I think you'll enjoy it, and they will too!

Funny you write " I always have to have a green vegetable ;" that is an iron-clad rule in my house. I am surprised when friends make dinner and sometimes do not include one! I like frozen peas but I usually add them to things rather than serve on the side; they don't count toward my green requirement because they are a starch.

But that has me thinking - how do they really stack up as a green veggie?

PS Just our family ... which is exicting now that we don't all live together! We are still in disarray - LR not read for prime time, back entry with a plywood floor, etc

Its only going to be me, my son and his SO. I hate wrestling with a whole turkey, so Im roasting a couple legs and a breast. Our local grocery store makes a very good gravy, so I’ll get some of that. Dont laugh or gag but it is family tradition to have cranberry sauce from a can.When my kids were little they would fight over who got the slice with the rings from the bottom of the can.

I think SO will make sweet potatoes and a pecan pie. My son will be in charge of the brussels sprouts. I guess Ill be making the stuffing.

Ill also make a pitcher of whiskey sours, another tradition.

Ill use the good china and silver, even though its just the three of us. I look for any excuse to use it.

Wish I could set the table in advance but the cleaning person comes on Wednesday and I foolishly made an appointment to have my hair cut that day.

Bob Evans and Heinz would be fine with me.

ooh Ded, show us your silver and china

When my kids were little they would fight over who got the slice with the rings from the bottom of the can.

LOL, whose family doesn't have at least one person that relishes this (pun intended)!

3katz...that's a lot going on! You have a really big meal planned! Yum!

🦃 Just the two of us. I love getting up early, stuffing the turkey, making mashed potatoes ....lemon cheesecake with cherries on top! I planned on making a tart crabapple relish, but didn't make it happen. You've reminded me to pick up frozen peas.....I'm looking forward to having a GREAT Thanksgiving!....and getting up @ 4am for Black Friday shopping!

I thought it was going to be just 5 of us at home. I ordered about half the meal from a local restaurant, including a turkey breast. Then we got invited to a cousin’s house, yay. I decided not to cancel my order so I can bring the pies to the cousin’s and we can have turkey and mashed potatoes for days! and send some home with my kids.

I’ve invited six, and have so far heard that 5 are coming, and trying to get them to commit to bring something. Aargh. All male relatives btw, and girlfriend of one.

We are going to my husbands cousin’s house. She and her sister are close in age to us and we are so happy when we get together. There will be 15 or more there, including 2 yr old twins 😊 Since losing our parents, we have come to really cherish our friendship with the sisters and their families. Turkey/dressing, ham, chicken and dumplings and tons of sides!

DBF’s mom is cooking and we’ll go over there to eat with them. Just the four of us. I’m making sweet potato casserole and DBF is making a caprese salad (he firmly believes there is no occasion for which a caprese salad is inappropriate).

@jakabedy this is correct. As long as you can get good tomatoes. Off season, i use the little cherub ones and toss with bocconcini

Aww, Jill, that is tough. I hope tomorrow is peaceful.

Thanksgiving is, to me, not a foodie holiday. It's a holiday for family food traditions; canned cranberry and all. Hope you enjoy the holiday with your Dad.

Thank you, Mtn. ❤️

My dad loves canned cranberry. :)

I meant to order this, but forgot:

We ’re having it here with just the two of us, DD’s family of four, DS2 and GF, and my mother, so only 9. I am making Allison Roman’s 2024 Christmas menu of fennel and sage turkey, sour cream and butter ilk mashed potatoes, sausage stuffing (more like bread pudding, really), green bean casserole, kale with honey walnuts and lemon vinaigrette, and I am adding homemade rolls. For dessert we are having pumpkin mousse with a gingersnap (store bought) topped with pickled cranberries and whipped cream (thank you, MFA Boston!) and possibly a chocolate pecan pie. My table will not be Thanksgiving-y at all. We are fully tricked out for Christmas at this point (big party Dec 1) and I cannot see hauling pumpkins upstairs to put on a table whilst we are eating under a chandelier festooned with greenery and hanging ornaments.🙄

3Katz I have made Ina’s roulade several times and it’s such a great recipe. And I would be honored to sit at your table! My hierarchy importance is always people first, food second and ambiance a distant but enjoyable third. That said—Ded, pictures of your table please 😁

Jilly it is a testament to the richness of your first marriage that this holiday so near his death still evokes those bittersweet memories. ❤️

Since 1993 we have taken our family to a lovely resort every summer. Family has grown over the years so we now number 24-hub and me, our six kids, their six spouses, and ten grands with the 11th on the way. We now rent five condos for the week!

We have our holidays, etc at the kids’ houses nowadays, but Bonus! Our kids decided to have a 3 1/2 day festival at “our” resort! We will all be there from Wednesday through Saturday with five kitchens in which to work our magic. We will have:

Turkey

Ham

Mashed potatoes

Sweet potatoes

Dressing and vegetarian dressing

Gravy and vegetarian gravy

Green Bean casserole - yes, we love it!

Roasted beets, carrots, and rutabagas

Cranberry orange relish

Green salad with cranberries,red onions,olives,cashews,campari tomatoes,bleu cheese dressing

Biscuits and corn bread

Pumpkin pies w whipped cream

Key Lime pies w meringue

And finally Leftover birthday cakes from the six-year-old‘s birthday party Wednesday night that will be spaghetti and meatballs that I’ve already made and frozen. Cakes are a cannoli tart and a chocolate funfetti concoction my granddaughter made up.

We each have our assignments and intend to take everything we need, including flowers, tablecloths, candles. Nineteen-year-old granddaughter is baking the cakes, pies, and cookies! She’s nervous. Two 21 yo cousins who are in college will be flying to Chicago from their schools and will rent a car and drive together to meet us. Yippee! Logistics get complicated these days.

It will be fabulous!

It will just be DH and me, our two boys, and my father and stepmother. I debated setting a more casual/rustic table because I have those John Derian turkey plates that are pretty casual, but I decided to go with a more formal china since it doesn’t get used very often. I’ll set up a dessert buffet on the kitchen table with the turkey plates.

For the cocktail hour I’m making a pitcher of apple sangria and will set out olives and spiced pecans. We’ve never done much in the way of appetizers on Thanksgiving.

Dinner will be smoked turkey (Purchasing from a local BBQ restaurant) sausage and leek stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole with a pecan topping, corn soufflé, green beans with caramelized shallots and thyme, gravy, and cranberry sauce.

For dessert I’m making pecan praline pie, apple cake with Irish cream glaze, and an apple galette with vanilla ice cream.

Aww Jilly, I”m sure you will be flooded with memories these next few day. I hope you have a Happy Thanksgiving and I know you will enjoy the day with your dad. Southern comfort food cant be beat! (notice our clan has chicken and dumplings added on request lol)!

Porkandham, we never do appetizers on Thanksgiving as there is so much food!!!

Tina Marie - I agree, but a lot of people do a big appetizer spread!

We are going to my niece's house for Thanksgiving. We have a big crowd around one big table and we all bring something. Niece's kitchen is very small but they manage the big meal very well. She's a vegetarian and her husband makes the turkey.

The day after Thanksgiving I have a leftover party. Friends and family come with their leftovers from the day before and we heat it all up and feast again. It's a more casual dinner buffet and I make another turkey plus a breast and everyone brings their half pies or casseroles, side dishes and even appetizers. Here's a photo of the table from last year; the desserts are on the counter behind them. My daughter (left) and her bestie do all the kitchen work -- I could not do it without them!

3katz, we like the Fred Meyer/Kroger frozen peas too. Familiar packaging was important to mother in her last years and I would shop there for her. We don't have a local store but I'd gotten into the habit of buying the frozen peas for us 😊 Miss them.

I wish I'd seen the Cranberry Dish that Jilly pointed out - I'd have bought it. A can of Ocean Spray served in its can shape was always on our childhood Thanksgiving table. I have a BIL who will eat it with any and every thing even now and keep it on hand.

We are going to my sisters. My nephew and his wife will be there and I can't wait to spend the day with them. This makes 7 1/2 months of his long and arduous trip back to health after his major fall last April. He is my inspiration, working remotely from home and still completely focused on his physical therapy. He's beginning to walk again...not far and needs a right leg brace but I know he'll reach his goal of normalcy. He has never lost his kind, appreciative, loving focus on life and I love that man so much.

My sister is cooking a turkey and the dressing, her husband is doing a ham. There will be a sweet potato dish which has never been my fav and a fresh fruit salad.

I'm making the base for Alex Guarnaschelli's make ahead gravy, have the vegetables and turkey wings that I'll roast and prep. I'll add drippings from my sister's turkey roaster at the last minute, and cook mashed potatoes for her. Salmon spread with crackers for anyone who wants to nibble ahead of time but we're planning an early afternoon meal. I'll prep the ingredients for a simple ceasar salad here at home, toss right before we sit to eat.

Tomorrow I'm picking up salmon wellington for my nephew's wife who eats pescatarian. I'm not making it, it will be oven ready from the seafood store we frequent. Wednesday I'll bake pies, apple cream, pecan, and pumpkin. Everyone always wants pie to take home. I did remember to pick up take out containers too, not sure how many my sister might have.

DH will do much of the meal cleanup. It should be an easy day of visiting and just being together that I'm looking forward to.

Kitchenwitch, I love that idea!

We won’t go to cousin’s house until late afternoon so I’ll be doing an appetizer spread at lunchtime. Basically a big charcuterie that everyone can pick on while watching the d— football games.

Oh, Jilly, what a bittersweet time for you.

My married DD is going to her in laws as they believe the holiday can only be celebrated on that specific day! Having worked many a holiday, we all feel it's the act of getting us together that makes the holiday. Next weekend we will get together at our house and have chicken and noodles, dressing, mashed potatoes, and cranberry salad. We all are not big fans of turkey so I won't do that.

The twins are almost one and have to feed themselves! Not sure if we will brave the dining room and light colored rug or just gather at the kitchen table.

SIngle DD, DH, and I will either eat out Thursday or just graze all day at our house on apps and charcuterie.

We have sweet tango apples and clementines and crustless gruyere and scallion mini quiche for anyone who wants to snack. I like to make the quiches to have on hand because they can be eaten any time of day.

Kitchen, love the leftover day!

Morz, wonderful news about your nephew

ETA The pitcher of whiskey sours reminded me that I made these last year:

https://passthesushi.com/pear-martini-cocktail-recipe/#recipe

Only the girls and I drink them but we do have fun!

My daughter, who lives in another part of the state, was here last week so we won't be together on Thanksgiving Day. We didn't do a meal, as there were other factors at play, but we certainly experienced thankfulness being together.

On Thursday I'm going to a friend's house for dinner. We've been very close since 7th grade and just happened to end up in the same town in our adult years. Her adult sons take over all the meal prep and I was specifically told not to bring any food to share since it's more than covered already. I'm grateful to be included in her family gathering and that dinner is at 3 pm, so it doesn't get too late.

I also love the leftover day meal— that would be a great time for a friendsgiving bc everybody would have stories of their Thanksgiving triumphs and disasters!

Pork and Ham, what time’s dinner???

Our kids‘ with spouses, grands, sibling brothers with their families will be coming to our house. Our house has been the only Thanksgiving location for some, the only spot for over 40 years for others.

Admitting we are old and not in the best of health is not easy, but those who love us saw that to continue the tradition changes needed to happen. Our 2 kids claimed the holiday planning and

have done all of it. From invitations to food.

We are furnishing the space and the place settings. A granddaughter stopped by yesterday to load and unload the ’good’ china in the dishwasher, check the tablecloths, and convince me that having nice paper napkins is perfectly ok.

The meal will probably be traditional, don’t know because any meal planning has been secret. I’ve been asked to be home Wed afternoon to accept deliveries.

Weird not making a food list.

Happy Thanksgiving! H

Sounds like a wonderful holiday Maddie!

In years past, we usually had close to 20 for T-day. Since we've moved, it will just be 4 of us. My sister and BIL. BIL just finished an intensive round of radiation, and is eating simply and sparingly. He's also got celiac's, so it's a bit tricky. I'm keeping it simple. Roast turkey, mashed sweet potatoes, Trader Joe's gluten free stuffing and green beans. My sister makes a great cranberry/raspberry relish and she'll make a pumpkin cheesecake. She doesn't drink alcohol, he's not drinking right now and I drink maybe 1 glass of wine. I'm looking at pomegranate or cranberry non alcoholic spritz recipes.

There will be 13 at my sister’s on Wednesday. She and DBIL bought a ham, sides, and dessert through their church. It benefits an organization that provides support to special needs adults. All of the food is prepared by one of the best restaurants in town and it is delicious.

This year they are getting the smoked ham dinner that includes sweet potatoes and a caramel cake. Sister will make Mother’s dressing and gravy. I’m making green bean casserole the way DBIL likes it (Campbell’s soup, canned green beans, and French’s fried onions). I would be happy to make a from-scratch version, but he wants the canned version. DBIL is going to fry a small turkey because my 5 y/o DGD sent him a picture of a fried turkey and asked if she could have it. Dessert is caramel cake and pecan pie.

On Thursday, I’m going with DD et al. to her DMIL’s house. I don’t know how many will be there. Generally, it is in the neighborhood of 20 people. Sometimes DSIL smokes a turkey. His dad generally fries one, also. Their housekeeper prepares her special dressing. There will be vegetables galore. I’m bringing a chocolate chess pie.

On Friday, you can find me in a food coma lounging on the sofa watching football .

Jilly, my cousins husband (it was a second marriage for each of them) lost his first wife to cancer on Thanksgiving day years ago. It was also her birthday. That part of his family is on the other coast and my cousin tried flying back there with him to celebrate Thanksgiving with his two adult children, few more of her/first wife's family, and said after about three holiday attempts it just wasn't that comfortable to her. Not that they didn't try to make her welcome, but there was too much of the 'before' tied into the day.

Now he goes, stays a week or so. She stays home and has her own two daughters, small grandson for Thanksgiving. One year they went camping, with a toddler and in winter 😊

She's more brave than I am. She's also older than I am! No hard feelings present anywhere, she just decided it was for the best that no attempts to rewrite history be made. She does have good relationships with his children and their children all other days of the year.

Morz, that’s totally understandable — I’m glad they found a way to make it all work. :)

I appreciate everyone’s kind comments so much, thank you. ❤️

DH took the day off to be with me and we had a nice lunch out, then finished the Thanksgiving meal shopping. The store was packed; I was grateful for his help. And especially for his thoughtfulness. ❤️

Jilly, warm thoughts for you. Time doesn't heal pain--it may make it more bearable, but it still remains.

Bbstx, your post reminds me of a friend whose young daughter is (naively) hosting Thanksgiving tomorrow for their family. As of the latest update, she hadn't bough the turkey yet. I just shared the advice that ham is the perfect emergency meat.

On Thanksgiving, I'll be making a traditional spread of my kids' favorites. We'll then do a big extended family zoom call afterward.