Thanksgiving
8 years ago
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8 years agolast modified: 8 years ago- 8 years ago
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What's your Thanksgiving holiday horror story?
Comments (100)Shawlin, That happened to us, except it was on a 10 hour trip and we were about halfway there before it started, and it was during a Christmas holiday. We had to stop at a gas station after our toddler had thrown up yet again, but this time it was on her pillow... she was trying to keep the puke from dropping off the pillow, but then we hit a bump and SPLAT! Now she was covered in puke, it was dripping off her hair. Hubby asked the gas station attendants to bring out the hose and while he sprayed down her car seat, I took her into the bathroom and tried to wash her hair in a gas station bathroom sink... you know the kind where the faucet is really short and the sink is small? By the time I came out of the restroom the nice gas station employees had coned off the area with yellow caution tape. I felt SO BAD for the mess, I was apologizing profusely, and they were SO NICE. I can't even recall what state we were in by then... it was a nightmare. During the family reunion, there were about 20 of us, and only me and one of my sister in laws stayed healthy through the whole reunion (we weren't the only family who came in sick) and we spent the every day cleaning with bleach. LOL! We actually all have a lot of great memories from that trip though... we can all laugh about it now....See MoreWhat Do You Make With Thanksgiving Leftovers?
Comments (35)Looks good, JL. Try to roll the pie crust much thinner. I can give you tips if you wish. Avoid over-handling the pie dough. Be sure enough COLD shortening cut into flour so mix appears to have petite pea sized bits of flour. You will have added a bit of fine salt to the flour, BTW. PREPARE a place to roll out dough, you will roll from center outward, not back & forth. I use a floured muslin pastry cloth ~ 30” square. Put a cotton stockinette on the rolling pin lightly lour that. Add the appropriate amount of ice cold water, SLOWLY, not all at once. Mix lightly with a fork (do not stir and avoid over mixing). Add the other few Tablespoon of ice wager in a similar way. You want to pretty much just get it moist, not gooey or soupy. Just moit. Only mix it a bit. It will begin to form a loose raggd ball. Remove the pek dough from bowl, press together a bit to form a quasi loose ball. Careful not to overhandle it or warm the butter. At this point, esp if you’re slow ;-) you can cover w plastic wrap and refrigerate for 25 minutes. Remove plastic and place dough on flored pastry cloth. Begin to firmly roll outward from the center. Keep enough light flour on rolling pin to prevent dough from sticking. Tidy up ragged or tearing edges as you roll outward. I sometimes patch them (rob peter, pay paul). You want to apply some firm force and pressure as you roll outward from center. Try to getpie dough rolled out so that it is thinner than as US quarter. If using for a whole 9” pie, there is a way to pick up dough w rolling pin (wrap it over). If cutting out for small pies, use a cookie cutter, allowing a bit extra for shaping into muffin tin or over the top. Fingers sore. must quit typing....See MoreACK!!! I may have to make Thanksgiving!! Help?
Comments (25)I’m about to cry. Partly because my whole message just got zapped, but well before that because of the generosity, kindness and support you all have. Thank-you! And thank-you, thank-you, thank-you for all the advice and recipes and methods. You’re all making this seem possible. Yes, of course, there will be some delegation, but the one who can really cook works long hours and commutes, and is the Christmas cousin, so I don’t know how much time he has. I have the time, though maybe the energy is flagging. He’s the one who hates turkey, however, as well as “cut up” things like casseroles. At my house, I choose a second protein I know he’ll enjoy, because I always do two proteins for holiday, anyway. He can certainly bring the second protein, that he knows he'll enjoy. This is my first shot at Thanksgiving—my job has been guacamole since I was 14 (the secret is never use fresh salsa—it’s too wet. I buy a jar). I’ve told them how I make it, but they want mine—and enough for leftovers (ick—guacamole is one thing I don’t really like left over). None of them seem to get the hang of it, though. Plus, since the pie cousin got too old, I’ve taken on the pies. They make ahead as some of you have said and travel well, but the fridge space! (It’s too warm here to keep them on the counter.) Last night I also figured out I could put the Breville smart oven in the car a week ahead of time. The farther site just has a basic range with a single big oven. The countertop oven can be plugged in anywhere, like the spare bedroom, and those bringing hot things can use it, like the warring sweet potato casseroles (I stay out of it). I knew about using coolers as hot boxes, but didn’t realize how long they hold. I have a smallish suitcase sized cooler, with real wheels, which I used to make the sous vide turkey last time. I could just bring them in that, though I’d drain it for travel. It has a bung. They really liked the sous vide turkey last time. I’ve done turkey roulades for Passover before, and they didn’t like them so much. The want a dish of stuffing. They don’t insist one cooked In the bird—the secret to the casserole Is schmaltz—but they want proper stuffing, and making the roulades is a lot more work than the sous vide prep. Annie the secret to sous vide is to set aside your cookery knowledge, figure out what you want the end product to be like, then research the heck out of it until you have good instructions. I cook the turkey to be oven texture. It’s juicier (mine oven turkeys are always juicy and nice, but sous vide is juicier because there’s nowhere for the juices to go), but it’s the same texture as oven roasted. JL That beer carrot dill recipe looks great, especially the part about microwaves well to reheat. There is a microwave at both sites, and I even have a spare one in a box if I know it’s needed, though have to make sure at the farther site if there are enough circuits. I’m going to try the carrots soon to get a handle on quantities and reheating. Olychick, the panic Is because I have two holiday meals, before and after, very little help available on Thanksgiving, including schlepping muscles, and all, and no concept of how to do it except where it’s like the Seder meal. There is so much good in the thread now, that the panic is over and the can-do is sinking in. And thank-you for suggesting the roulades. They are a nice alternative to the roast bird, even though I’m not doing it for the reasons I gave above. I’m looking into how to achieve your suggestions. Thanks for the potato recipe! It’s not really the kind we like (all the stuff in it) but there is a lot in the recipe I can use for guidance, and I’ve saved it for futures, too, because I can think of ways to use it beyond the dish itself. For all of you who suggested Brussels sprouts, I’m sure the family would love them, but I can’t get them past my nose. I’ve tried holding my nose, literally, and on biting down had to spit them out. I’m super-sensitive to the sulphur smell. Others, like cauliflower don’t retain the sulphur when fully cooked. I don’t mind them on the table, but I’m leaving it up to whoever want to bring them to figure it out. 😊 Re travelling, everyone will be travelling at least an hour, except me If we go with the nearer site, which Is half an hour. The others are far flung, of the longer than that airplane ride variety, and I don’t know how many of them will come. Some do. But at that point, they’ll be hour drivers, too. I really appreciate those who mentioned it for standing up for me, but this Is just the way it is. Rather than over the river and through the woods we made up lyrics about freeways when I was a kid. Last year, when Thanksgiving Cousin was first starting to have the problems for which she’ll be laid up, I checked into pre-made T-day dinners in her area and they all had abysmal reviews. It’s the people who count, of course, and they’re not T-day gluttons like I see on TV. They’re not demanding, but I know they hate the food at restaurant holidays, there or at home. They don’t even like bought pies. I’d do a taco bar if I didn’t think they’d be way disappointed. They just want a basic, homey, nostalgic Thanksgiving, and I want to make sure they get it. Which is why I so appreciate y’all’s help. Thanks to all for the make ahead and rewarm tips. I know how to do that for sone things, like quiche, but am learning from you about Thanksgiving dishes! Chloebud, you’re a lifesaver! Turkey drippings gravy cousin has passed on, and I’m not planning drippings anyway! Your turkey gravy recipe sounds very doable and it freezes! I can do that! I love gravy, but usually do braising juices in a pitcher when I make turkey—but that’s just wrong for Thanksgiving. And it’s gravy. Which lovely umami pan drippings and all is, in the end, all about fat and salt—I couldn’t be averse to using boughten stock for gravy! No one would know. Annie, I know they’ll eat bakery rolls, so I’m going to let someone bring them. 😉 I make ahead and freeze and no one knows, but I’m just not going there this time. 😊 I do the same kind of lists and schedules as you do. No reason not to do the thinking at the best time for thinking, and use the printouts day of (and days leading up) to not have to think at all, especially with everybody calling, arriving two hours early (they’re welcome but in the way, please go watch TV), etc. Thanks for the confirmation that regular, non-fussy, mash reheats well. With your hint (makes sense!) and Olychicks recipe’s bones, I’m going to do this. Maybe I’ll bring some potato flakes as an amulet to prevent failure, like an umbrella to a parade. I use them in general cooking, so it’s not a loss if the amulet works. Extra helpings of blessings on you for reminding me about freeze ahead pie crusts. I’d totally forgotten! I can make a board. I roll out between layers of plastic (I learned that from Grainlady and a particularly goopy GF recipe) so it’s easy enough just to stack them, wrap and freeze downstairs. That done, I could just make Mom’s Apple Pie, which with the newfangled apple peeler that is really fast and takes very little flesh, is dead easy, and I have a cooked pumpkin in the freezer that can be a custard style pumpkin pie, pretty easily. I have three pie safes, but two pies should be plenty. I could definitely do this! Because they really don’t like bought pies (neither do I), and pie really is my job. Thank-you for the beautiful word, too. Herding cats, more like, but I do promise to let as many people who say, “what can I bring?” or “How can I help?” do just that! Hm… I could also make a list of passable jobs… Starting with the green beans. You don't need to be a great cook to make green beans. :) I can do this!...See MoreHappy Thanksgiving!
Comments (2)Thanks, Rose. I wish you and yours a fine day and weekend....See More
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My partner posted this to Facebook and when I saw it, it took me a few seconds to realize that it was OUR cheeseboard. At first glance I thought it was an image he had found. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving.
(The blue is our granite and the board is one we made with a Lichtenburg wood burned design. It's 18" x 4'.)
- 8 years ago
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