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Esteemed Contributor
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Registered: ‎06-06-2011

Re: Alternative to Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner

Thank you to all that continued to reply. I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday !!

Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea-Robert A. Heinlein
Esteemed Contributor
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Registered: ‎07-22-2011

Re: Alternative to Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner

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Honored Contributor
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Registered: ‎10-25-2010

Re: Alternative to Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner

My family is not fond of turkey, but we like chicken.  So, we usually get a capon.  It’s almost as big as a turkey, but the taste is so much better. It’s tender and delicious.

 

We also have pasta of some kind too, always homemade.

Respected Contributor
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Registered: ‎08-20-2012

Re: Alternative to Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner

@CarmieCapon is a great idea!  Do you do a red sauce pasta dish?  So many yummy pastas, so little time!

Honored Contributor
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Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: Alternative to Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner

Prime rib or pot roast.

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Registered: ‎10-25-2010

Re: Alternative to Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner


@candys mine wrote:

@CarmieCapon is a great idea!  Do you do a red sauce pasta dish?  So many yummy pastas, so little time!


My younger sister has been making the homemade pasta and sauce for a while now.  Her daughter cans tomatoes from her home garden and the sauce is made from them.

 

My siblings and I always get together and we all bring something different to the table.  I used to make everything, but I gave up on that when they insisted on helping.  We have about 40 people for holiday dinner now.  The family is growing.

 

 

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Registered: ‎03-13-2010

Re: Alternative to Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner

[ Edited ]

@Carmie wrote:

@candys mine wrote:

@CarmieCapon is a great idea!  Do you do a red sauce pasta dish?  So many yummy pastas, so little time!


My younger sister has been making the homemade pasta and sauce for a while now.  Her daughter cans tomatoes from her home garden and the sauce is made from them.

 

My siblings and I always get together and we all bring something different to the table.  I used to make everything, but I gave up on that when they insisted on helping.  We have about 40 people for holiday dinner now.  The family is growing.

 

 


 

 

@Carmie  This is me (except we don't have pasta at ours).  I used to host T'giving til my family outgrew my now newer small home.  The last two years I went to my nearby sister's home but I've since moved and I could go there bc she puts on the whole spread for her husband's family since her MIL died recently.   

 

This year I will be going to a restaurant with one of my brothers and his wife and daughter.  I'm not sure how that will go but if it doesn't work, next year I'll do the meal here for the same small crowd and either get a small turkey and only make a few sides and they can bring dessert.  I love a traditional meal but this home is only 1/2 the size of the last and I cannot handle 25 people like in past years. 

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Registered: ‎10-25-2010

Re: Alternative to Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner

@Financialgrl. Most years except when I had a family member Who was recovering in my dining room turned into a bedroom from a broken hip, everyone came here,

 

My house has about 1800 sf of living space, which isn’t large at all.  So far, we get everyone in and seated for dinner.  I am happy to see them come and happy to see them leave.

 

i have my mothers DR table.  It can  be made small enough for two people or large enough for about 20. I have extra chairs stored in my basement and only keep six there year around.  If only that table could talk, the stories it could tell.

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Registered: ‎03-13-2010

Re: Alternative to Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner


@Carmie wrote:

@Financialgrl. Most years except when I had a family member Who was recovering in my dining room turned into a bedroom from a broken hip, everyone came here,

 

My house has about 1800 sf of living space, which isn’t large at all.  So far, we get everyone in and seated for dinner.  I am happy to see them come and happy to see them leave.

 

i have my mothers DR table.  It can  be made small enough for two people or large enough for about 20. I have extra chairs stored in my basement and only keep six there year around.  If only that table could talk, the stories it could tell.


@Carmie  And therein is my issue.  My last home was 3500 sq ft (big bc I had dad living with me and needed a lot of extra room for siblings to stay when I needed help with him bc of his dementia) but dad died 4 years ago and one nearby brother moved. Being as rural as I was is not a good fit as I am aging. 

 

In May I moved to a 1650 square foot home in an over 55 community.  There'd be zero parking for anyone bc our homes are so close.  This home was bought as a means to "age in place" in the future.  All on one level with no steps so the days of the guys having the ability to eat downstairs to watch football and having the ability to feed everyone are long gone.  I so will miss that but on the other hand, it was a lot of work to throw together even with help from my sister/sisters in law and it was all over in 2 hours.  I'm ready to go to a place where the food prep/cleanup is all done by others.  Most of the restaurants here offering T'giving meals were buffet but we found a restaurant we love that does all sit down.  They split their day into 3 different meal times and they clear you out after 2 hours for the next group to come in.  If it's good - that works for me! 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 41,255
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Alternative to Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner

cornish hens would be a nice change, especially if you dont want to do turkey.

they would work well along with all of the traditional thanksgiving side dishes. you could also roast a lot of vegetables alongside the hens.

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