What are your Thanksgiving plans?

We are hosting a small dinner for friends --- a German couple who have never had a Thanksgiving meal before. Although small, it will have everything that was traditional in our childhood homes in the US.

Heading to a daughters house just a few miles away.
Certainly is nice the next generation is doing most of these anymore.

I will be running around for 2 days getting everything ready for my honey's and my family and one neighbor that has no where to go.... we are up to 16 so far..... yikes

Well, not first to vote, but first in that category... LOL No fanfare here. Work the days before and work the days after. Just like Christmas. Retail business has its' downside.

Never the less, I have much to be thankful for and will keep that thought in my mind and my heart. Happy Thanksgiving all

Potagere, we always had that tradition too when we lived in Europe. Every Thanksgiving we included someone who wasn't familiar with the Holiday. At one time we had seven different nationalities at the table.
This time around we are invited to friends, and will be contributing a few dishes.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.

It wouldn't be Thanksgiving if I didn't get to cook. And I wish I had more to cook for, it will just be 4 of us. Then the next day is our traditional sister day, spend the day laughing with(at?) my sisters. We try to get together with just the girls a few times a year, but never miss the weekend after Thanksgiving.

We'll be going around the corner to a son's on Thursday. DDIL's family will be here from Kentucky to celebrate little Maggie's first birthday. Then on Sat. we will have the big family dinner ( either at our house or fellowship hall - dependent on weather). There is a possibility of about 40. Everyone brings a dish. I LOVE Thanksgiving.

We will be just the 4 of us for Thanksgiving Day. Me, DW, DS, & MIL.
Sunday whole family comes to our house. Lots of them must travel over 200 miles. Probably around 15 to 20 people.

I will miss the cooking this year for the first time ever. All our families seem to have other plans, so it will just be the two of us and DH says not to cook. Actually, I love cooking and the more the merrier, so it won't really seem like Thanksgiving to me, as I will be busy doing other things. No shopping for me the day after. That is my idea of hell on earth! I know lots of people enjoy getting up way before dawn and standing in cold lines to get those bargains, but I'm not one of them, so y'all have a blast and stay warm!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone ^_^

Dutchlady1,
It IS fun to do that, isn't it? Last year, we had friends from Algeria. It was my first year cooking a halal Thanksgiving! Fortunately, someone else butchered and cleaned the halal turkey that morning!
Sounds like there are going to be some BIG Thanksgiving Day feasts! Happy Day! Especially to good friends like podster who won't get any fanfare!

We are invited to my brother's for the big turkey day. I'm bringing 3 different side dishes. I did buy a smaller turkey for in my freezer to roast for the 2 of us so I'll have left overs. Thankful for another year of good health.

It will be just the 4 of us this year. I was hoping in-laws would be able to travel here since my step-son will not be able to travel, but with the way the airlines are now, it's not going to happen. We have much to be thankful for this year :)

My little 'crowd' seems to be growing. DS, DDIL and 2 DGDs (19 & 14). My aunt (who is 86) and uncle just got back from a trip to the Amazon (Brazil), so they are coming and bringing photos of their trip. I have a widowed friend who is joining us this year because most of her family will be out of town. DGD #1 is bringing her BFF who didn't have other plans. Just the other day, DS called and said would we mind if he invited his friend (they have been close since grammar school). Of course, he had already invited him LOL. Friend is still single and has moved in with his ailing father to take care of him and rarely gets a break. Oh, I didn't mention that we have moved Thanksgiving to Friday to accommodate everyone's schedules. So I guess my real answer should have been it will be a quiet Thanksgiving. I am going to cook a pork tenderloin for DH and me and do some 'cook ahead' for Friday.

Going to DSis's house this year instad of cooking. We will bring a dish or two. So far she has counted 20 for us. Should be fun.

I have about 25 coming, my parents, brother and family, sister and family, brother's best friend, the neighbor across the street, but to accommodate work schedules, we are having it on Friday.

Other - I am hosting a dinner for immediate family and my son's girlfriend. Two sons home for college. So while it's not HUGE, it hopefully will not be quiet and there will be lots of celebrating and fanfare!

Staying home, off the highways, nice, safe & warm. Where's my Thanksgivings chef's hat... ☺

For the first time in about 5-6 years I will be cooking dinner for DDH, all our kids (5), their spouses and the grands. During the time that I didn't do it all myself I had to depend on my kids to help out and I felt it was a lot more trouble than it was worth. Since I seem to be doing better healthwise I want to do it all myself. I might as well cook for a big bunch as for 2 or 4. It's just a matter of adding another turkey and making a bit more of the sides. EASY!!! I have so much to be thankful for that I don't feel that cooking - the one thing I can do really well - for the ones I love is a hardship. I love to cook and would rather eat my own cooking than someone else's because I don't do "fancy" just good. Our thanksgiving will be on Saturday after the day. On the official day DDH and I will be celebrating w/king crab legs.

Ann
edited to try to correct spelling and grammar.

This message was edited Nov 24, 2008 8:41 AM

Since my DH and my DD are in the restaurant business and both must work on Thanksgiving (every year) we will be celebrating on Sunday when they both have off. Most years I would cook the dinner while they were at work and we would celebrate when they get home but this year they have odd hours. It still feels like Thanksgiving when we get together on Sunday so that's fine with me.

Its at our home. DH and me, our kids. spouses and grandkids. 19 and counting. We have a great time. lots of fun and laughter. We eat all day ( imagine that lol) We have all sorts of fun traditions. I get christmas ornaments for each person according to their personalities and use them as place cards. They decide which one is for them. pretty funny sometimes. I have been doing this for years so they have ornaments one for every year of their life. Its pretty funny to look back at the ornaments and see what they were interested in at different stages of their lifes. I also put the date on them.
I also get christmas pjs for all the kids. When they are tired and full and ready to to comfy they have new soft pjs to change into. Kind of kicks of the Christmas fun.
Linda

What fun traditions Linda! Something your children & grands will remember always!

DW is roasting an 18lb bird and I'm smoking two turkey breasts. We'll have 15-20 here at the house. Wouldn't have it any other way!!!

Doug

We are all gathering at my youngest sister's home on Wednesday. She has an 18 month old and does not wish to pack up all that Audrey needs, plus a few dishes. She has ample room, so we'll all pile in there. I am designated 'turkey cooker' and will also be bringing along squash casserole, purple hull peas and cooked apples...all from my gardens.

On Thursday well gather at my cousin Greg's with extended family and a few friends (about 30 folks total) and have another feast.

Hope to see my boys and their SO's on Christmas.. same with sister's two and families, so Thanksgiving will just be me, DS and DBIL. A quiet little dinner with scaled-down dishes. A turkey breast instead of a big 'ol bird. Gotta have those turkey sammiches afterward!

Barb

P.S. Hope everyone has a wonderful day!!

We are still undecided! We will be cooking a turkey but my elderly in-laws have not been feeling well this week so far and my D.H. thinks he may be getting a cold, too. I'm the only healthy one in the bunch! What I like best is left over turkey sandwiches with cream cheese and cranberry sauce on them. Happy Thanksgiving!

I do not call this other persons home. My daughter and I decided several years ago since I have always done all the holidays that she would take Thanksgiving. So all I do are the pies and the cranberry pineapple salad...this year a new addition to the family as my oldest son is engaged and her and her two teenage girls will be with us. The entire family of 12..wonderful time.

D

I'll still do the cooking but this year it will be at my DD's house. Nice. That means she has to clean it up. {{evil turkey grin}}

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! May your harvests increase every season!

I have an older sister, Cathy, in KY who always hosts Thanksgiving at her house (My family is originally from OH) for all of us. She's been doing it for decades as my DM got older, to give her a break. :-)

My parents, my twin sister and her DH and their 3 kids, my younger sister and her DS and DDIL are all coming from different cities in OH;

My oldest sister and her son are coming from CO and her son is coming from IL.

Cathy and her DH, most likely her DH's widowed DF, their DD and DSIL, and their family of 3 kids, their DS, DDIL and their family of 3 kids.

Myself and DH who live 30 mins. away. (Just the 2 of us... we don't have kids).

That comes to 28 people.

But, if my 2 brother's and their families were coming (they both can't this year) from OH and TX, then it would be 8 more for a total of 36.

Don't know if Cathy is having any of her DH's family and/or any of her friends join us Thanksgiving Day.

We all help with bringing food and/or work to prepare the afternoon dinner.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!



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Me and DH are heading to TN to my mothers. All my sisters (3) and my brother along with their spouses are gonig to be there with their children. Plus there is always a few extra people. We are looking at around 20. TN is beautiful this time of year. We all either bring dishes or we bring stuff to cook there so as not to put all on mom so she can rest and spend time with everyone. Then we are going to my DH on Sunday to spend time with them. Another year to be truely thankful.
dawn

We celebrated Thanksgiving in October (Canada).
It's not quite as big a celebration as it is in the States.
Our big day is Christmas, when all the family gets together :-)

Will be somewhere between WA and FL, on the road with DD, DSIL, 2DGS, and Linus the Great Dane. We'll be pulling a 20ft trailer with all of their belongings for the move to FL. We'll be thankful that everything fell into place for the move and that all is going well (Finally). I am thankful that I get to help out on the trip and will be back home in three weeks.

I get together with another single friend and we cook dinner from scratch every year, alternating houses. So far we have banned marshmallows on sweet potatoes, brussel sprouts and those fried onions rings on string beans. Topping the meal is my friend's homemade soy milk pumpkin pie. (No seconds on pie for me!) LOL

Hey, Bruce, travel safely and have a great Thanksgiving on the road!

Thanks Hemophobic, We'll do just that!!

I'm an other because I'm in Canada!
But ..some years ago in my neighborhood a couple invited over for Thanksgiving dinner those of us who did not have family around or had not been invited anywhere. It was called the Lost Souls Dinner! I think there were originally about 10 of us. The man of the house is the cook and there is always a great soup ( I think he watches all the cooking shows and gets all the cooking magazines!) before the turkey which he usually cooks/stuffs in a different method each year. Most of us bring a contributuion to the meal often what is left from the garden and of course there is pumpkin pie for dessert. Not so many of us now - 6 this year I think. Some have moved away, some had passed away.

I love reading this thread because it reaffirms the idea for me that Thanksgiving is a state of mind! I'm reading about dinners involving all different combinations of people, held on different days over the long weekend. . . no problem! It's all about celebrating the bounty of the earth, and being together, not to mention having an excuse to cook with a lot of fat, salt, and sugar!
We're going to my daughter's house, armed with several dishes full of the above.

Well said CapeCodGardener! Thanksgiving is a state of mind. It matters not if you can trace your ancestry back to the Pilgrims or not. We should all stop and be thankful for our blessings each year.

I have Norwegian family and after attending one dinner here in the States, they always celebrate it every year...inviting friends and neighbors. I have to send a few 'essentials,' as rubbed sage is difficult to come by in Norway and they prefer the stuff right out of my herb garden!

Just the 2 of us, so we eat duck. DH doesn't care for turkey anyway. My brother from NM has just left--he had to get his NE fish taste. Getting too aged for many celebrations.

I'm hosting a small Thanksgiving but TDay is always lots of fanfare. I love TDay, it's my very favorite holiday and it always has the best stories. Like the first TDay- microwaving the bird @ 9 PM. The 3 hour gravy (they claimed). They don't understand...First you make a roux... I didn't realize the hostess was going to get a SMOKED turkey! The TDay my chef BIL pestered me just ONCE to often and got nailed w/ a raw dinner roll. The year I invited a complete stranger (from Poland) I met on the street & his friend to TDay. He was taking photos of intersections for ?Google/?insurance companies and I asked him what he was doing. I didn't find out my fiance was wearing his weapon that night until much later. I love Thanksgiving and will be taking leftovers to my In-Laws who will not be able to attend.

Maggie