Thanksgiving thread? Tips, cooking, stories?

[Medusa]

I was curious, IF you toss the turkey under his bed this year....

Oh got it! No, I'll have to toss it up the stairs this year.

On a more serious note, (I know you probably didn't want serious stuff, Richard), I just want to say to all my PT friends to really enjoy the company of whomever you have the pleasure of sharing Tday with this year. I've been fortunate enough to have a good meal every year and having my son here will make it so much more tasty. I'm so thankful for all that I have, not just materially, but for everything that we sometimes take for granted. And I imagine, Richard, that Tday will be just as sweet for you, knowing that your mom is doing so much better and is at home now.

[RICHARD]

OH no....
THis is an all purpose thread. I just thought that we could mush it all together. A one stop thread for all things to give thanks for!

[Hellow]

My mom has to make the best stuffing I have ever tasted! I forgot what it is called, although I will try to find out soon and show yall the recipe.

[Karen]

We used to have at least two kinds of stuffing for our turkey - for Ma, the more guests the merrier, so there was usually a pretty darned big turkey being cooked. The "bread-based" stuffing was probably like most people's, but the other was just our French-Canadian grandmother's recipe. We all tried hard to reconstruct it from memory, as none of us could ind the recipe, we knew it had hamburger, onions, and mashed potato and certain spices. Lady's Human finally found the recipe in the box he got from Ma. Sadly, I cannot have that stuffing any more, as I am allergic to beef, but it sure was yummy!

We always also had two kinds of cranberry sauce - the jellied kind and the "whole berry" kind, and Grandma would make cranberry relish with fresh craberries and oranges, that was really yummy. Now I cannot have any of that, as I am so allergic to cranberries it literally went "off the chart" on the allergist's test sheet. Sigh.

One thing I have not ever found a good recipe for that we only had for days like Thanksgiving was tomato aspic. It was spicy and yummy, but made a small amount, so we each go one little wedge ... don't think any of my siblings have that recipe. I wish we did, because that I could still eat!

We usually now spend Thanksgiving with Paul's family, so their traditions are more, well traditional!

[kuhio98]

My tip ~ If you buy a frozen turkey, make sure to thaw it completely and take out any of the plastic bags of "parts" that might be inside.

If you discover them after several hours of cooking, throw the thing in the garbage and order pizza. No one enjoys the flavor of turkey basted in plastic bag residue.

[Queen of Poop]

Throw a bay leaf in the roaster with the turkey, it seasons the turkey drippings and makes a yummier gravy.

[Medusa]

Throw a bay leaf in the roaster with the turkey, it seasons the turkey drippings and makes a yummier gravy.

Ah, and there it is. How to make gravy. I'm a pretty good cook but I've never mastered gravy. It's either soupy or like quick dry cement.