Thanksgiving

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ray-- hope your son does well and has no further serious consequences from Covid.
 
We get frozen turkey breast regularly (several times a month) and do it in the crock pot with onion soup mix. Yeah, that's it. The easiest recipe in the world, even me, a cave man, can do it. Walmart curbside substitutes a boneless, but we order bone-in for more flavor.

This time, I'm doing a 23 pound full-bird. I pull the bird from the fridge a few hours before cooking and flip it over onto ice to keep the breast meat cold while the legs and thighs warm up a little (a trick from America's Test Kitchen). The breast is best cooked to 165 and the legs thighs are better hotter. The default, though, is for the breast to overcook while you wait for the thighs to get done. The ice trick gives the thighs a "head start". I use a smoker called "Orion Cooker" which I modified to use propane instead of charcoal. I target 275F for the chamber. My notes from Christmas 2019 show 6.7 minutes per pound got the breast and thighs to 165F at the same time, but the starting temperature was 18F different. I'm looking for a 25F difference in starting temps this cook by extending the ice time.
 
I had hoped to see my 89 year old mother for Thanksgiving tomorrow --outside and masked. But she called me earlier and said one of her neighbors in the CCRC independent living has tested positive and DM has been around her so mother is now in quarantine and very depressed about it. I will still drive 1.5 hours each way to drop off a turkey dinner for DM (that I picked up earlier today from one of our favorite restaurants) and I will wave at mother through the window. An earlier poster said that this is just one Thanksgivng and that there will be other Thanksgivings but that may not be true when you are age 89 and have been exposed to Covid.
 
Gumby said:
A gathering is more than one person. Gatherings are allowed if the people gathered are already in the same household. That is, people who currently live together every day.
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Interesting. I thought that was just everyday life of sitting down to dinner. Thanks.
 
We will be picking up MIL at her place and bringing her out to our house for Thanksgiving dinner. Just the 3 of us. Not the usual 10.

We visit her about every 2-3 days to bring her to appt's, grocery runs, etc. So Thanksgiving won't be any more risky than any other day that we are with her.
 
Stopped in a Costco for my Alaskan King Crab around noon. The parking lot was full, but the check out only had 2 or 3 in each line. They had plenty of crab, the largest legs I've ever seen! Each leg weighed at least a pound. I got a little under 4 pounds. Cost was $26.99 a pound, so right at $100. It may sound a lot for two people, but we plan to really indulge since it's just the two of us. I'll steam some, have some drawn butter w/garlic for dipping.
 
skipro33 said:
Stopped in a Costco for my Alaskan King Crab around noon. The parking lot was full, but the check out only had 2 or 3 in each line. They had plenty of crab, the largest legs I've ever seen! Each leg weighed at least a pound. I got a little under 4 pounds. Cost was $26.99 a pound, so right at $100. It may sound a lot for two people, but we plan to really indulge since it's just the two of us. I'll steam some, have some drawn butter w/garlic for dipping.
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That sounds great! Enjoy!

You seem to be up against a lot right now. Some simple pleasure sounds appropriate.
 
Major Tom said:
If Thanksgiving goes well, I may spend Christmas Day on my own as well. Am still figuring that one out. I do enjoy the company of a select few, but really enjoy being alone as well. Besides, I have a cat. I am never truly on my own :LOL:
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I will be spending Thanksgiving alone and probably Christmas. Early in my working career, I spent several Thanksgivings by myself. My closest family was 4 hours away and I was building up my vacation leave for Christmas and did not get the Friday off as a holiday. It wasn't too bad but Christmas was a different story. I was alone for a couple of those and got rather depressed but your cat should make it better.

My neighbors put out luminarias on Christmas Eve and I plan to do the same and then take a walk through the area after dark to enjoy the lights. Normally I am out of state for Christmas and miss the luminarias. There is usually a lot of camaraderie between households while they assemble and light their displays and other neighbors will also be walking through the neighborhood. I am looking forward to this and think it will lift my spirits. Plus I am older now so being alone on Christmas may not be as much of an issue.
 
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The turkey size thing is interesting. We've always tried to get a smaller bird but that wasn't happening this year. We got the smallest bird we could get, just under 15 lbs. That's a bigger bird than we need but we like the leftovers. We even make soup from the carcass.

Just spent the morning dicing onion and celery for the stuffing. Bird goes in the oven in 2 hours.
 
cooked the bird yesterday and took the pre-made meal to drop off at DD house.
DS will be here for our dinner later, after he gets home from work.

Hope everyone has a happy, safe Thanksgiving today!
 
Tiny 14 lb'er is in the oven.
Have to transport it to DM, DSis, & DBil house.
I've been cooking for them twice a week and driving them to Dr. appointments the last 5 months anyway. I see no additional risk.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
 
harllee said:
I had hoped to see my 89 year old mother for Thanksgiving tomorrow --outside and masked. But she called me earlier and said one of her neighbors in the CCRC independent living has tested positive and DM has been around her so mother is now in quarantine and very depressed about it. I will still drive 1.5 hours each way to drop off a turkey dinner for DM (that I picked up earlier today from one of our favorite restaurants) and I will wave at mother through the window. An earlier poster said that this is just one Thanksgivng and that there will be other Thanksgivings but that may not be true when you are age 89 and have been exposed to Covid.
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I just got back from delivering a Thanksgiving meal to my 89 year old mother. Since she is in quarantine she stayed inside behind glass and I stayed outside and we talked by cellphone. She was crying and by the time it was over I was crying. At the end she said she was worried she would never be able to see me again. This was probably the worst Thanksgiving ever for me.
 
At our house it is dinner for two (turkey breast with all the traditional sides) and a jigsaw puzzle.

This is the quietest Thanksgiving I’ve ever had. I much prefer the large groups, conversations, and games after dinner. Hopefully that will happen next year.
 
Philliefan33 said:
This is the quietest Thanksgiving I’ve ever had. I much prefer the large groups, conversations, and games after dinner. Hopefully that will happen next year.
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Same here, it was me and DW with a simple steak dinner, mashed potatoes and some veggies. Hopefully we'll make up for it with a boisterous party next year.
 
Sadly, there will just be the two of us. One of our sons moved to Reno, 500 miles away, and our other son flew up to be with him. DW is upset abut him flying, but what can you do?
For dinner we are have one of those little boneless turkey breasts, green beans with almonds and bacon, homemade cranberry sauce and of course dressing.
As usual we mix it in a 10 gallon plastic tub and freeze a bunch of it. When we were first seeing each other we would meet halfway between our homes.
It was right after Thanksgiving, and DW gave me some of her leftover dressing from her Thanksgiving dinner. It was delicious, and I asked if there was any more. She told me, "Not until next Thanksgiving". Well life is funny, because by the next Thanksgiving, we were married and spent it with her family. Plus, I did not have to wait for leftovers:D
 
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One of our neigbhors have their relatives from neighboring state staying for the long weekend.
They made a show of eating their lunch outside, but what is the point? :rolleyes:

People simply refuse to believe that their loved ones could potentially be infected.
 
harllee said:
I just got back from delivering a Thanksgiving meal to my 89 year old mother. Since she is in quarantine she stayed inside behind glass and I stayed outside and we talked by cellphone. She was crying and by the time it was over I was crying. At the end she said she was worried she would never be able to see me again. This was probably the worst Thanksgiving ever for me.
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I'm so sorry for you and your Mom, I hope you can see each other again soon when she is out of quarantine.
 
Eight people in attendance, four from here in Texas, and four from California (two couples arriving on separate days this week). Have already gotten together for lunch at a sit-down restaurant yesterday. High exposure for my DW and I. I didn't want any of this. DW did, so I lost. BIL and his wife will be here until next Tuesday.

To add insult to injury, BIL dropped and shattered a 36+ year-old crystal glass on our newish (year and a half) granite kitchen countertop. We hadn't lost any of our crystal glasses since the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989, and that includes packing up all of the fine crystal glasses (22) and moving them 1,700 miles to Texas from California by the moving service we hired.

Next Tuesday can't come soon enough. :mad:
 
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statsman said:
Eight people in attendance, four from here in Texas, and four from California (two couples arriving on separate days this week). Have already gotten together for lunch at a sit-down restaurant yesterday. High exposure for my DW and I. I didn't want any of this. DW did, so I lost. BIL and his wife will be here until next Tuesday.

To add insult to injury, BIL dropped and shattered a 36+ year-old crystal glass on our newish (year and a half) granite kitchen countertop. We hadn't lost any of our crystal glasses since the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989, and that includes packing up all of the fine crystal glasses (22) and moving them 1,700 miles to Texas from California by the moving service we hired.

Next Tuesday can't come soon enough. :mad:
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Is your wife truly aware your feelings on this?
"losing"? This isn't of the same magnitude as your wife's color choice overriding yours.

.


.
 
statsman said:
To add insult to injury, BIL dropped and shattered a 36+ year-old crystal glass on our newish (year and a half) granite kitchen countertop. We hadn't lost any of our crystal glasses since the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989, and that includes packing up all of the fine crystal glasses (22) and moving them 1,700 miles to Texas from California by the moving service we hired.

:mad:
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I am sorry for your glass breakage. mine survived the Northridge quake and we were 4 miles from the epicenter.
May I suggest you try either Replacements Ltd or eBay to replace it. I had to do that when I broke a piece of our Waterford stemware.
 
statsman said:
Eight people in attendance, four from here in Texas, and four from California (two couples arriving on separate days this week). Have already gotten together for lunch at a sit-down restaurant yesterday. High exposure for my DW and I. I didn't want any of this. DW did, so I lost. BIL and his wife will be here until next Tuesday.

To add insult to injury, BIL dropped and shattered a 36+ year-old crystal glass on our newish (year and a half) granite kitchen countertop. We hadn't lost any of our crystal glasses since the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989, and that includes packing up all of the fine crystal glasses (22) and moving them 1,700 miles to Texas from California by the moving service we hired.

Next Tuesday can't come soon enough. :mad:
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I feel sorry for you.
 
Had a successful t-day. Only person outside our immediate bubble (our house plus younger son's girlfriend who is here daily) was my sister. She came in through the sideyard to the backyard. We wore masks until we ate - and had seating separated with adirondaks with side tables. We had 1 person serve up the plates to order, and younger son was the 'runner'. (This limited exposure by only having one person serve up.) My sister left when the sun went down (got chilly) and we moved inside for jigsaw puzzle time.

If it weren't for covid we would have had a family style dinner. I miss that.

But the food was great.
 
Thanksgiving for two, then we zoomed with my sister and brother in law who were also eating alone at their house. My nieces joined the call for a little while. One niece has her family in quarantine now because her daughter brought Covid home from college. She then passed it to her father. Right now they just feel a little under the weather, hopefully it gets no worse than that.

My daughter, SIL and grandkids were invited to a friends house. I hate not being able to see them, but they have too many people that they interact with daily. I just can't risk it. My daughter posted a video on FB of my 2 year old granddaughter having fun playing with the friend's grandmother. That cut like a knife.
 
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