Thanksgiving!

[Catrin]

Going to a friend's house and they always have a TON of food. I will be taking the beer

[limewave]

The last few years I've made a vegetarian dish to share at Thanksgiving, usually a recipe from 101Cookbooks.com

This year I was assigned dinner rolls. ONLY DINNER ROLLS (they were very specific). I guess if it isn't deep fried turkey, mashed potatoes w/ gravy, and cheese with some broccoli--they aren't happy

[redrhodie]

The last few years I've made a vegetarian dish to share at Thanksgiving, usually a recipe from 101Cookbooks.com

This year I was assigned dinner rolls. ONLY DINNER ROLLS (they were very specific). I guess if it isn't deep fried turkey, mashed potatoes w/ gravy, and cheese with some broccoli--they aren't happy

That's obnoxious. So because they don't want it, you can't have it? What, is there no room in the house for one more dish?

Being who I am, I'd somehow fill the rolls with spinach, just to bug them.

[indysteel]

I am so jealous of all these wonderful dishes. DH and I are going to my parents on Thanksgiving. My mom is a decent cook, but a couple things work against her on Thanksgiving: (1) A blind adherance to the dishes she's been making for the past 50 years of married life; and (2) a tendency to overcook things. Her dishes are not exactly inventive or fresh tasting. Think green bean casserole and lifeless peas and carrots.

I've offered over the years to contribute some dishes, but my mother is also a control freak and will have none of that. DH and I will try some things for our New Year's dinner together instead.

At least it's what I'm used to. DH and I spent the last two Thanksgivings with his family and family friends, and they don't do much more than microwave premade food. It's a crime against humanity. The first year I actually found myself pretty offended by it. Nothing says the holidays like Stovetop Stuffing.

Anyway, Happy Thanksgiving to all. Enjoy the day!

[jessmarimba]

I'm going to make a pecan pie and green bean casserole but I'm probably going to get dinner to go from the Chili's up the street. It's just me, and I'm trying to clean the house to put up Christmas decorations, so I don't feel like cooking for myself!

[limewave]

That's obnoxious. So because they don't want it, you can't have it? What, is there no room in the house for one more dish?

Being who I am, I'd somehow fill the rolls with spinach, just to bug them.

Lol. Good idea!
It wouldn't be the holidays without obnoxious relatives

[MomOnBike]

I'm not cooking this year, just going to a friend's house. I'll be taking butterhorn rolls.

On the years I do cook, the menu is very specific - I am NOT allowed to get creative. My family has decreed that there be:

Turkey with a chorizo/veggie corn bread stuffing - I make the bread a few days before, it's a raised bread with a lot of corn meal and whole corn in it.

Mashed 'taters and gravy. It is almost impossible to make enough.

Cranberry Chop-Chop Good Stuff - that is, cranberries chopped with jalepenos, red onion and lime juice. Sounds like it should be awful, but we eat it plain by the spoonful.

Brussels sprouts with mustard lemon sauce

Butterhorns - complete with a call to my brother bragging about how my butterhorns are better than his. (They are)

Cranberry pound cake. I think it weighs in at 1,000 calories a crumb, but it is so worth it.

Wine. In the cook. In the stuffing. In the gravy. In the icing on the cake. In glasses on the table. (Oops, I think I spilled some. That's OK, have another glass.)

That's what I have no choice but to serve. Guests are free to bring any dishes that make them happy.

[jessmarimba]

Wine. In the cook. In the stuffing. In the gravy. In the icing on the cake. In glasses on the table. (Oops, I think I spilled some. That's OK, have another glass.)

My family makes wine Jello for holidays. Pretty good

[skhill]

I'm heading over to my brother's for the big meal. It's leg of lamb for us-- his partner got food poisoning from an undercooked turkey once, and so we don't go there. There will be mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce from a can, and something green.

My contributions: dessert! Crustless pumpkin pie (brother's partner has celiac), and an apple/cranberry something (maybe pie, maybe gluten-free cobbler). And if I get energetic, I'll bake cornbread, maybe even make stuffing.

The pumpkin's roasting in the oven right now! yum!

[kimikaw]

Going to a friend's house and they always have a TON of food. I will be taking the beer

Sounds like my plan. Spending the week in Nashville with my brother, and having dinner at his ultra hostess Aunt-in-laws. Great food, great company. And for this meal all we have to do is bring the beer (and wine and spirits). Both hubby and I work in different bits of the bev alcohol biz, so a natural for us.

Last year the spread was incredible. Looking forward to seeing what's in store this year.

Oh, anyone see the Bobby Flay/Pioneer Woman Thanksgiving Throwdown. Dying to try the Brussels sprouts with pomegranate recipe. Ditto the pumpkin bread pudding. Maybe as part of Christmas feast.

[bmccasland]

Will be wandering across the street to a neighbor's. Was supposed to drive to a friend's around Puget Sound (hour drive), but with our icy weather, I'm reluctant to drive anywhere. And since I'm still in the kitchen restocking process, I'm not cooking anything. But I will take over some homemade jam that survived the move. Think I have jars of blueberry and blackberry (separate) worth sharing.

Everyone's menus sound good. I'm hoping for some good mashed potatoes, and a stuffing that doesn't have mushrooms or oysters in it. Blech. I've never had chestnut stuffing / dressing, that sounds interesting.

My Louisiana grandmother would make a cornbread - in a cast iron skillet a day or two before, and let it get stale, to make her stuffing. Or is it dressing?

[Crankin]

Here's my menu... well, not mine, but the friends' we are going to. I would never send a printed menu!

Thanks giving 2010 Menu

Appetizer cheese and crackers
Appetizer Salad of mixed greens, walnuts, and goat
cheese
Main course
Herb roasted turkey with shallot pan gravy
Corn bread, apricot and toasted pumpkin seeds stuffing
Sweet potato and apple butter casserole
Cranberry sauce from Verrill Farm
Broccoli with fennel and red pepper sautéed with shallots
Dessert Tofu cheese cake with fresh strawberries
Blueberry pie from Helen’s with ice cream

Hosts will have: Wines- plenty of red & white; Beer- Corona

[tangentgirl]

Has anyone ever gotten a turkey without giblets? I washed up my turkey today to get it brining, found the turkey neck, found something in turkey skin that seems like the heart (?) but no bag of giblets. I'm rather confused.

Crankin, shallot pan gravy sounds mmmmmm.

[kacie tri-ing]

Not debbie downer. It's ok to discuss the truth, but I think even more important to discuss all year long.

I personally love a holiday that is all about a shared meal where we spend time being thankful and grateful. It is a lovely holiday.

So, after a day of cooking, I actually made:

Spinach Balls (to be baked after my half marathon and before we go to the in-laws)
Brown/Wild rice with onions, mushrooms, cranberries, and almonds
Whipped Sweet Potato--they could use a few nuts on top.....
Pumpkin Bread (I couldn't leave half a can of pumpkin sitting out!)
And...the pumpkin butterscotch cheesecake.

I am really excited to eat my dessert. I have been training really hard, tracking my nutrition, and skipping desserts....thus, I can't wait to sink my teeth into a good dessert (post race of course!) I will let you know how it turns out!

Looking forward to hear how some of the recipes go for everyone!

[OakLeaf]

Has anyone ever gotten a turkey without giblets?

Chickens, but not turkeys.

You got no giblets, I got two necks. Boiled 'em up (with some of the permanent supply of vegetable trimmings in the freezer) for stock for gravy.