Thanksgiving used to involve 50-60 people at my house (my Mom is one of 7 kids) and it was easier to invite everyone's in-laws to our house so everyone could be together (since the 'in-laws' usually involved like...10-15 people). We also have had family friends join us. But then my great-aunt and great-uncle and their family broke off...then one aunt & uncle moved to New Mexico and another aunt & uncle to Florida. And some of the 'in-laws' have broken off as well. I think my Mom said there are only 29 of us this year--all family and 'in-law', no family friends.

But since there are so many people, and since my great-aunt and great-uncle own a catering company--we've had catered Thanksgiving for as long as I can remember. It's my great-aunt's recipes anyway--so it's not like the food isn't good. My Mom still makes applesauce, a strawberry-rhubarb jello mold, corn bread muffins, and pumpkin pie. And this year she's told me that most of that will be my responsibility--plus making my special margarita pie and brownies. Most of it we'll cook on Wednesday--but Mom always gets up at 6 AM on Thursday morning to make the pumpkin pie fresh.

We've also started a new tradition the past couple of years--celebrating Hanukkah on Thanksgiving. There are 10 of us cousins and since we're all grown (except one who is almost 11--the 3 oldest after him are all seniors in high school) no one is around for the Winter anymore. Since my cousins and I are 'no fun' (meaning--we all just ask for money) my Mom and her siblings used to go all out for each other--but it has turned into a mess...and really complicated Thanksgiving in many ways. So supposedly, this year, it's just my cousins and I getting stuff. I'm the oldest and somehow no one ever listens when I ask for money (which is funny--since I'm the one who needs it most since I'll be paying off grad-school loans really soon!) so we'll see what happens. Last year, some people did...and one Aunt got me the most unnecessary gift ever--the first gift I've EVER returned for the cash...so I told my Mom she really needs to be explicit with people this year. Not to say I'm a money grubber--but my other cousins just spend their money on beer and college fun or whatever high school kids spent it on these days (up until May I was the only one who had graduated from college yet--although 2 just did)--and I'm the one who uses the money to pay for stuff for my cat and my apartment.

My family usually goes up to Michigan and we stay with one of my two aunts who are up there. If it's a "big year" (when my two cousins and their families come back...they alternate years between our family and their wives' families), then we stay at my Aunt Anne's house. If it's a "small year" (when it's just the normal crew...my aunts, my uncle, my immediate family, and my grandparents), then we stay at my Aunt Margie's house. No matter the size, though, every year is crazy. Just because that's my family. But it's lots of fun too. We watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on television, we spend the whole day cooking the turkey (so the house smells AMAZING), we goof around a lot, and then we completely engorge ourselves in the great food. I look forward to my Aunt Anne's corn pudding the most.

But the real question is... stuffing or dressing? Bread or cornbread?

Make mine cornbread dressing. MMmmm!

(My mother in law makes stuffing with saltines, which really tastes much better than it sounds. Very Yankee of her!)

My Hubby and I did that a few years ago and it was great! We made hens on the fire in a dutch oven with mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and smores for dessert! We had a very nice time and were suprised at how crowded the campground was.

This year his parents are coming in town. Its their first thanksgiving that they don't have to cook for and they are kind of lost in what to do! :)

My family is pretty small. When I was growing up, it was pretty much just me, my parents, and my grandfather. We'd have turkey breast, stuffing, cranberry sauce (if my mom remembered to prepare it - she forgot half the time), and some type of veggie. My birthday is around Thanksgiving, so dessert was always an ice cream cake.

Nowadays, my husband and I live not far from my parents and in-laws, so we visit both sets of parents over the course of the long weekend. This year, we're going to my parents' for Turkey Day, and they're doing the turkey breast, stuffing, etc. that they've always made. On Saturday we'll visit my in-laws.

My mother still serves ice cream cake for dessert. :rolleyes: The only difference is that the cake also has my husband's name on it; his birthday is a few days after mine. *sigh*

Traditionally, my family has always gone to my grandma's house (dad's mom) for Thanksgiving along with between 30 - 60 of the relatives depending on who can make it - my dad is one of 12 kids. However, this year, my Aunt Mary is hosting Thanksgiving since my grandmother passed away this summer.

There's always too much food, however, it's fantastic food. My Aunt Mary will make the turkey and the ham, and probably the mashed potatoes and that will probably be it. Everyone else will bring everything else. My mom always has to bring the green bean casserole and she's so sick of bringing it, but people tell her that she can't not bring it.

While I have no family any more, I end up at Bookems, my best friend.

He has to work being a Police Officer and I work 1/2 Day for My customers.

His wife Debbie is a cooking fool!:D God Bless Her! She fixes enough for 20 people with 6-7 or less, The Good Guy takes home left overs!:D

But it used to be that When My Aunt took it over, there of course was The Turkey and all of the fixins, there was "Red Salmomon" salad. It was A Family Tradition for good luck. It was fantastic and pricey.:)

Being Poor, it was, well, it was something special.

But, anytime that Family can get together it is special.

Carnation is so Blessed because she has such an extened family then it is even much more special!

My Thanksgiving was last month (crazy Canadians)...I skipped going to my aunt's (dad's family) or my grandma's (mom's side) and went to Chicago to dance.

Despite this, I still made pumpkin pie from scratch. I think this is my new tradition, since I only made pie for the first time last year. This year was fun though since I went over a friend's house to bake my pies and he later had thanksgiving for all our friends (when I was in Chicago). It was nice being able to participate in the potluck even if I wasn't there.

Every year the extended family heads up north to spend the weekend at the cottage - so a huge dinner with much wine consumed amongst all the fall colours on the lake.... perhaps my favourite event of the year. The weekend is also the time when we "close-up" the cottage - take in the docks, put boats into storage, take pump out of water, go for last swim ;)

Oh and like Moosegirl said it was last month for us Canadians... so it's not to cold on/in the lake.

I am forced to go to my brother & sil's farm every Thanksgiving. They don't have anyone fooled - it's the only holiday they can have both of their families in one fell swoop. But since there's a limit to how many times you can say, "nice horses," it gets boring pretty quickly. Also, no matter how many times you say, "I'm catching a 6am flight in the morning, I need to leave early," my sil doesn't hear you - even though it's an hour plus drive home. By 7pm, Healthy Choice starts to sound good!

But the real tribute is not the turkey breast, it's the fact that there is almost literally a different dressing for every adult there. In the bird, out of the bird, cornbread with sausage, bread with apples & pecans, cornbread with apples & pecans, "stuffing balls" (to be avoided like the plague!), and dressing with hamburger. One learns never to say, "Please pass the dressing," as five other people will hand you a dish! I think most of us would be happy with cranberries (jelled, whole, or frozen) with the dressing of his or her choice.

My mom's family and dad's family all live in the same area, so typically we head over to my dad's mom's house for lunch (they are a small bunch) and typically we aren't there long.. love my two girl cousins to death, but its always been a wierd family situation there.

Then we head to my mom's mom's house. Typically there its a crowd of 30 or so of us. We all hang out in various rooms talking and have the "kid's table" too which has turned into a room of us. Its mostly just a night of socializing.

I love getting to see everyone in one day. I am very lucky to have all my family so close. My boy's family is only an hour and a half from mine so hopefully in the future it will stay this way.

I can understand the Cool Whip, but Velveeta? Ugh!

This year we're staying home for Thanksgiving with no guests expected. So I've already gotten a turkey, a smallish ham, pumpkin and apple pies (frozen, because I just can't master pies). Will probably cook up the ham on Sunday to snack on throughout the week. DH grills the turkey on Thursday (yes, you read that correctly, and it's the best darned turkey in the land) and is on mashed potato duty. I handle the rest of the sides (salad, corn, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, rolls, etc) and make sure to put the pies in the oven on time. Lots of football and reruns on tv, and if I get lucky, I'll get the entire brood in the basement to clean and dig out the holiday decorations over the weekend.

Best thing about the Thanksgiving meal is that we'll make Hot Browns on Friday. Yummy!

I love Hot Browns! If you're ever in Pittsburgh, try their cousin, Turkey Devonshire - equally yummy!!

right before thanksgiving this year my sisters and i sat down for a big thanksgiving dinner.

hopefully this will become our chapters tradition...and i love that i get 2 full thanksgiving dinner in a matter of a week haha.

<3 nicole