Thanksgiving thread? Tips, cooking, stories?

TIP on mixing the water and flour/cornstarch for lump-free gravy:

My mom always did this. She'd put the water, flour/cs in a small plastic container (size of small margarine container or etc), add salt and pepper, close lid tightly and shake the HHHH out of it! When shaken well, it is very smooth..than add that to your bubbling drippings/w soy/w whatever.

Run the gravy through a metal mesh sieve -voila!

I had another tip, but it left my brain...

Back later to post a scan of a turkey roasting page from my Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook - the older plaid cover? My mom has one from the 50's - I am coveting that! :)

I am another cornstarch-to-thicken fan and always use it now:D I put a couple heaping sof it into water and mix well - does not tend to lump at all. Then slowly add this to the bubbling gravy and since cornstartch thickens really quickly - you can just drizzle it in until the gravy is PERFECT!

The past few years, we have rented a little cabin on a lake at the state park and had thanksgiving there. Last year I got the whole meal from Kroger:cool:This year we are having everything with a World of Warcraft theme (online game I am addicted to) - beer broasted boar ribs, moist cornbread, etc. Ha! Oh and wild strider roasted of course!! Everything will be pretty traditonal - only renamed!! My favorite part of the meal is the pie and leftover sandwiches. The pie MUST be mincemeat!! I am also trying a lowfat pumpkin/creamcheese pie with FiberOne crust that sounds yummy!

Had to laugh at Kuhio's tip! Last Easter I baked a ham and got it out to realize that the lovely shiny "glaze" was the shrink wrap:eek: Like Medusa - I would have rescued the turkey from under the bed!! Makes a funny reminder and I will be sure NOT to use a cookie sheet for much of anything but cookies.

Any turnip eaters here?

I have a recipe for Whipped Turnip Casserole that is a family favorite. Well, as long as the family is me, my daughter-in-law, and one grandson :)

Seriously, it has eggs and sugar and bread crumbs that sort of tame down the turnip taste. I grew up with turnip at Thanksgiving, and this is easy and yummy. Will be glad to share it.

Turkey roasting guide attached (I think there might be a chicken section there also).

I remember my mom making some pie that had meringue on top of it back when I was little. We went to my grandmother's place back then (my dad's mom). So much family around back then.

I just remember being in the car, and my mom holding the pie. My dad was driving like a maniac as usual, and slammed on the breaks really quick. I can still hear my mom gasp as she still held the pie, but the meringue slid right off and onto the dashboard and onto the floor.

Never liked meringue anyway. :p

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Originally Posted by Grace

Any turnip eaters here?

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I think rutabaga is a turnip isn't it? I LOVE it as it was always part of our holiday meal. Peeled, boiled, then mashed with butter and lots of black pepper.

Makes me think of roasted parsnips!! Yummm!!!

I haven't told this one on myself (I don't think). My first trip on the boat I am on now was Thanksgiving. I was so excited to be on such a nice boat with such a great crew that I really wanted to knock their socks off with my Thanksgiving meal. I worked on it for weeks, baking my cornbread for the dressing, crumbeling it and freezing it, cutting up all my seasonings, baking the deserts and just going all out.

I had forgot that out there, days just run into each other and it is hard to know what day it is if you don't mark them off on a calander and I hadn't been marking them off..

What I ended up doing was serving our Thanksgiving meal on the day BEFORE Thanksgiving.. I was so embarrassed but they did not care one bit. I did serve the left overs Thanksgiving day with whatever I cooked for that day.

I am due to work this Thanksgiving and that will mark my 8th year on the JMD so it will be a special trip for me.

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Originally Posted by Laura's Babies

What I ended up doing was serving our Thanksgiving meal on the day BEFORE Thanksgiving.. I was so embarrassed but they did not care one bit. I did serve the left overs Thanksgiving day with whatever I cooked for that day.

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Men with full bellies will forgive anything and anyone.:D

A few years ago I had trigger finger surgery the day befroe Thanksgiving. A friend of ours was coming down to help me out a bit and she was HORRIFIED that I wanted Stove Top stuffing. Oh no! You MUST have chestnut stuffing. Ok whatever...bolied them puppies and she and hubby shelled them...and put the shells down the garbage disposal...and had to take the disposal apart 3 times to clean them out. Bolied or not they don't go thru the disposal....

And I have to say I don't know what the fuss was about. It had no taste at all...Stove Top is much better IMO....

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Originally Posted by Trinityagain

A few years ago I had trigger finger surgery the day befroe Thanksgiving. A friend of ours was coming down to help me out a bit and she was HORRIFIED that I wanted Stove Top stuffing. Oh no! You MUST have chestnut stuffing. Ok whatever...bolied them puppies and she and hubby shelled them...and put the shells down the garbage disposal...and had to take the disposal apart 3 times to clean them out. Bolied or not they don't go thru the disposal....

And I have to say I don't know what the fuss was about. It had no taste at all...Stove Top is much better IMO....

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Hey, Thanksgiving is about tradition - and yours is Stove Top! At least you got a good story out of it. I've never had chestnut stuffing, and now that I am allergic to "tree nuts" I guess I never will! Good to know I'm not missing anything! ;)

Had a 'date' over for some pumpkin pie...made some coffee, had the ice cream out to soften a little bit...and, then, the great unveiling of the pumpkin pie...MOLD! Gross. How embarrassing.

Who knew that pumpkin pie had to be refridgerated?

Thanksgiving box?

For the last three or four years I started a little tradition that has served us well leading up to Thanksgiving.

The TG box.

In the months leading up to the holiday I purchase odd and ends for the meal.

A few cans of cranberries, boxes of stuffing, pineapple, olives, pickles, broth and other stuff that I'll use for TG.

Another thing you can do is to take a marker or paste a page to the box with what is inside it. That way you can make a listing of what you need on your last shopping trips.

The only things that I usually need, and can shop for easily for are the perishables like veggies, fruit and dairy-

You also spread the cost and hassle of planning the meal across a few months, instead of panicking and doing a last minute and costly shopping trip.

Buy double of everything and box up half for someone who can't afford Thanksgiving dinner this year. Makes you twice as grateful for what you have.

:) I so Agree.. Great Thought For The Day/Year..

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Originally Posted by mruffruff

Buy double of everything and box up half for someone who can't afford Thanksgiving dinner this year. Makes you twice as grateful for what you have.

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:eek: Oh By The Way Richard You Have A GirlFriend.. I Thought You Were To Ornery..:p