Thanksgiving 2015: What are you thankful for and/or what's for dinner?

originally posted by: ketsuko
a reply to: Boadicea

My grandmother got the recipe out of an Army Wives cookbook around about WWII if that helps.

That actually makes alot of sense. My mom's older brother served at the end of WWII, her baby brother and my dad served the beginning of Korea. So it's quite possible that's where she got it. Timing is right.

I don't do anything to dress up the back of the bag recipe, but I imagine I could sub some of the water with OJ and sub in some holiday spicing like cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. I just haven't tried it yet.

It might be worth a try. I like the spices. They make it a warm fuzzy comfort food. But I like the sound of the bag recipe too. Can't hurt to have two go-to recipes!

a reply to: soulpowertothendegree

Sounds like you stubbed your toe when you came in here.
Thanks for giving your 2 cents... I guess

a reply to: Cheddarhead

Tis definitely a gift to be thankful for. And I'm sure his daughter is quite thankful for the same. I am too

Enjoy!!!

Thankful for the beautiful drive,make up for distance, across a whole state to visit family and especially getting to see them prior to our own immediate family fixings this Thanksgiving.
Nothing too fancy planned;
Tofurkey(comes with brownies)
Turkey for the rest of the family
Candied sweet potatoes
Stuffing
Green bean casserole
Deviled eggs
Pumpkin pie
Mashed potato-homemade style
-more planned

I'm in Canada, but my boyfriend and I always celebrate "Thanksgiving Two: Winter Weight Gain Phase One". Canadian Thanksgiving is when I'm really thankful about family and friends and life; but, it's also the weekend that I have to pretend that my family's cooking is next level amazing and that pale gravy is great and totally Martha Stewart approved.

But on "Thanksgiving Two: Turkey Boogaloo", the bf and I get to prepare dinner exactly how we want it: decadent, bloat inducing, and buttery. We also don't have to leave the house.

This year our menu is:

Herb and bacon crusted turkey breast.
Rich, brown gravy flecked with heart attacks.
Mashed parsnips with pancetta and leek.
Green bean casserole. The cheap one with cream of mushroom soup and the souls of early 20th century housewives on top.
Maple pecan butternut squash.
Cheesy pull apart biscuits.
A 24 of Bud Light to wash it down.

Then we watch the Bostonian news and wait for the tramplings to start.

America.

originally posted by: soulpowertothendegree
a reply to: kosmicjack

First of all I do not think anyone should need a holiday to give thanks, particularly one that is based on such a convoluted history full of half truths and lies like this one is and has been.

All this holiday does is jump start a monetarily commercialized silly economic system.

It leads to another ridiculous holiday that is steeped in manure.

What will we be eating? Something that doesn't require a fake family gathering where everyone pretends to give a crap.

Oh...BAH HUMBUG!

We're still gonna do it and we still LURVE you! (((hug)))

originally posted by: Cheddarhead
What am I thankful for? Mr. Cheddarhead had a heart attack earlier this month and LIVED! He's got a long road ahead of him, but he's home now.

We're going to dinner at his daughter's tomorrow for turkey, mashed potatoes and rolls. It's just a meal, I truly don't care about the food.

Now THAT is a blessing. But no rolls or mashed potatoes for him. I'm totally serious.

We're doing everything lighter this year for my own Dad - for just that reason, heart health. No mashed potatoes on the menu for the first time ever and heart-healthier sides. We're all in it together. He still wanted fried turkey though.

a reply to: kosmicjack

I am fixing cajun seasoned turkey with cornbread dressing,mashed potatoes
with gravy and fried green tomatoes,pumpkin pie and whole berry cranberry
sauce.
I am thankful that I still have my husband after he had 2 strokes last december.
Also thankful for my children and grandchildren.

Dang it! I read through all of the menus on here and now my stomach is grumbling. I smell pies baking downstairs and that really doesn't help. I think I'm going to try sneaking into the kitchen for something to eat. It'll be dangerous because my friend doesn't like people underfoot while she's cooking. Wish me luck.

a reply to: Skid Mark

Noooooo! Don't do it!

You KNOW it's Thanksgiving when food snitches are lurking in the kitchen. Especially when the turkey is getting carved. Never had a Thanksgiving that someone, usually a guy, wasn't sneaking a piece of skin from the platter while it's being carved. 🚫

a reply to: Atsbhct

That's awesome !

What a great idea, celebrating two thanksgivings.

If it were up to me I'd celebrate both Thanksgivings, Christmas, Hannukah, Ukranian Christmas, Sinterklaas, Saturnalia, Festivus, Kwanzaa, New Year's, Chinese New Year's...

Any excuse to decorate the house, rally with loved ones, stuff our faces, and make merry !

originally posted by: CranialSponge
a reply to: Atsbhct

That's awesome !

What a great idea, celebrating two thanksgivings.

If it were up to me I'd celebrate both Thanksgivings, Christmas, Hannukah, Ukranian Christmas, Sinterklaas, Saturnalia, Festivus, Kwanzaa, New Year's, Chinese New Year's...

Any excuse to decorate the house, rally with loved ones, stuff our faces, and make merry !

Well, dammit! You made my New Years Resolution for me. I resolve to unabashedly appropriate any and all cultural festivities that I can turn into a food heavy rager.

I can picture it now......

BF: Why did you put candy in this wooden shoe for me?
Me: I didn't do anything, Sinterklaas did it.
BF: Is this real life?
Me: Shut up and eat the f&$*ing candy before Black Peter comes, beats you with twigs, puts you in a sack and never brings you back.
BF: ......

a reply to: Atsbhct

But on "Thanksgiving Two: Turkey Boogaloo", the bf and I get to prepare dinner exactly how we want it: decadent, bloat inducing, and buttery. We also don't have to leave the house.

I love it!!! The best of both worlds -- good for you

a reply to: kosmicjack

I am thankful for my wife, because she is already in the kitchen making pies.. 25 years and going strong.

i really do love her...

Oh god you people are always celebrating something .. thankful for happy thankful thoughts

Bring some left overs souds yummy in here

My favorite part of the Thanksgiving meal is the stuffing!

I am thankful for friends and family. As well as smallpox blankets.

Sharks too.

One of these isn't true.

Back when I was a kid, my stepmoms family had a tradition that we would go around the table and each say what we're thankful for. As a kid I hated it and always gave a BS answer, but as I've grown I've found myself liking the concept.

I'm thankful for having a family to make a meal with.
I'm thankful for having a car that gives me the opportunity to travel and see said family.
I'm thankful for the opportunity to complete another semester of college.
I'm thankful I have enough income to ensure I can eat daily and have a roof over my head.
I'm thankful I'm in relatively good health, and can even see doctors for treatment.

Within the past decade I haven't had each of these things, sometimes all at once. As a kid I never really went without so I could never feel thankful for anything which is why I always gave BS answers. As an adult I go without quite often which has made me rather thankful for things that I would have otherwise taken for granted.

As for what we're having, it's pretty simple, just basic food. I've never been one for an extravagant dinner, but there will be a lot of it.
Turkey, green beans, mashed potatoes and gravy, baked sweet potatoes, brussel sprouts, and carrots. There's some pies for dessert too, but I don't know what type as I avoid sugary or salty foods, but I'll probably make an exception for a slice tomorrow.

We're having a private day today - last night I put a pork tenderloin in the oven, set at 180 degrees, and cooked it all night.
It is now pull-apart tender, and will be awesome.

Going to make roasted potatoes and onions later, and some stewed tomatoes (we ran out of fresh veggies, and I don't feel like dragging my bones over to Walmart to get some - my own grocer is closed, I believe...).

My mom is at her home with double pneumonia this year, had to cancel her plans to go to Austin to see my aunt - but she's recovering; my brother's family is having a "formal Thanksgiving meal" at their house - we could go but are opting out; the in-laws are 3 hours away and we've opted out of that for this year, too. Which is all fine with me. I'm ambivalent about holidays anyway.....we'll all get together for Christmas as usual.

Thankful that we were able to afford to have some home improvement things done that were sorely past-due - including the trees being looked after. We have our health; it's been a rough year for Mr Wigs - but nothing disastrous, thankfully. I'm thankful that he has a good, steady job with a good income in his own chosen field, and that I am fortunate to be able to focus on home-making and caring for him (no easy task).

Thankful that my daughter made it safely home from Minneapolis and is at her dad's/Oma's today - she and my son will be coming over tomorrow (provided the weather isn't prohibitive - we're expecting freezing rain all day tomorrow)....

thankful for our roommates: two canine, two feline. Add in us two primates, and it's a great little family.

I'm also grateful that I don't have to cook a big fancy meal, but I'm glad you all enjoy getting to do it!

And I'm thankful for ATS, and hope you all have a great day!

a reply to: BuzzyWigs

Sounds delish...my girlfriend is breaking with tradition and doing a deer tenderloin...

Happy Thanksgiving to you girlfriend!



P.S. had to tell you this:
One of my first years cooking (many moons ago LOL!)I suppose I had become quite...umm...inebriated.I forgot to remove the neck and giblet bag...it was not completely thawed either, my turkey.
Well, when it came time to carve, the old man was like, "what the hell is this in here?"...
LMAO! Well, they're cooked anyway....

a reply to: TNMockingbird

You, too!!
We did get some venison from his folks the other day, about 10 pounds of it, in the freezer. I took a pound over to my mom's on Sunday with chili fixin's and whipped it up for us for lunch - it was delish!!

As for your giblets woops!! - I always love the 'woopsie' stories - one year my mom forgot to put the sugar in the pumpkin pie.
A couple of years ago, I noticed she hadn't placed any bottles of wine out to have with the meal - so I went to the wine rack and selected one.
The cork fell apart and into the wine. Same thing with the next three bottles! Weird...and so funny! It was like a silly skit of some kind!


I remember once my son and nephew were asked to carve the turkey (they were both early teens) - what a show that was, them using the electric knife!