I think it's time to call everyone coming (except Paul) and ask them to bring something to help you out. You shouldn't have to furnish a whole meal for seven. If they don't bring anything serve what you are cooking proudly with no appologizes. Your menu sounds good, but I'd only make one kind of squash and sweet potatoes. Don't make too much work for yourself.

I know you're excited to have your family--I would be, too. But don't do so much you are too tired to enjoy the day. And if there are no leftovers for sandwiches, so be it.

When people keep inviting themselves and others they get what they're offered and if they don't like it, stop at Burger King on the way home! This is why holidays bug me a lot.

Don't kill yourself. Personally, if I were you I'd make it as easy on myself/yourself as possible. Canned gravy is just fine. Pick up side dishes at a deli. If you're worried about the bird, maybe get a turkey breast or a small ham to go with it. Tell someone else to bring one, COOKED and in broth and you'll heat it up. For tablecloth? Get out a sheet and put on the table. It'll cover everything up and be covered up. Don't stress out over it. You should be able to enjoy the holiday too. I'd also ask which ones are volunteering to wash dishes afterward too!

And as far as glasses, if you feel a need places like Kmart, Walmart and Target have lots of cheap glasses but then again if you have plastic, let them drink from plastic! If they don't like it, have them bring in their travel mugs and give their beverage to go!

And tell several of them to be their early to vacuum, make store runs, set things up... and bring their own dang Cool Whip! LOL

There's nothing wrong with nice paper plates and cups - helps with the clean up afterwards too.

I agree that you could probably skip the squash. I think a broccoli salad of some sort would be a good addition. You have a lot of carbs planned already.

I like asking guests to bring a dish too when there is a large group of people like you will be having.

I'm not sure when the Canadian Thanksgiving is... pretty soon though, right?

Anne--no advise, except paper plates are good along with those plastic glasses. Just sending you BIG hugs for your meal. Relax and do not be afraid to ask for help. Especially on cooking and clean up.

I agree about the plastic cups and the sheet for a table cloth. Once all the food is on the table, no one will notice what its sitting on anyway. And also asking everyone to bring a dish, thats a great idea.
My only advise would be to ENJOY it as much as you can, you might not ever have this group of people together all at once again......

Thanks, I always use paper fancy paper plates and napkins but this year the grocery store didn't have them and I have no way to get to a store now. I don't drive and never have so therein lies one of my problems to get out to get the things I need.

Cynic, I never thought about using a sheet and I have a white top sheet in a drawer somewhere that I don't use. I will go outside and get some red maple leaves to put on it for a little colour.

Broccoli salad is a good idea, I make it all the time but I don't have bacon but I can make it without. I knew I would get better ideas coming here.

LOL I may help with the cleaning up but my niece and her boyfriend can do the dishes. LOLOL Laura is pretty good about that but she is also used to me washing up as I go and using paper plates so this year she will get a taste for doing a mess load of real dishes and cutlery. I will put the food away and leave them to it. I will just have to make sure to count the silver after Laura is done because it wouldn't be the first time I have had to root around in the garbage to find a missing piece. One Christmas my sister was missing the beautiful cross stitched beaded angel with french knotted hair I gave her as a gift and I ended up finding it in the garbage along with the turkey carcass. The piece was ruined.

Lydia our Thanksgiving is on Monday but many people have the dinner on Sunday like I am going to have. My friend Vicki may have her dinner on the Monday with her family and if that is the case I am invited to her house in the county.

How far away is Christmas? Hopefully I will be better prepared for that dinner and know far in advance who will be coming here for dinner.

Anne

The red maple leaves sound lovely....maybe some pinecones or acorns, too if there are any available in walking distance. I agree on the squash. I would have either sweet potatoes or butternut squash. No need to have both. When I'm making Thanksgiving dinner or any company dinner for that matter, I prepare everything the night before and just have to put in oven to bake that day.

Here y'go:

I would go with the foam plates and disposable cups. I always cook my turkey the day before, take it off the bone, pour the juices over it and put in the refrigerator and heat covered the next day. Use the extra juices for the gravy. Candied sweet potatoes can either be cooked the day of or the day before. We usually have anywhere from 12 to 14 for our big dinners. Everyone for the most part pitches in and brings whatever they would like to add to our meal. They usually let me know what they hope to bring, so there won't be duplicates of things. Our family likes the big foam divided rectangular plates. I stopped buying those and found here and there at rummage sales the big rectangular divided plastic tray plates. They wash well and I don't have to fill up the trash can with them after we eat. Since I have been having to cook so much lately they get used everyday. Fix as much as you can ahead of time and encourage all that are coming to at least bring one dish of food, more if they want to, I do! Hope you enjoy your day.

Sue

If you cannot get to a store, ask one of your guest to pick up the paper goods and ask if they want to contribute as their part,or you will pay part of the cost.

Canadian Thanksgiving always seems to coincide with US Columbus day.
My best friend se nowlives in Ottawa and gets to celebrate both. Some of the best family meals I have ever had were potlucks where everyone brought a dish to share. One year for Easter I did all the appetizers and my SIL did a roasdt of pork. Hope your family pitches in. By the way, I think Cool whip is "okay. Don't obsess over one item on the menu. And store-bought pies are just fine.

Cynic, is that all???? I better get moving. LOL Maybe I will surprise my family and leave them to fend for themselves and take that trip to England for Christmas. I'll let them have my house and they can do their own cooking. Fat chance, they would starve. I think Laura's boyfriend knows how to cook though and my brother's specialty is Greek pasta salad. My sister is the Queen on Lean Cuisine. LOLOL Not exactly a nice Christmas dinner is it.

Okay I have been reprieved, a ton of weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I just called my brother and he and his girlfriend are driving to Toronto for Thanksgiving. David is still at his store counting stock and will be there pretty much all night since the store just closed. He sounds happy to be retiring but I feel kind of sad for him. End of an era.

I then called my friend Kathy to see if she had any bacon on hand and she said she did. I asked her to make me some bacon bits for the broccoli salad but she said not to bother making it since rarely do we have a cold salad at Thanksgiving and then she said I ruined her surprise. Kathy is one of my childhood friends and it has always been the tradition in her family to have that marshmallow 24 hour salad for their holiday dinners. I consider that more a dessert salad but hey who am I to mess with tradition and this is her first Thanksgiving without her Mom so I said that was wonderful she made the salad. I like it but usually at a shower or something like that. I never thought to make what we call my Grandma's green lime jello salad made with pineapple, celery and cream cheese LOLOL At our family dinners there was always that pale green Pyrex casserole dish on the holiday table that held the lime green salad. Refreshing it was and I had forgotten all about it. I will have to remember it for Christmas. Out of all the vintage Pyrex I have in my huge collection that pale green casserole dish is one I have never been able to find at yards sales or thrift shops. I think my sister Lizzie absconded Grandma's green dish so I will have to ask her if she still has it. Lime green cream cheese jello is just not tradition without serving it in that dish. Oh my.

I now don't have to put 2 extenders in the table now so I should have a table cloth that will suffice.

I know I should do it anyway but now I don't have to make that extra effort to make sure everything in my house is in perfect order and now I can hide books and my computer stuff on the attic stairs and the dog can still have his toys out and the dog food bag can remain where it is. I was getting ready to get on my butt and start cleaning baseboards since the "girlfriend" was coming.

Tomorrows Menu

Turkey
Stuffing
Cranberry Sauce
Brussel Sprouts sliced cooked with garlic and cream
Orange glazed carrots
Squash
Mashed turnip
Mashed potatoes and gravy
Tray with raddishes, olives, my pickled beets
24 hour salad
Rolls

Pumpkin pie
Butter tarts - my Mom's filling recipe, Tenderflake shells

I will go raid my Pyrex collection for all the autumn coloured pieces and that way I can keep the food warm in the oven and put right on the dinner table to serve. I wouldn't do that with good china which I don't have right now. I'm still waiting for my Grandma's china to make its way back to Windsor - it just needs a ride LOL Grandma's Royal Doulton china and her pale green Pyrex dish now that for a beautiful holiday table.

Thanks again for helping me and listening to my rant. I am so relieved and now will be able to enjoy myself more with the usual suspects in attendance.

Anne

Anne, you sound like me! DH and I had planned to do nothing for Thanksgiving. Now we are cooking for 7! But we refused to do a Turkey. It's so nice this weekend that we're doing Pork Tenderloin on the grill. My nieces are bringing the veggies potatoes & pies. My brother will bring Ice Cream.
I have often cooked my Turkey the day before. It is so much easier not having to deal with that when you have house full.
And it tastes great reheated!

I second everyone else here! Don't wear yourself out.I have used a sheet many times for a tablecloth.If you have some fall/Thanksgiving ribbon cut some strips and tie up the corners of the sheet.Rouche it up and tie a strip of ribbon around the corner of the cloth a few inches down from the table edge.The corner of the sheet can then be pulled up and stuffed into the back of the bow or left hanging.You could even stick a pretty silk flower into the bow or even some pretty leaves off a tree or shrub in your yard.I have done this several times and had many compliments on my "tablecloth".

Pork tenderloin to me is much better than turkey. Last year I cooked a pork crown roast and it was wonderful but my brother wanted turkey. I really don't like having turkey so close to Christmas. I'm not really that fond of hot turkey and would rather have a turkey sandwich with stuffing and cranberries and mayo on it. I might just eat the veggies tomorrow and save my portion of turkey for a sandwich. LOL

Once I bake my tarts I am really tempted to put the turkey in the oven and then take all the meat off the bones and slice it up tomorrow and then wrap and reheat in the oven. I would then be able to use the bones to make my turkey stock for the make ahead gravy. I wasn't plan on getting much sleep tonight but if I put the turkey in I can get at least 6 hours of sleep.

LOL I need to get off the computer and start moving again.

Happy Thanksgiving Marcia.

Anne

That sounds nice Lilliepad.

Hey, you could always order pizza! :D

BTW, Jannie's correct, both U.S. Columbus Day and Canada's Thanksgiving are on the second Monday of October.

BTW, have you made the assignments to the invitees yet for:
-Painting
-Weeding
-Lawn Mowing
-Dog walking (if applicable)
-Litter box cleaning (if applicable)
-Car wash/wax/detailing
etc.

Might as well take advantage of the free labor! Need a new driveway, sidewalk, patio, deck????

Oh Cynic believe me I am going to take advantage of my niece and her boyfriend being here. I need some stuff moved into the attic that is too heavy for me to carry up the stairs and I would like a few things brought down. Last time I sent my niece upstairs to get the table leaf and after she was up there for awhile I said to her boyfriend she has no clue what a table leaf is. LOL Why is it called a leaf anyway? LOL Maybe I am spelling it wrong.

I've been a busy bee and still feeling energetic on no sleep. Squash is roasted and mashed, turnip is mashed, cranberry sauce is cooked, brussel sprouts and carrots are prepped and waiting to be cooked. Extra stuffing made from the box of course and the turkey smells wonderful cooking in the oven. I still have to do the potatoes and gravy but will do those later. I just changed out of my clean cooking clothes and put on my cleaning clothes. The ibuprofin I took last night wore off exactly at 9 am this morning. I am waiting for the new dose to kick in before I start moving again.

Oh, best of all I made 2 dozen butter tarts! I ate 2 of them after they cooled and they sure were delicious. I wish I had my camera here so I could take a picture of my butter tarts to show you. I left them in the oven just a minute too long and the pastry came out a little bit more brown than I would have liked but it didn't affect the taste of the flakiness of the pastry.

It's going to be a lovely day.

Anne

Last Thanksgiving I managed a turkey breast, homemade gravy, tons of vegetables, and a frozen pumpkin pie all using my microwave and toaster oven. My regular stove and oven were on the fritz. I was on my feet from 6 am but everything came out. I was so confused and flustered I had to make a list when to put things in and take things out. Oh and two Bloody Marys didn't hurt.

i'm sooo glad dh and i don't "do" thanksgiving anymore...we have plenty of leftovers and always dessert stuff for the kids who want to stop by after doing their respective in-laws...the minute all 4 kids got married, we decided never to put presure on them to try and attend 2 dinners...

so dh and i fix enough, but we get to not "dress", nibble here and there, and watch the football games in peace and quiet...