Thanksgiving, 2010

[Bear Up North]

What are your plans for the Thanksgiving holiday? This Bear will start.....

I work on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. On Wednesday evening I will do some of the prep work for the big Thanksgiving dinner. On Turkey Day I will be up about 5:00 AM and begin the prep work for the big bird. I have a 24-pounder, so leftovers will be many (and shared).

My brother's wife and her grandson will arrive, from Cleveland's far east suburbs, about Noon-ish. Katie's sister will also be at the feast. Din-din wil be about 2:00 PM. It will include.....

Turkey
World-Famous Bear's Stuffing
Honey-Baked Ham
Mashed Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes
Peas
Salad
Dinner Rolls
Pumpkin Pie
Coconut Cream Pie
Icebox Cake
Peanut Butter Pie

I fully expect "the thing that lives in the basement" (Katie's son) and his sig-other to wander up for din-din. As always, large amounts of leftovers will be placed in containers and given to those who shared the feast with us.

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. But it has a sad side, too. I would love it if my son and his family were in town and celebrating with us. They live in a suburb of Portland, OR, and are traveling to Sacramento to dine with his mother, my first wife (Cynthia).

And most of my adult life, Thanksgivings were spent with my older brother. His days are now spent sitting in a wheelchair, in a rest home in eastern Ohio. He no longer speaks. He no longer sits at our Thanksgiving table and joins me in a constant parade of "really bad puns". He no longer joins his family for this traditional feast.....even though his body and his brain are no longer with us, his spirit lives on.
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What are your plans?
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The attached video has absolutely nothing to do with Thanksgiving. But, the phrase "Big Bird" will be said across the land on Thursday.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EAESnMOIRw

Happy Thanksgiving!

Bear

[JNA]

Volunteering Tues & Wed at an inner city ministry preparing the dinner that is delivered.

No family nearby & not even traveling to family either; so no dinner plans.
You know I am cheap - not even willing to spend money to go out.
Am I achieving curmudgeonhood ?

[illinoisplanner]

This year is the year that my family has Thanksgiving with my dad's side of the family. We rotate every year between my mom's side and my dad's side. However, half the people on my dad's side have died (and he had a small family to begin with), so it will only be my uncle, and my cousin and her two daughters that will be joining us from my dad's side. An uncle on my mom's side who has no place to go on off-years will also be joining us. Finally, one of my brothers along with his wife and child will be there, but my other brother will not be there since he will be with his wife's family this year. And then my parents and yours truly as the hosts. So kind of a hodgepodge of people.

Food dishes I think we will have include turkey & gravy, mashed potatoes, crescent rolls, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, corn bread stuffing, cranberries, and corn. And both pumpkin pie and apple pie for dessert, as well as cookies from the bakery. Wine, pop, water, and coffee will be the main beverages.

Then I work overnight and during the early morning hours of Black Friday at the world's largest retailer this year. So this should be interesting...

[TerraSapient]

I love Thanksgiving too! I do not have kids yet and I have lived too far away from my parents to join them on this holiday for some time now. So, with only 2 mouths to feed, I typically make a roast and then use the leftovers to make beef stew and sandwiches. This year I will be making a turkey for the very first time! It is a 12-lb bird.

I was so excited when I purchased it that it didn't occur to me until I got it home that I didn't have a pan large enough to cook the bird. So, my beloved wife went out and got a new pan for us. Imagine our surprise when we discovered that our stove isn't large enough to accommodate the pan

Haha! The plan now is rather experimental. We have opted for a disposal pan in hopes that we can bend it a little to fit in our tiny stove. It will—no doubt—be interesting.

[ofos]

Mrs.ofos is in CA with her mother who is the end stages of terminal cancer so Thanksgiving will probably be a solo day here or on the road if the inevitable happens. I don't mind, it will still be better than the Thanksgivings spent in the Army. Keep posting your menus, I may just show up on your doorstep if it looks really tasty.

[btrage]

Since we moved to our current abode 5 years ago, we've always stayed home on Thanksgiving and invited people to our house. My FIL has deep-fried a turkey each year, while my wife and I make "the fixings".

My wife's siblings and significants (no kids from them) occasionally come over, and my parents have made the 3-hour trip once.

However my bro and sis and families have never come.

It kinda upsets us, but oh well.

And like Bear, I love T-Day.

[DetroitPlanner]

I am going to have dinner with my parents. Mom is going to make what she traditionally makes.... reservations.

[Hink]

Heading to Toledo, as I do every year to see my family. We will spending some time in the nursing home with my grandparents, then heading over to my uncles. I am pretty excited that my wife will be going as well, as she got off from work for a holiday for the first time in recent memory...

[dandy_warhol]

BF and I will head up to my parents' house. We have turkey, stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, baby peas, and my great-grandmother's recipe for cranberry sauce. My mom's pumpkin pie for dessert.

This year BF and I are in charge of the mashed potatoes. We might whip up some sweet potatoes as well. I might also make chocolate chip pumpkin muffins.

My favorite T-day combo is a spoonful of mashed potatoes mixed with baby peas dipped in cranberry sauce. Yum!

[Whose Yur Planner]

Vegas, baby. I'm meeting my folks at my sister's place in Las Vegas. It's a combo thanksgiving/mini vacation/nieces's birthday.

[dandy_warhol]

My goal for Turkey Day is to not gain more than a 1lb! I wish I could get my family to participate in a Turkey Trot 5k or some run/walk.

[Mud Princess]

Volunteering Tues & Wed at an inner city ministry preparing the dinner that is delivered.

No family nearby & not even traveling to family either; so no dinner plans.
You know I am cheap - not even willing to spend money to go out.
Am I achieving curmudgeonhood ?

Not at all, JNA. If it was up to me, I wouldn't mind going elsewhere to help others in need on Thanksgiving Day. As long as my MIL is doing well and enjoys cooking for us, we will continue to go to her place for Thanksgiving. It's just the three of us, plus our rambunctious dogs who will undoubtedly have a blast chasing each other around the house.

dandy, would you be willing to share your chocolate chip pumpkin muffin recipe? Sounds awesome!

[kjel]

I am cooking dinner for my residents at the homeless shelter. RT will be assisting me.

[northam01]

All of the replies sound great in a "the grass is greener on the other side" type of thing as mine will possibly be a little less conventional (in terms of the cuisine).

My girlfriend, whom I have been seeing about 6 mo's, is vegan and invited me to spend dinner with her and her family. Wowsers! Why not go because my family is going out of town to see the rest of the family and I, sadly, cannot make it.

Wish me luck.

A vegan turkey day?! Updates to come, ha ha ha.

[shell_waster]

Going to the in-laws for a hectic afternoon of 6 yapping little lap dogs , dry turkey, a grandmother in-law who think I could/should be eating a whole cow, lots of Trader Joe's wine (the best part) and uncomfortable chairs. The best part is we are always told dinner is at 2 pm but in reality we don't sit down to eat until around 4 because something always takes longer than usual to cook or someone is running late.

I would love to host again as my wife and I did two years ago. It was wonderful. We had deep fried marinated turkey, small honey baked ham, sweet potatoe casserole, green bean casserole, dressing, home made yeast rolls, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie and pecan pie.

The worst part was my wife being stressed out the day before preparing everything except the ham and turkey. The turkey was my creation, it was 18 pounds of tender, juicy, goodness that would just melt in your mouth. The bird was picked clean with nothing for leftovers.

I love Thanksgiving.

[Veloise]

Headed to Houston. Brother and SIL have invited 20 people, which should be lots of fun. The menu doesn't matter; I'll arrive in time to make sure there is dressing.

Following day: cremains burial in Baton Rouge, followed by a meal at a local restaurant (selected by the officious one). We three are continuing to NOLA to take in some sights, hear some music, buy some sousaphone artifacts, dinner and brunch.

[mgk920]

What's this, Toys-R-Us is opening at 2200 on THURSDAY?!?!?!?! **WHY CAN'T ANYONE WAIT UNTIL AT LEAST 0300 ON FRIDAY LIKE THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO TO OPEN NOWADAYS???!!!**

Grrrrrrrrrr.....



That said, I have no real plans, likely just spend time with some family members and then see if any of the area sports bars are having a good turkey wing special for the Bengals@Jets game.

Mike

[wahday]

I'm off to Seattle to see family - brother, nieces, nephews, wife's sister and my dad. Haven't seen dad in half a year - he has Alzheimer's and is in a family group home there. Lot's of fun stuff planned - live music, museum show, biking - and also visiting dad, which is good for the soul but not exactly "fun." He can't do much these days, including talk, walk or eat on his own, so its painful but necessary. Not a fun disease.

Overall, it will be a good trip, though. I like Seattle.

[Hink]

What's this, Toys-R-Us is opening at 2200 on THURSDAY?!?!?!?! **WHY CAN'T ANYONE WAIT UNTIL AT LEAST 0300 ON FRIDAY LIKE THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO TO OPEN NOWADAYS???!!!**

Grrrrrrrrrr.....



That said, I have no real plans, likely just spend time with some family members and then see if any of the area sports bars are having a good turkey wing special for the Bengals@Jets game.

Mike

Not going to be much of a game.... stupid Bengals....

[otterpop]

I will be spending my Thanksgiving Day flying home to attend my Dad's funeral.

[dandy_warhol]

dandy, would you be willing to share your chocolate chip pumpkin muffin recipe? Sounds awesome!

Sure, it is vegan too!

[ursus]

I will be spending my Thanksgiving Day flying home to attend my Dad's funeral.

Condolences, otterpop. That's got to be tough. I'm not many years from losing my dad, and I'm still not sure how I'm going to handle it.

And condolences to all of you who have expressed some of the sadness that Thanksgiving inevitably brings with it - whether you're visiting sick relatives or missing someone recently passed or that can't make it this year, I'm sure we all feel for you. I'm selfish and grateful that my family - at least for this year - will be complete, and I wish it could always be that way for everyone.

[wahday]

Really sorry to hear that Otterpop! Hope all goes well with family and details.

[Mud Princess]

My condolences to you, otterpop.

[ofos]

Condolences to you and your family, otterpop. My father-in-law passed away on Thanksgiving a number of years ago. Really puts the damper on a holiday.