Hi,

Been browsing the recipes lately. I think I'll stick to the usual favorites for Thanksgiving dinner, but wondered if anyone is going to try any new dishes this year. Also, did you try anything unusual last year,and was it successful or awful (or in between)?

Do you folks decorate for Thanksgiving? I'm probably going to put out a buffet table in the living room (along with my dining table). I don't have a real dining room, and my "eating area" doesn't really allow much room. I'll have to move a bunch of furniture out of the LR but I think it could be fun. Also, I've been picking up bargain silver plate at the Goodwill. Polishing isn't too bad.

What other holiday stuff is going on?

I did buy some new dishes this year. I never got china for a wedding present...thought I'd never want to entertain with it! In 22 years, it's been true!

-- Anonymous, November 17, 2004

Answers

I will be working Wed/Thu/Fri/Sat that week. Gee, does that surprize anyone?

So, no, I won't be cooking anything new, or anything old either. I will be going to MIL's on the way to work for dry turkey, soggy dressing, instant mashed potatoes, frozen corn from the store, heat and serve rolls and -if I'm lucky - homemade pumpkin pie with (gah!) generic whipped topping.

Is the whining coming through loud and clear?!?! LOL at myself; you'd think I was going to starve!

Due to the regular host having had a CVA last year, the family dinner has moved to a town 40 minutes away instead of the usual 10-15, so I will be unable to attend. Wahhhh!! I will miss the ham, turkey, fried chicken, fried fish, 4 kinds of dressing, home frozen corn, home canned green beans cooked up with onions and bacon, green bean cassarole, scalloped corn, scalloped potatoes, real mashed potatoes, home made noodles, home made hot rolls, broccoli salad, pasta salad, macaroni salad, 7 layer salad, salad salad, deviled eggs, pickled beets, spicy pickled vegatables, olives, relish tray, taco dip and chips, cheese dip and chips, cheese ball, chex mix, rice crispy treats, shrimp cocktail, beef roll, cherry pie, chocolate pie, apple pie, custard pie, pumpkin pie, pumpkin roll, cinnamon rolls, honey rolls, chocolate cake, brownies....I might be forgetting a few things.

If I get home and in bed at 9, I can get up at 11 and have John drive me so I can be there by noon, eat, and be back home by 2 and sleep until 4:45, then go to MIL's....

-- Anonymous, November 17, 2004

Im doing my standard since my divorce. Crockpot turkey breast, cranberry and cornbread stuffing. 6 hours on its own in the crockpot while I pull KP at the shelter kitchen, 20 minutes making a 1 can greenbean casserole and 30 minutes putting a no bake cheesecake in the fridge when I get home. A 5:30 home dinner for my date and myself, leftovers for my critters and a self clean by letting the dishes slow cook overnight to be strip clean for soap washdown the next morning after we get up to do breakfast.

-- Anonymous, November 17, 2004

I have to work the day before, but I do have T-day off. Therefore, I'm going to attempt to get some things done ahead of time...stuff to reheat. I was thinking about trying to make some food more along the lines of the way I really eat food these days (i.e., roasting vegetables instead of steaming them until they are mush, or eating mostly vegetables and tossing in a side of poultry and a little seasoning), but I KNOW that won't fly for the holiday with the rest of the family. I do think I would like to try making sweet potato wedges and roasting those up (instead of ooey gooey maple syrup marshmallow topped stuff or equivalent). And the gang likes the molded jello salad with the cranberries and sour cream, so guess I'll have to do that too. I think Mr. S. is going to do cornbread stuffing, with or without oysters. We'll see. I may just make oven stuffing and forget about putting any in the bird.

Anyway, I always cook way too much food, but this year we are going out of town on Friday ( I finally have the day off after T-day after how many years?) so I don't want many leftovers...what I have is going home with everyone else.

I do plan on having fun decorating and making things pretty! Sitting at a white linen table cloth with nice silver and crystal sparkling in the candlelight and firelight should make even my modest cooking seem more palatable!

Anyone got snow yet? It's been in the low 50s during the day here. Had 1 hard freeze and a couple of frosts, but otherwise, very mild.

Polly, what a food orgy you described. Jay, how do you make your cheesecake?

-- Anonymous, November 18, 2004

That is most definitely a food orgy, Sheepish!! Geesh, Polly...thanks for making me hungry :-)!

I can't even concentrate on preparing a big dinner this year so Harry's sis, Carol and her S.O. are going to host dinner at their house. I'll provide a homegrown turkey and since I really enjoy making cookie press cookies, I'll probably do some of those. Carol just moved up here this past summer and she's dying to entertain in her new house!!!

We had an inch or so of snow here a week ago...made it easier for the hunters to track their deer, but most of it's gone now. It's been in the 20's at night and 40's during the day and beautifully sunny!!! Hopefully we wont get too much snow til the ground freezes down about two or three feet. It's hard on the perennials when there's no frost in the ground!!!

-- Anonymous, November 18, 2004

I love my in-laws. She does everything. I got a free turkey last year but this year she is getting one.

Oh, by the way, if you get a free turkey, you can have the butcher department cut it in half or in my case four. This way I don't have to cook a whole turkey. I usually debone the white meat and stuff it so it isn't so dry.

Got snow last week and in the 60's today.

-- Anonymous, November 18, 2004

When you have forty or more people coming to dinner, and everyone brings at least one dish (and in most cases, several dishes) you get a large variety of food. My family likes it's food; and they are all good cooks (well, okay; except Karen and that's why she brings the rice krispy treats!) so holidays are always wonderful days of feasting and family. We are lucky in that none of us are dysfunctional enough to cause problems; or that we have all been well trained by Granny to keep our mouths shut when it could cause a problem in the family. Family always comes first.

-- Anonymous, November 19, 2004

Wow Polly! Sounds like a trip to Old Country Buffet, only for real! :)

Ali wants us to do something out of the ordinary this year, so I'm thinking of Duck or Goose. It's been a while since we had either of those. I was thinking pheasant would be nice, until I priced them! (Even considered learning how to hunt, but the price of the shot gun would take care of that nonsense. Besides, Ali seemed to think the idea of me hunting to be completly hilarious). Obviously none of our food will be home grown this year (weird). We're going to have it on Friday, cuz we've signed up again to deliver turkey dinners on Thursday to the shut-ins and poor and such. My sister will be hosting the regular deal for my parents, saint that she is!

-- Anonymous, November 20, 2004

So, Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! I do think we probably all have a lot to be thankful for.

I have been working long hours at work, so my prep for Thursday is seriously backed up. I had planned to cook dishes ahead of time, but it looks like tomorrow will be a marathon again! At least it's just family. I will be setting a pretty table though!

Stay lean!

-- Anonymous, November 24, 2004

We're postponing Thanksgiving to Saturday. Decided to "dispatch" Amy on turkey day instead of the Friday after. I'm running out of pig grain and I don't want to up my pork price per pound by buying more!! Cheap or what :-)!!

Hope everyone has a VERY Happy Thanksgiving no matter what day you're celebrating!!!!

-- Anonymous, November 24, 2004

Hey, I just saw this on a snippet of the local news last night, so I haven't had any opportunity to try it. They said that "brining" your turkey was the best way to prepare it before cooking. Just go to Google and put in: brining turkey

You'll get lots of hits. I'm going to try it on a turkey breast sometime in the next month or so. Living in a naturally refrigerated climate, I don't have to worry about room in the fridge. I'll just put a lid on the bucket and put it out in the garage! ;-)

I particularly liked the sound of this one: Good Eats Roast Turkey

The two recipes that accompanied it (down at the bottom) sounded yummy too!

-- Anonymous, November 25, 2004

Hi all, just checkin in. We had a lovely Thanksgiving dinner on Friday (ham, duck, wild rice fritters, slaw, snowpeas/carrots/onions,spicy corn medly,garlic mashed taters and gravy, 5 kinds of olives,etc and Ali made chocolate truffle mousse for dessert); Matthew was in a particularly talkative mood, waxing poetic about his music. It's so beautiful to watch and listen to people with passion. The girls were regaling us with various animal memories; it did my heart good to know how they value their upbringing on the farm. Lots of love and laughter. We're having my sister over on Thursday night for her birthday......I can't believe my baby sis is going to be 50! She hasn't seen our new house yet, so I bribed her by saying I'd make her dinner and a bake her a cake (low carb of course, she's dropped about 40 lbs on the south beach diet!)

We got our first little snow yesterday; doesn't look like it will stick, temperatures in the 30's but it's sunny. I heard we were the last major city to get snow this year (dont know if that's accurate, but they did get snow in Texas before us!) It's so weird how every year the winter seems to get shorter.....there is basically no ice on the lakes yet, and that is bizarre. Should be a good inch of it by now.

Bren is in Rhode Island for a few days; is taking a class on the label-maker we bought at auction last year. She can make basic labels but it is supposed to make quite sophisticated ones and she is hoping they will be able to teach her how, and that our machine doesn't need any expensive repairs.

I'm feeling better the past few days; have been seeing a therapist about my 'mother issues.' She also asked me to start taking SAM-e, which hopefully will help with depression cuz the st john's wort was cuttin it anymore.

Hope this finds everyone well and happy!

-- Anonymous, November 28, 2004

Hi,

Earthmama, what's SAM-e? Sounds like you had a nice T-day. Glad you are getting some help. It must be nice to be able to be around passionate younger folks. My nephew is 14. He's very sensitive but not yet passionate (or too shy to show it).

Joy, I thought about brining the turkey. We do that when we smoke our meats. Since Mr. S. was smoking a couple of ducks on T-day (for our weekend meals), I just cooked the turkey without brining. I will say that I had the best turkey I've ever cooked though! I just roasted it on a v-rack in a shallow roaster, but I stuffed it with carrots, celery, apple, onion, and sage and rosemary, rubbed it with oil for a crisp skin. Very, very tender. We had a nice meal and a lovely visit.

I'll have to check out the website when I get a second. I'm on my way to the orthodontist for my 2nd consult about braces. Anyone know any 52-year-old women with braces?

Have a great week! Thanks for the input.

-- Anonymous, November 29, 2004

No, I've never heard of an ol broad like you gettin braces! What's up with that?? I should be so lucky to have enough teeth to need braces for! I been thinkin since I had my two molars removed and implants put in (although I haven't had the job completed, the tops are still not there....very expensive and I have, according to my therapist [am I soundin yuppie enough fer ya?] "do-I-deserve-money issues" as well as mother issues) and I don't have to undergo those horrific deep pocket cleanings anymore, that I should just replace all my teeth with implants. They look way better than boob implants, which are, IMO, hilariously phony and icky looking. Whatcha think?

I forgot to mention that Hmong hunter who shot all those folks......y'all hear about that? That was really quite close to where our farm was. We used to go to Rice Lake quite frequently: they had a little food co-op and a farm store and a farm machinery dealer (in fact we bought our tractor and tiller there) and a bowling alley (remember the one where the old bag thought I was trying to escape paying for our bowling and chased me out to the car and said I had gray hair??) and a county fair and such. And remember, I did not have gray hair, dammit! And by the by, I still don't have gray hair. It's blonde, always was, always will be, till it falls out.

Anyway, back to the murderous hunter from St Paul. Rice Lake is about 45 minutes from our farm. I mean where our farm was. It's weird to think of all the times I chased hunters off our property. Sometimes I got kinda what might have looked like weirdly possessive. I would see some orange out there in the field and jump in my truck and tear out there like a bat outa hell towards the trespassers; scared the bejezzus outa some of em......was kinda funny. Now when I think about it: HOW STUPID IS IT TO RISK PISSIN OFF MEN WITH GUNS?? Course I was mad when I went out there, but mostly because I didn't want hunters nearby unless I knew them (we certainly gave permission to the folks we knew and had hunted our land for decades) cuz so many of em are drunk or NUTS! But truth be told, I also think I felt disrepected, since out land was clearly posted.

Sheesh, lucky to be alive I guess. Seriously though, this thing has torn the Hmong community apart here. I feel so badly for them; there was definitely racism involved. Not an excuse of course, but it hopefully is a lesson to be learned. Dozens of our citizens here who came from Laos (or their parents did) have come forward, including a really cool woman who is a state representative, to tell their stories of how virtually every time they venture into rural areas, even here in this supposedly liberal area, they have had racial slurs hurled their way. Shocking to me it was, really. When we lived in rural Wisconsin, weird as we must have seemed to the locals, we never received any threats or even true disrespect. We were pretty much ignored, but never scared for our safety. Wonder what it would have been like if our skin were other than pasty white. Makes ya think, eh?

Golly I wish y'all would post more often,and folks would come back who have left. I guess I am realizin how much this forum means to me,and how devastated I would be if it dissolved. Even the obnoxious ones I miss! :) (Yeah, I hear you, obnoxious ones.....EM is the obnoxious one!! :))) Come back and tell me how obnoxious I am!!

Love ya truly, every one of ya, even Jay! :)

EM

-- Anonymous, November 30, 2004