Reality has hit and I’m okay hosting this year. Part of me was just feeling burnt out and not wanting the responsibility. Even though everyone contributes something having it at your house adds the getting the house ready, tables and dishes pulled out and the dreadful putting everything back in place the next day. I’m mourning that my sidekick youngest kid won’t be here again to help. I keep hoping she changes her mind and comes. I think we will be 17-20 people plus three toddlers.
I’m seriously considering only doing breasts this year and making them ahead. Last year I took @conmama idea and made the breast the day before and reheated. I still cooked one turkey day of but I’m thinking to just do breasts. Not overcooking the whole turkey is stressful and carving messy.
This year we are doing no dairy,no egg, no sesame to make the dinner allergen free for GS.
Hosting here, too. We will be 9 total. Much smaller gatherings than we used to have, but bigger than last year when it was just our core four plus my parents. Although I’m wistful for the days when our gatherings were large enough to cause stress about where to fit everyone, this is the first year I’m really leaning into the idea that I don’t have to make myself nuts trying to have a picture-perfect Thanksgiving and do it all myself.
We’ll do turkey, gravy, stuffing, a cooked veg (brussel sprouts or green beans) and a salad. My mom will bring candied yams, cranberry relish and a dessert. Friends will bring corn bread, another side dish and a dessert. I’ll probably just make up a grazing board to have out as people arrive.
My H debones the turkey the day before and slow cooks the legs. Breast gets cooked day of and legs get reheated just before service. Makes everything easier, doesn’t tie up my oven all day on the day of and each part gets cooked appropriately.
9 this year, 2 little ones. . I’m still making every single thing the day before. The only thing I do the day off is combine the stuffing, but it was all cut up the day before , too.
but agree above , the buying, prepping, house cleaning, serving dishes and utensils! It’s just alot of work, but again, all done ahead. The day of has been much less stressful.
I’m ready to be a guest. The problem is we don’t really enjoy going to my BIL’s and the kids hate it. They really put forth an effort for food , but they are not alot of fun. I’m just about ready for restaurants.
Just my little family of three this year and we are doing traditional thanksgiving take out from a local restaurant and are just doing the dessert baking at home. I’m ridiculously excited about not having to cook this year but still having all the sides and left overs (we ordered extra).
Me too! Me and two grown kids. Not cooking. We’ll probably buy a pie so doing even less than you. Holidays are quiet in my family since my mother died. She used to host the extended family, even into her 80’s. Not following her example! Siblings now have grandkids and get together with them and their kids.
Neither of my kids will be home this Thanksgiving, so my wife and I are joining one of my younger cousins and her family, plus some mutual friends, for Thanksgiving. We will be bringing some side dishes/dessert to the repast.
We’re going to my daughter’s for Thanksgiving. Haven’t hosted in more than 10 years since we always go to either my son or my daughter’s on the other side of the coast. I am glad I am done!
Thanksgiving has always been my family’s favorite holiday and we hosted for decades with H as head chef. Now with his passing this year, D has offered to host. It will only be D, SIL , S and me along with the 2 grands. We don’t have a plan yet but I’m sure I will make something.
It will be bittersweet and I’m sure a few tears will be shed.
FallGirl, I’m so sorry - I don’t think I knew that your H passed away (I’m on only a handful of CC threads ever). Wishing you comfort through all of these holiday firsts.
Holidays are so hard after family losses. So sorry. We are open (hopefully!) Flying across country to be with family, hoping that the travel isn’t too chaotic and a week or two.
There will be 6 of us at our Thanksgiving plus GD who is just a month old. I am not doing anything fancy. I’ll buy a couple of pies since I don’t care to make them. I’m doing a turkey breast and a small prime rib since my family loves prime rib, but likes turkey left over. I’ll do 3 or 4 sides and that’s it. We will just enjoy our day together.
This year I’m driving with D2 to D1’s new house in Texas. It is 10 hours but we’re driving so D2’s dogs can come. Five people, 3 golden retrievers for the week.
I’m not sure there will be food! That daughter isn’t much of a cook or hostess, but we don’t really care about that. I’m sure we’ll figure it out, and maybe it will just be spaghetti. D2 often get a Honeybaked Ham gift card from her employer, and if she does we can use that.
On the one hand Thanksgiving is all about the food (and maybe football) but also food can be as simple or complicated as you want it to be! I am a fan of tradition but not to the point that it becomes cumbersome.
Thanksgiving is one holiday I don’t have to host. H and I and one daughter will head to my brother/SIL house in Michigan less than an hour away. S may come for a bit but he usually does the big dinner with his wife’s family here in town. Married D will stay in central Ohio and have Thanksgiving with her husbands family - and then they will spend a few days at our house for Christmas.
And I will probably bring the hot pineapple casserole which I am always asked to bring and 2 other sides - one a bread product - I think I’ll make sourdough dinner rolls.
Our “tradition” is to make reservations at Fogo de Chao, which offers a nice Thanksgiving spread along with a wide selection of alternatives that cover our range of special dietary needs and preferences. It may not appeal to everyone, but eliminating the stress and effort of preparation, clean-up, serving, menu-planning, etc. for the big meal makes the holiday a far more enjoyable experience for us.
Big kids will be hosting some sort of a Friendsgiving, and little kids are on the road. So it will be just us on Thursday. I’m not in the mood to cook twice (big kids will be coming Friday), so think I will order a meal from our favorite restaurant to be eaten on Thanksgiving and will make the traditional turkey and fixings on Friday or whenever big kids come over.
Thanksgiving will be just family–D1, SIL1, 3 grands and me. The family is vegetarian, except for me.
A whole turkey or even a breast is too much for just me. I may roast a whole chicken. Ideally, if I can find one, I’d prefer to braise a turkey leg (thigh and drum), but finding turkey parts is hard. (Sprouts has carried butchered turkeys everywhere I’ve ever lived, but the nearest Sprouts here is 45-60 minutes away.)
Not sure what D is planning for dinner. I’m going to volunteer to make a a delicata squash & goat cheese galette for T-day dinner. And mashed sweet potatoes. (NO marshmallows because they are made with gelatin which is made from animal bones.)
Pie is always a heatedly debated topic. I like pecan, but everyone else thinks it’s too sweet. SIL likes pumpkin, but no one else does. D1 just doesn‘t like pie–period. We usually compromise on apple crisp. But maybe I’ll go rogue this year and make coconut or chocolate cream pie–everyone likes those.
