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Honored Contributor
Posts: 36,218
Registered: ‎08-19-2010

@RedTop wrote:

After watching the local news last night and today, showing local places that offered a free Thanksgiving meal, I told my husband we are doing this all wrong!   We need to get in the car and just drive around to find these places offering a free meal to anyone who wants one!  I wouldn’t feel right going to the Union Mission, but a local church, and our favorite little diner had free meals available.    

 

I reminded my daughters yesterday of something they actually know very well; I hate to cook, and I am not one of those hostess moms who loves to serve, and wait on their family.   


If you go to a church when they pass the collection plate put in what you can afford or what it would cost U to eat out. We have a lot of people who come for the free food and don't put in a dime. People never cease to amaze me.

 

(not talking about the truly poor folk by the way, so , don't pile on I'm talking about the well dressed and jewelry wearing folk who are to lazy to cook and don't want to put out the money at a restarurent)

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 5,460
Registered: ‎05-12-2012

Wow ladies....looks like I might have to rent a bus to take all you gals with me!!  It will be lots of fun!!  

Respected Contributor
Posts: 3,745
Registered: ‎01-02-2015

HEY .. DON'T LEAVE WITHOUT ME !!!!

Honored Contributor
Posts: 18,801
Registered: ‎10-25-2010

i can certainly understand the clean up causing exhaustion, but all week prep?

 

What do you prep that takes all week?  I make my pies  and the stuffing the night before because I want to have them get cold..  All the other prep is done Thanksgiving Day and doesn’t take that long.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 12,702
Registered: ‎08-22-2013

Me too, no more cooking big holiday meals, we don't eat that much and it's too much work.

Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,857
Registered: ‎06-24-2012

Last year, after the twenty pound turkey, and the chestnut dressing, that was IT for me. 

 

It was really good, but not worth it for the amount of work it took.  Done.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 8,179
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

@Carmie wrote:

i can certainly understand the clean up causing exhaustion, but all week prep?

 

What do you prep that takes all week?  I make my pies  and the stuffing the night before because I want to have them get cold..  All the other prep is done Thanksgiving Day and doesn’t take that long.

 

 

 

 

 

 


I make the side dishes thanksgiving am.

I buy already made desserts.

How does the food stay fresh, if prepared so early?

Honored Contributor
Posts: 18,801
Registered: ‎10-25-2010

@missy1 wrote:

@Carmie wrote:

i can certainly understand the clean up causing exhaustion, but all week prep?

 

What do you prep that takes all week?  I make my pies  and the stuffing the night before because I want to have them get cold..  All the other prep is done Thanksgiving Day and doesn’t take that long.

 

 

 

 

 

 


I make the side dishes thanksgiving am.

I buy already made desserts.

How does the food stay fresh, if prepared so early?


I can’t figure that out either.  I make mashed potatoes and candied yams for week night dinners often.  It only takes minutes. I roast veggies daily and roast turkeys a few times a year.  I always keep them in my freezer.

 

We buy whole long neck pumpkins and cook and freeze the purée for pies and custards.  I always have some on hand.

 

when my kids were little, I used to roast turkeys all of the time.  They were cheap and we could get a few meals from them.  All you do is put them in the oven and shut the door and wait.  Now, I roast chickens because they are smaller. We have roasted whole chickens often.

 

i really think there are many people who eat out a lot or buy frozen or canned processed food.  No wonder people have so many health problems and take so many drugs and need oils for their hair, skin and nails.

 

What we eat for the traditional thanksgiving dinner was a typical Sunday dinner when I was young.  How did society get so far removed from healthy good cooking?

 

We have turned into a nation of pizza, take out and sandwiches.  

 

I love to cook, but still hate the clean up. That is the worst part of any day.  Good thing my DH doesn’t mind doing dishes or emptying the dishwasher.  

Respected Contributor
Posts: 3,513
Registered: ‎10-27-2010

I think everyone should do what feels right, period. Cook, don't cook, eat turkey--or Chinese takeout. Whatever! I think a turkey is easy, and I look forward to the scent of sautéing onion, celery, and apples as I make the dressing. The turkey is stuffed, it goes into its cook'n bag, and in about three hours, it's beautifully browned and crispy outside and moist inside. i did the turkey Wednesday and carved it and ready to simply warm for family on Thursday. We love leftovers but we gave those to family, so we are doing another turkey tomorrow. 

Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,773
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

I had the turkey; it didn't turn out as I would best like, but the part we ate was OK.  My mom's gravy and stuffing were really good, and the sides. 

 

Today it was a lot of work turning the remainders into soup but I just finished and the soup is excellent.  As I like soup, esp. for supper, it will furnish forth several dozen meals over the next two months.  (It will be put into the freezer as TV dinners.)  So the whole turkey will be used. 

 

I am tired, too, but the smell of the holiday feast in my house . . . it's addicitve.  But I am not cooking for a crowd.  I had two guests this year.  No pressure, really.

 

My first dinner party when I was still a student was a huge success--but my second was a disaster worthy of a mini-series.  We sent out for Chinese takeout delivery around 10PM, finally, and actually may have had a better time laughing over the various disasters of that second failed  feast.

 

For me, I just like it when this working gal's house smells like a home.  The prep and clean up are worth it to me.

 

My Kenmore dishwasher quit last year in October and I had it repaired, and it quit again this October--so the dish-washing for both the past two years was a little vexing.  Still worth it.  The guests weren't malfunctioning in any way, at least.  Smiley Happy   We had fun.