Does this time of year drive any of you a bit batty with all the talk about how to cook your turkey

K

karennoca

Well-known member
cook the potatoes and the myriad side dishes, and everyone I read looks better than the last one I decided to try? I can change up my menu plan three to four times before I finally tire of the whole thing and usually go with the first ones I picked.

I'm trying to simply things a little this year, as I usually do each year, but when you have a vegetarian in the group, it is hared because you have to have enough dishes without meat to satisfy them too. I dropped using a protein in my stuffing because of this person, but found that it is still delicious.

 
We usually have enough sides that any vegetarian (and we used to have one) would

be more than fed well--sweet potatoes, rice, stewed apples, stewed corn, butter beans, cornbread dressing (outside the bird and no meat) are always there. Sometimes a mix of turnips, butternut squash, green beans, broccoli, asparagus, a southwestern sweet potato salad (with black beans, onions, celery, cilantro, etc.).
For us carnivores, there is bread stuffing IN the bird, gravy, scalloped oysters, and, of course pecan pie!!

 
Wow, that is a lot of sides. i am the only one who cooks, everyone else comes in from out of town

on Thanksgiving afternoon. They all have jobs or businesses, and that big Thanksgiving dinner wears me out. So thankful for the two crock pots I have as I usually put the mashed potatoes in one and the meatless stuffing in the other. That has been a real plus. It is all fun though and I love watching our sons pile the food on. The women, not so much!

 
I am not saying ALL of them, but for t'giving I DO love to have maybe at least

six. Some are givens--corn (in the freezer from summer), rice, stuffing, dressing, apples, sweet potatoes, oysters. I do those myself. Then others bring some other things. Most can be done at least a day in advance or more. Turkey is stuffed that morning and in the oven.
That to me is what T'giving is about. Christmas is MUCH simpler.

 
it's my sister-in-law's holiday, not mine. But I talked to her yesterday and we will have vegetarian

nieces/nehews, and our vegen aunt/cousin/ cousin's husband, and (this one is serious) our uber-celiac pre-teen niece. It's hard.

My Sister-in-law always does half a dozen vegetable recipes, and they are all good! I may need to come up with a vegen something-or-other for our aunt's contingent, but my main concern is my 11-year-old niece who truly cannot have gluten. The rest can pick and choose, and should be accustomed to it

 
I strictly pay zero attention and find that way too much energy...

.... is spent in trying to reach some type of self-inflicted perfection

it's all about getting a nice comfy meal together for friends and or family

 
I have always admired the folks who have some sort of diet restriction who bring

one or two dishes they can eat to all food occasions. Years ago, the volunteers with the pet therapy group were invited to a medical facility we all visited with our therapy dogs. A lady I did not know sat at the table and when the meal was served she quietly pulled out a bento box style container from her oversize bag. When I asked about it, she briefly and quietly told me she had a multitude of eating issues and did not want to make it difficult on any host serving the meal. "I always bring my own food, and if I am attending a private dinner for the first time, I tell the hostess to cook what she loves, and that I will be bringing something for me"
I don't think I will ever forget that lady. Frankly, I think it is safer for those with eating issues to bring their own food....and so much easier on the hostess.

 
You are right about that Sally, but you are a very good cook and seem to breeze through it all so

well. I used to do the same thing. Now, it is harder. Just when I am finished getting my menu for Thanksgiving together, I realize there is the days after, when company is still there, and I have three meals a day to plan for. Kids want to eat, men want to eat, I can take the women shopping and we usually grab a nice salad.

 
I say make it easy for you.....

... leftovers are the best thing, nothing wrong with ordering a pizza as everyone can find a topping they like

of course there are the gluten-free types, I hope you don't have to accommodate to those too!

and i agree with you about your friend who brought her bento box - impressive woman! Plus, her restrictions are real, what I hate is having to accommodate to people who imagine their intolerance - to gluten, to carbs, to fat

why not stay home if you are going to be so inflexible?

 
What is everyone doing for dessert? My family is not big on desserts, especially at Thanksgiving

when everyone is so full. I found that ice cream cones or ice cream and a home made cookie have gone over very well. This year I thought I'd buy pumpkin ice cream and make a caramel sauce, the sprinkle candied almonds on top.
Anyone have a killer caramel sauce that is easy to make?

 
I know, isn't butter what we are all supposed to be thankful for?

Actually, my vegan relatives are very sweet and non-preachy, so I have no problem making the extra effort. But in my work with community gardens, I encounter the most obnoxious ideologues! Makes me want to move the grill right next to their garden plots and cook hot dogs, burgers, steak, etc. every day.

 
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