Annie G Posted October 28, 2015 Author Share Posted October 28, 2015 Dh likes the traditional foods, but the last few years previous, he was working out of state. The kids and I would go on Pinterest, and each of us would choose a course. One would decide the meat, a couple sides, and someone else the dessert. It was a fun way to try new stuff. We did that a few years but it always turned out looking more like 'clean out the fridge night' where nothing really went together. Maybe I needed to set some parameters but I just let everyone choose a favorite dish. My mistake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted October 28, 2015 Author Share Posted October 28, 2015 You could always just eat pie! We have actually done that! We had tomato pie for a first course, a chicken pot pie, then a couple of dessert pies. It was our Christmas Eve meal one year. A big hit. But they'd all like to just eat dessert pie! Me included! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 My BIL makes the best pancit. Sometimes he makes it for thanksgiving and sometimes not. I am going to put in my order this year so he makes it! I used to really like my MIL's pancit. Then I made the mistake of saying how much I liked it. So she changed her recipe to the stinky shrimp paste one. Coincidence? I think not! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medawyn Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 I love traditional Thanksgiving and would miss it dearly if we were to forego it altogether. I look forward to Thanksgiving leftovers all year! That being said, DH is out of town for T-day this year, and so we're celebrating a few weeks after. This means I have free reign to cook all the things DH doesn't like for our actual Thanksgiving :lol: He's a super taster with a STRONG aversion to vinegar/wine, so it's nice for me to pull out some of my favorites that I don't usual make because even the smell makes him crazy. We are having grilled or roasted pork loin with warm dried fruit compote (apricots, prunes, pears, cranberries, white wine, brown sugar, lemon juice, garlic, and lemon zest) farro and dried fruit dressing (http://www.cleaneatingmag.com/recipes/farro-dried-fruit-dressing/) roasted brussel sprouts, but I haven't figured out exactly how yet maple braised carrots (ok, he eats this, but so does everyone else) some awesome, vinegary salad and Smitten Kitchen's baked sour cream and pumpkin puddings (so much better than pie!) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 Some years we've had piles of boiled seafood. Otherwise we go traditional. Some years we go traditional lite: turkey breast, one veggie, one carb, one pie... not a smorgasbord, kwim? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 I thought of more! Fondue! If you don't want to master Fondue, Trader Joe's has a great one that you just microwave. It's divine. Or Appetizer smorgasborg ! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MyThreeSons Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 Not for Thanksgiving, but my family's non-traditional Christmas Eve dinner was fondue. My Mom had collected three fondue pots, so we had one with oil for meats, one with cheese for bread and veggies, and one with chocolate for dessert-dipping. It was fun and a big treat. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MyThreeSons Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 Oh, and for Christmas, we sometimes had a rolled pork roast for dinner. My Mom seasoned it just right -- it was amazing. For Thanksgiving, we pretty much always did the traditional stuffed turkey, mashed potatoes, etc. with extended family. It was often both my Mom's and my Dad's families that came over, and my Mom did pretty much all of the cooking. Her Mom's one contribution was making the gravy. She would brown flour in a cast iron skillet, add drippings from the turkey pan, stir and stir forever. It was amazing. Every year, my grandpa would say at the end of the meal, "That was good, but I'd just as soon have ham." And the next year, my Mom would ask him if he'd rather have ham, and he'd say that Thanksgiving was supposed to be turkey, so we'd better have turkey. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynn Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 I thought of more! Fondue! If you don't want to master Fondue, Trader Joe's has a great one that you just microwave. It's divine. Or Appetizer smorgasborg ! This use to be Christmas eve tradition here. Last year Dh wanted steak and kids wanted shrimp. Not sure about this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted October 28, 2015 Author Share Posted October 28, 2015 I thought of more! Fondue! If you don't want to master Fondue, Trader Joe's has a great one that you just microwave. It's divine. Or Appetizer smorgasborg ! Not for Thanksgiving, but my family's non-traditional Christmas Eve dinner was fondue. My Mom had collected three fondue pots, so we had one with oil for meats, one with cheese for bread and veggies, and one with chocolate for dessert-dipping. It was fun and a big treat. Oh that sounds like so much fun! I need to consider this, not for Thanksgiving but maybe Christmas Eve. I don't really want to acquire three fondue pots but I'm sure I know people who have them tucked away somewhere and I could borrow them this year. If it's as fun as I think it might be, it would be a GREAT thing to do with the grandchildren. I bet I could find fondue pots at thrift stores if I shopped in the right areas. Is it weird to do fondue in the summer? Because if I decide to do fondue with the grandkids, I'll need to both acquire pots and plan to do it in the summertime. I don't always see them at holiday time. I'm already the family weirdo. We have a family tradition of making a chex mix that we call monkey food- it's been a holiday staple since I was a kid in the 60s. Well, my grandkids LOVE it and they love making it so I make it with them when they visit and it drives my sisters crazy because I'm making holiday treats in the summer. Thanks for the suggestions, guys! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 Oh that sounds like so much fun! I need to consider this, not for Thanksgiving but maybe Christmas Eve. I don't really want to acquire three fondue pots but I'm sure I know people who have them tucked away somewhere and I could borrow them this year. If it's as fun as I think it might be, it would be a GREAT thing to do with the grandchildren. I bet I could find fondue pots at thrift stores if I shopped in the right areas. Is it weird to do fondue in the summer? Because if I decide to do fondue with the grandkids, I'll need to both acquire pots and plan to do it in the summertime. I don't always see them at holiday time. I'm already the family weirdo. We have a family tradition of making a chex mix that we call monkey food- it's been a holiday staple since I was a kid in the 60s. Well, my grandkids LOVE it and they love making it so I make it with them when they visit and it drives my sisters crazy because I'm making holiday treats in the summer. Thanks for the suggestions, guys! Fondue is our Christmas Eve thing too. I have a few fondue pots, but since I tend to make it on the stove, then transfer to the fondue pot, or microwave Trader Joe's La Fondue, a mini crockpot works just as well and has more uses in non-fondue situations. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 Is it weird to do fondue in the summer? There are fondue restaurants, so definitely not. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 Before we started sharing Thanksgiving with people who really love turkey, we used to get a huge wild Alaskan King salmon and have that for Thanksgiving. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 We always have fondue as our New Year's Day meal. We have some friends over and have a good time. I do a cheese fondue for the main meal and a chocolate fondue for dessert 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 We always have fondue as our New Year's Day meal. We have some friends over and have a good time. I do a cheese fondue for the main meal and a chocolate fondue for dessert I do fondue this way too. Only the cheese and dessert courses seem like fun. Doing a meat fondue is somehow not as much fun. Maybe it feels to much like cooking instead of just dipping? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsuga Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 I'll never forget the time my mom and aunt burned the potatoes, stuffing, AND the turkey, while it was still raw in the middle, and my uncle ordered pizza without them knowing, so that when they finally emerged, smoke billowing behind them, from the kitchen, we were all crowding around the door to see the Domino's pizza guy. That isn't what you meant but what the hey. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted October 28, 2015 Author Share Posted October 28, 2015 I'll never forget the time my mom and aunt burned the potatoes, stuffing, AND the turkey, while it was still raw in the middle, and my uncle ordered pizza without them knowing, so that when they finally emerged, smoke billowing behind them, from the kitchen, we were all crowding around the door to see the Domino's pizza guy. That isn't what you meant but what the hey. But you know, we're all trying to create lasting memories for our children and this is one Thanksgiving you'll never forget! I call that a success. And so would my pizza loving family. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tess in the Burbs Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 I love pancit too. Just not the kind that MIL makes with stinky shrimp paste. ewwwww. ok, no. My fridge is off limits. I did eat some good lumpia off a food truck last month in Bellevue..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IfIOnly Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 This Thanksgiving we'll be on a parasite cleanse and will be eating really low carb, so maybe turkey, gravy, green beans, salad, and cranberry sauce if I can make it with stevia? Should be interesting. :laugh: Growing up we usually did Mexican (enchiladas), probably because it's cheaper. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joyofsixreboot Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 My kids have put in their request for ham, hm mac&cheese, a fruit plate and pumpkin pie. I'm letting them choose. I will miss the turkey, dressing, cranberries and sweet potatoes. I'm kind of bummed. Their 2nd choice was KFC because I'll never buy it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monstermama Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 DH is vegetarian, so we make these minestrone pies. It is involved (lots of veggie chopping!) but it's absolutely delicious and it makes it feel like a special day. I usually do some mashed potatoes in the crockpot and Alton Brown's stuffing recipe, as well. For Christmas day, we make pierogis. We usually serve them with roasted carrots and some (not homemade) sauerkraut. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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