The perfect Thanksgiving meal
Can you believe Thanksgiving is a week away? That, in and of itself, is a little scary - I mean, that means Christmas is almost here (and OMG, I haven’t even started my shopping :doh_tb: ).
Even more, its time to think food. I’ve been watching a lot of Food Network. And its inspired me to all these cooking thoughts. Since its just the immediate family for dinner (only around 12 or so this year) I don’t have to worry about being “safe”. When my grampa is here - I go “safe”. No garlic in the mashed potatoes, no changes to the standard fare. So, I started tweaking the Thanksgiving menu in my head. I figured I’d ditch the green bean casserole and go for a more elegant sauted vegetable dish. Maybe do a cranberry compote instead of that canned jelly goo. A gorgeous pumpkin gingerbread trifle instead of pie.
And all the while, the Food Network personalities were doing their little holiday spiels, talking about the traditions, and things like that. Me? I scoffed. We don’t have traditions (and just a little, I sighed and wished we did).
Then I mentioned the changes to my daughter. She had a meltdown. No PIE?! NO greenbean casserole??!! OMG, you’d think I’d asked her to wear discount store makeup or something. But, eh, she’s easy to ignore. I promised she’d like the changes, and kept penning my new menu.
Now… I don’t think she called my brother, I really don’t. But that same night, he called to let me know he’s got the turkey covered (he, I and my daughters are all vegetarians. The turkey was my mom’s contribution to dinner…then she moved away. hahahaha- now he’s stuck with it) and to make sure I had the “traditional” menu set for the year.
Who knew, we do have traditions. Either that or a couple of sneaky Sagittarius’ :ponder_tb: But either way, its the tried and true this year.
Turkey (& vegetarian substitues for some of us)
Mashed potatoes and mushroom gravy
Stuffing (I am tweaking this and going with a mushroom stuffing)
Green bean casserole
vegetable casserole with swiss cheese and fried onions
savory sweet pototoes
spinach salad with mandarin oranges
Rolls
and Pumpkin pie for dessert
How about you? Is there a Thanksgiving dish your family would scream about if you changed or left out?
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November 15th, 2006 @ 12:12 pm
Omigod, I love the food network this time of year. I’m having Thanksgiving with my family, (commonly known as the tribe)about 30 of us at my dad’s house and it will be very hard, because my mom is gone. So as the tribe jockey’s for dishes, we’re bringing in some new ones. Other then the turkey, the only other traditional dish will be greenbean casserole. My niece is making it. Me and my sisters just couldn’t do it, we’d sob all over it, because it was mom’s fav. Like you we have to be careful what we cook for dad, not for medical reasons, because he’s a midwest farm boy who only knows meat and potatoes. Nothing fancy. It seems to scare him, or he simply can’t understand the concept of different and new. But it has come up fast, and I don’t think I’m ready for it at all, either emotionally or in any other way. But with all the grandbabies around it won’t be a somber event, children keep everything new and fresh.
November 15th, 2006 @ 2:34 pm
I would love to leave out the turkey. A nice prime rib would be great, but the rest of the family is very traditional with turkey and ham, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn (blah), and salad. And that stupid jelled cranberry sauce, sheesh, you can even still see the can lines on it. LOL
November 15th, 2006 @ 2:37 pm
EXACTLY!!!!!! :thumbdown_tb:
November 15th, 2006 @ 5:09 pm
Amanda make your own Cranberry sauce, its very easy and it taste a lot better then that nasty canned stuff. The food network has a ton of good recipes for it…Give it a try, and your family will never want that other stuff again…
November 15th, 2006 @ 9:28 pm
Jill: Must have canned cranberries! When I was a kid, my grandpa and I sent my Gram back to the kitchen to open another can because she BROKE IT UP! It absolutely had to stay in the can-shape.
We spent last year at my brother’s house. My dad made most of the food, but had us kids in the kitchen peeling this or mashing that for most of the day. I’m hosting this year and I think they’re in for a bit of a shock. I ordered out.
Dinner should arrive piping hot (Ok, lukewarm at least. I hope.) promptly at 3 on TG. And it’s only mostly traditional. I will open a cranberry can all by myself, tho.
November 15th, 2006 @ 9:30 pm
Yes they will. They are the most stubborn people on the face of the planet. :rolleyes_wp:
November 15th, 2006 @ 9:59 pm
LOL - all that yummy food delivered, and you’re doing cranberry from a can? Like Lee said, its really easy to cook. I guess it comes down to that tradition thing, though. You and Jill’s family want those can lines they mean Thanksgiving, huh?
My only exposure to cranberry for years was that stuff. I never could eat it. Then a few years back I made it myself - OMG yum. Now I’m a cranberry addict. I still won’t touch that stuff though :tongue2_tb:
November 16th, 2006 @ 12:45 am
Oh, I know cranberries are easy to make. I actually make fresh strawberry jam in the summer, which is basically the same. And the meal includes “Cinnamon Cider Cranberries.” But, one, I must have the canned stuff for TG, or it’s just not right. And, two, the not cooking is a principle thing. I’m a girl and therefore would be expected to cook, so I pretend that I can’t. That way I don’t have to be annoyed at anyone.
November 16th, 2006 @ 3:14 am
For years at the hubby’s relatives all the women went into the kitchen and did dishes. Why? Because we are women. Puleeze. Give me a break. Finally, I told him, if I’m in that kitchen, so are you. LOL