Thanksgiving

[Miles]

What's on the menu folks? Where are you going, or who's coming over?

Kelly and family headed up to Beech Mountain. I opted to stay back so I could spend Thanksgiving with my parents, and take care of the animals so we wouldn't have to board them. I miss her already, and the rest of her family was really disappointed but understood why I was staying back. All-in-all, I'm glad the only reason we can't be together this holiday is by choice.

I'm going to do a simple, traditional menu since it will just be the three of us and I don't have the energy to pull off an extravagant menu. I've got the turkey brining now, and prepared about 4 gallons of turkey stock this morning, which will come in handy all day cooking and for preparing the most important item on the menu, my gravy. Garlic mashed potatoes, sauteed green beans, a roasted chestnut and sausage stuffing, your standard sweet Hawaiian roles and my dad's pecan pie will make for a nice little dinner.

Oh, I've also started baking and I made my (Great) Aunt Jane's Pumpkin Bread and sent one loaf with Kelly to the mountains.

I hope each and every one of you has a safe, relaxing holiday. Enjoy yourselves.

sMiles

[OZZIE4DUKE]

I do the consumin', not the cookin'. I eat whatever they put out, and I hope it's turkey, spiral sliced ham, candied yams with marshmallows on top, stuffing, green beans with almonds on top, and lots of other good stuff!

And on Saturday at Brunchgate, I'm grilling the NY Strips I ordered yesterday for y'all! They'll go great with CB&B's ribs! And ram chops. Gotta have me some ram chops on Saturday!

[captmojo]

I do the consumin', not the cookin'. I eat whatever they put out, and I hope it's turkey, spiral sliced ham, candied yams with marshmallows on top, stuffing, green beans with almonds on top, and lots of other good stuff!

What he said.

[DukeUsul]

We stopped making the ridiculous drive up I-95 to NJ several years ago and have been spending our Thanksgiving here in NC with our friends. We'll be at our friends house tomorrow where they'll be hosting quite a bit of their families - always nice of them to let us join in.

All I know is we're bringing green beans and sweet potato casserole. I expect I'll help supervise the deep frying of the Turkey. Supervision usually involves drinking two beers, one for me and one for Matt - since him drinking while overseeing a massive vat of boiling oil over an open flame next to a canister of flammable fuel is a not so good combination. I'm happy to do my part.

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

My sister, mother and I will go to my niece's in-laws' house tomorrow. It's a short distance from where I used to live in Durham. I know from past experience there will be a big roasted turkey, dressing, white and sweet potato dishes, homemade yeast rolls. We're taking a curried fruit casserole and a pineapple and cheese casserole. No turducken this year!

[lawgrad91]

We are going to my cousin's on the other side of K-Vegas. If things are as they were last year, the menu will involve turkey, ham, and all the usual fixings. Our contribution is a Cheesecake Factory cheesecake, from Costco.

If we get done by early afternoon, we have designs on going to the Christmas tree place and cutting one out of the herd.

For those who travel, be safe. For all, Happy Thanksgiving from the lawgrads, MOL, Merlin and Sasha .

[CathyCA]

I'm going to the OBX tomorrow.

Mom and I will be eating Thanksgiving dinner with my brother and SIL and my two nieces. I expect that my SIL's parents will join us. I've known them since my brother was Christian's age. I have no idea what my SIL is preparing. I imagine we'll have turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, green beans, cranberry sauce and wine.

Here's the best part of the trip: While we are going to spend the day at my brother's house, Mom and I get to spend the night at my brother's condo, so we can sleep in on Friday morning!

We'll mosey on back to G-Vegas on Friday afternoon.

[DukePA]

The Shelton clan will descend on Dawn's, Mark's and Max's house in Kenansville. We're having fried turkey with all the traditional fixings for a late lunch followed by oysters and shrimp early evening.

[shereec]

We are hosting my sister and several international co-workers - 2 French, 1 Columbian, 2 Dutch and 1 Indian.

Turkey, pork loin, mashed potatoes, gravy (Miles, one day we'll have to have a gravy-off...), corn pudding, sweet potato casserole, spinach casserole, apple/cranberry casserole, wild rice with cranberries & pecans, congealed salad, Sister Shubert's rolls, zucchini & yellow squash bake, limas, coconut cake, individual fruit tarts, pecan pie, pumpkin pie. I've been cooking for days!

I love doing the final prep while watching the Macy's parade followed by the Westminster dog show.

Jer - hugs to your Mom and Dad for me, please, and I'm very glad you will be together with them - good for you. Kelly will be back soon, and then you really should bring her to see us in Raleigh.

I hope everyone has a marvelous day with loved ones!

[lawgrad91]

We are hosting my sister and several international co-workers - 2 French, 1 Columbian, 2 Dutch and 1 Indian.

Turkey, pork loin, mashed potatoes, gravy (Miles, one day we'll have to have a gravy-off...), corn pudding, sweet potato casserole, spinach casserole, apple/cranberry casserole, wild rice with cranberries & pecans, congealed salad, Sister Shubert's rolls, zucchini & yellow squash bake, limas, coconut cake, individual fruit tarts, pecan pie, pumpkin pie. I've been cooking for days!

I love doing the final prep while watching the Macy's parade followed by the Westminster dog show.

Jer - hugs to your Mom and Dad for me, please, and I'm very glad you will be together with them - good for you. Kelly will be back soon, and then you really should bring her to see us in Raleigh.

I hope everyone has a marvelous day with loved ones!

Sheree, can I help judge your gravy-off with Miles?

[Very Duke Blue]

The Shelton clan will descend on Dawn's, Mark's and Max's house in Kenansville. We're having fried turkey with all the traditional fixings for a late lunch followed by oysters and shrimp early evening.

There will be at least 23 of us. It's going to be a great day.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Woke up at 3:30 this morning to get the smoker lit. Mom followed TNT's directions for the turkey brine very well, it smells delicious and it's not cooked yet! We have to eat early because my sister is going elsewhere at 3 this afternoon, which means the bird has to go on the fire earlier. There are 7 of us here, and besides the smoked turkey we are having stuffing prepared in the crock pot, mashed taters, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, ton 'o pies, jello packed with cranberries, nuts and other assorted stuff, plus whatever anyone thinks up at the last minute.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

[CathyCA]

Over the river and through the woods, to my brother's house we go. . .

Thank goodness we're not using a horse and sleigh, and there are no piles of drifting snow in our way!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

[captmojo]

Wishing all a safe and happy Thanksgiving....

[Miles]

I think a gravy-off is a wonderful idea, especially because it requires the preparation of gravy delivery vehicles, or what some people call mashed potatoes, or rice and some sort of protein from which the gravy is born.

I like to tell people that I start making gravy the night before. This year I started with 6 lbs of turkey wings, 4 turkey necks, giblets, and appropriate quantities of mirepoix and herbs. I have a ridiculous amount of stock, which yields ridiculous amounts of gravy. Time to get started!

Love you all!

[DukieInKansas]

Pies were prepared yesterday - 2 pumpkin, 1 Bourbon Pecan, 1 Crapple (Cranberry Apple Struesel), 1 Reese's Mousse Pie, 1 French Silk. You would think that there were going to be more of us. We have done the Pumpkin Pie 5K this am - some ran some walked. It has snowed. The turkey is in the oven and I'm thinking it might be lunch time. We'll eat around 6ish or so.

Best part - there will be 11 of us. I love spending time with family. Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

[DukieInKansas]

Pies were prepared yesterday - 2 pumpkin, 1 Bourbon Pecan, 1 Crapple (Cranberry Apple Struesel), 1 Reese's Mousse Pie, 1 French Silk. You would think that there were going to be more of us. We have done the Pumpkin Pie 5K this am - some ran some walked. It has snowed. The turkey is in the oven and I'm thinking it might be lunch time. We'll eat around 6ish or so.

Best part - there will be 11 of us. I love spending time with family. Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

[DukieInKansas]

Pies were prepared yesterday - 2 pumpkin, 1 Bourbon Pecan, 1 Crapple (Cranberry Apple Struesel), 1 Reese's Mousse Pie, 1 French Silk. You would think that there were going to be more of us. We have done the Pumpkin Pie 5K this am - some ran some walked. It has snowed. The turkey is in the oven and I'm thinking it might be lunch time. We'll eat around 6ish or so.

Best part - there will be 11 of us. I love spending time with family. Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

[Miles]

House smells like turkey. House smells good.
Turkey's internal temperature is 85º and rising; just over half way there

[CathyCA]

Here's what we had:

Appetizers:
Cheese and crackers
Hot Cajun Crunch (Girl Scout peanut mix)
Corn dip (corn, cream cheese, butter, chilis and cumin) and nacho chips

Beverage: Cran-raspberry fizz in champagne glasses

The feast:
Turkey, gravy, stuffing, sweet potatoes, brown rice salad with cranberries and walnuts, cranberry relish, collard greens, green beans, sweet potato ham biscuits, rolls, Sweet Tea, Pinot Grigio

Dessert:
Pecan Pie
Coconut Cake
Coffee

YUM!

The best part is that I didn't cook anything, and I didn't clean anything. I my little SIL!

Also, we're at the beach!