Happy Thanksgiving/I'm thankful for...

[maflynn]

I want to wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving. I know other countries celebrate this holiday at a different time, but I wish everyone a happy thanksgiving.

I'm thankful to be blessed so richly, its hard to enumerate them all. I tend to whine and complain a lot, with lots of anxiety sprinkled in, for good measure, but when I sit back and think about it. I truly am richly blessed; my salvation through Jesus Christ, my family who puts up with so much of quirks. My health/fitness and I'm just thankful I surrounded by people who love me.

I'll have a full house with family (we have a tiny house, so it won't take much), with lots of food, the football game and everyone enjoying themselves

 

[Apple fanboy]

Enjoy your turkey, pumpkin pie and other treats.
Happy Thanksgiving to all my US MR friends.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Enjoy your turkey, pumpkin pie and other treats.
Happy Thanksgiving to all my US MR friends.

I echo @Apple fanboy's sentiments and take this opportunity to wish all of my US MR friends a very enjoyable, (and fulfilling), and above all, a very Happy Thanksgiving.

 

[dmr727]

Happy Thanksgiving to all! We have a small group this year - six adults, two kids, two dogs, and entirely too much food.

 

[Certificate of Excellence]

I’m in the grips of Thanksgiving meal production. The turkey is in the roaster with about 45 minutes to go and then a 20 minute rest, the Smokey ham is in crock pot on low as it has reached a nice serving temperature of 165F, the green bean and sweet potato casseroles are in the small Wolf oven and my dinner rolls are on their downward half of their proof.

The pies were baked last night (a cherry, two spiced pumpkin and two maple pecan) which leaves the mashed potatoes, succotash, Brussels sprouts, turkey gravy and the turkey green chile gravy … and we’ll have crossed the finish with another big successful TG celebration on the books.

Love seeing my family I don’t get to see much like my brother who flew in last night at 11:20 (woof!!) and lives about 1200’miles away

My mom n dad should be rolling up around 2pm with my dads family famous deviled eggs

 

[S.B.G]

I give gratitude to today for tomorrow is never promised.

 

[WriteNow]

dinner rolls are on their downward half of their proof.

Those rolls look really good!

Love seeing my family I don’t get to see much

I'm envious. My immediate family is gone, and it seems somewhat unlikely that I'll ever have a family holiday gathering to go to again.

Back when I was a teenager, I honestly thought it seemed ridiculous the way that one of my grandmothers made such a big fuss when she got all of her kids (and their families) back under her roof again.

But now, years later, with so many of these people now gone, I now understand with sad clarity why she was so happy to have everyone together.

brother who flew in last night at 11:20 (woof!!) and lives about 1200’miles away

I bet his arms were tired. LOL

 

[Certificate of Excellence]

Happy Thanksgiving to all! We have a small group this year - six adults, two kids, two dogs, and entirely too much food.

This is always the case here as well despite having usually around 14-18 eaters show up. We send a bunch back up north in care packages with family, so we dont get left with too much (which is preferred) once it's all packed up and on its way. My wife and I met in a professional kitchen and as such have very similar kitchen mannerisms/behaviors and work very, very well together, delineating tasks as needed. It's fun for us, so we enjoy the big lift and all of the food for folks to enjoy.

Outside of seeing family, catching up & cooking with my wife, my other favorite thing about Thanksgiving is the big turkey carcass and all of the delicious, rich & velvety stock I'll get from it

 

[WriteNow]

my other favorite thing about Thanksgiving is the big turkey carcass and all of the delicious, rich & velvety stock I'll get from it

I heard a story that my paternal grandmother would make turkey soup using the carcass every year.

Apparently, my father thought that this would be a fine tradition for us to carry on. He rushed out and got a huge stockpot. I can only barely remember it, but I would guess that it was probably at least 16 quarts.

I gather my mother was less than thrilled by the idea of making turkey soup, and she positively hated the stock pot. Years later she told me that the stock pot was a flimsy piece of junk.

We did get some good use out of it, though, because I had a lot of fun playing with it when I was a little kid. I was very saddened the day it vanished to the attic to catch drips from a roof leak.

On the other hand, my mother probably said to herself, "Good riddance."

Being frugal today, I can see a real argument for using the carcass to make stock.

I think I have only had turkey soup once, at least that I recall. It was made by somebody who gave a jar to me. It was an interesting experience--I guess I was curious about turkey soup, having heard the story about my paternal grandmother making it--but the stock wasn't strained sufficiently, and so there were some little bits of bone in it.

 

[dmr727]

Oof. Too much food, and too much wine. Another successful Thanksgiving!

Hope everyone had a wonderful one.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I'm envious. My immediate family is gone, and it seems somewhat unlikely that I'll ever have a family holiday gathering to go to again.

Back when I was a teenager, I honestly thought it seemed ridiculous the way that one of my grandmothers made such a big fuss when she got all of her kids (and their families) back under her roof again.

But now, years later, with so many of these people now gone, I now understand with sad clarity why she was so happy to have everyone together.

I hear you.

And I completely agree with you.

And, as a characteristically curmudgeonly, alienated adolescent, my ill-tempered thoughts about Yuletide family gatherings were identical to yours.

As, indeed, are my current feelings, informed by a more mature perspective, a more adult sensibility, infused with the critically sharpened clarity of (belated) understanding.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

This is always the case here as well despite having usually around 14-18 eaters show up. We send a bunch back up north in care packages with family, so we dont get left with too much (which is preferred) once it's all packed up and on its way. My wife and I met in a professional kitchen and as such have very similar kitchen mannerisms/behaviors and work very, very well together, delineating tasks as needed. It's fun for us, so we enjoy the big lift and all of the food for folks to enjoy.

Sounds wonderful.

Outside of seeing family, catching up & cooking with my wife, my other favorite thing about Thanksgiving is the big turkey carcass and all of the delicious, rich & velvety stock I'll get from it

I never much cared for turkey, but the one thing I was always most partial to was that rich, velvety, divine stock, out of which one could make the most amazing gravy.

As a child, I will confess that I was not above an occasional (sneaky, surreptitious) slurp (aided by a capacious dessert spoon) from the gravy jug that played host to that nectar, before it reached the table, to be served in a gravy boat.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Those rolls look really good!



I'm envious. My immediate family is gone, and it seems somewhat unlikely that I'll ever have a family holiday gathering to go to again.

Back when I was a teenager, I honestly thought it seemed ridiculous the way that one of my grandmothers made such a big fuss when she got all of her kids (and their families) back under her roof again.

But now, years later, with so many of these people now gone, I now understand with sad clarity why she was so happy to have everyone together.



I bet his arms were tired. LOL

I'll be honest I don't miss those awkward conversations about where we would spend Christmas and have dinner. As both my parents and Mrs AFB were divorced and none of them lived in the same town as each other or us, it used to be a right pain when Miss AFB was small. I'm glad we don't 'have' to go anywhere anymore.

 

[maflynn]

Back when I was a teenager, I honestly thought it seemed ridiculous the way that one of my grandmothers made such a big fuss when she got all of her kids (and their families) back under her roof again.

Much of my family is either too old to get together or have already passed on. My mother and I was reminiscing the other day about those holiday meals and laughing at how things where. She's too old and frail to attend a holiday meal, my other aunts are older and that much more unlikely to be out.

My wife, daughters and step son had a nice time, and I hope that I've instilled similar memories for my kids (who are now adults).

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I'll be honest I don't miss those awkward conversations about where we would spend Christmas and have dinner. As both my parents and Mrs AFB were divorced and none of them lived in the same town as each other or us, it used to be a right pain when Miss AFB was small. I'm glad we don't 'have' to go anywhere anymore.

I hear you.

Actually, I have always found the 'performative' - aspect of Christmas (and, I daresay, Thanksgiving in the US), rather off-putting.

This is because, at worst, this is a world, or mindset, where the ideal of collective contentment often forced families (often locked together in an unwilling coerced proximity) into assuming an appearance of faked happiness, and, even where mutual loathing hadn't replaced mutual love, for a variety of reasons, (dislike, or distance - physical or psychological - or character clashes, or financial pressures, health issues, loss, death, and so on...) many families are unable to replicate, or cos-play, the roles demanded of society of a happy family.

For those who enjoy, or relish, the company of close loved ones, it can be an amazing, enriching and uplifting time.

However, this does not, unfortunately, apply to everyone.

 

[Certificate of Excellence]

Sounds wonderful.

I never much cared for turkey, but the one thing I was always most partial to was that rich, velvety, divine stock, out of which one could make the most amazing gravy.

As a child, I will confess that I was not above an occasional (sneaky, surreptitious) slurp (aided by a capacious dessert spoon) from the gravy jug that played host to that nectar, before it reached the table, to be served in a gravy boat.

Honestly, I also am not much of a fan of Turkey either and is why I always cook a ham too lol. Really the favorite part of turkey for me too is the stock that comes from the carcass because it is deeply savory, rich and one can craft all manners of soups, stews, chowders and lovely gravy/sauces with it.

Now here comes the heart break . My sister in law and brother volunteered to do the cleanup/dishes as they both watched us make this dinner starting the day prior. We of course clean as we go to minimize dishes but after a meal of 14+ people, dishes, flatware, cups stack up. Anyways, this was an amazing gesture, so of course in my tryptophan induced stupor said yes. They did a bang up job and in their efforts, threw out my carcass (!!!!!). Neither are cooks and had zero idea that I make stocks with those toasty bones & cartilage-y bits or what that is really, they were just showing love and thanks for the effort and meal and that was that. It was on me really as I didn’t snap thus did not tell them to save it for me as I should have.

Well, there is always next year or maybe I’ll find some cheap discounted turkey bobas n bits that I can roast off for some stocks.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Honestly, I also am not much of a fan of Turkey either and is why I always cook a ham too lol. Really the favorite part of turkey for me too is the stock that comes from the carcass because it is deeply savory, rich and one can craft all manners of soups, stews, chowders and lovely gravy/sauces with it.

Now here comes the heart break . My sister in law and brother volunteered to do the cleanup/dishes as they both watched us make this dinner starting the day prior. We of course clean as we go to minimize dishes but after a meal of 14+ people, dishes, flatware, cups stack up. Anyways, this was an amazing gesture, so of course in my tryptophan induced stupor said yes. They did a bang up job and in their efforts, threw out my carcass (!!!!!). Neither are cooks and had zero idea that I make stocks with those toasty bones & cartilage-y bits or what that is really, they were just showing love and thanks for the effort and meal and that was that. It was on me really as I didn’t snap thus did not tell them to save it for me as I should have.

Well, there is always next year or maybe I’ll find some cheap discounted turkey bobas n bits that I can roast off for some stocks.

You have my deepest sympathy; I do feel for you, and would suffer equally at the thought of that turkey carcass having disappeared to its destiny among the assorted food rubbish.