I think ours is going to be chili size…ie, a can of chili over spaghetti, topped with jalapenos, cheddar, and a dollop of sour cream. This is Jane’s favorite, and I think I am just about able to deliver that. The traditional dinner just isn’t going to work, this year. But with the pond frozen, and the temperature dropping, I think most of our ‘tradition’ is going to be the chili, watching people use mediaeval weaponry to throw pumpkins, and starting to put up the Christmas tree and such.
Jane had ordered a backup Wiishu—ie, a blank doll body/basic painted faceplate that could sub for parts for Wiishu in the event of an accident—because I really, really do not want to cope with Jane’s upset should something happen to that little fellow who is so dear to her heart. Well, the blank doll came, and to our vast surprise and dismay, they’ve very subtly changed the facial ‘sculpt’ and the painting has changed. The body is ok, and good to have that—but the face is—shock—different. Jane is coping. But it is not what she actually hoped to get. Waa!
She is, however, a very good painter, and sculptor, and because she is learning the art of these faces, I think she can change this little surprise into something more Wiishu-like—if need be.
Meanwhile, we’s curious. What’s everybody doing for Thanksgiving? Cooking? Eating out? Traveling? Having company?
My brother has invited my parents, another of my brothers and his wife, and me to their house. This will be probably their last Thanksgiving in this house, since it’s up for sale. Maybe this time, they’ll give us a tour……it’ll be the third year we’ve been there.
No solid plans, but whatever we do is going to involve Channukah as well.
We’re all alone in Arizona, so just us. We both love turkey, but a whole bird is too much, so I usually get about a 6 or 7 pound breast with the ribs. Works out perfect with all the leftovers – sandwiches, pot pies, soups! It’s all gone about the time we’re tired of turkey this and that. Last year I got myself a modern pressure cooler — electric with a digital setup that also allows me to slow cooler. I can get stock in about 40 minutes, soups in about 10, or do chilis or pot roast over hours. It’s brilliant for turkey! All the usual trimmings and my mom’s recipe for pumpkin pie made up the night before. I love doing Thanksgiving dinner
Our usual company is out of town this year, so it’s just the spouse and me (and cats). We’ve got a lamb shoulder roast. No idea what we’re making with it, yet. The spouse is not helping much with the planning; he’s all excited to brew his first batch of beer on Black Friday. I think I could suggest shoe leather and toast and he’d nod and agree and go back to counting the bottles…again. (I say this with affection.)
Maybe capon. I’ll visit my 2nd daughter, and maybe raid my brother’s house.
I’m in Greece this year, and have class like any Thursday. Going to try to cook a bunch for my classmates Saturday, but only have a mini-fridge which is super limiting.
I’d suggest you get the Greek equivalent of an Igloo cooler, large, and a couple of bags of ice. That’ll help long afterward.
We’re doing the traditional turkey, dressing, etc. gluten free. Our guest for dinner is my nephew who has Celiac disease, so that’s been a change over the last few years since he moved to Washington DC. Fortunately, my family has always cooked cornbread dressing for Thanksgiving, so adapting my cornbread recipe to be gluten free was not difficult. I’ve also found a couple of good gluten free pie crusts recipes so I can make him the traditional pumpkin and pecan pies. We skip the rolls and make the gravy using cornstarch and voila! Gluten free thanksgiving. Side dishes are mustard & turnip greens, sweet potatoes and fruit salad. No gluten there either.
I’m doing gluten free lasagna like last year. Hopefully not just like last year when we ran out of sauce. Rice lasagna soaked that stuff in. :/ I roasted some turkey legs for myself last week so I got that out of my system already.
Last Christmas gathering I brought myself chili since I couldn’t eat what the meal was and it transported and heated up easily. People thought it was weird, but it was some darn good chili. Haters gonna hate.
Have you considered a zucchini lasagna? Gina on skinnytaste.com has a yummy one that I’ve made. If you’re not watching your weight use full fat cheese instead of reduced fat.
I’ve had zucchini lasagna at a meal store before, but not made it at home. This go around I need to make the lasagna as familiar to my sister as possible since she’s eating it too and doesn’t have celiac. Thus the rice/flax noodle mix. That does remind me I like zucchini and eggplant based stews. We don’t get weather down here that makes me think of it often, but this is the colder season so I should start that up again.
We have Thanksgiving for those of our friends who have no family nearby with whom they might celebrate; this year, a total of seven (one had to cancel, curse those Thanksgiving Day store hours! We will save him a plate of turkey and fixins.) Usually I make ham, but by request this year, we will actually have turkey, stuffing, smashed garlic potatoes, and naturally oodles of gravy to pour over everything. A couple of friends have asked if we need anything, so I’m going to request a couple of veggie dishes or salads. Dessert is still up in the air; strangely, few of our friends like pumpkin pie.
Sister’s going to in-laws, her late husband’s family. I’ll be home alone. But that’s not entirely a bad thing–I oughtn’t be pigging out anyway. Trader Joe’s has cooked turkey breasts with some “stuffing”, which I’ve done before, but have no feelings about this year.
HMMmmmm, lasagna sounds good! I have to do it low dairy though, so I’ve got one cup of cheese in the whole thing. Sausage, tofu to replace ricotta cheese, then a cup of mozzarella. I might have to check out the rice pasta, I’ve been trying to cut down on wheat for various reasons. Have never resorted to soy mozzarella, though I think I saw some down at Freddies…
The rice/flax kind of noodle is the best I find. Dairy with me is ok at the moment (knock on wood) but even then I will be eating just one piece. When I have to go off dairy I can do coconut yogurt and the like, but I’ve yet to find anything cheese-like that works for me. The savory alternatives are limited. That coconut based spread I tried on a potato just made it tropical flavored. Oof.
Cracker Barrel or Chinese. With luck it won’t be a hotdog from the gas station. Yes, I have done that. Although there is veg soup in the freezer.
I have a recipe for a rice lasagne that layers with rice not pasta. Love it! Not as heavy as standard.
Each year I do a Thanksgiving potluck for folks I know who have no other plans. We gather around 11:30 and spend the day watching anime and Japanese movies.
I bake a turkey, make extra dressing and a large batch of (Japanese of course) rice.
This year I’m spending the day with a friend as she is not able to get to the other coast to see her son and dil. Lobster Newberg will be the feature. She is planning some sort of lemon dessert. I shall bring bread (I’ve found a receipe for rolls that incorporate sweet potato that sounds interesting, carrot ginger soup, savory cheese straws and if I get my act together little mince tartlets and some mushrooms with pecan stuffing.
We’re doing two Thanksgiving dinners. On the day we will be joining friends with all the goodies. I’m bringing squash and creamed onions …….and if I get my act together my squash-maple cheesecake. This is kind of a godsend as I have my big Christmas Sale opening on Friday and I know I will be crazed by then.
On Monday we are getting a locally grown turkey (just down the hill from us) which Proge will do outside on the grill. We’ll have various roasted vegetables with apple tart and a small cheesecake for dessert. We generally start holidays with mimosas.
Half a package of busketti and a large can of Wolf Brand Chili is pretty popular here, too. I had not tried the sour cream on top, though. I’ll have to. We’ve been invited to the house of long-time family friends, who I suspect will have the usual turkey and fixings fare. My parents have reached the stage when they’ve outlived most of their generation, and there’s just me, my bro, and his wife, and they usually holiday with her people. Unfortunately, my dad is very frail, although at 91 he’s outlived all his siblings by a number of years. I grow ever more aware of the potential for “that was the last time” moments. At this time of year, I am always reminded of my dad’s pies — he made the best mincemeat pies with a jigger of scotch in the mincemeat and lattice top crusts. Unfortunately, he has macular degeneration, and it’s been a number of years since he could see to cook, alas.
WOL, when my local grocery stopped carrying mince pies (quite a shock!) I found Nonesuch brand canned mincemeat (for non-USA folks, this is actually minced fruit) in the baking and spices aisle. One can of mincemeat (again, it’s minced fruit) into a prepared crust, top with a pastry crust, and bake. Couldn’t be simpler. I was surprised. — Of course, if you’d like to add Scotch or rum and butter, or whatever suits you, have at it. It would be a way of carrying on an old favorite.
The pumpkin pie I bought recently was so-so. It may have been my mood, too. But they’re fairly easy to fix and not too time-consuming. Undecided if I’ll buy one or fix one or wait until Christmas.
A family friend used to fix Challa bread with jalapeños and I think a little cheese, for my mom, dad, and me, before she and her husband moved. I miss that. (I’m not Jewish, the friends were, Reformed not Orthodox, and it was a wonderful Hanukkah gift.)
Turkey breast, as there are only two of us who eat meat, plus a couple of thighs because my sister loves the dark meat; homemade stuffing, which will include chopped mushrooms, maple sausage and an apple (and maybe nuts & raisins, we’ll see), roasted veggies (parsnips, sweet potato, carrots). For dessert, we ordered two pies from an old-fashioned bakery– one chocolate and one strawberry custard (the Holy Grail of Pies…trust me on this 😉 )
We’re hosting for the family. 26 lb bird. It hurts to lift it. Might take two of us to get it in the oven…
Both of us have multiple deadlines in the next few weeks, so a group of us (friends and family) are eating out at a local restaurant. After the deadlines are over, we’ll celebrate with a feast of Thanksgiving. Our grand-nephew is coming to visit Wisconsin for the first time after Christmas, and we’ll have a delayed Hanukah celebration then, too. He’s from southern California, so is hoping for cold and snow (as are we). There’s a great sledding hill within a mile’s walk, too.
Our first stop(s) will be outfitting him for cold, snowy weather, though. He has never been in truly cold weather – I think even 30s will seem cold to him. But, maybe he’ll join me in dancing barefoot and rolling in the first snowfall, if we’re so lucky to have some good winter weather while he’s here.
It’s possible that I and my visiting brother, SIL,and nephew will go together with another family and be ten or eleven to dinner. So pull out the table leaves and bring on the goodies, turkey self-basted in a paper bag, LOTS of cornbread dressing and gravy, beans, broccoli, sweet potatoes. . .