Thanksgiving food prep

[Deleted]

Nov 25, 2015 20:15:16 GMT -5 Sharon said:

Nov 25, 2015 18:33:39 GMT -5 Apple said:

Lime jello?  7 up?  If so, I'm making that same one.  Also making a strawberry one  They have been made for holidays as long as I can remember (my brother made the green one for 4H, my sister did the strawberry one).  Actually, I'm thinking I'll have my son make them, so he knows how in the future.

I'm also making the mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes.  I'll make the mashed potatoes today, and probably prep the sweet potatoes so they can be heated quickly tomorrow.

Lime Jello yes, 7-up no.  You mush the cream cheese up with a fork and mix it with the crushed pineapple, a little sugar and a pinch of salt.  The marshmallows are cut up and you put the lime jello on top.  Pour the boiling water on that to dissolve the jello and sorta dissolve the marshmallows.  Add the cream cheese mixture and stir it all up.  Let is set slightly in the fridge and then fold in the whipped cream.  A whole lot of messing around but I like it and generally only have it once a year.

I used to make a variation of this.  It had the cream cheese (mashed with a fork) mised with crush pineapple.  You used lime jello and added pecans.

We called it "congealed salad."  I thought about making it for this weekend, but the truth is that my kids didn't like it when they were young.  I can't imagine they'd like it now.  

It was one of those 1970s/1980s recipes that everyone now makes fun of.

[Deleted]

We are bringing mac-n-cheese (which has broccoli and red bell pepper and onion stirred in) to a church potluck tomorrow.  This will mean we can watch the parades on TV in the a.m. and nap in the afternoon and watch a sappy movie on tv tomorrow night while we munch on crackers and cheese.  Then Friday we will do our own personal T-day with roasted turkey breast, sage dressing and roasted broccoli.  DH is already about 1/2 way through the 1/2 pumpkin pie he bought at the store.  

Whatever and whenever and wherever, please enjoy the day as much as possible. 

[Shooby]

Congealed salard. Lol.

[MJ2.0]

Welp, I just had a rum and Dr. Pepper to calm my nerves. The downstairs neighbors are being their normal obnoxious selves and DS is hell bent on not sleeping.

[Peace Of Mind]

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, everybody! 

Nov 25, 2015 17:55:41 GMT -5 msventoux said:

I've already started eating the pecan pie, if that counts as prep. 

Yes! and it's always recommended you do taste tests before serving food and wine. 

Nov 25, 2015 18:17:40 GMT -5 whoami said:

Working on it.

After peeling 200 lbs of sweet potatoes, I was informed that nephew only eats canned. 

Me:  I dont have canned.
Her:  Well he wont eat those and he cant have Thanksgiving without sweet potatoes with lots of marshmallows.
Me:  Tough shit. 

The disclaimer is Ive been informed that one has to be gluten free...one is a vegetarian...one wont eat anything cooked in teflon and then the sweet potato issue. Im just hearing all of this (except the teflon thing). Told DH to take his relatives to the store so they can buy and prep what they need. I can barely get one meal on the table nevermind accomodate all this other stuff. 

The fun begins. 

You totally need to serve him all of that just because.

Nov 25, 2015 18:32:20 GMT -5 @empressspunkles said:

Unfortunately. last year's didn't go so great as DH pissed me off, I got soused and threw the turkey out the door. Or was that Christmas? Eh. Same difference.



LMAO!!!! 

Nov 25, 2015 20:14:56 GMT -5 swamp said:

My head is stuffed and I'm sick but for the life of me I can't figure out what you meant by "stuffed vague eye". But it sounds, errrr, delicious!    ETA: Rib eye?  Would you mind sharing your recipe?


I finally felt human last Monday so I cooked everything then.  We've been eating it since.  How is that for "prep"?    We got invited to Thanksgiving elsewhere tomorrow but I don't think we'll be going.  Don't want to ruin it for them by hacking, coughing, etc. at the dinner table. 

[Deleted]

Nov 25, 2015 21:39:25 GMT -5 Shooby said:

Congealed salard. Lol.

The Ipad can't spell.  

[Shooby]

Oh i thought that was what you really called it! I thought that was kind of cute.

[taz157]

HELP!!!  


I have a 12 pound turkey partially thawed in the fridge (about 27 hours).  How did you know when it's fully thawed when in the sink with the cold water?

[Shooby]

Nov 25, 2015 18:32:20 GMT -5 @empressspunkles said:

My turkey breast is in the oven, the cranberry sauce is bubbling away on the stove top and I have to get the desire to get up and make the stuffing. DH and I do a small meal of our own the night before so I can have leftovers as the SILs are not too generous at giving out leftovers on the day of. My cats like turkey, no skin and bone. Unfortunately. last year's didn't go so great as DH pissed me off, I got soused and threw the turkey out the door. Or was that Christmas? Eh. Same difference.

At some point I will put the rolls for tomorrow into the oven to bake so I don't have to take up oven space over there and they can just be thrown in to warm up. That and soda are our big contributions.

Omg! You got pissed and threw out the turkey! Bwaahhhh!

[MJ2.0]

Nov 25, 2015 22:14:42 GMT -5 taz157 said:

HELP!!!  


I have a 12 pound turkey partially thawed in the fridge (about 27 hours).  How did you know when it's fully thawed when in the sink with the cold water?

When in doubt:
www.butterball.com/how-tos/thaw-a-turkey

[moneymaven]

I don't prep any food the day prior. I will make sure all of the drinks get chilled, pull butter out of the freezer, etc. but I prefer to cook everything the day of. I think Thanksgiving is one of the easiest meals to make. I do cheat and buy all my pies and bread, so that certainly helps, but everything else is from scratch.

[MJ2.0]

I cooked the rolls after I poured my drink ... one less thing to worry about tomorrow.

[ArchietheDragon]

Nov 25, 2015 23:03:21 GMT -5 MJ2.0 said:

I cooked the rolls after I poured my drink ... one less thing to worry about tomorrow.

Drank up

[MJ2.0]

Nov 25, 2015 23:04:28 GMT -5 ArchietheDragon said:

Nov 25, 2015 23:03:21 GMT -5 MJ2.0 said:

I cooked the rolls after I poured my drink ... one less thing to worry about tomorrow.

Drank up

I have 2 bottles of wine, a 6 - pack of Angry Orchard, and a bottle of Captain Morgan in the fridge.... turn down for what?!?!

[Deleted]

Nov 25, 2015 22:15:05 GMT -5 Shooby said:

Nov 25, 2015 18:32:20 GMT -5 @empressspunkles said:

My turkey breast is in the oven, the cranberry sauce is bubbling away on the stove top and I have to get the desire to get up and make the stuffing. DH and I do a small meal of our own the night before so I can have leftovers as the SILs are not too generous at giving out leftovers on the day of. My cats like turkey, no skin and bone. Unfortunately. last year's didn't go so great as DH pissed me off, I got soused and threw the turkey out the door. Or was that Christmas? Eh. Same difference.

At some point I will put the rolls for tomorrow into the oven to bake so I don't have to take up oven space over there and they can just be thrown in to warm up. That and soda are our big contributions.

Omg! You got pissed and threw out the turkey! Bwaahhhh!

Only the one that I was cooking. I kept the other one.

[Deleted]

Nov 25, 2015 23:12:08 GMT -5 MJ2.0 said:

Nov 25, 2015 23:04:28 GMT -5 ArchietheDragon said:

Drank up

I have 2 bottles of wine, a 6 - pack of Angry Orchard, and a bottle of Captain Morgan in the fridge.... turn down for what?!?!

Sounds like you're in my fridge, or were. There WAS 2 bottles of wine. Now it's a 6-pack of Not Your Father's Root Beer and the rum and the vodka are sitting patiently waiting for me. I'm off and I don't plan to be sober after a day with the ILs.

[Deleted]

Nov 25, 2015 19:05:14 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

Nov 25, 2015 18:59:39 GMT -5 @empressspunkles said:

Funny you should mention those. I was so late getting out for the turkey breast that I told DH if we don't find one then we're probably having the turkey tv dinners. He said that was fine with him.

With TV dinners, use plastic utensils and everything goes into the trash can. No dishes, pots or pans to wash up.

I'm a heathen. I eat with my fingers. All I have to do is wash my hands or let the cat lick them clean. On second thought, wash my hands. He has bad breath.

[Apple]

The two salads are done, dips are made for the vegetable tray, mashed potatoes are done (I'll pull them out and then bake them in the oven at my parent's house a half hour before we eat).  All that is left are the sweet potatoes, but I think I'll do those tomorrow right before we leave the house, and finish baking them at my parent's as well.

My parents are doing the meat and rolls (my mom makes the best rolls!), and my sister is doing the pies and stuffing.  I think we're all set!

[zibazinski]

Nov 25, 2015 22:02:00 GMT -5 Peace Of Mind said:

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, everybody! 

Nov 25, 2015 17:55:41 GMT -5 msventoux said:

I've already started eating the pecan pie, if that counts as prep. 

Yes! and it's always recommended you do taste tests before serving food and wine. 

Nov 25, 2015 18:17:40 GMT -5 whoami said:

Working on it.

After peeling 200 lbs of sweet potatoes, I was informed that nephew only eats canned. 

Me:  I dont have canned.
Her:  Well he wont eat those and he cant have Thanksgiving without sweet potatoes with lots of marshmallows.
Me:  Tough shit. 

The disclaimer is Ive been informed that one has to be gluten free...one is a vegetarian...one wont eat anything cooked in teflon and then the sweet potato issue. Im just hearing all of this (except the teflon thing). Told DH to take his relatives to the store so they can buy and prep what they need. I can barely get one meal on the table nevermind accomodate all this other stuff. 

The fun begins. 

You totally need to serve him all of that just because.

Nov 25, 2015 18:32:20 GMT -5 @empressspunkles said:

Unfortunately. last year's didn't go so great as DH pissed me off, I got soused and threw the turkey out the door. Or was that Christmas? Eh. Same difference.



LMAO!!!! 

Nov 25, 2015 20:14:56 GMT -5 swamp said:

My head is stuffed and I'm sick but for the life of me I can't figure out what you meant by "stuffed vague eye". But it sounds, errrr, delicious!    ETA: Rib eye?  Would you mind sharing your recipe?


I finally felt human last Monday so I cooked everything then.  We've been eating it since.  How is that for "prep"?    We got invited to Thanksgiving elsewhere tomorrow but I don't think we'll be going.  Don't want to ruin it for them by hacking, coughing, etc. at the dinner table. 

Feel better soon.

[zibazinski]

I wish I had extended family so there'd be someone bedsides me doing stuff. That being said, I'm glad my kids and their friends will be with me.

[bobosensei]

We are already done eating here.  DH is napping and I am waiting for the Macy's parade to begin.  Yesterday I made the cornbread for the dressing, baked the sweet potatoes, cooked some collard greens, and made the cranberry sauce.  We decided no desserts because the sweet potatoes are sweet enough and both DH and I are trying to lose weight.  Plus it is just the two of us eating so I had to pare down the amounts a lot.  Food was ready around noon, and I should be ready for my first turkey sandwich in a few hours.  Everything is already cleaned up, and I've only had ONE glass of red wine so far.  That is most amazing to me

[Anne_in_VA]

It's just DH and I today.  The kids and grandkids are going elsewhere (at the last minute, of course) so I'm not sure what we'll do.  Maybe get Chinese or go to Boston Market for a turkey dinner.  I can always cook everything this weekend.

[Bonny]

Nov 26, 2015 7:56:51 GMT -5 Ratchets said:

Nov 25, 2015 17:52:48 GMT -5 Bonny said:

DH and his friend are making sides; DH making cranberry sauce, the friend making Texas caviar.

I'm sitting around looking pretty.

I have no idea what "Texas caviar" is...about to google it...I've got a strong suspicion that it has something to do with testicles from cattle though...

It's black-eyed peas, tomatoes, onions, parsley and some other ingredients.

Testicles would be an interesting addition.

[Deleted]

It's just DH and I today, but we're fine with that. We're having turkey drumsticks, which I always liked better than breast meat, anyway, plus mashed potatoes, a salad and a bottle of good Missouri Sparkling wine (Stone Hill Blanc de Blancs). Appetizer will be shrimp with cocktail sauce.

I went searching yesterday for a single-serving package of pecan pie at the grocery store so DH and I could share it, but only whole pies were for sale. We don't need the calories and fat of a whole pie, so we'll skip dessert.

I'm off to the Fitness Center for a pre-emptive workout; they close at noon.

[Deleted]

Since my Thanksgiving starts on Friday, I'm doing my prep today. I just took the cheesecake from the oven, and it is cooling. I am going to start the baby carrots in just a little while. With the quantity I am cooking, they take hours to cook. It's the same recipe they use at Cracker Barrel, and the grandkids love them. DH loves them even more, though. I'll just reheat tomorrow.

Everything else will be cooked tomorrow.

[milee]

Nov 25, 2015 18:17:40 GMT -5 whoami said:

Working on it.

After peeling 200 lbs of sweet potatoes, I was informed that nephew only eats canned. 

Me:  I dont have canned.
Her:  Well he wont eat those and he cant have Thanksgiving without sweet potatoes with lots of marshmallows.
Me:  Tough shit. 

The disclaimer is Ive been informed that one has to be gluten free...one is a vegetarian...one wont eat anything cooked in teflon and then the sweet potato issue. Im just hearing all of this (except the teflon thing). Told DH to take his relatives to the store so they can buy and prep what they need. I can barely get one meal on the table nevermind accomodate all this other stuff. 

The fun begins. 

Next time a thread about food allergies pops up, please re-post this.  This is the point I try to make, but it gets drowned out by the responses of "do you want to kill my child", "it's really not that much work to make sure there's no ______ in anything", "you're an awful host if you don't research and accommodate the allergies, preferences and wishes of all guests".

It's not that you're trying to be a witch, but at every meal where there are more than 2 or 3 people, there will be at least one allergy, preference, religious prohibition or wish.  Multiply that over many people and it quickly becomes unreasonable to ask a host to research, keep track of, plan and implement a meal that caters to everyone.  Not only that, but for many people Thanksgiving is a holiday about celebrating with a plentiful "feast" and by the time you eliminate all foods that might not work for every guest, the meal can look decidedly Spartan to the crowd.

A good host will do what s/he can to make a variety of foods so there's a good chance everybody will be able to eat at least something.  For the guests that have a very strong preference or a food allergy, it's a lot more reasonable to just bring your own food than to ask that the host and all the other guests twist themselves into a pretzel to accommodate you (and all the others who also have strong preferences or allergies.) 

One of my sons and I have some food issues ourselves, and we practice what we preach in not asking hosts to change menus for us.  There's almost always something we can eat, but if there's not we eat before or later.  Not the end of the world.

[milee]

Back to the thread....

We made a big Dutch Baby/Apple pancake and bacon for breakfast and will be going out to eat for dinner since none of us are really big on turkey leftovers. Easy way to get our "fix" but not have to eat turkey for days.

After dinner, one of my sons and I are going to wash dishes at a charity we are involved in.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Getting ready to make eggs Benedict this morning here.....after I have another cup of coffee!

We also have reservations.  Not cooking this year, last year I cooked for 25.  But it is hard to do Thanksgiving properly for 2.

[MJ2.0]

The turkey is all seasoned up and in the oven. Now I'm boiling the water for the mac and cheese. Mom and aunt are sitting and watching the Philadelphia Thanksgiving parade on ABC.

[yogiii]

I wish we were doing the 11am shift because I'd already be eating but we're doing the 3pm one today
Just put the turkey is on the grill, haven't even started the other stuff yet but it will be delish!