Random Thread on Thanksgiving
 

So we'll go over the river and through the woods to Hilton Head Island and see dozens of Carnations at our annual reunion. I plan to consume a zillion pumpkin pies, especially since I heard this week that a slice with whipped cream is only 150 calories. :D

What are your plans?

My old church's Thanksgiving service, my boyfriend's uncle's church's Thanksgiving's service (same town, the church where his dad is a pastor is an hour away and his family is coming out to my hometown anyway), lunch with his huge extended family, then watching football. After that we're heading over to my mom and dad's house for dinner and family card games.

This is our first combined holiday, I'm kind of nervous about it.

My family is doing the same thing we've done since I can remember. We're all meeting up at Lake Lawn Lodge in Wisconsin, staying there Wed-Fri, and having dinner there. That way no one has to worry about cooking and cleaning. :D

My friend Mary's family goes there every year too (in fact, that's how we met when we were in kindergarten!) so we are going to hang out as well. :)

Mine will be quiet this year since it's the ex'es turn to have the kids for Thanksgiving. I'll take cornish game hens to my mom's house and roast them there. I'd like to try to clean up her storage room some too. I plan to go to bed early so I get up and do some Black Friday shopping before going into work! I told my boss I would cover network support that day, but that I might be in late. There will only be like 6 out of 130 people there from my department, so it's the best day to work. It's also a jeans day.. woohoo!

Since it's too expensive to fly rountrip (plus gas, parking, etc...) to Chicago twice in about a months time, I am fortunate enough to have generous friends and coworkers willing to have me join them for Thanksgiving. This year I am spending Thanksgiving with one of the teachers on the 5th grade team and her family. She's an awesome cook, so I'll get to have all the Thanksgiving favorites! Plus I get to participate in their family traditions like hanging up one ornament on the tree and watching "Christmas Vacation" after dinner. It's not the same as being with my family, but it's nice to be welcomed in by others.

In actuality, I'm rather bummed that I'm missing this Thanksgiving at home because all three of my brothers are bringing their girlfriends to dinner. I've never gotten to meet any of them face to face yet.

I have to work the day after Thanksgiving. :( So we're going to my in-laws for T'giving Day, because they're only about 25 miles away (read: too close for comfort) so we don't have to stay overnight.

Over the weekend, we will visit my parents. Unfortunately my husband has to fly to Europe on that Saturday night :( so I will have a lonely drive home on Sunday.

We will bring a bottle of wine to my in-laws, because they have no taste in wine and will serve plonk otherwise. My parents are wine snobs, so we will not bring them wine... we don't dare. We will probably just get them some flowers.

Re: Random Thread on Thanksgiving
 

Lucky! I love it there.

I believe I'm going to Santa Cruz to see my dad's side of the family. But they were never ones to plan until last minute, so we have San Francisco with my mom's side as a Plan B.

The day after, I think I'm going car shopping with my boyfriend. I don't really need anything at 6 am like I have in the last few years.

My brother in law & family are coming down from NY State for the holiday weekend! We're so excited to see them all again. Usually, we go somewhere else for the holiday, so it's nice to stay home and have family with us. I've been busy cleaning all day (as in cleaning out closets, kitchen drawers and cabinets, indoor pantry, office, etc.) Still have more to do before Wednesday though. There is nothing like family coming to make you clean and declutter a home! Whew!

Does anyone actually make up a checklist for cooking and such for Thanksgiving? If so, would you share? I'm so afraid that I'll forget something major. I have to start defrosting the turkey tomorrow (it's big!) Other than reviewing recipes for ingredient needs and the final grocery shopping, what else should I be doing now? Any other tips for a smooth holiday?

Yes. Order in, and uninvite the in-laws. :p

I've never hosted Thanksgiving dinner, but I've hosted other holiday meals. I don't make a formal schedule or checklist (aside from a grocery list) but things generally go smoothly, except when my father-in-law invades my kitchen :rolleyes:

The one thing my mother continually forgets is the cranberry sauce. We'll have our full turkey dinner and dessert, then the next morning she will realize that she forgot to serve the cranberry sauce and it's still in the fridge. So she serves it with Friday's dinner...

Nah, I'm not uninviting them :) They're a lot of fun and our kids all get along very well. I'm lucky that I truly like all of my inlaws.

However, I totally overlooked the cranberry sauce! I don't like it, no matter the preparation, so I didn't even think about it. It's on my list now though.

I am having my mom and the dreaded inlaws from hell along with Mr. KR's brothers/wives/spawn. I don't know how the hell I got talked into this. Oh yeah, now I remember. Either I did it or we had to go to my brother-in-law's for dinner. I prefer to be on my own turf when dealing with these people.

Now, I don't know how I'm going to serve 13 people dinner. My house started out as a little beach cottage and has had several additions put on throughout the years. Now it has many rooms, but none of them are very big. Certainly not big enough for a table that would seat 13.

Oh, and my mother in law volunteered to bring dessert. Last time she did this, she brought one pie for 12 people and she cut slices for her and her husband first that took 1/3 of the pie. I had to open a bag of Hershey's Kisses and a bag of Chips Ahoy to suppliment her dumb pie.

Sorry for the rant :)

Wow! Let me see...

Good luck, GP!! Hope everyone gets along fine & you don't fall asleep during all those services!

Carnation, if I bring a pie, can I come to Hilton Head? :D

aephi alum, there ARE checklists available. I'll try to find one and edit it in. I'm pretty dependent upon them myself!

KR, did you get that case of cyanide I sent to you for your MIL? OOPS! Was that supposed to be our little secret?

Everyone else - you seem to have great plans! I still don't know how my revolt is going to go until Thursday. *crosses fingers*

Sure! The more, the merrier, and everyone on the island will think you're one of about 100 Carnations present!

honeychile, do you have any more cyanide?

Honey, I'm the one who was looking for a checklist and I'd love it if you would share.

KR--I'm sorry. If you want, dump the family and come join us here instead :)

Update: 18.89 lb turkey has started the Great Defrosting.

Work 1/2 day at store. Bookem gets off duty at 2:30 then over to their place.

Debbie "ALWAYS" overcooks so CARE package for the kid and Wicket (Dog Sitting for 10 days). He is from their Yorkies so hope they get along!

With My only relative, (Brother) who I dont see much being gone and Dad death, The First Thanksgiving, Thank Goodness for Close Friends.

Hey, KillarneyRose, why not put the in-laws in one room, and then your family in another? That way you don't have to put up with their a$$es. :D

And I'd make a backup dessert, too, and let MIL have her own damn pie. :p

I'm horrible.

There are several countdowns for Thanksgiving, with or without checklists:

1) Checklist, with grocery list
2) For the last minute cook!
3)Goes with the one above

And here's a way to get your cyanide. Shall we go for a Bulk Discount?

We're spending Thanksgiving with my wife's family; last year was with my family, we go on and off every year. With the distance between places, there's no way we'd be able to hit both spots. I love my in-laws, so I don't mind at all. It should be a good weekend.

2 days off and spending meal time at a friend's home, as my family is in another state.

4 day weekend for me. We will go out to a fancy dinner on Thanksgiving as no one else has Friday off then to the Hockey game. Mr. AOIIBrandi has to work on Friday so I get to go shopping :D

Okay, get ready for the holiday rant.....first of all, Mr.RN tells me his parents are coming up to visit us for Thanksgiving-which is fine, I love them! Then we think they're not coming. So, I go ahead and schedule some work days for the week of Thanksgiving-Wed., Fri., and Sat. 12 hour shifts, mind you. Then we find out they are going to come in to town after all! Which is still fine with me; I'm off on actual Thanksgiving, and I love cooking, and they can either entertain themselves or the husband can entertain them while I'm at work. All is well.

Then, about 4 weeks ago, MIL talks to her sister in VA, and they think, wouldn't it be great if we all drove up to VA for the holidays?? No, it wouldn't. I work Wed, and would probably get out of the hospital around 8-then a 4 hour drive to VA, and a 4 hour drive back the next day, and I work the next 2 days after that? I don't think so-I flat out told the Mr. that it wasn't happening, and he informed his parents. Life is again well.

Then, last night, MIL calls and says, well since we aren't coming to VA, MIL's sister and her husband are coming to Raleigh for the holidays ( they have kids here and will be staying with them), and they've decided that everyone and their dog should go out to dinner on Wednesday night. That's fine, but they will be going without me. See, I'll get out of the hospital between 7:30-7:45 pm; then I catch a bus to the park and ride lot, which means I leave Chapel Hill at 8, which means I get to Raleigh 45 minutes later. Then, I have to start work on stuff to be cooked the next day. And I doubt that 11 people want to wait until 9pm for me to get home and change to eat dinner, you know? So, Mr.RN tells his mom this, and she immediately starts in on how much the sister wants to see us, and can't this work, and what exactly do I have to get started on for the next day's dinner, and would Friday night work better? Again, no, because I doubt people want to eat at 9 pm, and even then I have to work Saturday morning. So, she's whining, and he's repeating this to her over and over until I'm about to grab the damn phone out of his hand and tell her myself exactly what's going on. Needless to say, I am not going-and I'm fine with it-and my lovely MIL will be getting a sweet reminder about my work schedule when she gets into town.

It just drives me crazy-don't make last minute plans!! I plan my schedule for work 6 weeks in advance, and unfortunately this is one week were no one is going to be flexibile about changing shifts with you!!

I'm sorry this is so long-I'm just ready to wring MIL and her sisters neck-I mean, how damn many times do I need to spell out my schedule for you?? :mad: :mad:

I'll be hosting Thanksgiving at my house, rather apt. for the first time. My mom is flying in tomorrow, she is the only one coming in from out of town. My brother and sister-n-law will be coming in Thursday. My b/f's family lives here locally. I think right now we are up to 12 people. 9 adults and 3 kids. Thank goodness it is supposed to be like 77 degrees on Thursday so the kiddos can play outside. Friday will be spent shopping, playing board games and just hanging out. Saturday we are supposed to hit up Holiday in the Park @ Six Flags. I've never been so hopefully it will be fun!

Two Things!!!
1. Congratulatins for Helping Homeless for a Feed Bag at Thanksgiving!

2. Many Times depending where You are at, You can Oder a Full Set of Turkey and Stuff! Just go pick it up and Stove it!:)

Oh,

3. Have Local Grocery do it and go pick up!

Hopefully, You will be with Friends!:)

This is our year to spend T-Giving up here and Christmas down in FL, but my parents have decided to come up here. My dad came up Friday and he and Mr. AXiD670 went into the woods to go hunting. Mom flies in tomorrow night and Dad and the mister will come out of the woods sometime tomorrow or Wednesday?

Thursday morning we'll all do the the brunch buffet w/ my husband's grandmother at The Ballantyne Resort. Then, the hunters will go back into the woods. I'm not sure if Mom and I will cook something for ourselves for that night or not.

Friday and Saturday will be spent at the mall.

Okay, AOIIalum's Thanksgiving checklist update!

Cleaning:
Indoor pantry (done!)
Outdoor pantry (sigh, I wish)
Kitchen cabinets (done!)
Kitchen drawers (done!)
Sweep kitchen (a never ending task around here!)
Mop kitchen floor (yeah, right, that's funny)
Hall closet (done!)
My office (done!)
Sideboard (done!)
DS #2 room (done!)
DS #3 room (60% done)
DS #1 room (that's his problem :))
Sleeper/sofa (needs pulling out and vacuuming dog hair out of it before Wednesday!)
Sleeper/sofa linens (clean and ready)
Extra pillows and blankets (all accounted for)
Downstairs bath (33% done, finish Wed. afternoon so it's sparkling for our guests)

Cooking/Food:
Recipe and ingredient check (done!)
Grocery shopping (done!)
Last minute Grocery list started (yep)
Turkey defrosting (done!)
China unpacked and clean (well, I know where it is)
silver unpacked and polished (again, I know where it is)
misc. casseroles, dishes and platters lined up (in process)
extra table brought upstairs (done!)
extra chairs brought upstairs (I'm not sure we have any surviving folding chairs anymore, darn it!)
linens washed (done!)

Whew! Am I forgetting anything important?

Edited to update progress!

Jeeze, quit this isth. Go out and buy all of Good Stuff ready to go! Maybe Frozen and is easy to prepare. God Danng, it still tasted Great!!!!

That is Why Mom used to be so tired and didnt enjoy Thanks Giving and Christmas!:(

When Went to Store after The Ordering, I Made it! Hell, It was Easy!!!!:cool:

Sorry, But Holidays Do Suck!:rolleyes:

Marie Callendar's made my Monday
 

After my mom and I went to practically every grocery store in 4 cities, I finally found Marie Callendar's Cherry Cobbler. Not quite as delicious as her strawberry pie with fresh whipped cream straight from the restaurant, but that's not Thanksgiving pie anyways. I heart Marie Callendar!

I decided to forego making a pumpkin pie for just myself and my mom and bought two slices of Edward's chocolate cream pie instead. Sometime during Desperate Housewives, they jumped out of the freezer and onto a tv tray in the living right in front of me! A fork appeared and while I watched TV, it disappeared...

What to do about dessert for Thursday now???

Buy 2 more slices of the pie?

:D

Yes. You've forgotten to breathe. Seriously, take a deep breath. :)

Remind me, how old are the kids? Give them jobs - if they're old enough, make them clean the china, silver, and their rooms. Put your husband to work too. No reason mom should have to do all the chores.

i am leaving for Thailand on Thanksgiving! My parents are upset since it is the first Thanksgiving of my life I won't be here. But I think Thailand is a good excuse :D

looking forward to spending it by myself...

No family, no undergrads, no clients, no deadlines. Peace.

I bought a smoked turkey and gravy from Rudy's. All I have to do is pick it up and warm it up. I have stuffing mix, green bean casserole mix, rolls, cranberry jelly, sweet potatos. I just need to stop by the store and get some soda, and some bisquick (am making sausage balls). I'll probably stop by Marie Callendar's or Nadlers Bakery, myself and get some really rich pie or something.

Everybody is wiggin out that I am spending the holiday alone. I chose to spend it alone. I could have gone to Houston to be with the family, but I didnt want to (and with gas prices....) Also, all the damn time I am giving so much of myself to everyone around me I am really looking forward to having a day to myself/by myself. A group of us are going to Gruene Hall the night before to see Reckless Kelly and I am expecting a rediculious hangover t-day morning anyway. I can roll outta bed and cook the thing when I feel like it. I'm sure I'll meet up with friends that night for a movie or drinks or whatever.

I'll probably work a little friday - cause I cant not work. lol. Maybe just a half day...

I'm thinking I might have to go to the grocery store at like midnight on Wednesday to do that... I don't want them to disappear again.

Lifesaver: People have wigged out when I've chosen to spend holidays alone too. It is usually Christmas for me. I have the kids the 23rd/24th and we have our family Christmas with my mom on the 24th. One year, my brother couldn't make it up here for Christmas and my mom and I agreed that we didn't have to see each other after spending all day on the 24th together anyway, so I stayed home. My neighbors were flipped out and made me come over for dinner. It really wasn't a big deal to me. I had to work on the 26th and had seen my family and had our Christmas already. Sometimes, a day of peace and quiet is nice, but people don't understand that. This year, my brother will be here the 24th and 25th but I only have my kids on the 24th. So, my brother will bring my mom over here on the 24th and I'll go over there on the 25th. That means I get to cook two days.

Oh, don't worry, I'm doing okay. I've learned after this many years that by doing the prep work, the rest of the clan does the clean up. And trust me, I HATE cleaning up!

Kids are 15, 13, and 9. 13 yr old already has his room done and started helping the 9 yr old (aka Pack Rat Jr.) declutter last night. The bunch of them will be doing the dusting, sweeping and vacumming tomorrow while I'm at work. There's not enough money on the planet to let any of them near the china :) 15 yr old handles the bulk of my most hated holiday cooking task--the mashed potatoes. I love to eat them, but hate to actually prepare them! He and DH will also deal with grilling the monster turkey, because I don't cook turkeys, either!

I'm leaving in a few hours for Boston for the rest of the week.

I'm excited to see my family and chapter.. first time in about 5 months I've seen them! :D

Maybe it will snow :D ;) :p

Happy Turkey Day!

It's pouring right now here, but I've heard rumors of snow for Thanksgiving Day.

I'm having a quiet Thanksgiving here at home: just me, my dad, his gf and her daughter. We don't make a big deal of T'day, anyway.

I was invited to go to Austin to visit friends, but had to turn that invitation down. A new roof on the house takes a much higher priority

It's going to be a slim C'mas this year, too.