What Does Your Thanksgiving

[alabasterangel]

meal look like this year? What's the plan?

[MyName]

I'm going to use this post as motivation to figure it out. I always take the Wed off to cook, and I'm not this year because we're closed Fri and I'm taking the entire next week off to go to Colombia. My mom cooks the turkey, my aunt brings a ham, my grandma brings broccoli casserole, and I make everything else.

Last year I made: spinach bread, pepperoni bread, cranberry sauce, bread stuffing, cornbread sausage stuffing, asiago au gratin potatoes, mashed potatoes, apple pie, pumpkin pie, and cheesecake. That needs to get pared down.

[alabasterangel]

We're having my great aunt, aunt, cousin, and mother come over this weekend to celebrate early.

We'll have rolls, mashed potatoes, stuffing, soup, veggie tray, pickle wraps.. basically everything but actual turkey.

[lexxasaurus]

I'm spending the day before Thanksgiving with Bryan's family (his mom, sister, BIL) and thanksgiving day with my brother, SIL and my mom/her husband who are driving over for the weekend.

Making baklava for dessert on TurkeyDay, but not sure which dishes I'll be in charge of besides that. We're having a game night to decide the meal this weekend. I'll probably work that night though, my store opens at 4 pm. >=[

[lexxasaurus]

Nov 13, 2014 5:49:23 GMT -5 milsaroo said:

Nov 12, 2014 23:20:25 GMT -5 lexxasaurus said:

I'm spending the day before Thanksgiving with Bryan's family (his mom, sister, BIL) and thanksgiving day with my brother, SIL and my mom/her husband who are driving over for the weekend.

Making baklava for dessert on TurkeyDay, but not sure which dishes I'll be in charge of besides that. We're having a game night to decide the meal this weekend. I'll probably work that night though, my store opens at 4 pm. >=[

I'm sorry! You work at ON, right? That royally sucks. I opted out of working at the mall again this season because I can't handle the stress.

Yep. I work full time for my county and we get TDay and Black Friday off, unfortunately I'll likely work both for my retail job. It definitely bums me out, and more than a couple people have been all "oh gee, you're better than me, I'd probably quit!" ... because that is totally an option, thanks for the helpful opinion.

[OrangePixyStix]

We didn't do traditional last year since we went to a football game (ended up having an Italian meal with friends and my sister before the game).
This year we'll be going to my parents house, they will make the main courses since they have a turkey fryer and all that. I had just emailed mom earlier this week with my suggestions to bring, she said they sounded good so unless I change my mind I am going to bring a "Chinese salad" (like a broccoli, carrot, green onion coleslaw mix with sesame seeds, toasted almonds, red wine vinegar), and a hot Spinach & Prosciutto side dish that also has roasted red peppers & artichoke hearts in it.

I may end up making a dessert, but I was going to see what all the other aunts & cousins were bringing first because I may not need to bring one if they have already planned to. We usually have way too many desserts anyway... not that I'm complaining, though!

[glw]

My aunt cooks the standards-- turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, vegetables. My mom makes pies. I bring beer.

[darkling_glory]

I make all the traditional stuff. My favorite is stuffing. I love stuffing so much. It's everything I love in a carby, awesome casserole.

But I start on Wednesday and make EVERYTHING ahead of time. I'll then finish things off the day of. For instance, I won't put the breadcrumb topping on the corn until right before it goes in the oven.

Cranberry sauce (from real cranberries)
Corn Casserole
Stuffing (two kinds, one with meat)
Green Bean Casserole
Mashed Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes
Salad
Turkey

This year I'm thinking of making Grandma Nugget's Mac and Cheese to go along with the feast.

I also make two vegan pumpkin cheesecakes. They are amazing and everyone loves this recipe more than regular pumpkin pie.

[jennynumbers]

I'm going to Jay's cousin's this year. They make a pretty big, yet standard spread.

I usually bring wine, but then end up being the only person to drink said wine. So this year I might make spanakopita for an app. There is always SO much food floating around though, so we'll see.

[sapphire bou]

We always spend Thanksgiving with H's family and recently started rotating houses; this year it's at the brother's who lives closest (thank goodness).

It's undecided who's making the turkey. The host wants to smoke one, but nobody really likes smoked turkey, so we're trying to figure out a nice way for H to fry one without offending anyone.

MIL makes the dressing and ham.
We're doing green been casserole and cookies

Since I'm not hosting, I honestly have no idea what else is on the menu. 

[lexxasaurus]

Nov 13, 2014 7:59:10 GMT -5 milsaroo said:

Nov 13, 2014 7:56:27 GMT -5 lexxasaurus said:

Yep. I work full time for my county and we get TDay and Black Friday off, unfortunately I'll likely work both for my retail job. It definitely bums me out, and more than a couple people have been all "oh gee, you're better than me, I'd probably quit!" ... because that is totally an option, thanks for the helpful opinion.

I also hated it when people said that you should expect it because you work retail. It doesn't make it any easier.  Sorry that you're probably working both days. Do you have any leverage on what hours/shifts you would work?

Not a huge amount but I am friends with the managers so I may get decent shifts... I'm staying at my brothers place though, which is just down the street. It'll be nice to not have to drive the 40 minutes from my house!

[MyName]

milsaroo, luckily I have the spinach bread recipe typed up in my email! 

Spinach Bread

Dough

1 package yeast
4 t sugar
3 T water (warm, but not hot)
3.5 - 4 c flour
1.5 t salt
1 c milk
1 egg

 Filling

2 T olive oil
2 12oz packages of baby spinach
1 can black olives, chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced (I use more, but I love it)
1 16oz mozzarella

Eggwash: 1 egg and some water

Dough: put yeast, sugar and water in a small bowl to proof – about 5 min, til foamy. Place 3.5 c flour and the salt in a large bowl and mix together. Create a well in the center of the flour, add the yeast mixture and milk/egg and mix the flour in gradually. Add the additional 1/2c if necessary. When dough comes together, remove from bowl and knead until smooth and elastic. Let rise in an oiled bowl until doubled, about 1.5 hours.

Preheat oven to 400. 

Filling: sauté onion and garlic in oil until softened, add olives. Add spinach in batches and let wilt down, mixing into the onion/garlic/olive mixture. Season with salt/pepper. (I actually drain the cooked mixture in a colander because otherwise it leaks out of the bread and makes a huge mess. Press down on it and get out as much liquid as possible.)

Roll out a bit more than 1/2 of the dough to a rectangle. Slice the mozzarella and place the slices lengthwise down the center of the rectangle. Put the drained spinach mixture over the mozz. Fold over the two short ends and then one long end. Brush the eggwash on the folded part and then fold the other long side on top of that. Pinch all around to seal and turn the entire thing over so the double layer of dough is on the bottom. Cut slits in the top every few inches to let out steam. Dust a cookie sheet with flour or cornmeal and transfer bread onto it. Brush eggwash over the exterior of the bread. I bake it on a pizza stone so I slide it off onto that in the oven, but you can bake it on the cookie sheet. 

Bake until golden brown…about 20 minutes? Keep an eye on it.  Cool on rack before cutting and serving

Asiago potatoes - I don't really have a recipe.  Rub some olive oil on the bottom of a baking dish, then sprinkle coarse salt.  Thinly slice russet potatoes and layer them with shredded asiago cheese, salt and pepper.  Pour in heavy cream up to the top layer of potatoes.  Cover with foil and bake at 400* for about an hour for a 13x9 dish, take cover off and bake until everything is browned and the cream is mostly absorbed/thickened.  This is easily one of the top 5 things people request from me.

[MyName]

Nov 13, 2014 10:54:25 GMT -5 milsaroo said:

That is the sexiest thing I have ever read, MyName

Lol, thanks!

[theatre4life]

We are hosting, again. My parents, my sister and her fiancee are definitely coming. My FIL and his gf may or may not be coming, depending on if she can travel.

We are doing stuffing (with sausage), turkey, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, gravy, green bean casserole, Asian noddle salad, and possibly another vegetarian side. My FBIL is making his mom's cheesy mac & cheese, and if my FIL comes, they do bacon wrapped asparagus. For dessert, my mom makes her amazing apple pie and I make a pumpkin pie.

We are going back and forth as to inviting friends over in the evening (since they can't make it to their families' house, because she has to work during the day), but we haven't made that decision yet.

And I am looking forward to the day after Thanksgiving tradition with my sister, my H, and FBIL - where we go to a couple of local wineries, enjoy some tastings, a bottle or two of wine, and the weather/scenery.

[sitnspin]

Same as last year!  A catering company prepares everything and we just kind of "reheat" and eat.  It was all the traditional, homemade items you would expect and it was all delicious!  

Turkey
Gravy
Stuffing
Mashed potatoes
Green bean casserole (I am also making a broccoli casserole)
Rolls
Corn
Butternut squash soup
Cranberry sauce
Pumpkin pie
Apple pie
(and all the fixin's)

We are eating at Jerry's cousins around the corner.  I will make a couple appetizers to munch on also.

[lizardesque]

Ian's aunt usually makes the standard stuff. I bring pie.