Community Chat

[4kitties]

Thanksgiving.......

I have a love/hate relationship with it.🤣🤣🤣

I cook for my family of 15 now.  Turkey and stuffing with gravy is one of my all time most favorite foods/meals and I love the leftovers too.  For some reason that big old turkey scares me, and I have to keep telling myself what Ina Garten said on one her shows.  "It is just like roasting a big chicken". 😉😉

My stuffing is no problem.  Always good.  But I am gravy challenged and rarely make a good one.  Was at Menards last year and found the packets of Southeastern Mills brand Turkey Gravy.  Have tried their other flavors but seems the Turkey is only available around the holidays.  Bought several and made it.  We all thought is was good and it took so much stress off of me.  👏🏻

My girls help with each bringing a side or two and pies.  We always have leftovers and hey all take some home. I always make Mr4kitties his own homemade pumpkin pie, as it is his favorite.  

[CANDLEQUEEN]

I enjoy Thanksgiving, but it is not my favorite Holiday. To me, Thanksgiving is overeating and football and a huge cleanup!!! lol! We do have fun though and usually play a few games after dessert!

My favorite holidays though are Christmas, and 4th of July!

[SouthernBee]

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@vermint wrote:

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@SouthernBee wrote:

@vermint : Told DH  this evening that Thanksgiving will be us and his elderly church friend. I will start preparing the side dishes that can be frozen like the dressing, and sweet potato casserole. Dessert will be only one pie . Meal will be served buffet style with nice but sturdy paper plates, flatware, clear 20 ounce plastic cups. Meat will only be the Honey Baked Whole Roasted Turkey. DH still insisted on fresh collards. I will do in advanced and serve in the small crock pot. Mashed potatoes will be instant that I can make taste as good. If food gets cold: reheat individual plates in microwave. Other options: eat out. No more working the week before and week of Thanksgiving to get everything done. No more Thanksgiving decorations except the turkey salt and pepper shakers. Also stated that changes will be made for Christmas like just one cake, fudge and not maybe one dozen cookies instead of 3 or 4 varieties.

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@SouthernBee Good for you! Sounds like a very nice Thanksgiving and Christmas...and you won't be so exhausted.

We don't have potatoes for Thanksgivng, but I've recently discovered Idahoan and Betty Crocker instant mashed potatoes and they are delicious! So many flavors to choose from, and they come in pouches of about 4 servings.

And just between you & me (wink, wink) my gravy base is Heinz Roasted Turkey Gravy that comes in a jar. I add some turkey drippings, cut up giblets and chopped hard-boiled eggs. Add a little milk or water if it's too thick. It's really good!

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@vermint : DH is a very picky eater and I tried the gravy mix in the jar doing the extras as you suggested but DH stated he didn't like it, I have to make as many changes as possible. I use the low sodium gravy mix packets , add drippings. I was just on line ordering the honey baked whole roasted turkey. It's expensive but just let it defrost in the refrigerator and heat and serve. Always so juicy and delicious plus knowing it saves some extra steps and time. The average weight is 13 pounds and more easier for me to handle and enough for the day and extra for sandwiches and making soup.

[SouthernBee]

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@Group 5 minus 1 wrote:

I tell this every year on the forum. It is about our traditional feast. One year (when we still had Mom w/us here on earth) I was in a wheel chair but we wanted her here for dinner. We had turkey TV Dinners and bought pies. She said it was the best dinner she ever had. We carry this tradition on still today and if you come for dinner you will have a TV Dinner.

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@Group 5 minus 1 : Sounds good to me. Add me to your guest list. Everyone enjoys the day and not exhausted and grumpy.

[Regal Bee]

We're dining out this year....yay!

[BoopOMatic]

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@Regal Bee wrote:

We're dining out this year....yay!

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[SouthernBee]

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@gidgetgh wrote:

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@Group 5 minus 1 wrote:

I tell this every year on the forum. It is about our traditional feast. One year (when we still had Mom w/us here on earth) I was in a wheel chair but we wanted her here for dinner. We had turkey TV Dinners and bought pies. She said it was the best dinner she ever had. We carry this tradition on still today and if you come for dinner you will have a TV Dinner.

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@Group 5 minus 1 - along those lines, one of my favorite Thanksgivings ever was in 2015.  My mom was already deceased and my dad had recently moved into assisted living close to us.  He had had a brain bleed.  He was doing well, but couldn't live on his own.  Oh, and my dad didn't really care for any holidays, especially Thanksgiving.  

My sister and her husband were going to be with her husband's family. 

I mentioned Thanksgiving to my dad and he just rolled his eyes.  I asked him what HE would like to do and he said "go to Waffle House" and so we did!  

It was packed and everyone was in a festive, talkative mood.  Not a Debbie Downer or "we'd like to be left alone" person in the place. Someone paid for our lunch as they'd heard my dad had been ill so then we paid for another table's lunch. Our waitress said people had been doing that all morning (we got there just before noon).

Only thing that kept it from totally being the best Thanksgiving ever was that my mom and sister weren't there. 

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@gidgetgh : Thank you for sharing your holiday . I had the same experience. My Mother had died. I was very close to a very special neighbor and her family and sadly her DH passed before Thanksgiving. They invited me to go with them to Waffle House. At first when we were seated at the table: reality set in and we started crying. The waitress came to our table: cry 5 more minutes to release everything and then know that you are loved and belong to the Waffle House family. Then everyone started talking and visiting each table. The waitresses and cook stated they loved working on Thanksgiving to help others have a very special day.

[SouthernBee]

@4kitties : I have had failures with cooking the turkey and discovered the Honey Baked Ham - Turkey: Smoked, Roasted and another flavor can't remember. Saves me time and a lot of panic attacks. I am a southern girl but big failure in the gravy making .

[4kitties]

@SouthernBee 

Have heard so many good reviews of Honey Baked Hams, but there is not one anywhere near me.  😩. Sure would like to try them.

Just not having to worry about that dern gravy helps a lot though🤣

[Regal Bee]

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@SouthernBee wrote:

@4kitties : I have had failures with cooking the turkey and discovered the Honey Baked Ham - Turkey: Smoked, Roasted and another flavor can't remember. Saves me time and a lot of panic attacks. I am a southern girl but big failure in the gravy making .

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@SouthernBee  We love Honey Baked Ham and have one every year for Christmas.

I am also Southern and can't make gravy. My husband is the gravy-maker in our family. I never learned and still have no desire to do so. Haha.