What is everyone making for thanksgiving? - Page 2

i'm thinkin roast beef and a country ham...ya know like the one in a cloth bag that ya buy and hang in a cool dark place? I specially like makin that candy glaze for the Yams....a nice thick honey glaze with vanilla and cinnamon and marschino cherries and cloves and afew other neat stuff to put in there....

Corn bread- a must....2 gravies -turkey and beef...both with meat in em...

wuz it oldschool that said fresh baked bread...oh yeah...:chef:

There was talk last night from my brother wanting to smoke the turkey.....nope, no way.....he said it'd be ok to stuff it too....nope noway....so he's smoking one and I'm stuffing and roasting one. :) just means more sandwiches and bowls of Thanksgiving goodness goo.

nothing new nor "fancy" on the menu, just straight forward basic Thanksgiving....well and the cherry pie, now and blueberry pie was just requested....think we're up to about 5 pies now. 8 people to 5 pies.
4 boys between 14-25, my skinny voracious eating brother and then the rest of us....yep that sounds about right.

Turkey sandwich using packaged turkey slices, white bread, Ocean Spray canned cranberry sauce sliced thin, some mayo and mustard, and a diet pepsi. For dessert an almond snickers bar covered with some spray can whipped cream. Mmmmm....

shel

Yup!!! This is no special artisan thing either. Just a recipe for bread that was done by my Grandmother for close to 75yrs. Since my cousin and his family should be joining us for dinner, I thought they'd all enjoy that better than anything else I could've made. All but the two youngest had the chance to have eaten her bread. Shroom, 5 pies 8 people? That's my kind ratio. Hehehe

nostalgia soon to be reborn...

My thanksgiving Tradition:

Our friends have about 10 acres of land so my dad, stepmom, and I all go camping out there, joining our extended family of about 150 people. My extended family has a large variety of people, but for the most part, they make up of inside hippies, outside musicians. We all out there for 4 or 5 days, sitting around campfires, singing and playing music, sleeping only when we need to. It's potluck style for the whole time, with banquet tables of food 24 hours a day. Last year, we had a roasted turkey come out of the oven at 3 in the morning, it wasn't there when I woke up at 10. We have everything from turkeys and dressings, to enchiladas, to pecan pie, to tiramisu. This year, I'll probably be making a couple of key lime pies, a lemon meringue pie, and crab meat-stuffed-jalapeños. :bounce: oh the family traditions. :)

my tummy's already starting to ache just thinking about all the food and drink to be consumed, but whats the saying about fool's suffering silently? anyway, since i live here in the southwest i am roasting a turkey with roasted green chilies and garlic(under the skin) and pairing it with a red chile gravy. mashed potatoes and stuffing of course, a sweet potato gratin that is layered with curry, cumin, sour cream and extra sharp cheddar(in springform pan), port and cranberry sauce, spiced pumpkin bread,not sure what veggie yet, but probably roasted brussel sprouts, then a frozen grand marnier torte with chocolate crust and spiced cranberries and a bourbon pecan pie..think that should do us all in and make us have visions of sugarplums dancing in our heads!..extending to everyone a safe and happy holiday, even if you don't celebrate it and to remember our troops and pray that they will ALL be home soon..also to remember the homeless..good day all!
joey

I think the main change in Thanksgiving this year will be that Goya brand Adobo will be part of seasoning my turkey.

Thanksgiving Dinner

For years I did not have Turkey for Thanksgiving. My parents go out of state to visit my brother and his family so that the rest of us do not have to eat 2 dinners or choose between families. My husbands family did not like turkey so they had enchilidas or venison. I love both but as I have gotten older I long for a traditional Thanksgiving dinner.
My husbands parents died a couple of years ago within 33 days of one another and so I started my own tradition. Since my parents still go out of town, and my other brother and sister have the other side of their families to go to I have what I call the "Stray Table".
We invite all our friends who have no family or would just rather be with us than family.
So here's what is on the menu.
Deep fried Turkey, if you've never tried it you should. It's the only way to go!!!
Garlic Mashed Potato's
Fresh Green Bean (from our Garden) w/ toasted almonds
Fresh Canberry sauce that I make early in the week
Giblet Gravy
Herb Dressing
Whole Wheat Rolls that I make
Corn (also from this summers garden)
Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkin Cake
Pecan Pie
Tea,beer,wine, coffee
Weather here can be either wonderful or windy and cold. It's shaping up to be lovely so we'll probably sit on our porch and have dessert and coffee and talk until the wee hours.
I'm expecting about 15 people.
It's always fun!!!!

I don't recall whether it was in Bon Appetite or Gourmet, but one of them contains a recipe for pumpkin cheese cake that sounded divine. So, it will either be that or some bread pudding. If I'm feeling saucy, I may take the dessert department by storm and make both.

If you are trying to make me drool, you have succeeded:D I take small servings and then go back for seconds of what I like best. If I'm obliged to eat some of Aunt Ann's hot dogs, I will, but if I take a smaller plate the first time around, seconds are usually free of obligation and I get what I like best heh

OldSchool said he's having fresh cut corn. Wish I could have that in Wisconsin in November!

We're going to be with DH's family at a cousin's home. She's ordering the turkey in from her country club (she's definitely a senior citizen) and providing a couple of sides. I've been detailed to bring two of the four pies (pumpkin and lemon) and others are bringing wine, etc.

Best corn I ever had was in WI, but that was in Summer.

Applewood smoked duck
Butternut squash bisque
Mixed greens salad,Walnuts, Wild rice bread croutons, Roasted shallot/orange vinaigrette
Whole boneless rolled/tied roasted young turkey (salt&pepper)
Carmerized carrots with maple drizzle
Green beans W/Toasted Almond cream
Pies (asst) Honeycrisp carmel apples with cinnamon glaze.
Football
Company
Relaxation
Sleep........................

Joe- I'm coming to your house..... yum!! LOL:crazy:

Oh Shel- trully gourmet......LOL LOL yeah right..... definately DON"T forget the spray on whipped cream..... you forgot the canned sweet potatoes with the marshmellows on top...... LOL LOL

Traditional roasted turkey here.... started last year making mashed sweet potatoes that were a big hit, we have Apple Hill near us- so apple pie and/or tarts is expected. I usually buy a few small turkeys when they are so cheap at thanksgiving and throw one in the freezer for Christmas. Funny how the $5.00 turkey at Thanksgiving costs $20 by Christmas......

That's what I like about the South! Hehehe Actually Mezz, being a native Chicagoan I understand exactly what you mean.

I've learned over the years down this way there is one last usable crop to choose from. Since I like to use fresh when it's available (there is that pesky convenience thing that pops up but this is a Holiday meal:rolleyes:) Of course it's not as good as it would be during the peak of the season but since I'm turning it into niblets and not serving it right off the cob anyhow... what's the difference? Heck if it's too bland and sugar won't perk things up there's always corn souffle corn bread or corn chowder. :rolleyes:

Jayme, no problem but I have to warn you there might be a menu change on the horizon. Even though I can still find fresh corn down this way..... It's some of the more simple things like duck and believe it or not even with our proximity to the SE coast Coastal White Shrimp!!!! And this is the time of year too! It runs from May to Dec. All we seem to have available is that farm raised imported crap!There is such a huge difference between the local vs the imported stuff.

Anyhow the search continues. It'll probably be off to a coastal area to the south for the shrimp this weekend and then to the north for the duck. Oh joy! The pleasures of traveling I-95 Grrrrrr!

I only make dessert...

Several years ago I asked for peoples pie requests. This is wha I now hear every year:
pumpkin pie
lemon meringue pie
chocolate cream pie
pecan pie
maybe an apple or a pumpkin apple crisp
brownies
That has traditionally been for 20, but this year there wll be 30, so I may need 1 more... any requests?

Apple pie was something that I served in past years but since I can't get my hands on any winesap's this year...... No Caramel apple pie or homemade apple sauce. I also liked adding them to the Cranberry sauce.

I didn't know you could get canned sweet potatoes. WOW! that's great. I thought I'd be stuck with fresh. At least there's Mrs. Butterworth syrup.

Thanks for the tip!

shel

For our family, tradition is the key. Our menu has not changed over the years EXCEPT for the vegetables. Our menu: roasted turkey with traditional bread dressing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes sliced and then par-boiled and finished off roasted with slices of oranges sprinkled with brown sugar and dotted with butter, jellied cranberries, cranberry relish, rutabega, buttercup squash, pies (apple, pumpkin, butterscotch), gallons of coffee, premium chocolate mints and salted nuts. We don't serve any appetizers before the meal because, who needs it? Wine and cocktails or beverages of choice are also available. As I said, tradition is important to our family - - dinner is a sitdown affair at the dining room table (which is old and sturdy, seats 6 with plenty of elbow room and has 6 leaves) so we are all able to sit around the table. I even get out the white linen tablecloth and napkins which need to be ironed (for me this is a real offering of love). The most important part of the day is the comraderie, love, sharing and joy of being able to be together on this day. At the start of the meal, we go around the table and everyone adds to the prayer, one thing that they are most thankful for. Oh, yes, the tv is on in another room to keep us updated on the football gave of choice.

Humerous aside - - at her third thanksgiving (she was born only 2 months before thanksgiving) my finicky niece wouldn't eat anything besides a hot dog, cheese and apple :confused: She's all grown up now and there are no "special menus". Her younger sister called me from college yesterday to ask if I'd started cooking yet cuz she really loves our Thanksgiving!

A Bit of History

Apples? The lack of apples didn't stop the old pioneers from making "apple pie." As they crossed the country and settled in places where apples were either unavailable or very expensive, they found alternatives to the traditional apple pie, as exemplified in the 1894 cookbook "How We Cook in Los Angeles." The recipe was referred to as "California Pioneer Apple Pie, 1852", and was made with soda crackers which were mixed with brown sugar, water and citrus acid and cinnamon. Apparantly it was good enough to satisfy the pioneer folks and early settlers who missed their "back east" apple pies.

In the 1930s things were bleak in the US. The depression once again made apples very expensive, and many people could not afford the luxury of making apple pies for their holiday and special dinners, and so the old California Pioneeer Apple Pie was resurrected in a more modern form. Enter Ritz crackers, which were introduced in the early 1930s (1932?). The packages had a recipe on them that was very similar in execution and result as the 1852 California Pioneer Apple Pie, and that recipe is still in use today. A friend and I made it a number of years ago, and it was surprisingly good considering what it was. So, here in all it's glory is today's version of the 150+ year old recipe:

RITZ® Mock Apple Pie

pastry for 2-crust 9-inch pie
36 RITZ Crackers, coarsely broken (about 1-3/4 cups crumbs)
2 cups sugar
2 tsp. cream of tartar
Grated peel of 1 lemon
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

PREHEAT oven to 425-°F. Roll out half of the pastry and place in 9-inch pie plate. Place cracker crumbs in crust; set aside.
MIX sugar and cream of tartar in medium saucepan. Gradually stir in 1-3/4 cups water until well blended. Bring to boil on high heat. Reduce heat to low; simmer 15 minutes. Add lemon peel and juice; cool. Pour syrup over cracker crumbs. Dot with butter; sprinkle with cinnamon. Roll out remaining pastry; place over pie. Trim; seal and flute edges. Slit top crust to allow steam to escape.
BAKE 30 to 35 minutes or until crust is crisp and golden. Cool completely.

shel

For the meat, I thought turkey and ham, but then I got a great idea . . turkey ham! Whaddya think, Shel?

I think anything that breaks away from typical traditional fare is a Good Thing. Last year we had an middle-eastern dinner, with some Armenian specialties, hummus, dolmas, etc. A few years ago we put put together a riff on Marcella Hazen's "Hairdryer Duck" (I posted the technique here some months ago), and quite some time ago we prepared "Dishwasher Salmon," when it was still a new idea.

Your turkey han sounds cool ...how about, instead of dinner, a Thanksgiving breakfast made with turkey sausage?

shel

I was kidding on the turkey ham:D Just went with the canned sweet potato ideas and all.

Once I made chicken yakni pulao, my wife's favorite, as part of a Thanksgiving dinner. Who says it has to be all traditional?

got in some tart dried cherries and am making a rehydrated tart cherry pie, may be a good addition to the cream pies/pumpkin pies.....

Since my mobility has been cut in half the last few weeks it's gonna take several days of prep to pull off this years meal. I made the Pate Brisse for the pies today. It'll sit in the fridge until Tuesday but one less thing to worry about. Tomorrow will try and get the icecream bases made. Thursday is cornbread day. That way it'll be good and dry for the stuffing. I figure that come next Thursday all that'll need to be done is roast the turkey and bake the bread.:roll: I still have to find the shrimp and duck but I am starting to lean toward a request for Pizza to be the appetizer. Easy enough and since I'm already making dough for the bread.......Yet SWMBO is thinking what she wants us to have instead. She just told me the pizza may be too much. I guess I have to agree. :rolleyes:

swmbo? huh?

Good Grief, Charlie Brown. I'm glad we don't have to deal with Tday here - although I respect the history of it - but that on top of Christmas coming up? You guys can keep it!!!! :) :)

traditional cornbread stuffing

Allie,
I sympathize with your quest for grandma's stuffing. Forget the biscuits and use breadcrumbs. Who says the cornbread has to be stale? just cooled down. Your childhood memorys can often be biased, so over the years I have adjusted my recipe but still it never comes out the same way twice. Too much juice is a disaster, I add raw sausage to the mix (Jimmy dean sage recipe) and mushroom soup. I apologize to real chef's but I could write an entire cookbook on mushroom soup. There is also an old fashioned cranberry relish with just cranberry's ground together with orange zest, easy on the zest, add sugar to taste. Happy Thanksgiving and remember- Don't sweat the small stuff its about getting together with family.