Thanksgiving Meal Plans

[Moemg]

For years I have seen very fine hotels and restaurants have these big buffets at Thanksgiving for more money than I would normally spend for a meal (which would be anything over $30 for one meal), but I never booked cause it was so pricey(they run about $70-100 each now) once I added costs for a couple people. Well, this year it is just me, so I am taking myself to a big holiday buffet at one of these places where they have 5 buffet groupings cooked by a top Chef...hee, hee, hee... Might as well treat myself well I say! Yeah, I know I can't eat that much, but what the heck...once I will probably do this only.

...

Have a great time !

 

[WhoDaresWins]

For years I have seen very fine hotels and restaurants have these big buffets at Thanksgiving for more money than I would normally spend for a meal (which would be anything over $30 for one meal), but I never booked cause it was so pricey(they run about $70-100 each now) once I added costs for a couple people. Well, this year it is just me, so I am taking myself to a big holiday buffet at one of these places where they have 5 buffet groupings cooked by a top Chef...hee, hee, hee... Might as well treat myself well I say! Yeah, I know I can't eat that much, but what the heck...once I will probably do this only.

You know, I loved being a mother...but I think I'm going to enjoy also these next 20-30 years in geezerhood and worrying essentially just about myself for a change....well, until I get grandchildren, of course. Some habits do die hard....

Sounds like a nice plan Orchidflower! If it weren't for my aunt, I would be happy staying at home with the best companion in the world (my dog) and maybe eating some shrimp with spicy cocktail sauce while I watched the Macy's parade. Enjoy, you deserve it. The dog is traveling with me to my aunt's. I don't care much for capon so I hope he will help me eat my share.

 

[happy2bretired]

Orchidflower, that sounds wonderful. That's how I would like to spend either Thanksgiving or Christmas. Someday I will.

 

[kyounge1956]

I'm going with my parents to dinner at the home of some friends of theirs. The transportation problems are ironed out—I'm taking the bus down to their house after work today, and another guest with four-wheel-drive will pick us all up there. It's only a few blocks from my parents' house to the host's home, but very hilly and probably still snow and ice on it unless the warm weather and rain show up early. Friday I think Mom & I will make the fruitcakes, and maybe a visit to a cousin who is staying nearby.

 

[citrine]

BF and I are hosting our first Thanksgiving at our new place He is cooking the meal (turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, green bean casserole, stuffing) and I am making the pumpkin pies!

 

[Rambler]

We will be with DS and his GF for Thanksgiving. They only have tiny shared apts with tiny little kitchens, so we intend to go out to a restaurant of Ds's choice. He hasn't chosen yet, and most of them around here (Utah Valley) seem to be closed for T-day. I bought a small ham and some stuff to go with it, just in case, and will just give it all to DS if we end up going out, or we'll eat it if everything is closed. So, we are covered, but I was hoping he could get the plan together even if I am the sponsor. (The ham and modest fixins are just my belt and suspenders personality showing thru again).

R

 

[mickeyd]

A bit OT, but good for Thanksgiving table banter.

THINGS THAT SOUND DIRTY AT THANKSGIVING, BUT AREN'T...

"Whew, that's one terrific spread!"
"I'm in the mood for a little dark meat."
"Tying the legs together keeps the inside moist."
"Talk about a huge breast!"
"It's Cool Whip time!"
"If I don't undo my pants, I'll burst!"
"Are you ready for seconds yet?"
"It's a little dry, do you still want to eat it?"
"Just wait your turn, you'll get some!"
"Don't play with your meat."
"Just spread the legs open & stuff it in."
"Do you think you'll be able to handle all these people at once?"
"I didn't expect everyone to come at once!"
"You still have a little bit on your chin."
"Use a nice smooth stroke when you whip it."
"How long will it take after you stick it in?"
"You'll know it's ready when it pops up."
"Wow, I didn't think I could handle all of that!"
"How many are coming?"
"That's the biggest one I've ever seen!"
"Just lay back & take it easy... I'll do the rest."
"How long do I beat it before it's ready

 

[calmloki]

Well, it's just me in our new place in La Quinta California, or rather the cat and me. My honey is up with her Mom and sister - Mom's pretty much on the path out, my gal has been staying up there and getting sleep in 2 hour increments the last three weeks of caregiving. Her sister is somewhere on the militant Pluto side of vegetarian, so Thanksgiving will be a handfull of smuggled in cashews - salted! - for my gal. I'll be tucking in to a hearty helping of Costco meatloaf with mashed potatoes - or maybe I'll pair more of the brown rice I cooked last night with a chicken pot pie. That brown rice was pretty good - much more protracted cooking compared to white minute rice, but great flavour.

On the good side, we are mighty shy of plates and bowls and furniture here - that's all on hold till the arbiter of style is back with me - so I don't have to worry about matching plates for her and I at dinner - and the cat is not at all picky.

Got an email from someone who owes us a tall stack of bucks - he has managed to pay almost one half month's interest to us in the last year - he's lost his home, one of their cars, has a hospital hounding him for his son's uninsured surgery, has about what he made in a month coming in as his annual income, can't come up with enough money for health insurance for his family...

He says:
...
"I have NO WAY of paying money out today. I am trying to work a night job to save money for Christmas gifts for my kids. I promised my wife that we would have a normal holidays in our new home. After the first of the year... I will find something that will lead to bigger paydays and will resume some sort of real repayment schedule to you.
....
PLEASE have a fantastic Thanksgiving. I will regardless of my income. I have learned to not measure my successes by dollars and cents in recent years!! My wife and kids are my strength and lighthouse. I hope that you get to spend the holidays with loved ones too.

I am going to have Thanksgiving with my father and grandfather. My kids will be eating with their Great Grandfather!! How many kids can say that this Thanksgiving??

Happy Holidays and Warm Regards!!!"


Get that kind of email and it makes me feel truely thankful for our situation.

 

[NW-Bound]

By consensus, we usually have the Thanksgiving meal starting at lunch. As most of us live in town, we are regrouping for another assault on the food, after each going home after lunch to take a rest or siesta. I myself am taking an interlude before going out to the dining room to pretend to eat some more. Why do we always have eye bigger than stomach when preparing food? When will we ever learn?

 

[Orchidflower]

I had American Indian cuisine for Thanksgiving today

For what it's worth--and if anyone is still looking at this thread--I went to a big dinner today hosted by a Navajo chef who specializes in American Indian cuisine. Very interesting.
He had a huge variety of foods and soups there--along with a specially cooked turkey and gourmet fixings--but the appetizers were all American Indian dishes and he has gobs and gobs of them. There must have been 50 varieties of American Indian appetizers there. (Yes, there was a main table of gourmet turkey and sides, but the appetizers were strictly American Indian cusine.)
Here is what I learned that surprised me: Seems that the Indians didn't spice their foods much!!! Not many herbs at all that I could taste, and this was agreed by a nearby table of foodies, also. I wasn't the only one that noticed it.
Everything was fresh and really all natural, and the food did use unusual berries, garlic and mint--but didn't taste anything like thyme, basil, oregano and so forth. Interesting.
This is the first time this Chef has put this on at the main museum in town, and I figured it would be a once in a lifetime thing maybe. I enjoyed it alot, met some nice folks and tried to taste just a bite of everything he had cause I might never get it again.

Anyone else here ever have any American Indian cuisine?

 

[kyounge1956]

For what it's worth--and if anyone is still looking at this thread--I went to a big dinner today hosted by a Navajo chef who specializes in American Indian cuisine.(snip)
Here is what I learned that surprised me: Seems that the Indians didn't spice their foods much!!! Not many herbs at all that I could taste, and this was agreed by a nearby table of foodies, also. I wasn't the only one that noticed it.
Everything was fresh and really all natural, and the food did use unusual berries, garlic and mint--but didn't taste anything like thyme, basil, oregano and so forth. (snip)

Anyone else here ever have any American Indian cuisine?

I've never had American Indian cuisine, but I would guess that the reason you didn't taste any basil, thyme, or oregano is that they, along with most other common herbs, are native to the Old World.

 

[happy2bretired]

Orchid, you had a very original Thanksgiving. That sounds so interesting and fun. The only native American food that I've had was on a group tour of the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. We were served native food, picnic style. I don't remember what we had, but it was as good as was the scenery.

I love trying new food and getting a taste of such a variety of food is a real treat for me. You had a Thanksgiving to remember.

 

[Orchidflower]

I thought so, too. Even my son who graduated from a Cordon Bleu culinary school in Chicago (before going to the University) was impressed and said he would have paid for that, too. It was really interesting if nothing else.