Favorite T-day dish?

[cfoam4me]

So what's your favorite part (or recipe), of your Thanksgiving meal? We bring the turkey, dressing and gravy to my mother-in-laws and have about 20 family and friends there to celebrate the day. This year it's sliced lemons and sage butter under the skin of Mr Tom with a lemon, sage gravy. Did a trial run just to be sure last month and it was super moist and very tasty. Still thinking about what kind of dressing to have with it...:roll:

[Lewis]

Hmmm, theres a few, if I may...

Theres this weird Italian stuffing, with chopped meat and nuts...thats good

Theres the cranberry of course.

But the tops would have to be stuffed artichokes.

[like2bike]

My favorite of the meal is the smoked capon. We don't have turkey, have have chicken. We both get up early in the a.m. and get the capon prepared, then DH puts it outside on our charcoal smoker. It smokes for about 7 hours. The whole neighborhood smells like it! The meat literally falls off of the bone. Every year when we buy the capon at the local grocery store, DH says to the cashier as she is ringing it up, "It was so cold outside, I saw a chicken with a cape on." ;)

[Pink]

I host and I just love every second of it. Nothing fancy here. Everyone wants a traditional meal, just as they remembered it. In fact, I've been working on the gravy for the past 2 days -- we like a lot of gravy so I make it ahead of time and freeze it, roasting 8 lbs of turkey parts.

Turkey (brined & then stuffed with oranges, sage, onion, celery) I prepare the brine & put it & the turkey in a construction-sized plastic bag and put it in a big trash can (not used for trash) in the garage. It has to be flipped over at 2 a.m. so I set my alarm. Literally, I get up and flip the bird :D
Dressing (I dry a selection of breads, apricots, spices, onion, celery, mushrooms)
Mashed Taters (with butter!)
Steamed veggies
Creamed Chestnuts
Butternut Squash Soup
Pumpkin Bread
Cranberry Nut Bread
Pies
B-day cake (Mr. P was born in t-giving, but this years his dad's b-day falls on Thursday) and my nephew's is the 27th, so we always have a b-day cake too.

This year will be bitter-sweet. My SIL's brother is dying of lung/brain cancer. He's 50. He & his fiance were planning to come but he was just hospitalized because of seizures, so we're not sure if he'll be up for the trip (lives on Long Island). Also, my bf's oldest son (the one that was beat up in Hoboken) will not make the trip because he has to work early Friday morning and NJ turnpike traffic can be a b*tch. It will feel funny without him, as he is truly like another son. OTOH, my son's gf will be joining us this year. She usually goes to her family's in CT but this year she wants to come here in stead & her parents are fine with it. I love her to death and it will be fun to have her with us.

All in all, this is my favorite holiday and I get darn near giddy preparing for it. And I LOVE hearing everyone's traditions. This is what it's all about, folks!

[kszspin]

My mom's "jello fluff salad" (I really don't know what else to call it!)
I've had it every Thanksgiving and Christmas meal for as long as I remember. She died in 2004 and I always have it on the table in her honor. It wouldn't be a holiday meal for me without it. :)
I'll post the recipe later (I have a date with Dr. House right now ;)).

Here's a hint of the ingredients....it's got cream cheese in it. :grin:

[jsejt]

The best best best turkey is a "creole butter" injected fried turkey!

[amybatt]

My mother does a stuffing with sausage in it that is to die for. And her pecan cinnamon rolls are the stuff dreams are made of. I could eat just those, a few slices of pie and be quite happy.

[NJspin]

Bring on the pumpkin pie and white yams!

[like2bike]

It's weird, but yams make me gag. I wish I liked them because they always smell so darned good.

[cfoam4me]

My absolute favorite Thanksgiving family ritual is my daughters (ds opts out), have gone to my mother in law's every Wednesday before Thanksgiving for 23 years to "help" her make pies for the next day. My oldest started out sitting on the counter putting the apples in the apple pie, well actually eating the apples out of the apple pie and now they both are pretty good apple, pumpkin and pecan pie makers. Even at 18 and 23 they still can't wait from my DH and I to stop by and admire their handiwork at the end of the day. The look on on Grandma's face has always been priceless...:)

[Lewis]

I'm gaining weight READING this thread, I ...must ...go...

[Pink]

My absolute favorite Thanksgiving family ritual is my daughters (ds opts out), have gone to my mother in law's every Wednesday before Thanksgiving for 23 years to "help" her make pies for the next day. My oldest started out sitting on the counter putting the apples in the apple pie, well actually eating the apples out of the apple pie and now they both are pretty good apple, pumpkin and pecan pie makers. Even at 18 and 23 they still can't wait from my DH and I to stop by and admire their handiwork at the end of the day. The look on on Grandma's face has always been priceless...:)

Priceless, what a wonderful tradition.

My son innocently asked if I could carve out small pumpkins to use as bowls for the butternut squash soup. Yeah, I'll get right on that :roll:.

[SpinBob]

My favorite thanksgiving dish is that mashed taters, heck, it's my favorite dish any time of year.

I'm the family baker, so I really get into making the the pies, usually three: pumpkin, pecan and apple. I guess it's time to start making a shopping list.

[like2bike]

I'm the family baker, so I really get into making the the pies, usually three: pumpkin, pecan and apple.

Damn bro! I just wiped the drool from me mouth. :grin:

[spinguru]

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday! My birthday falls on the 26th, which is sometimes the actual holiday, but more often a day or two after. We too, always have a birthday cake, (which is always vanilla cake with buttercream frosting - my favorite since I was a little girl -- not original, I know, but my favorite nonetheless!), in addition to pumpkin pies and this year, I will be trying a new pear-cranberry pie recipe I found in Cooking Light.

The meal is always traditional -- my mother's stuffing recipe, which was also my grandmother's recipe (Italian bread, parmesan cheese, loads of butter, diced celery and onions - simple but oh so rich and delicious). Turkey, stuffed with the stuffing, sweet potatoes (brown sugar glazed), carrots, string beans, broccoli, mashed potatoes, homemade cranberry sauce and homemade rolls. Obviously, no limit on the carbs on this one day!

I always cook and host -- it started out that way to keep my mother and mother-in-law from fighting over who got my kids on the holiday :). Everyone just started coming to our house. When my mother in law was alive, she and my mom both would come early to help me cook, set the table and do the myriad other things that needed to be done.

Sadly, we are celebrating this year without my father-in-law, who at 87, is too frail to leave his nursing home (we will be bringing a second feast to him on Friday). My mom who lives with me now, is going to visit her niece this year, and it will be the first year since I was a child that we aren't having the holiday together. She really wants to go, so I don't feel like I should object, but she will be missed. My daughter will be bringing her boyfriend to dinner. We also will have two friends who join us every year since they have no family -- we have adopted them.

I love to pause and take stock of all my blessings this time of year -- they are too numerous to count, and I often take them for granted. So a prayer of thanks for all I have will definitely be part of my holiday!

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

[kszspin]

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday! My birthday falls on the 26th, which is sometimes the actual holiday, but more often a day or two after. We too, always have a birthday cake, (which is always vanilla cake with buttercream frosting - my favorite since I was a little girl -- not original, I know, but my favorite nonetheless!), in addition to pumpkin pies and this year, I will be trying a new pear-cranberry pie recipe I found in Cooking Light.

The meal is always traditional -- my mother's stuffing recipe, which was also my grandmother's recipe (Italian bread, parmesan cheese, loads of butter, diced celery and onions - simple but oh so rich and delicious). Turkey, stuffed with the stuffing, sweet potatoes (brown sugar glazed), carrots, string beans, broccoli, mashed potatoes, homemade cranberry sauce and homemade rolls. Obviously, no limit on the carbs on this one day!

I always cook and host -- it started out that way to keep my mother and mother-in-law from fighting over who got my kids on the holiday :). Everyone just started coming to our house. When my mother in law was alive, she and my mom both would come early to help me cook, set the table and do the myriad other things that needed to be done.

Sadly, we are celebrating this year without my father-in-law, who at 87, is too frail to leave his nursing home (we will be bringing a second feast to him on Friday). My mom who lives with me now, is going to visit her niece this year, and it will be the first year since I was a child that we aren't having the holiday together. She really wants to go, so I don't feel like I should object, but she will be missed. My daughter will be bringing her boyfriend to dinner. We also will have two friends who join us every year since they have no family -- we have adopted them.

I love to pause and take stock of all my blessings this time of year -- they are too numerous to count, and I often take them for granted. So a prayer of thanks for all I have will definitely be part of my holiday!

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

Me too, spinguru! :D

[spinguru]

Well, a Happy Birthday to ya, Kelly! I'll raise a glass to you on our shared day!

[kszspin]

Hey, I'll raise two for us!:D

[jsejt]

Hey, I'll raise two for us!:D

Hey, I'll raise one for you two as well. Oh wait...I'm a July girl. What the hell I'm still raising one for you two. :D

[cfoam4me]

I will raise 2 for you too!!!!:D (Shannon, we probably need to start practicing now so we're sure we're doing it right by the time the big day comes!!!)

[joyofspin]

I am making a small feast for 30 - different familis, clients, friends and family. My door is always open and there is always plenty to eat.

It is never a holdiay without grandma's stuffing - it's sweet and basic - bread, water, fried onions, eggs salt and pepper, stuffed with the bird and some french onion soup (campbell's) add some raisins and you are in heaven. Crsipy outside, gooey inside - best of both worlds.

Butternut squash casserole - extremely high in calories but worth every one of them.

Sweet potato casserole - the marshmallows do it to me every time.
I will also just roast some yams and regular potatoes too.

Veggies still up in the air - so many to choose from - I always have plenty.

Appetizers - sweet and sour turkey meatballs, baked brie with raspberry jam, spinach dip with pumpernickel bread and veggies, pigs in blankets and maybe some home made pizza (for the kids)

There will be pie, brownies, cookies and maybe a snickers cheesecake. It's about time I made it again.

Luckily I have 3 ovens and they will all be going like crazy starting on Sunday.

I also need to make some gluten free recipes for my step son.

Oh and there's the cranberry jello mold. And a meat dish (still undecided)

And quite possibly a bread pudding. A bit overkill but somehow stuffed bellies amuse me...

[SpinBob]

Damn bro! I just wiped the drool from me mouth. :grin:If there's any leftover, I'll save you a slice....who am I kidding, there won't be any leftovers. :rolleyes:

[like2bike]

If there's any leftover, I'll save you a slice....who am I kidding, there won't be any leftovers. :rolleyes:

Tease! :D

[SpinBob]

Oh, you know it. ;)

[Pink]

Just got this from a gf, hope it copies OK:

OOPS, can't figure out how to copy the picture. You need to right click on the little red X & "open link."

NEW TURKEY RECIPE
Your dinner will be the talk of the TOWN!!You should try this! Sure to bring smiles from your guests!
Here is a new way to prepare your Thanksgiving Turkey.

1. Cut out aluminum foil in desired shapes.
2. Arrange the turkey in the roasting pan, position the foil carefully. (see attached picture for details)
3. Roast according to your own recipe and serve.
4. Watch your guests' faces...

http://www.innercycling.com/f/cid:018101c82adc$7f60c840$6401a8c0@David (http://forums.provida.com/photos/312349/picture2709070.aspx)

May your stuffing be tasty
May your turkey plump,
May your potatoes and gravy
Have never a lump.
May your yams be delicious
And your pies take the prize,
And may your Thanksgiving dinner
Stay off your thighs!
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

[Julibird]

The pie crust MUST be a half butter and crisco combo - whatever you choose to fill it with is your business.

[fancy4tri]

A favorite of my own....
Blanched asparagus with a balsamic & raspberry dressing

And one that has stayed with me from my youth...
Black eyed peas with a touch of chopped jalapenos

[jsejt]

A favorite of my own....
Blanched asparagus with a balsamic & raspberry dressing

And one that has stayed with me from my youth...
Black eyed peas with a touch of chopped jalapenos

Us southern folks always wait for New Years Day to eat our Black Eyed Peas! Yummy!

[cfoam4me]

Yep we do!!!!!

[Pink]

I've been fighting off a scratchy throat all week and today I woke up with a head the size of a basketball. I have no sense of smell or taste, so cooking today has been challenging, since I can't test seasonings, etc. This may work in my favor tomorrow. If I can't taste it, it won't call to me, right?