Thanksgiving Dinner

[RedPop4]

Giving a cursory glance down the first page, I saw the "What's Cooking" thread to which I posted a week or so ago.

How are you and your family preparing and fixing your Thanksgiving dinner?

My extended family, my in-laws are coming over for supper, around 5:00 pm. We share the cooking load.

My responsibility is the turkey, which I will brine tonight. I follow this:Molasses-Brined Turkey with Gingersnap Gravy as I have the last four years. It's quite tasty, a bit different from a "regular" turkey. It's seasoned well, I use herbs from the garden, not always what they have listed. My seasoning rub has more fresh rosemary and basil as that's what's still producing in my garden, along with oregano and apple mint.

This recipe calls for the cook to make his/her own stock, that'll likely happen tonight or tomorrow night so I have it ready on Thursday.

I received a new Artisan stand-mixer from Kitchen Aid for my 40th a couple weeks ago, so I'm going to bake some bread as my "break-in" for the machine. I usually bake a loaf or two anyway, so this should be nice.

I'm roasting some decaffienated Costa Rican beans tonight so that there's enough coffee to serve after the meal.

 

[fortworthgal]

We do Thanksgiving at our house. Thanksgiving is one of our favorite holidays and we really make a day out of it. We start off watching the Macy's parade and drinking coffee, then it turns into cooking, nibbling appetizers all day, and consuming wine or martinis. We picked up some great Texas wines earlier this year on a trip, so we'll probably enjoy some of those.

My husband and I follow mostly Martha Stewart and Williams-Sonoma recipes for the meal. Martha's "Turkey 101" is our standard with a couple of extra tricks thrown in. Anyway, we'll be having roast turkey with gravy, focaccia & hazelnut dressing, candied brandy yams, corn souffle, garlic mashed potatoes, green bean casserole (I know many people say "yuck" to this dish but it is one of those comfort food staples for me), crusty sourdough rolls, and of course pumpkin apple butter pie and good ol' apple pie.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

 

[warbird]

We're going to my mother in law's house. But I'm taking the bird myself. Having fried turkey this year for the first time, so we shall see how that goes.

Not sure what else she will make, likely the standard fare. I will have my share of libations and a couple of smaller cigars, before the meal and after my nap.

 

[Harp]

Turkey Dinner

I will do my usual 'bachelor-uncle' drop in at my sister's.

 

[RedPop4]

I forgot about the garlic-mashed potatoes. That's my responsibility, as well. I have some homemade bread I got earlier this week, I may make a stuffing out of it, or bread pudding, haven't yet decided. Maybe croutons for the salad someone else is bringing.

Warbird, don't know if I'm going to have the time to get in a cigar, although I'd like to. Maybe once they all leave, I'll get the rest of the coffee and have a smoke.

 

[warbird]

Warbird, don't know if I'm going to have the time to get in a cigar, although I'd like to. Maybe once they all leave, I'll get the rest of the coffee and have a smoke.

The cigar will be my excuse for getting away from those nutty people for a while.

Same for the nap. Then another cigar after the nap. Weather is supposed to be near 70 on Thursday.

 

[rubyredlocks]

Well,since my Uncle and his wife moved here this year they'll have it at their house.She'll cook and even though she's not a bad cook at all it isn't what I grew up with.
In other words,no mashed potatos,no greenbean casserole(one of my faves,too FWG)and I don't think there's usually any stuffing either.
However,we'll still enjoy the company!

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Hmm, i'll probably knock together some sandwiches in the lab before wandering home at 7pm.

bk

 

[Elaina]

Kid and I've been busy allll day.

Husband works Thursday and it's my son's dad's year for Thanksgiving, we're doing it tomorrow. Lots of cooking, no sleep, and a huge nap tomorrow. My son chops everything with a hand chopper, tears bread/cornbread for stuffing and does all the kid-friendly stuff. I assemble everything a day ahead for cooking tomorrow.

Back to work.

 

[Rosie]

We're doing Thanksgiving at my brother's house. Christmas will be mine this year.

We're a pretty greedy family so we're having. Turducken, Ham, macaroni and cheese, green beans, collards, potato salad, yellow rice, sweet potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, garlic mashed potatoes, gravy, apple cornbread pecan stuffing, "regular" stuffing and I think lasagna (I know, what a crazy combination) Desserts: Red velvet cake, sweet potato cheesecake, cherry cheesecake, butter cake, sugar cookies, pumpkin cookies, sweet potato pie.

I'm the turducken (lots of work but oh so good), macaroni and cheese, garlic mashed potatoes, apple cornbread stuffing, cheesecakes, sugar cookies and pie crusts.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I'm off the hook this year -- last year, I hosted the meal and did all the cooking myself, but this year my mother wants to do it down at her house, so all I have to do is bake the bread rolls. The biggest challenge then will be not eating them all myself while I'm driving down there!

 

[Michaelson]

Weather is supposed to be near 70 on Thursday.

What part of Tennessee you in? It's only projected to make it to 62 in Estill Springs area.

We've evolved into being the house where the meal is prepared and takes place. My wife is the chef, and I'm the bottle washer. Just as soon as she finishes using a pan, or cup, or spoon, I immediately wash it up, then put it in the 'ready rack' so it's clean and ready again. Makes the preparation go a THOUSAND times faster, and there's only the dinner plates to deal with when the meal is done, as everything else has already been washed up and put away.

We have a good system, and it's worked fine for us all these years.

It will be the usual goodies, but this year we'll be fixing 2 turkeys, so that's a first for us. More drumsticks for folks to fight over, and easier breakdown of the birds after the meal. Instead of one person wrestling with a carcass, you have two working on the problem.....plus you have one bird for 'show' at the table for the carving, and one already carved and brought to the table for serving while the 'show bird' is being cut. That way no one is sitting around clammering for food while you're trying to get the turkey carved.

Guess you can tell we're around engineers all the time. Heck, my wife IS a degreed engineer, come to think of it! (grins)

Regards! Michaelson

 

[RedPop4]

OK, the turkey is cleaned and in the molasses/brine solution.
I took the giblets and all out, and the stock is made for the gravy and for basting.

Warbird lives around Nashville.

 

[BegintheBeguine]

Already had early Thanksgiving, at my sister's in-laws', as the rest of my family is gathering in Clarksville, Tennessee for the holiday. The meal was going to start with a gin martini made with sweet vermouth (huh?) but I nixed that right quick in favor of a screwdriver. Turkey, squash, mashed taters, cranberry sauce with the ridges still from the can the ONLY kind worth eating, gravy, dressing, crescent rolls and pumpkin pie. Not bad for Yankees, including yummy New York State wine. Two boys and two pugs were part of the fun.

 

[Shimmy Sally]

show us your recipes

We have about 12 family members (and a couple strays) getting together at my oldest brothers house. We'll do the usual humongous turkey, sage stuffing, gravy, cranberry chutney, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, scalloped corn, wheat rolls, apple spice muffins, pumpkin & pecan pies, and whatever else we come up with. We do it all from scratch, so their house will have that yummy aroma all day.
I'll share a couple of my favorite autumnal drink recipes:

Sally's Holiday Punch
1 can frozen grape juice concentrate
1 cup cranberry juice
2 cups orange juice
2 liter bottle lemon-lime soda
(optional) lime vodka to taste
orange and lemon slices to float on ice in punch bowl


Sally's Brandied Cider
Put the following liquid ingredients in the bottom of a 30 cup coffee maker:
1 gallon apple cider
1 qt cranberry juice
¬? cup orange juice
1 pt apricot brandy
In the filter basket put:
¾ cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp whole cloves
8 cinnamon sticks
Plug in and perk until it stops. Serve warm in a glass mug.


I have many more traditional Thanksgiving recipes for snacks, drinks, main course, side dishes, and desserts available upon request. Now let's see yours!

 

[Elaina]

I can't share my recipes. Since outside of my mom, I'm the only one that can make them, I guard them.

Seriously, I promised I wouldn't share the traditional recipes. So...stuffing, ambrosia, sugar cookies, pumpkin pie, banaba cream pie, fudge, banana bread, and gravy's out...leaves...I can tell you this.

Juice: hand to kid. Tell kid, read directions. Watch kid fight with grape juice concentrate. Clean mess. Serve.

I JUST got done cooking and preparing eveything. All I have to do now is sit back, pop stuff in oven and take a nap. Yay.

 

[Michaelson]

Warbird lives around Nashville.

Thanks, RedPop4!

Guess they're having a heat wave up there tomorrow. They've lowered our expected temps down here, and I'm about 70 miles south east of Nashville.

Regards! Michaelson

 

[DancingSweetie]

My girls asked if we could have Thanksgiving just the 3 of us this year, and I didn't mind a bit. I love cooking (and eating) so more for us! I am making turkey with maple glaze, mashed potatoes, yam cranberry casserole, broccoli casserole, gravy, home made bread, pumpkin and apple pies, and the stuffing I made last year my kids actually liked so I am making it again. It was Giada DeLaurentis's (from food network) Ciabatta Pancetta stuffing - yum!

 

[Daisy Buchanan]

I'm going to my Mom and Dad's house in Rhode Island. She has been cooking for days, and I just got off the phone with her, she was on her way to the Turkey farm to pick up our fresh bird. She is making all the fixing including her great homemade cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, sweet potato pie, and a wonderfully sweet carrot souffle which is light and fluffy topped with a mixture of candied walnuts, it's like a dessert, so indulgent.
My sister has a degree in pastry, so she is making 4 desserts, all of which will be tried.
Most of all, I'm looking forward to getting together with my family. My sister Laura, her husband Jayson, and my nephew Isaac, who I rarely get to see, are coming in from Manhattan. My parents closest friends, Bev and Jeff will be joining us as well. They are like a second set of parents to me, and I love spending time with them. So, it will be a nice day with great food, and even better company. I have a lot to be thankful for. Oh, and I couldn't forget, Hemingway Jones will be joining us. So, the company will certainly be wonderful

 

[Shimmy Sally]

I can't share my recipes. Since outside of my mom, I'm the only one that can make them, I guard them. Seriously, I promised I wouldn't share the traditional recipes.

We're the same way about our old family recipes. We have a few that are sworn to secrecy, but they aren't American.