How far along are you on your Thanksgiving Day preparations?

[Element]

I have done nothing. We usually go to a friends house but they recently renovated (think it was to be completed last week) and we have not been invited over. :crying:  DH did pick up a turkey at the store last week.

 

 

:grouphug:  I'm sorry. Renovations are messy and stressful; maybe they've just had a tough year and aren't having a big dinner this time?

[Jen in NY]

The best thing I have ever done to make my T-day easier is quit buying a whole turkey. We now buy brined Turkey breasts and they cook in ~2hours... and it's all white meat, which is the only part of the turkey my picky kids and I eat anyway. :) I can pop them in a small roasting pan which fits in the oven with 3 other pans all at the same time... wonder of wonders...

 

Happy T day, all. :) Hoping it all turns out just as you hope it will!

[Lady Florida.]

Our Thanksgiving is different this year. Dss and ddil are both working. Dh has family from out of state visiting (staying with MIL & FIL). I think a number of us will be at the IL's but since they don't cook anymore, we're all bringing something. Dh is smoking a turkey today. I might bring a vegetable or salad. What's left of my family is very small. While I won't see any of them on Thanksgiving, we'll either call or Skype each other.

 

It's taken 20 years, but I've finally adapted to dh's family holidays. My family has always started planning Thanksgiving dinner around Halloween, and Christmas dinner right after Thanksgiving. Not so much the menu because we have our traditions, but the logistics. Who's hosting, who's bringing what, etc. Dh's family decides sometimes the night before the holiday. There's been more than one holiday meal that I threw together out of desperation because I found out last minute we'd have more people than I thought we would. I come from an Italian-American family that always had extra food, but even I couldn't always plan for the last minute numbers. I've learned to roll with it though.

[emzhengjiu]

Well since telling the truth is important, I voted "nothing" because that's exactly what I've accomplished so far.  Usually we spend Thanksgiving with friends or family, but this year we're staying alone, just my daughters and myself.  I'm looking forward to a day where I can relax.  As much as I enjoy people, there have been too many people issues in my life recently.

[Susan in TN]

I cook everything, the same things, every year, so I have a 4 page WORD document with the menu, grocery list, recipes, and daily task/cooking schedule. I'm behind already because I was supposed to shop yesterday and didn't get to it. We're having guests tonight, so that will put me 2 days behind. I do have a turkey, at least, and the house will be relatively clean for about 10 minutes.

[HollyDay]

We are under a winter storm warning and I actually have no idea what that means in this area.  This is our first winter to experience an ice storm here (snow last winter but no ice; nothing year before).  So, I went to market over the weekend and stocked up.  Neighbors tell me the main roads will clear fairly quickly, but the trucks do not come into the subdivisions so we might not be able to get out of the driveway for "a while."  Dd has a doc appt on Tues and the office said to call before we come "just in case."  I'm assuming, we might be stuck through Tues. or Wed (!).  

 

So, the turkey is defrosting in the fridge.  Everything else is waiting to be prepared. 

[RoughCollie]

This morning, it dawned on me that this week is not all about a puppy's visit, but I actually have to cook Thanksgiving dinner, too!

 

I am cleaning my fridge and rearranging the freezers now.  Then, during the Steelers' game, I will go to the grocery store.  Stores empty out around here during Steelers' games.

 

Then after the groceries are put away, DS1 and I are going to try to move the dryer so we can increase the temp on the water heater, and clean the pellet stove so we can use it this winter.  It is 24* right now, so I have procrastinated long enough! 

 

On Tuesday, I get to pick up the 6 mos. old English Cocker Spaniel puppy who I am keeping for his owner during her Thanksgiving trip.  This is also add a leaf to the table day.

 

I have to clean the house thoroughly over the next 2.5 days because our landlord's annual visit is Wednesday.  He doesn't noticeably inspect, but if he does, I want to be ready.  His wife and kids will visit, too, so I have to have something to offer them, so I may make a chocolate cake.  The dogs and kids will be thrilled with one another!

 

On Wednesday, I'll make the pies and probably the mashed potatoes.  I also have to take DS2 to a 7:50 a.m. appointment with his orthopedist.

 

 

 

 

[Luckymama]

The menu is planned, the food is purchased, the linens and serving dishes are all set. We will have 20-22 people here for dinner.

 

I need to check all the silver to see if anything needs to be polished. The house is clean except for a quick once-over on Wednesday. Dh will arrange the tables and chairs on Wednesday, and the girls will set the tables then.

 

And I have started drinking ;)

[Mrs Mungo]

I haven't done anything to prepare. Our menu is pretty much the same year to year, so not much planning needed. I'll probably buy the turkey in the next day or so.

Pretty much the same here.

[Elm in NJ]

I am not feeling Thanksgiving this year. I have done absolutely nothing.  Apart from turkey and stuffing, ours is not  a very traditional Thanksgiving because my family won't eat a lot of that 'stuff'. No pies, or sweet potatoes , or any of that.  I probably end up doing fried rice, mashed potatoes, rolls, turkey, stuffing and gravy and another meat dish, probably pork and a 'Freetown salad' and some other vegetables. Last year , I found a recipe for green beans with bacon that everyone ate so I probably try to find it again.  The kids are asking me to bake 'rice bread', so if the bananas ripen, I'll do that on Wednesday.

[Heather in OK]

I'm hosting again this year.  The menu has been set.  

I usually get groceries on Sunday morning but dh and I had to go out of town today so I'll get groceries tomorrow.  

Then we'll spend Tuesday cleaning.  :)  

[OnTheBrink]

DD and I are spending the day at a friend's house, as I only found out last night what she wants me to bring. I had to threaten her, though, that if she didn't tell me soon, I'd bring peanut butter sour kraut casserole! That was all the motivation she needed to ask me to bring green beans and a chocolate dessert! LOL

[LucyStoner]

Today I put my mixer bowl and flour in the refrigerator and chopped my butter cubes and put them in the freezer.  Later on tonight I will make my pie crusts, wrap them up and throw them in my fridge until Wednesday.  We are doing blueberry, dutch apple and lemon meringue so I am making 6 discs of dough so there will be 2 leftover for turkey potpie this next weekend.  

[FaithManor]

What?????? We are supposed to prepare????? :cursing:  :svengo:

[Matryoshka]

I've got a mix of all of those.  For Thursday, we go to my mom's and I bring three pies, same ones every year.  I've got most of the ingredients for that, but I still need canned mincemeat, evaporated milk, and shortening for the crusts.  I make the crusts Weds night, and put the pies together Thurs. morning.

 

Saturday, we have Thanksgiving #2 for dh's family, and I have hosted now for a number of years in a row.  I cook a turkey, stuffing (separately), gravy, mashed potatoes, and squash.  I don't have most of that bought - I often do the shopping (and cleaning!) on Friday.  Definitely don't get a turkey before Friday - where am I going to put it?  I did buy the fresh ingredients (mushrooms, apricots and pecans) for the stuffing.  No pies for that one; I'm done!  Someone else has to bring them.

[Tina]

We usually go to my sister's, but she said her kids had other plans so she wasn't cooking.  Dh was hep to go to Old Country Buffet.  But, I decided sil (who lives in an assisted living facility) should be able to get together with her kids, grands, and great-grands, so they're all coming to our house and I'm cooking for 16.  Frankly, my mind has been more on a get together I'm planning for a dozen friends in a couple weeks.  ;)

 

We are working on some deeper cleaning, as we'll have to set up the table in the garage and need to be able to get through the first garage.  Nothing a good trip to the Goodwill can't take care of. lol  Everything got shoved in there during this spring's basement remodel and we're getting close to having put things back.

 

Menu doesn't vary much for Thanksgiving:  turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, rolls (I plan to make those Tuesday).  My mom is donating two big pumpkin pies even tho they're headed elsewhere, bless her!  I may add either a layered salad or a roasted potato/sweet potato/beet dish.  We'll see.

 

Family should all be in town Wednesday to Saturday, so it's planning the extra meals that need more thought. 

[Ravin]

I've bought everything, but forgot gravy so I guess I get to make that from scratch. We originally planned to just do breast, but DD wants a drumstick and I prefer dark meat, so got the whole bird.

 

We're eating early because DW#2 has to work from 5PM to 2AM, so I get to get up early to get the bird in the oven. I'll bake muffins the night before for breakfast, and get the bird all trussed and whatnot the night before (and cold-water defrost if I have to...though it's been thawing since Friday so should be thawed by Thursday, it's only 11lbs.) I might even make the stuffing on Wednesday (from scratch).

 

The gravy will be the most challenging part, I think. I haven't done the whole shebang in a couple of years.

 

I may not even eat much of my own cooking, as we're going to a friend's in the evening and they'll probably do turkey in his pit roaster.  :drool5: . I'll probably take sweet potatoes to the evening dinner--I can make a big batch knowing the fam won't eat much of it. Not sure how I'm doing the sweet potatoes this year, though I decided to buy the white sweet potatoes instead of the orange ones.

 

 

[Lisa in SC]

The menu has been decided, shopping is complete, linens/dishes/silverware are ready, and the house is clean. This year, it is solely because of dh and dc that we are prepared. I was hospitalized with bilateral pneumonia earlier this month, and am still recovering. I will be cooking on Wednesday evening and Thursday. Wednesday evening is when I prepare desserts. Everything else will be done on Thursday. Our extended family lives over 600 miles from us, so we try to invite friends. I'm used to cooking for 20-30 people, but this year it looks like it will be only the 8 of us. I will still have enough food for the usual crowd plus my usual overage. Fortunately, I have plenty of "use it up" recipes.

 

I hope everyone who celebrates has a wonderful Thanksgiving! For those who don't celebrate, I hope your Thursday is exactly how you hoped it would be! :)

[Melissa in Australia]

we don't celebrate. It is not something celebrated in Australia

[Jenny in Florida]

I said I've done "nothing," but that's not quite true. I did call and get cable turned on, so that we can watch the Macy's parade on Thanksgiving morning. And I did discuss with my husband how many of which kind of bagels to pre-order.

 

Thanksgiving isn't much of a production around here. It's just the four of us, and since we don't do turkey (vegan/vegetarian household), I don't have the need to be up early to put the bird in the oven. We do clean up a bit, just so we can spend the day not worrying about the house. And I cook, but it's our own weird conglomeration of things that have become our "traditional" meal, none of which requires a whole lot of time or work. Since we do the same thing every year, I don't have to decide on a menu. And we do some stuff ahead of time.

 

The only trouble spot this year is that both kids have somewhere to be on Thanksgiving afternoon. My daughter is working at 2:15, and my son is participating in a dance competition that requires him to be at the convention center at 4:30. So, "dinner" will have to be hitting the table pretty much as soon as the Santa's float passes by at the end of the parade. That will mean we'll need to be very organized and do more than the usual preparations ahead of time.

 

 

 

 

Edit - For those who might be curious, here is our family's "traditional" (in the sense that it's more or less the same meal we make every year on Thanksgiving for as long as the kids can remember) meal:

 

- potato pancakes

- home-made applesauce

- cranberry relish

- mashed sweet potatoes

- green beans with sautéed garlic

- cornbread muffins with maple/margarine spread

- rice

- mashed potatoes (because one kid isn't a big fan of the potato pancakes)

- sparkling white grape juice

 

Sometimes, if I'm feeling energetic, I make cornbread dressing. But I'm the only one who really likes it, and I often don't bother. Occasionally, something else gets added to the menu if one family member has a special request. But these are the items that must be on the table every year or there would be mutiny.

 

[Guest]

Menu's decided now: Tofurkey, schmancy but not too labour intensive stuffed squash, and brussels sprouts.

 

No way am I spending most of the day peeling chestnuts for the stuffing more than once a year until I have a daughter-in-law to giggle with while I do it.

 

ds1 got paid so my credit card can stay at home when we go shopping.

[Laura Corin]

We'll be celebrating this weekend.  We are having a (bought) turducken, so I just have to pop that in the oven and cope with side dishes.  I think we might have greengage fool for dessert - the greengages come from our own tree and I like the idea of using our own produce for part of the meal.

 

I need to think about linen though.  And polishing the candlesticks.

 

L

[G5052]

The relatives came this weekend, so indeed the house is already clean and decorated!  We didn't do turkey though because they are on their way to a family reunion where they will have that.

 

I just have to get the turkey defrosted and buy a few groceries on Tuesday. 

[ThatHomeschoolDad]

Just got a supermarket gift card from DW's students, and THAT is why the universe has prevented me from finding a fresh turkey up to this point.

[DawnM]

Thanksgiving is at a friend's house. 

 

I don't just bring a simple dish.  I bring most of the sides.  I don't mind.  I enjoy it.

 

Here is what I am bringing:

 

Yam casserole

Green bean casserole

Corn (plain)

Mashed Potatoes (Dh makes these)

Pumpkin Pie

Pecan Pie

 

Friends will cook the turkey, have ice cream for pie, and will make stuffing and typically have a cranberry/relish tray.

[bobbeym]

My parents finally confirmed they're coming to our house this year.  Still don't know about my brothers.   :glare:

 

Our stove top doesn't work but we have a 2 burner hot plate, crock pot, double ovens, and electric frying pan available. I've gotten creative in my planning this year to ensure it all works out. 

 

Today I have all 3 kids home, so it's a day of major intense cleaning for them while I make a run into town to hit up Costco.  I also have a desire to bake some cookies or muffins or something. We'll see if that happens. LOL I'll make a big batch of chili for us to eat on for the next couple days. We're going to dinner out before seeing Doctor Who 3D in the theatre. 

 

 

I'm cooking sweet and russet potatoes in the crock pot ahead of time, and will transfer them to disposable pans in the fridge.  Homemade chicken stock comes out of the freezer today to thaw. Gravy and stuffing will wait until Thursday morning, and then everything will be tossed into a warming oven that afternoon since we're not eating until 5:30ish.

 

Also on Wednesday, we'll cut up the fresh fruit and mix with canned fruit for ambrosia so the flavors mix well, and I'll bake any of the frozen pies that need to be baked.

 

Mom's bringing an extra table, green salads, and drinks.

 

[chiguirre]

Well, the menu's planned and I'll buy the turkey Tuesday. Trinqueta can decide what she wants to cook. She's 10 so cooking is a big deal to her. I'll take care of the rest. Although, dh just asked if he can invite people so I hope he decides today. I'd like to shop tomorrow.

[flyingiguana]

Turkey is bought.  It sat in a large bucket of cold water for a few hours last night after we looked up how long it would take to thaw in the fridge alone.  If we'd left it to the fridge, we'd be having Thanksgiving on Saturday. 

 

So we figure we're really well prepared this year.  Compared to other years.

 

And I may have already done all my Black Friday shopping.

 

But cooking?  Cleaning?  Naw.  That can wait.

[madteaparty]

Reservations for my family and in-laws made at favourite restaurant, tickets to Paris bought for me. I'm ready ;)

[ScoutTN]

We're not hosting so I've only a bit to do. I'm taking an appetizer, a green salad and a pie. Have all my ingredients. Wednesday is prep/cooking day.

 

I do want to cook a turkey and make some dressing, but I'll do it over next weekend or next week sometime. 

[Guest]

Shopping done! Added Anasazi Bean Soup to the menu just because. :)

[*lifeoftheparty*]

Thank you! It has to be gluten free or I would buy one!

I just made one with golden syrup (cane sugar syrup) instead of Karo syrup- it was awesome! And no GMO corn syrup :)

 

The trick with pecan pie is to make sure you use jumbo size eggs. If you don't have enough egg, it will be watery and mushy....

[readinmom]

My brother came in for a business trip so we decided to celebrate early with my mom on Saturday night.  We have been eating leftovers for two days!  No turkey though, just prime rib.  I must say that it is nice not to have to stress over this now.  Dh will take younger kids to in-laws on Saturday to celebrate with his family.  Older ds is going to a football game, and my fluffy golden and I will spend some quality time together watching tv and shopping on amazon.  :laugh:

[gaillardia]

Thanks for the reminder because I keep forgetting and a frozen turkey does take a while to thaw. You can't trust fresh turkeys sometimes, I mean the ones that aren't frozen. Between ice storms, bad puppy and hurting feet, I guess the kids will get the house cleaned and my dh will do the shopping tomorrow a.m.

 

[KrissiK]

Let's just say I'm on schedule. I make a very detailed time-line for my Thanksgiving preparations. Very detailed. I even schedule in when I take a shower on Thanksgiving day. I have to, otherwise with all the distractions and interruptions I'd forget something, for sure. So, I am where I should be for the Monday before Thanksgiving.

[higginszoo]

It's just us this year.  Everything is purchased -- I need to get the turkey in the brine today.  I need to decide on one more veggie side dish and get stuff for it, if needed.  If I don't think of anything, I think I have some carrots that I can do in a ginger glaze ... I have green bean casserole for most of us, but one dc has gagged on green beans since infancy, so for a nice meal, I'd prefer to make something else that he doesn't have to choke down -- most of us don't like cooked carrots, though, so I can get away with a really small portion if I go that route.

[ChiMomNP]

It will just be the three of us. We are set to go!

[dirty ethel rackham]

Going to my sisters' for the day and bringing that famous sweet potato souffle.  For us, the big Thanksgiving planning has not been about food, but about the dog.  We were invited to my sister's for Thanksgiving (about 3 hours away.)  Her dogs have always been outside dogs (she lives on a farm and the dogs live in a heated barn.)  I knew that if we took our dog, he would have to spend the entire time outside (supervised) or in the garage.  Well, none of the people we usually rely upon are available to come help out with the dog to keep him here at home.  So, it was take the dog with and deal with constant supervision - they don't have a fenced yard and they lost one of their dogs who chased a coyote 3 miles until he got hit on the highway. Or have dh stay home and take the dog to his dad's house (40 minutes away.)  Hurray, hurray.  My sis said we could bring the dog and that he could come inside, provided that he stays on his mat.  Their lonely dog, who misses his buddy, has been allowed in the house latelyt, but only on his pad.  So, this really takes a load off my mind.  We have been working on "Go to spot!"  "Stay" and "Come now!"  rather diligently.  I am actually looking forward to this holiday this year.