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.