Thanksgiving Day menus and traditions

[TripletDaddy]

OK folks, looking for interesting ideas for the upcoming feast and holiday. Food is a BIG deal in my family....a HUGE deal. So Thanksgiving is almost like my Christmas, truthfully. The entire weekend is dedicated to gorging myself.

Also, T-Day weekend is always for traditional activities.

Everyone please feel free to comment or share your T-Day menu and planned gigs. I am sure we have a nice variety here.

For menu, my grandmother is....er....ethnic, so we have always grown up eating some non-traditional side dishes as part of our holiday meals.

Menu

1. Turkey
2. homemade stuffing: lately we are doing a sausage, apple, cranberry recipe that is de-lish!
3. mashed potatoes: has to be real, not instant. We use cream cheese, chopped eggs, and hints of green onions in ours. lovely.
4. Gravy from pan drippings.....very low-fat, indeed
5. homemade rolls
6. cranberry sauce: made from real cranberries. We do not do the canned goo.
7. Corn on the cob
8. Red rice
9. pinto beans (don't ask)
10. Salad: my wife makes different kinds, but lately our favorite is this really yummy spinach salad with strawberries, carmelized almonds and other stuff.
11. Deviled eggs for apps......we always make egg boats as apps for any family get-together
12. homemade bean dip and chips as apps....again, don't ask, just tradition
13. Dessert: pies, pies and more pies.....pumpkin, peach, banana cream and coconut cream, and pecan are the usual faves, but I love all pies except the chocolate pudding crap. Any fruit pies are ok by me. Also, mince. Yum! truthfully, pumpkin is great, but not my first choice. I would rather have others first, but pumpkin is a must for T-Day.

Activities

1. At some point over the weekend we take in a new movie. This time it looks like we have all agreed on Quantum of Solace. Excited for that one. We are taking the kids to the sneak of Bolt this weekend, so that won't be on the manu for T-Day weekend.
2. Turkey Bowl at the stake center or local park. I try to go, depends on whether my wife needs my help at 7AM.
3. My family ALWAYS plays trivia games after the meal.....trivial pursuit, you dont know jack, etc....whatever the latest trivia game is, we wind up playing it. One of us is in charge of buying the latest and greatest before the get-together and bringing it with us. This is always lots of fun.
4. Football......depends on who is playing that weekend. This year, Notre Dame is playing at SC, so my brother and I will be heading off to that most of Saturday. We are taking my mom, but it is a surprise right now. It is an all-day tailgate, so most of the fam will show up at one point or another during the day.
5. Thanksgiving night ice cream: that night, we have root beer floats, sundaes, whatever you want. Lots of ice cream, toppings, etc.. tradition.

Can't wait. Only a few weeks away.

[YOhio]

Menu

1. Turkey
2. homemade stuffing: lately we are doing a sausage, apple, cranberry recipe that is de-lish!
3. mashed potatoes: has to be real, not instant. We use cream cheese, chopped eggs, and hints of green onions in ours. lovely.
4. Gravy from pan drippings.....very low-fat, indeed
5. homemade rolls
6. cranberry sauce: made from real cranberries. We do not do the canned

Interesting idea. We just might give this a shot this year.

[TripletDaddy]

more mind games.

[il Padrino Ute]

We always do Thanksgiving at my wife's parents' home with her family.

Our menu:

turkey
mashed potatoes (real)
stuffing
gravy from drippings
homemade cranberry sauce
sweet potatoes (the only time I actually eat marshmallows)
green salad
potato salad
jell-o salad
enchiladas (something my mother-in-law always makes)
celery with various cheese spreads
homemade rolls
pies (sweet potato; apple; lemon meringue; banana cream; coconut cream)

Activites:

watch tv
darts
chuck snowballs at the squirrels in the big oak tree in the backyard

[RockyBalboa]

I have no idea where I'm eating Thanksgiving this year.

Last year it was our side of the familys turn.

I'm the only local one who isn't married and doesn't have a kid....and this year is when they all go to the other side of the family.

I think I'll get drunk.

On the bright side my Birthday is on Thanksgiving once every few years or so...but not this year.

TripleD I'd love the Stuffing with the Sausage Recipe.

Dallas always plays on Thanksgiving so I get to watch that.

[Brian]

i hate turkey. i keep trying to get wife to change menu, but she has a firm hand.

stove top stuffing only for us. i once had the nasty stuff that was shoved up the turkey's butt. ohh, that is nasty.

[Jeff Lebowski]

i hate turkey. i keep trying to get wife to change menu, but she has a firm hand.

stove top stuffing only for us. i once had the nasty stuff that was shoved up the turkey's butt. ohh, that is nasty.

You are one strange cat.

[SeattleUte]

Leg of lamb (medium rare with garlic cloves embedded;

red potatos roasted with garlic and olive oil;

brussel sprouts lightly steamed, split and sateed with bacon bits (real), a little bacon fat, butter, cider vinegar, and a spot of sugar and onions;

a good cab.

[landpoke]

Nobody does a Green Bean Casserole? I love that stuff.

Our menu is mostly the same as the above. Occasionally we've thrown in a leg of lamb (to placate the mostly Greek woman I married) or a standing rib roast to shake things up.

Someone always brings a puzzle which we spread out on a card table in a corner and work on as a family. People pass through and spend a half hour here and there on it. It's usually done by the end of the weekend.

[mpfunk]

OK folks, looking for interesting ideas for the upcoming feast and holiday. Food is a BIG deal in my family....a HUGE deal. So Thanksgiving is almost like my Christmas, truthfully. The entire weekend is dedicated to gorging myself.

Also, T-Day weekend is always for traditional activities.

Everyone please feel free to comment or share your T-Day menu and planned gigs. I am sure we have a nice variety here.

For menu, my grandmother is....er....ethnic, so we have always grown up eating some non-traditional side dishes as part of our holiday meals.

Menu

1. Turkey
2. homemade stuffing: lately we are doing a sausage, apple, cranberry recipe that is de-lish!
3. mashed potatoes: has to be real, not instant. We use cream cheese, chopped eggs, and hints of green onions in ours. lovely.
4. Gravy from pan drippings.....very low-fat, indeed
5. homemade rolls
6. cranberry sauce: made from real cranberries. We do not do the canned goo.
7. Corn on the cob
8. Red rice
9. pinto beans (don't ask)
10. Salad: my wife makes different kinds, but lately our favorite is this really yummy spinach salad with strawberries, carmelized almonds and other stuff.
11. Deviled eggs for apps......we always make egg boats as apps for any family get-together
12. homemade bean dip and chips as apps....again, don't ask, just tradition
13. Dessert: pies, pies and more pies.....pumpkin, peach, banana cream and coconut cream, and pecan are the usual faves, but I love all pies except the chocolate pudding crap. Any fruit pies are ok by me. Also, mince. Yum! truthfully, pumpkin is great, but not my first choice. I would rather have others first, but pumpkin is a must for T-Day.

Activities

1. At some point over the weekend we take in a new movie. This time it looks like we have all agreed on Quantum of Solace. Excited for that one. We are taking the kids to the sneak of Bolt this weekend, so that won't be on the manu for T-Day weekend.
2. Turkey Bowl at the stake center or local park. I try to go, depends on whether my wife needs my help at 7AM.
3. My family ALWAYS plays trivia games after the meal.....trivial pursuit, you dont know jack, etc....whatever the latest trivia game is, we wind up playing it. One of us is in charge of buying the latest and greatest before the get-together and bringing it with us. This is always lots of fun.
4. Football......depends on who is playing that weekend. This year, Notre Dame is playing at SC, so my brother and I will be heading off to that most of Saturday. We are taking my mom, but it is a surprise right now. It is an all-day tailgate, so most of the fam will show up at one point or another during the day.
5. Thanksgiving night ice cream: that night, we have root beer floats, sundaes, whatever you want. Lots of ice cream, toppings, etc.. tradition.

Can't wait. Only a few weeks away.

How can you possibly wait for Thanksgiving to see Quantum of Solace?

[YOhio]

Jeff, have you ever smoked a whole turkey? I've smoked a turkey roast and it turned out pretty well. My MIL has an iron-grip over the T-Day menu, which is fine by me, but I do think I'll smoke a few Turkey breasts and undermine her whole operation.

[YOhio]

Leg of lamb (medium rare with garlic cloves embedded;

red potatos roasted with garlic and olive oil;

brussel sprouts lightly steamed, split and sateed with bacon bits (real), a little bacon fat, butter, cider vinegar, and a spot of sugar and onions;

a good cab.

This is a menu I could get behind.

[ERCougar]

Great trivia game idea, if you're buying one:
Wits and Wagers

Essentially, everyone turns in an answer and you make bets on whose you think is correct. It's a good equalizer because it's just as easy (or easier) to win by winning the bets than by answering the questions correctly.

[BarbaraGordon]

This is a menu I could get behind.

Even the cab?

My mom smokes the whole turkey. If you do it right, it's superb.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Jeff, have you ever smoked a whole turkey? I've smoked a turkey roast and it turned out pretty well. My MIL has an iron-grip over the T-Day menu, which is fine by me, but I do think I'll smoke a few Turkey breasts and undermine her whole operation.

Lots of times. It's kind of tough to soak in brine due to the size, so I normally just rub on the Morton Tenderquick salt liberally and let it sit in the fridge for a day or two. I then smoke the turkey for 1-2 hrs and then do the remaining cooking in a big roasting pan in the oven. I suppose you could do all of the cooking in your smoker, but I always worry that it will dry out and after an hour or two you won't get any additional smoke penetration.

I get no fight from my MIL. My late FIL used to smoke turkeys every year as long as anyone can remember. I am not sure anyone in my wife's family would even eat a non-smoked turkey.

[TripletDaddy]

Great trivia game idea, if you're buying one:
Wits and Wagers

Essentially, everyone turns in an answer and you make bets on whose you think is correct. It's a good equalizer because it's just as easy (or easier) to win by winning the bets than by answering the questions correctly.

Unfortunately, that would not fly in our household. You can only win by knowing answers. So games like the one where everyone makes up a phony word definition and you have to guess the correct one.....those are not a big hit.

I like landpoke's puzzle idea. Folksy, but still fun. Might not fly with lots of little dudes running around the house, though.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Nobody does a Green Bean Casserole? I love that stuff.

My MIL makes it every year. I hate it.

[YOhio]

My MIL makes it every year. I hate it.

Amen. The worst are the Funyun things that they put on the top. Green Bean Casserole truly is one of the most disgusting dishes in Western Cuisine. It's what you would give to a foreigner to freak them out.

[YOhio]

Even the cab?


No Barbara. I don't drink, but I thought it was unnecessary to make that point when complimenting SU on his menu. Thank you for giving me the chance to clarify.

[FarrahWaters]

It's what you would give to a foreigner to freak them out.

That reminds me when my in-laws had a Japanese family over for their first Thanksgiving dinner. They tolerated the turkey, and seemed confused by the gravy and especially the stuffing. Their kids wolfed down the steamed broccoli though.

[landpoke]

Amen. The worst are the Funyun things that they put on the top. Green Bean Casserole truly is one of the most disgusting dishes in Western Cuisine. It's what you would give to a foreigner to freak them out.

French fried onions, cut green beans, a can of cream of mushroom soup, milk, soy sauce and pepper to taste. Creamy. crunchy, beany perfection in a casserole dish.

It's even better the next day, cold on a turkey sandwich with stuffing and yellow mustard. The soup and milk congeal a bit forming a savory green bean custard. Man I can't wait.

[YOhio]

It's even better the next day, cold on a turkey sandwich with stuffing and yellow mustard. The soup and milk congeal a bit forming a savory green bean custard. Man I can't wait.

You should cut the cold casserole into squares, bread it and deep fry it the next day. It couldn't possibly make it taste any worse. That's the kind of thing that would kill at the Wyo State Fair.

[landpoke]

You should cut the cold casserole into squares, bread it and deep fry it the next day. It couldn't possibly make it taste any worse. That's the kind of thing that would kill at the Wyo State Fair.

Green Bean Casserole is a delicate melody of tastes and textures. While I'm usually in favor of deep fat frying most anything, GBC is far too elegant for the fryer.

[marsupial]

13. Dessert: pies, pies and more pies.....pumpkin, peach, banana cream and coconut cream, and pecan are the usual faves, but I love all pies except the chocolate pudding crap. Any fruit pies are ok by me. Also, mince. Yum! truthfully, pumpkin is great, but not my first choice. I would rather have others first, but pumpkin is a must for T-Day.

Activities

15. Thanksgiving night ice cream: that night, we have root beer floats, sundaes, whatever you want. Lots of ice cream, toppings, etc.. tradition.

Can't wait. Only a few weeks away.

Pie, pie and more pie and then you go back for ice cream?

[landpoke]

The other major menu item for clan landpoke is, surprise surprise, booze. It's become a competition between my dad, brother and me to see who can come up with the most interesting libation. Fall is a brown liquor season so it generally ends up being rare bourbon or scotch. This is in addition to the assorted wines pre and during dinner and the port, muscat and ice wine with dessert.

Post dinner scotch/bourbons and cigars are also part of the rotation.

[Hot Lunch]

Jeff, have you ever smoked a whole turkey? I've smoked a turkey roast and it turned out pretty well. My MIL has an iron-grip over the T-Day menu, which is fine by me, but I do think I'll smoke a few Turkey breasts and undermine her whole operation.

My dad does a smoked turkey every thanksgiving. It is by far the best way to eat that bird. I love smoked turkey. You should definitely undermine the operation by smoking bird.

[Hot Lunch]

I am not sure anyone in my wife's family would even eat a non-smoked turkey.

I think that my family is at this point.

[FarrahWaters]

Honestly, the thought of cooking that whole meal for my in-laws makes me feel tired and a little depressed. I think I'm bah-humbugging it through this Holiday season.

I did think of a fun Thanksgiving tradition my grandma had when she was a alive. She made these awesome Parker House rolls, and one year she accidentally baked her (used) band-aid into one of them. My aunt was the lucky recipient. It became a tradition to bake a band-aid into one roll from then on.

[ute4ever]

Last year I made a steak shepherd's pie

[SeattleUte]

My FIL doesn't like turkey. One of the best things we ever had was a rib roast with a Yorkshire pudding. Very decadent, however.