Turkey Day

[bluepinecones]

Good Morning, ladies!
Hard to believe I'm opening the kitchen this morning. Has to be a quick trip thru here today. Coffee is ready and there are a few muffins available. Figured you'd like a small breakfast and save room for your turkey later.
My plans for the day have been changed by family so many times in the past 48 hours not sure I remember what's going on.
My husband's brother and his family had planned to come up from south GA for long weekend. His wife has family in town and while they stay at my house, they spend Thanksgiving Day with her family. Anyway, he called Wednesday morning and cancelled trip. Couple of them got up sick; maybe flu. This is only the third or fourth time in about thirty years that they have not been here for the holiday weekend.
My sister and her 2 girls had originally said they wanted to eat out today so that was the plan until about 4:00 yesterday. Now they are coming here for mid-afternoon meal. I made a mad dash to store; no turkey breast left. Had to get a whole one but it is small and probably cost about the same. Sister is bringing a couple of casseroles. We seem to always end up with too much but think we've paired it down to about right this time.
Plans for most of day are for packing up niece's apartment as she is moving in with her mother.

Hope each of you have a great day. Check out this link for creative food sculpture..

http://www.jacquielawson.com/viewcard.asp?code=WQ26144948

[oregontocal]

I love Jacquie Lawson cards!

Bluepinecones, it sounds like your Thanksgiving plans are those made in Jell-o. I'm sure it will be a good day, wherever and whatever you all eat.

I turned my RV around yesterday to get more sun. It originally faced north and stayed pretty much in the dark all day. Now it's at an angle and gets morning and afternoon sunshine. Amazing what a difference just a slight change can make. Right now that sun is beaming into the windows by my bed.

Community Thanksgiving dinner here at the campground later this afternoon with lots of people and good food, and nothing to fix. However, I did make the cookies. Oh, they're really good for breakfast.

[avalen]

good morning ladies and happy thanksgiving to all
Dinner today at ex's with daughter and hopefully son will show up.
Coffee is good this morning and a little toast with butter took up
that empty spot grumbling in my tummy.
Off to read new posts and then jump in the shower.
Enjoy your day.

[asirimarco]

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone from Amado, AZ. We drove only 40 miles south of Tucson to spend a couple of days. Drove in car to Nogales yesterday and exchanged some money 1 US$ = 12.50 pesos - not as good as last year. Went out to dinner last night to the Cow Palace - if you're ever in the area try it. It's at exit 48 off the I-19 - kind of out in the middle of nowhere. Going to do laundry this a.m. (miss my washer) then go see if the artisians are out in Tubac and probably dinner at the Cow Palace again They are having a big Thanksgiving menu.
This RV park is an old KOA that this couple just bought a couple of years ago. less than $20 a night. Good laundry and restrooms, big spaces, wifi and I think cable TV. NOt fancy but very friendly. There is a "Resort" right next door its over $40 a night. Noticing all the way here that more and more people are living in their RVs in campgrounds.
Small world got an email from a couple we met in Mexico 3 years ago - they moved to about 15 miles away from where we live in IN. Visits next summer.
Don't remember if I mentioned it - we ran out of propane in tucson - filled tank yesterday - it is 1/3rd the size of the one in the Alfa - going to need to remember that.
How can something as tiny as a bird sound so loud walking across the roof?
By fr now. and again Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.

[oregontocal]

"How can something as tiny as a bird sound so loud walking across the roof?"

LOL! It's when they all get together and tap dance!

[Getupngo]

Happy Thanksgiving all!

I'm mostly ready for today ... not a lot of cooking. Last night did the stuffing and made an orange-cranberry relish. I was up until midnight baking cookies so that when my son comes over after the in-laws'-turkeyathon, everyone (especially the 3 boys) can sit together, talk and laugh as we decorate the cookies.

There are two plates of cookies ... one hilarious group I made before I got my "cookie-legs" goin' on ... and one good-looking plate of perfectly (ahem!) formed ones (they all taste good, though). I bought some of those cheese-whiz type cans of frosting in different colors with different kinds of tips so the boys (and the rest of us) can draw on the cookies. I'll also put out several pots of frosting in different colors as well.

Bought an 18-lb turkey last week ... put it in the fridge to thaw Sunday night. Still hard as a rock this a.m., so I'm doing the cold water bath I was trying to avoid. But no panic. I use the high-temperature roasting technique. I'll be able to get that bird table-ready in three hours, crispy on the outside and impossibly moist.

Now, if I can just get the housekeeping fairy to visit before company comes ...

Have a wonderful day, everyone!

[Echo]

GOOD MORNING SISTAHS!!!

So far it's a quiet morning here. Well it was!!?? Just heard David squalling in the bedroom? Jenny must have pinched him again?? David and I were the only ones up. We were sitting outside talking and shooting his crossbow when Jenny called on the cell to tell him it was his turn with Conner. So he went back in. He had shot his crossbow a couple of times and while he did hit the target he was high of the bulls eye. hehehehe I shot once and was absolutely dead center of the bulls eye!!!!! Oh the look on his face!! It does my Mother's heart that I can still shock my 27yro son!!!

David and Jenny will be going to her Moms to cook then take stuff to her Aunts today for T-day. Kelly and I will be home. Then the kids on Saturday have to go with her Dad to his brothers for their T-day meal. I 'think' we are going to have ours on Sunday, but I'm not sure at this point???? ~sigh~

Kids went to take showers and I got Conner. Goodness they have such cute baby clothes now. Jenny had clothes she set out to dress him in after she took her shower. Well I ended up dressing him. He's wearing a little striped hoodie and corduroy pants. Now all he needs is mini work boots. HA! I did see some somewhere? They were actually socks done to look like boots. I will have to find them again and get a pair for him. There are also little socks done to look like cowboy boots!!!

Ok, had to take another mini break as I got Conner back again. Oh goodness he is a grumpy boy today. He is letting everyone know of his displeasure too.

Just wanted to jump in and wish everyone a super delicious Turkey Day.

Love to all

[mitch5252]

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And the feasting has begun at The Blue Marlin in NW TN - our lunch appetizer tray...



YUMMO!

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[Echo]

Ya'll are just to cruel!!!!

I grabbed a couple of turkey drumsticks out of the freezer, thawed them out and that's gonna be our turkey dinner today.

[jemek]

Well got the pies made yesterday.
The turkey is in the roaster.
The ham is in the crock pot.
The rolls are rising and will soon be in the oven. ( I have to put them in the bathroom with a space heater to get them to rise, as we keep our house on the cool side)

I have some veggies dishes to get done, but it should all be ready by 1-2 pm.

The kids are watching the Macy's parade on TV.

DH is cleaning up the kitchen from breakfast buffet.

MY mom send an email fro Greece, she is on a cruise with her younger sister. She did say they are doing a Thanksgiving Dinner on the ship, even though there are only 900 Americans on it.

I do have to say...I miss family on this day. We always had these huge family dinners growing up.

[Nasoosie]

Me, too, Kristy! I miss the huge family GTGs we once had. I still remember all those smells, the china plates that came out twice a year (Thanksgiving and Christmas) antique silverware and silver dishes all polished up nice and shiny, and all the wonderful times under the same roof. I still have those antique china plates and silverware and all, but the family is gone----all the ones above me are dead, and the ones below me in their own little spots now. But I did get to spend T-Day with one of my daughters, and that was nice.

Have a wonderful weekend, you all.

[jemek]

Me, too, Kristy! I miss the huge family GTGs we once had. I still remember all those smells, the china plates that came out twice a year (Thanksgiving and Christmas) antique silverware and silver dishes all polished up nice and shiny, and all the wonderful times under the same roof. I still have those antique china plates and silverware and all, but the family is gone----all the ones above me are dead, and the ones below me in their own little spots now. But I did get to spend T-Day with one of my daughters, and that was nice.

Have a wonderful weekend, you all.

That is exactly what it was like. We hosted them both, as we had the bigger house. I remember polishing the silverware..and cleaning up the China.
I have the dish sets. They are packed away in the basement. Mostly because we do not have room in the kitchen to keep them out. I would use them more often if they were out.

We had the adult tables and the kid tables.

It still sorta of occurs...although we are more spread out. My Brother and SIL host Thanksgiving..so now it has combined her family with what ones of ours are still in Idaho...which is really one of my other brothers and my sister and her family.

It has gotten to hard to make the drive over the 3 passes between here and there. Maybe someday we win the lottery and then can just fly home..LOL

[Echo]

Use to be like that back in the day.......

Use to have Thanksgiving at Mom and Dads. The whole family would be there, immediate family and out of town family. Usually totaled about 15 or 16 people. One year we had double that for Thanksgiving and we ended up having it at my house. Mom for some reason wasn't feeling well and they were having problems with their water. I was living in my Grandfathers old farm house with a extra large kitchen. OMG, 32 people (i think i counted them all?) adults and kids sat down for Thanksgiving. Hadn't really expected or bought for that many but it worked out. I had bought the biggest turkey I could find so I cooked mine, my Mom cooked a turkey and a ham she had planned to do up at her house. My Uncle, his woman and in all 3 kids were in from NH staying at Moms. The kitchen table I had at that time would sit 12 comfortably but could do 16 at a pinch. X set up a make-shift table in the living room. We had food on the tables, on the plywood covering the sinks, on the washer, on the dryer and of course on the stove. What a hungry hoard!!! Good thing it was cold that year as I didn't have enough room for all the leftovers even after we sent stuff home with people. I ended up putting leftovers out on the back porch where we stacked out firewood. One good thing about it was the fact that Mom and I didn't have to touch a single dish, pot, pan or roaster!!! There were enough other women there that they did shifts to get all the dishes done.

I really, really miss that family type of Thanksgiving. There's only me and my two older brothers left and each has their other half and I have my 2 kids. But we are scattered and there's to many miles and not enough time to get all of us together. I guess it's pretty much the same for a lot of people. But it just seemed like when Mom and Dad both were gone in '94' that the rest of us simple fell or drifted apart.

Life's a *itch sometimes.

[BirdbyBird]

I remember a few Thanksgivings from when I was little and my parents were still together.....I remember the cousins coming and the children's table. I also remember the holiday dinners at my MIL when she was still alive....even as she got older and didn't want to fuss...we would tell her to go with paper and potluck but we were coming! It was about good food and family. Unfortunately many of the other holiday dinners were under the direction of my SM were it was all about which fort you picked up, and all the PROPERness of dining.....I remember telling her I had a paper to write in college so that I didn't have time to come home for Thanksgiving. The stories around that table were not joyful and warrm....and you felt drained instead of full...... When my father was still alive we would gather to be with him....I can still hear her complaining that we weren't coming down into the living room to sit in comfortable chairs....no...we were sitting up near Dad, who could no longer navigate the five steps to the open living room and couldn't hear well enough unless we were sitting with him So I still often would rather eat peanut butter sandwiches rather than attend some family gathering.... I am hoping that the next generation will do better. It just skipped me.

[mitch5252]

I remember a few Thanksgivings from when I was little and my parents were still together.....I remember the cousins coming and the children's table. I also remember the holiday dinners at my MIL when she was still alive....even as she got older and didn't want to fuss...we would tell her to go with paper and potluck but we were coming! It was about good food and family. Unfortunately many of the other holiday dinners were under the direction of my SM were it was all about which fort you picked up, and all the PROPERness of dining.....I remember telling her I had a paper to write in college so that I didn't have time to come home for Thanksgiving. The stories around that table were not joyful and warrm....and you felt drained instead of full...... When my father was still alive we would gather to be with him....I can still hear her complaining that we weren't coming down into the living room to sit in comfortable chairs....no...we were sitting up near Dad, who could no longer navigate the five steps to the open living room and couldn't hear well enough unless we were sitting with him So I still often would rather eat peanut butter sandwiches rather than attend some family gathering.... I am hoping that the next generation will do better. It just skipped me.

And yet you treat your step-mother with such care.
Seems to me that your Mom did a great job!!

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