Post by secretlyevil on Oct 26, 2019 11:05:18 GMT -5
Work has sucked the life out of me and it will continue to be chaotic right up through Thanksgiving. I wanted to go to a restaurant this year for T-day and you would have thought I suggested murder by H's reaction. Anyway, SIL who also wanted to go to a restaurant said we can try and keep it low key at her place to allow H to do his turkey ritual. I told H if he like the whole meal thing, he could be in charge. His response, "You don't delegate enough." WTF dude... Anyway, T-day is turning into a favorite of the holidays so I decided to take a couple of days off ahead of the holiday so it could be mellow. I shouldn't allow work to completely suck the joy out of life.
All that to say, haven't really started meal-planning yet but glad this year's thread is started. Always good stuff posted in here.
Post by pierogigirl on Oct 26, 2019 11:53:37 GMT -5
I bookmarked that cookie cake recipe. Thanks eponinepontmercy We host Thanksgiving and go to DH's sister's for Christmas dinner, so I'll make that cake.
We make the main food for Thanksgiving and the family brings wine, dessert, rolls, and sometimes appetizers. We always make 2 turkeys: one traditional and one experimental (fried, smoked, seasoned differently, etc). Also on the menu: sweet potato casserole with praline topping mashed potatoes gravy cranberry stuffing cranberry sauce (canned) roasted veggies - brussels sprouts, carrots, turnips, squash some other squash dish roasted beets (we do them separately so they don't turn all the other veggies purple
My favorite is making pot pie with the leftover roasted veggies, turkey, and gravy. I don't really care about the Thanksgiving meal. We have so many people over and spend two days cooking and prepping, that I just want to be by myself by the time it's over and I often don't even eat the dinner.
I am lazy and do the world's easiest apple tart but we have been watching the British Baking Show and now H wants to try something complicated, which is fine, except now I have to come up with some other thing to contribute.
Post by simpsongal on Oct 26, 2019 12:15:28 GMT -5
I posted on ML but I’ll cross post my stuff later.
I haven’t hosted thanksgiving in 4 years or so (maybe 5?). I’m most excited about keeping the leftovers this year. My in laws do a nice job hosting but I’d like to up the ante on appetizers (they don’t do any).
This is a broccoli cheddar casserole without cream of crap soup that I love. I am just now slowly going back to having dairy and am really looking forward to it. Pre-roasting the broccoli makes a world of difference and it’s absolutly delicious.
Post by miniroller on Oct 26, 2019 17:35:18 GMT -5
I liked in commiseration @jennieloveselvis H totally acts like I need to delegate more/ not do so much myself, but he completely expects things to be how he thinks they should be, even though he has pretty limited kitchen responsibilities... 🤦🏻♀️
This year is different for sure: hosting IL’s (6) for a low-key Tday on the actual day before hosting my family (15 of us) on Saturday (& they head to celebrate with SIL’s family).
So I’ll be making double of a couple of these & we’ll see: it’ll be a weekend stuffed with food! These are recipes from the past that we love & am for sure including on either or both days:
I am on the hunt (for the past 10 years!) for a jalapeño corn creme brûlée recipe. I’ve tried many different ones but it’s never be same as what I get at a local restaurant (they won’t give me the recipe!). Anyone have one?
Post by sparrowsong on Oct 27, 2019 13:40:11 GMT -5
On The Kitchen today they made baked Mac and cheese in a bundt pan. Flipped it out, drizzled cheese sauce with a drop of orange food coloring over it like icing and stuck a broccoli stem in the center for a pumpkin stem and then sliced it.
I admitted I haven’t had lunch yet, but it’s all I can think about.
We're either going to be in an AirBnB or in a house w/o an oven so I'm not sure what's going to happen about Thanksgiving.
We've done Thanksgiving in an Airbnb the last several years. We don't all fit in anybody's house in my family, so we rent a place. Sometimes near my mom's, this year at the shore.
We're either going to be in an AirBnB or in a house w/o an oven so I'm not sure what's going to happen about Thanksgiving.
We've done Thanksgiving in an Airbnb the last several years. We don't all fit in anybody's house in my family, so we rent a place. Sometimes near my mom's, this year at the shore.
It'll all depend on what sort of oven our place has. The typical flat in London has frightfully small ovens and few cooking items. At the worst, we'll roast a turkey breast and have a side or two...or go to a restaurant (which is my choice).
Our dinners are almost always the same at this point:
Thanksgiving is turkey, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, Corn bread and sausage stuffing, sweet potato casserole, sea foam salad and cranberry sauce with rolls. Dessert is ooey gooey pumpkin cheesecake.
Christmas Eve is busy with church so the last few years we have gotten fast food. I love it lol.
Christmas dinner is beef tenderloin or steaks, my favorite salad (greens, roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts, hearts of palm, pine nuts and Gorgonzola crumbles), twice baked potatoes and good bread. Dessert is eclair cake.
Appetizers can vary but we always end up with shrimp cocktail, rotel dip and pigs in a blanket somewhere in there. Also bacon wrapped scallops/
I host thanksgiving dinner and Christmas Eve. Not a big crowd. Just my dad, my brother and my MIL for Thanksgiving. Then Christmas Eve we’ll have them plus my SIL and her family.
Thanksgiving-mil insists on brie bites as an app. It’s her favorite. Spoonful of jam and chunk of brie in a phyllo cup. I also want to make something with bacon jam. I’m thinking of pinwheels-spreading it on puff pastry, sprinkling cheese over it and rolling it up. Slice and bake. My dad always makes something plus he brings shrimp.
We’re smoking the turkey. We only smoked a breast last year and then cooked another full sized bird on the grill. This year we’re smoking a regular turkey. I’ll make stuffing(mix of homemade cornbread and crusty breads from the store that I cube and let sit out overnight to get stale). I do a turkey gravy and a mushroom gravy. Green bean casserole but I make my own mushroom soup for it. Carrots with a butter/brown sugar glaze. My MIL makes mashed potatoes. We do dessert at DHs cousin. I bring pumpkin chocolate chip cookies and pecan pie cookie bars.
Christmas Eve-We haven’t decided on the meal yet. In the past we’ve done either ham, filet mignon on the grill or prime rib. I always make a ham broccoli cheese casserole. My mom used to make it for the holidays.
Just started planning. We are hosting, somewhere between 6-10, including us. Current menu is:
Charcuterie board for appetizer Salad of some kind Turkey - I order it from Dickey’s BBQ because it’s the one thing I don’t like to cook cranberry sauce (canned) Mac & cheese - Martha Stewart’s recipe Mashed potatoes and gravy Veggie of some kind Rolls Pies
This is my favorite thread of the year. I haven't even thought about Thanksgiving yet. We usually host, but I don't know if I want to. I also don't want to go anywhere. I should probably give it some thought.
Post by litebright on Oct 28, 2019 10:02:00 GMT -5
Man, I love this thread, but it also reminds me how much I struggle with balancing the traditional vs. the new in holiday menus. I LOVE trying new recipes. Every year I spend time daydreaming about the things I'd like to try for Thanksgiving/Christmas and poring over recipes, but then as things get closer, I realize I don't want to not-have the traditional things that we love. And usually it's just four people for our holidays, so making three or four pies/desserts/sides makes no sense even if I had the time to do it. I tried out some new things that past two years when we cooked a huge meal for extended family, and that was fun, but we're not driving home this year to do that.
It's not that we haven't added things, but I sort of wish we could somehow do more. We started doing brussels sprouts with bacon as our main veggie a few years ago and now that is a staple. Two years ago, I tried the pumpkin praline pie and now that has joined the must-make list. DH asks that we have an apple pie of some sort. He's always like, "Why don't you just make an apple pie and a pumpkin pie and call it done?" But I LIKE finding the new favorites, or the slight twist on a traditional recipe (like doing an apple-raspberry or apple-cranberry pie) that changes things up.
I think maybe I just need to do more holiday baking throughout the whole Oct/Nov/Dec/Jan timeframe. Pretty sure DH would not object, lol.
Man, I love this thread, but it also reminds me how much I struggle with balancing the traditional vs. the new in holiday menus. I LOVE trying new recipes. Every year I spend time daydreaming about the things I'd like to try for Thanksgiving/Christmas and poring over recipes, but then as things get closer, I realize I don't want to not-have the traditional things that we love. And usually it's just four people for our holidays, so making three or four pies/desserts/sides makes no sense even if I had the time to do it. I tried out some new things that past two years when we cooked a huge meal for extended family, and that was fun, but we're not driving home this year to do that.
It's not that we haven't added things, but I sort of wish we could somehow do more. We started doing brussels sprouts with bacon as our main veggie a few years ago and now that is a staple. Two years ago, I tried the pumpkin praline pie and now that has joined the must-make list. DH asks that we have an apple pie of some sort. He's always like, "Why don't you just make an apple pie and a pumpkin pie and call it done?" But I LIKE finding the new favorites, or the slight twist on a traditional recipe (like doing an apple-raspberry or apple-cranberry pie) that changes things up.
I think maybe I just need to do more holiday baking throughout the whole Oct/Nov/Dec/Jan timeframe. Pretty sure DH would not object, lol.
I'm the exact same way. And I usually default to making the same things because we love them and they are tried and true favorites. But then I see other things that I really want to try as well. It's a struggle every year.
Ooh I want to make spoon bread for thanksgiving. And I’m lacking vegetable inspiration. Maybe just peas? Is that phoning it in too much?
I had to look up what spoon bread is. I wonder if I should try it this year. DH likes cornbread, but I'm just meh about it.
To me, it has to have corn kernels in it. Some people add bacon or jalepenos, that's not my jam. I just love the custardy sweet texture. We probably don't need another mushy thing on the Thanksgiving plate, but I love it, so I don't care Of course, now I'm remembering that mom wants to bring her whole wheat mashed cauliflower dish....more mushy texture.
As for veg, DH said he prefers green beans. I might just saute in butter. I've done tasty ones w/pecans and a Worcestershire sauce, but that might be too many competing flavors.
Man, I love this thread, but it also reminds me how much I struggle with balancing the traditional vs. the new in holiday menus. I LOVE trying new recipes. Every year I spend time daydreaming about the things I'd like to try for Thanksgiving/Christmas and poring over recipes, but then as things get closer, I realize I don't want to not-have the traditional things that we love. And usually it's just four people for our holidays, so making three or four pies/desserts/sides makes no sense even if I had the time to do it. I tried out some new things that past two years when we cooked a huge meal for extended family, and that was fun, but we're not driving home this year to do that.
It's not that we haven't added things, but I sort of wish we could somehow do more. We started doing brussels sprouts with bacon as our main veggie a few years ago and now that is a staple. Two years ago, I tried the pumpkin praline pie and now that has joined the must-make list. DH asks that we have an apple pie of some sort. He's always like, "Why don't you just make an apple pie and a pumpkin pie and call it done?" But I LIKE finding the new favorites, or the slight twist on a traditional recipe (like doing an apple-raspberry or apple-cranberry pie) that changes things up.
I think maybe I just need to do more holiday baking throughout the whole Oct/Nov/Dec/Jan timeframe. Pretty sure DH would not object, lol.
This is the joy of friendsgivingmas and work potlucks. Try all the things!!
Post by secretlyevil on Oct 28, 2019 18:35:11 GMT -5
H’s stepmom has decreed it is her year to host. I should be elated but for some reason after the initial resignation to doing a ton of work, I was excited to get into it. Now I don’t have much to do.🤷♀️
All I know for sure right now is I’m trying a different roast this year for TG. We’ve done the vegan Wellington roast from Native Foods the past several years, and while it’s pretty good, I’m wanting to branch out and support smaller operations.
I’ve considered making my own (Miyokos has a recipe that looks good), but they are time consuming and I’d rather focus more on good sides.
The Butcher’s Son in Berkeley is doing roasts this year, and shipping via the mylk guys, so that’s what I’m going for!
MH’s family rotates Thanksgiving every year between his mom and his aunt. This year it’s at his aunt’s house and I’m not a fan of the food she has plus there isn’t enough. Add to this my parents live with MH and I so I always feel bad if I don’t make them a Thanksgiving Neal and MH loved thanksgiving food.
I’ll likely skip out on MH’s aunt’s house so I can spend all day cooking at home. For Thanksgiving I make: Turkey breast (baked with butter under the skin) Ham Deviled eggs Macaroni and cheese Noodles Green beans Rolls Chocolate pie Pumpkin pie
For Christmas I like to do something nice do MH and parents (usually steaks). I’m content with just a turkey sandwich.
I'm still playing around with ideas, and probably have too much for the seven people we'll have, but I freaking love side dishes so oh well.
smoked turkey breast roasted turkey (cider-brined) gravy grandma's sausage dressing duchess baked potatoes brown sugar-bourbon sweet potatoes? shredded brussels sprout salad butternut squash and leek gratin mushroom-gruyere casserole my mom will bring another veggie or two, probably broccoli or green beans, and corn cranberry sauce peasant rolls (GF and regular) pickes, olives, etc.
I'm making a pumpkin-chai masala cake, my mom will bring a GF pecan pie.
ETA: And appetizers! Cranberry-white cheddar dip/bread, apple slices, and shrimp cocktail. Might make stuffed mushrooms instead of the casserole with dinner.
We’re hosting thanksgiving this year, 12 adults, 4 kids. Here’s the menu so far, still looking for ideas:
Cheese board for app
Fried turkey Smoked turkey breast Sausage stuffing Mashed potatoes Brussel sprouts with bacon Creamed onions Garlic green beans Corn pudding Cloverleaf rolls Some squash dish? Salad?
Apple cranberry crisp Thinking of trying pumpkin prailine pie Instant pot cheesecake- flavor tbd
I recently made a delicious salad with roasted acorn squash and figs with prosciutto and arugula. You probably won't be able to find fresh figs, so maybe add mushrooms instead?
I haven’t planned the holiday meal, but for our church’s Thanksgiving potluck, I’m making cranberry sausage stuffing and gluten free Cherry cake. The cake is my own recipe, and I just learned how to make it GF.