.

Just hubby and me. I always cook a traditional Thanksgiving meal with a lot of food left over. If MIL is up to traveling, we'll pick her up to join us Thursday. If not, we'll see her over next week-end and take several ready-made meals for her. There are two differently elderly neighbor men we will fix plates for and deliver. Another neighbor usually brings us one of her homemade apple pies. Apples were very sweet this year. Hope she doesn't forget ;)

Some of your family gatherings with large groups sound like Family Reunions. Those were always good times.

5 of us this year! Even though Leah hasn't started solids yet maybe she can taste some mashed or sweet potatoes. I usually do a whole turkey breast but am planning on doing a few split breasts this year.
When I asked the kids what they were doing, Lindsey said it's a given they will come here.

WOW Debbi.Your family is growing.
We will be here. No one ever tells me anything so I assume DD will do a Turky and her sisters will bring vedggies and appetizers.I know we have apple pie.
There will be 6 of us. GD is in Colorado waiting for hubby to come home from Afghanistan. They are newly weds since last January.He shipped out in Feb.
First daughter lives in Fla.

OOOPS I forgot about GD#2 AND GS. they make 8 at the table.


This message was edited Nov 17, 2012 5:42 AM

J- what will you fix for a centerpiece? You have such great art pieces...will you drag in a birdbath, hoist it onto the table and fill it with fruit and nuts?

I need freash ideas!

Maybe I will start a thread.

I was going for something like this.
No sense being chintzy at holiday time.

whoa

There usually so much food on our table we have no room for a centerpiece, even though I would love one

Actually its like that here too.

Whole foods hat butternut squash and larger sugar pumpkins for 50 cents a pound!
I stocked up as they will last a long time in my basement!

Ohh yes they will.

Thanksgiving is here, as usual....there will be 7 of us....I'm roasting the turkey, making stuffing, real cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, & kugli...my cousin usually roasts the turkey, but he & his wife, my son, & my nephew are all going hunting down to the Chesapeake, not coming home until late Wed. My cousin paid for the turkey....My sil is bringing pumpkin pie & jello salad, my sister is bringing green beans.....when the 1st group goes home, I will then have my stepdaughter & husband, her Mom, my son, dil & grandkids.....Nothing fancy on the table, just gourds....

Soooo, do you all have dishes on the table and pass them or set up a buffet? Usually there are so many here we set up a buffet cuz some even go outside if it is warm enough.

We do a sit down and with double of everything, usually works out good.

Happy Birthday, Ronnie!

Thank you Susan!

Happy Birthday from me too.

Robindog: I havnt heard kugli in ages,cant remember what it is.
We have a buffet from the island in the kitchen and sit at table in the dining room.Some of the dishes are set on the table for seconds.

Thank you Jo.

Because there are only 7 of us, everything is on the table....Jo, kugli is made from grated potatoes, onions, eggs, butter, & evaporated milk...baked starting at 500 degrees, & turned down 50 degrees every 15 minutes.....not hard, except for hand grating 4 pounds of potatoes, but you have to babysit it.....

We may be taking the turkey dinner on the road this year so my bil isn't by himself in the hospital

That would be nice to share it with him, Jen

My DDIL got the turkey. Her folks are not going to be able to come from KY so asked if I would do the turkey and gravy. She and her sister who is coming up from TN will do everything else. I may just have to be on baby-cuddling duty. Heehee.

Had an awesome covered dish dinner at church this evening followed by our Thanksgiving service then followed by dessert. YUMMMMMMMMO!!!!!!!

We are hosting, as always. Not too many this time. Five plus us.

Have stuffing & cranberry sauce. Must buy duckling, gravy, butternut squash & pie.

No, not a baker & neither is DH. We have an orchard nearby which does better pies.

Wife is doing homemade stuffing, whipped sweet potatoes, garlic mashed potatoes, green beans and carrots.

Nothing like homemade stuffing.
DD makes a casserole out of butternut squash,apples and caramelized red onions.

Jen, im so sorry about your BIL, prayers being sent!
I've had an awful weekend, it just doesn't stop....Baby Adam had an MRI and it's not good. The chemo is not working and more tumors have grown in his head.
Today I get to talk with the orthopedic specialist, keeping my fingers crossed that IF there is a broken bone it's just a fracture and will heal. I'm drained and dragging lately, feel like i've been knocked on my back and I no sooner get up on my knee's and something smacks me back down again!

Yes - sorry to hear, Jen. Hope all goes well.

prayers for jen and celeste.