I'm sorry you have to deal with this. I'm only not having the same issues (note the difference between 8 and 22 at dinner...) because Grandma is in charge of inviting people and I just cook. I've had the same feelings you are towards a few "family friends" who are dramatic, rude, and just unpleasant to be around but can shove them aside because I don't make that decision. I wish I could say what I would do if I had to choose!
How would your mom feel if the friend isn't invited?
Would that feeling make the day stressful and hard?
Would your mom be understanding?
It's our first year in our new home so I'll be hosting Thanksgiving for the first time!! I'm excited but admittedly super nervous. Not sure how many people yet but somewhere between 7-13 so I'm thankful that it's not a ton!
Menu is going to consist of turkey, stuffing, homemade mashed potatoes, gravy, rice w/ pigeon peas (a staple in our culture so no event happens without it), homemade cranberry sauce, maple bacon brussel sprouts, honey butter glazed carrots and I'm debating if I should also make a mac and cheese but not sure.
I hope it turns out alright!
Yummm!!! And I am sure it will turn out wonderfully @ac117 . In your new home surrounded by the people you love who love you. Congrats on your first thanksgiving in your new home. It's all good!
Too funny..My husband is like that..He could live on Turkey forever. I would buy 22 pound turkey for four people..I’m cooking. I make a very basic thanksgiving meal..nothing out of the ordinary except for the fact that I have to make the biggest turkey I can find for my son. After thanksgiving, he wants to live on turkey, cranberry, and stuffing sandwiches for as long as humanly possible.
I buy four turkeys each year. One for thanksgiving, one for Christmas, one for smoking at some point, and one to bbq in June. For the smoked and bbq’d turkeys I make experimental side dishes that I wouldn’t normally make on thanksgiving. I have a lot of fun with theses meals.
Oooooh buying it already made sounds good to me! I was just at Costco today too!I buy it frozen from Trader Joes or Costco, lol. Would prefer rice or mashed potatoes but am diabetic.
Your menu sounds delish! Yummmm!Normally I head over to LA to be with my god-kids, their dad, and my best girlfriend's husband (she's in Australia, he's in LA, and so far no luck on either getting a permanent visa!)
This year, tho, my god-son is coming to me, and he'll be having Thanksgiving with us. It will be a very simple menu, as it seems silly to go all our for just 3 of us. So I'm doing turkey breast, bacon and pine nut stuffing, horseradish mashed potatoes alongside mashed cinnamon pumpkin, brussel sprouts with bacon, onion and pine nuts, roasted carrots, parsnip and onions, and broccoli and cauliflower with a white cheese sauce. For dessert we're having apple pie with custard and ice cream. Add bread, wine, and coffee at the end and it should be lovely.
It sounds like fun! I always sneak in shopping whenever I can. Friends and Thanksgiving sounds perfect..stress free!I'm heading to Phoenix to be with friends. It's a tradition that started in 1999 and I've never missed a year! I also always manage to sneak in a little shopping between the eating and drinking and hiking and drinking...
Yay for eating out! Sorry you have to work at all..We'll be going out for dinner. I'll be working part of the day (which is normal )
I'm sure that was part of it, plus everything natural/organic is more expensive. Which honestly makes no sense, since it costs less to raise/grow etc. lolPlease let me know how the Amish turkey was. We have a lot of Amish places near here where I can get one next year. I bought a fresh turkey from Whole Foods last year and we weren’t happy with it..Did I mention I’m not cooking this year!?!
I like that you basically bought the turkey for another family. That’s probably why it was so expensive. We are so lucky and feel we should be helping people that don’t have as much if we can.
Haha! I think the glass of wine with dinner will make it taste great! I like the atmosphere where we’re going..more than the food..I'm sure that was part of it, plus everything natural/organic is more expensive. Which honestly makes no sense, since it costs less to raise/grow etc. lol
I hope you truly enjoy your day off! I went on strike a couple yeas ago and made us go out to eat. No one liked it. Not the food, not the "no hominess feel". Ah well, at least I like to cook.
I will definitely let you know. If I don't get back to you in a timely manner, jog me up!
Exactly I really do enjoy making and serving the meal..but the cleanup is a bear..Cleaning the house, shopping for the meal, preparing the meal, serving the meal, cleaning up after the meal.
That's a lot of food lady, you have my admiration!I always cook, this year it's 7 adults and one 3 year old. I have a 23lb turkey, stuffing, candied sweet potatoes, rutabega, green beans, mashed potatoes, rolls, gravy, I may make creamed onions, husband loves them, fudge, chocolate chip cookies, guacamole, home made salsa, white queso, ham rollups, onion dip, chips, hot artichoke dip with crackers, assorted cheeses. My DIL is pregnant and wants ham so I have a small ham, we will make thanksgiving sugar cookies with the 3 year old on wed., and I am making 2 pumpkin pies, a lot lot of work, but I love it! We are eating dinner on Wednesday and leftovers on Thursday, my older son wanted it that way because they are here a short time and he loves turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy.
I always cook, this year it's 7 adults and one 3 year old. I have a 23lb turkey, stuffing, candied sweet potatoes, rutabega, green beans, mashed potatoes, rolls, gravy, I may make creamed onions, husband loves them, fudge, chocolate chip cookies, guacamole, home made salsa, white queso, ham rollups, onion dip, chips, hot artichoke dip with crackers, assorted cheeses. My DIL is pregnant and wants ham so I have a small ham, we will make thanksgiving sugar cookies with the 3 year old on wed., and I am making 2 pumpkin pies, a lot lot of work, but I love it! We are eating dinner on Wednesday and leftovers on Thursday, my older son wanted it that way because they are here a short time and he loves turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy.
CC, what time can I be over?There will be at 16 or 17 of us this year. We will have turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, green beans, rolls, pumpkin and apple pies, and probably 6 appetizers before dinner. Everyone brings something so it’s pretty easy. So much to be thankful for with two little ones on the way early next year and Spring. I’m thrilled for my nieces and their husbands.
What did you decide to do @missy ?Hi @TooPatient first of all wow! I love your thanksgiving menu.
Second of all thanks for your thoughtful questions.
My mom asked today if she could host Thanksgiving and honestly I am considering it. Greg loves cooking and we love hosting but it is super stressful especially now with all that is going on. So while I hate relinquishing our Thanksgiving hosting perhaps it would work out for all involved this year. My mom can invite her friend S and we don't have all the prep and cleaning etc to do. Greg still wants to cook since my mom will not be making gluten free food I am sure. But I am thinking it is perhaps the best solution.
Not sure yet as all this happened last night when she first asked me if we would invite S and it was late for me and I was tired and had another early AM appointment today. This morning she texted us asking how would we feel if she hosted so we are thinking about it.
She will stress me about what I can eat by her though that I know so lol I cannot win.
Family... gotta love them.
What did you decide to do @missy ?
My daughter-in-law called me over the weekend asking if we could start a new tradition on the Saturday after Thanksgiving because we don’t see them on Thanksgiving! She gave it a funny name....Welcometaking hahaha..It will be a gathering of us with a mishmoch (sp?) of food..no turkey. They’re going to do it at their house only because my wacky dog would knock my grandson over..and that wasn’t her worry..only mine. I’m going to make my stuffed artichokes and probably my baked Italian meatballs in sauce..(I’m very fair but 100% Italian ) and I don’t know what she’s making..I’m so excited she wants to do this!