What is Your Thanksgiving Menu This Year?

I "get" to cook this year for my girlfriend and the cats. I don't know what to make and it is only a couple of days away!. Will you share your menu with me so that I can get some ideas? Please?

We had a couple of really good steaks for the bar-b-que, huge shrimp with garlic and a bit of parmesan and asparagus for the veggie.

I do not do the cooking, we go to SIL and all I have to bring is stuffed mushrooms, about 80-100 of them. I use the little white ones, about 1-2 inches across the cap. They are stuffed with ground up sausage meat, browned (half hot and half sweet and remove from casing),a little flavored bread crumbs, shredded mozzarella and the mushy stems chopped up and cooked in the same oil the sausage was browned. Stuff the caps a little shredded mozz. cheese on top and bake at 425 for about 15 min. more or less depending on the size of the mushrooms.

That sounds good! My BFF (Best Forever Friend) is lactose intolerent so I don't get to use any butter, milk, cream or cheese. She makes a pumpkin pie with soy cream! Don't ask and I won't tell what it doesn't taste like! lol

I actually drink soy milk, don't like drinking another animals milk, and all animals stop drinking milk while still young, why do we drink it all our lives?
Any way, how is the pumpkin pie with soy cream?
Sorry for asking.

It's not that good - but it could be her cooking. It doesn't make a firm custard. that is really an interesting thought about animals not drinking milk.

I haven't tried cooking with soy milk, still cook with regular milk, and still eat ice cream and cheese. I'd like to try to use more soy products.

I cook the typical Thanksgiving meal, nothing unusual. Started looking through a cookbook for a new side dish, but haven't decided yet.

Google Pineapple Casserole if you haven't heard of it. You'll know fast if you will like it or not. One of those either/or, like it or think its gooey sweet glop things. Very simple to make.

Tranquilizers. DH is insisting on going to NYC and staying at the Hostel even though he just got out of the hospital on Wednesday. Gee, Broadway isn't even open. . . . sigh

I cook every year and make a very traditional Thanksgiving dinner...turkey, sausage stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, candied yams, cranberry sauce and homemade rolls. I haven't decided yet on veggies. Always make 2, though. Oh, yeah. can't forget the fruited jello with cream cheese.

edit to add: can't believe I forgot dessert...would you believe pumpkin pie? and I bought some kind of quadruple chocolate cake from Schwan's. how bad could that be? can you feel your arteries hardening?

This message was edited Nov 18, 2007 8:42 PM

Michaela, he must be feeling much, much better!! Good for both of you. If you eat enough turkey it is a tranquilizer!
Debilu, every dog and cat that I have known LOVED milk til they day they died. Even my QH, years ago, loved to go to Carvel and get an ice cream cone. Usually I went with him :)

how long will you be in NYC Michaela? What part of the city is your hostel in? We will be going down to Brooklyn on Friday.

boy am i ever trying to figure out what that Q stands for..!

hehehe..me too ---Q---hmmmmm

But, Jan, what a wonderful way to harden those arteries.

Sorry...Quarter Horse............QH used before puters and text messaging :)

Phew! I had a few answers in mind! Traditional menu here except my wife does Spanish rice also. My mom does all the delicious baking.

hahahaha - i thought you had a very non-traditional marriage in your past.

venu - yes, but only when provided by humans, not their own....

Well I was thinking stud!

I LOVE the image of "QH" going to Carvel and eating an ice-cream cone. . .

I'm having the dinner at my house; with the usual suspects--turkey and trimmings. This year I am trying a mashed potato casserole that you can make ahead. Also a green bean casserole. . . and yam casserole. . .why are they all casseroles? Why do we so happily stick with the format?

I'm requested to bring the green bean casserole..cause I make the best. LOL. Who is it that can't read the recipe on the back of the crunchy onion can??

I'm still trying to find some of those fried onion things you all keep talking about---may have to bribe someone into smuggling me up some---

We do the traditional meal:
turkey
gravy
mashed boiled potatoes
corn
stuffing
rolls
cranberry sauce
broccoli bake
apple pie
pumpkin pie
Boston Creme Pie

This year I will play hostess tho the smallest Thanksgiving crowd I've ever had come to my house. Only two other people are coming for dinner. How ever am I going to feed just eight people, total, and have it feel like a real Thanksgiving?

I know Candyce, I usually only have 3, but this year now that my son has a girlfriend, I'll have 4. I wish I had more to cook for, coming from a family of 8 brothers and sisters. They all have families now, and I do live a little ways away from all of them. And it's not Thanksgiving unless I get to do the cooking.
Think I'm going to try a cauliflower, brocolli, and carrot casserole, along with the usuals which are mashed potatoes, gravy, mashed yams, stuffing, usually a green vegetable, but maybe just the casserole.
A tradition I started many years ago was to make homemade donuts and watch The Grinch for breakfast, I used to get up at 5 to start everything, and the break to watch The Grinch was the only break I had until dinner.
Tuesday, my 21 year old son, who lives on his own, asked me if he could still come for breakfast.

Original Grinch or Jim Carrey?

Original

We will be seeing the Grinch Musical Dec 1st, if the strike is over by then.

Traditional dinner here too.
Turkey,mashed potatoes,sweet potaotes,
boiled pearl onions,baked squash from my garden,gravy,rolls,cranberry,sausage stuffing, carrotts,
corn, pumpkin pie, triple layer chocolate pie, pecan pie.

Sat. is a bit different menu...my brothers 60th surprise Birthday Party complete with D.J. for dancing.

Finger Rolls: Ham Salad, Turkey Salad, Egg Salad,
Salads: Ceasar, Pasta, Garden
Chips with Dips: Clam, Onion, 7Layer Taco, Ranch
Hot dish's:
Chinese Chicken Wings, American Cop Suey, Kielbasa, Baked Beans, BBQ Meatballs, Sweedish Meatballs,.
Platter:
4 Cheese's w/ Salami, Pepperoni, Ham. Roast Beef, Turkey.
Veggie, Shrimp, Fruit and Deviled Eggs
Deserts:
Cupcakes
Pumpkin Bread
Cake
Fudge
Homemade Carrot Cake recipe is over 100 yrs. old
Eclairs: Chocolate filled, vanilla, and pumpkin
I am more than likely forgetting something but you get the jest.....more food than at Thanksgiving.

Can I sneak in and stay for both?!

Deb, I love the original. It's my favorite Christmas show and watch it a few times every year - especially now with the kids.

Victor, The Grinch is my favorite too, I cry every time I watch it.
My dad was in the hospital one year from just after Thanksgiving until February.
My older sister wrote out some of the words...Welcome Christmas as we stand, heart to heart and hand in hand, Christmas Day will always be, just as long as we have we...and put it up on the fridge. That's part of the reason I cry when I see it, but it is also the best story.

I absolutely love the words of the songs. Did you ever see the show about how it was made? Fantastic! If you remember the tv show, Fame, the white-haired teacher from it is the guy who did all the songs.

I got the same thing going on this year as Candyce. Only 8 this year including us, when usually there's 15 or more. The menu looks the traditional ones except:

I don't make corn (Am I a Thanksgiving heathen?) I make a broccoli and cauliflower salad that's pretty good. My mom always bring my grandmother's recipe for cranberry salad. It has walnuts and marshmallows and pineapple in it - GREAT! The last few years I've started adding a spinach and cranberry salad with avacadoes and onions that everyone admires and few eat. LOL

McGlory - do you share the salad recipe? Oh - why don't people eat it - it sounds good?

Yes I did see the making of it - very cool.

McGlory - the salad does sound good.

Oh, sure I'll share, but right now I'm at work not working and the recipe is home. I can post it later. :-) Looks pretty and sounds like an odd combination. Many in my family aren't very daring when it comes to new foods or new food combinations.

Hurray! We are having turkey instead of tranquilizers. DH has agreed to stay home and see NYC next year - when Broadway is open.


DH asked me to teach her how to make a Thanksgiving dinner. :-)

DH had a gender change?? I thought it was just a stent!

Okay, as requested, here's the Red & Green Salad recipe:

1 qt spinach leaves
1 avocado, thinly sliced
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Dressing:
4 T cranberry juice concentrate
4 T rice vinegar
1 1/2 t Dijon mustard
1/4 t freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup canola oil

Wash spinach, pat dry well, and tear into bite-sized pieces. Layer spinach, avocado and onion in a bowl. Mix dressing by combining ingredients in a jar and shaking. Drizzle over salad. Sprinkle cranberries over top. Toss lightly.

I usually add sunflower seeds for some crunch. A couple of years ago I used cashews instead, but flavors didn't blend so well.

Enjoy!

Edited to wonder how in the world I got onto the Northeast Gardening forum........

This message was edited Nov 19, 2007 10:43 PM