How can anyone be “ready” for Thanksgiving 10 days in advance?
I guess it depends what you mean by “ready.”
We are driving down to CT and having Thanksgiving at my niece’s house. I am planning to stay there and help her on Wednesday. I may drive down Tuesday eve with the dog, and let H drive separately on Wednesday. I am roasting a turkey here this week and making turkey stock/gravy to bring with me and perhaps freshen up with her pan drippings, assuming she doesn’t brine the turkey and the pan drippings are nice and brown. She usually asks me to make the gravy at the last minute and I don’t get to make it the way I like it, or she makes it and it is not good. B-)
I am also scheduled to make or bring a couple of pies, at least one of which must be apple. My sister is making 2 pumpkin pies at my mother’s house. I’m thinking of making the crusts ahead of time and bringing them down in a cooler, along with my marble rolling pin (thank you again, late MIL), a couple of pie pans, a peeler (better safe than sorry) and pie apples from my neighboring orchard plus the other necessary ingredients. Her kitchen is so cramped with counters perpetually covered with stuff that I don’t know where I would roll them out, though. I could cook them wither Tuesday morning or Wednesday morning here and drive down with them. Niece has only one oven, so must be done ahead.
Debating between two apple, or one apple and one pecan, or one apple and one blueberry. Tempted to do three, LOL.
Are you coming to my house, @Consolation? I hope so, because those pies sound great! I vote for 3.
I am going all out for Thanksgiving. I think my new SIL thinks I’m the diet police at times, so I’m determined to prove him wrong. There will be healthy options, they just won’t be the only options!
I’m trying to decide on a dressing. A few years ago I made a brioche dressing that was good but quite a bit of extra work. I didn’t love it enough to make it again. Anyone have a favorite dressing that’s a bit more that seasoned bread cubes? Preferably with no meat additions? I’m also thinking of cooking my turkey ahead of time - who does this? How far in advance can I do this and what is the best way to reheat?
I talked to a friend this week who is going to another family member for thanksgiving. When my friend asked what she could bring, she was told “anything that goes with salmon. We aren’t having turkey”.
She is ready to make a reservation at a restaurant…if these folks don’t let her bring a turkey breast…with stuffing at least.
@Consolation, one so rarely sees a blueberry pie, that’s my vote. You can get apple any time, but pumpkin and something like blueberry only very occasionally appear on the scene.
Yum! We have multiple Thanksgivings with various groups - I am hosting 23 on Thanksgiving Day, 16 the day after Thanksgiving, about 14 on Saturday after Thanksgiving and attending two other events. By far our most hectic holiday, but fun as well! Multiple dishes in the freezer already and more to go!
@raclut I talked to my sister yesterday, and when I started talking about Thanksgiving next week, she interrupted me to “correct” me that I meant the following week. LOL. You are not alone. She didn’t believe me until she looked at a calendar.
I had totally forgotten it was early and thought I had another week unti S17 texted and said he would be home Sunday night because he wanted to stay Sat and watch the football game! So no, not ready at all. I need to wash his comforter and clean stuff up. Luckily we go to relatives and we bring the ham which I just ordered!
@momocarly Yes, bedroom prep, that’s a biggie! Our house is bursting with boxes of stuff from late MIL and we have to get them out of the dining area and away from our sons’ end of the second floor.
I also was thinking I had another week! D comes home Friday. Thanksgiving is a lot of work for me. My favorite fantasy is to have Thanksgiving dinner at Burger King.
I can’t decide which Thanksgiving thread to put this in but we had this Kroger cranberry celebration salad at a work event last week and I thought it was amazing. Sweet, not too sweet. Chunky, but not too chunky. Tart, but not too tart. Some crunchies in it. (walnuts). I will buy this outside of Thanksgiving time!
I teach a chemistry lab on Tuesday nights. Last night I told the class I’d see them in two weeks (they have a break next week) “after Thanksgiving.” I then got into a heated discussion with a student who swore that Thanksgiving was still two weeks away.
When another student showed her the calendar, the arguing student burst into tears. “It CAN’T be next Thursday! I’m not ready!”
@CSUdream We’ve had TJs turkeys for the past few years and they’ve been great. We used to do the brining ourselves, but it turned into a huge hassle - keeping the brine cold enough, then letting it dry out in the fridge, it was a many-days-long process that was almost more trouble than it was worth.
Don’t leave it too long if you want a quite large or quite small bird. Those weights go quickly. (We go with ~20-22 lbs and ~12 lbs. One to roast and one to smoke.)
We’ve gone out the last few years but have hosted plenty of Thanksgivings in our time; never a big crowd. DH has decided the area brunches don’t meet his expectations so we’ll cook at home for just the two of us. We have had the Trader Joe brined turkeys and been satisfied. Probably we’ll start with my favorite warmed cranberry Brie and I might try that corn casserole. If so, a simple challah stuffing instead of cornbread. If not, my Lawry’s Creamed corn recipe. I’m torn between a cider glazed turkey with apple brandy gravy, or cherry glazed turkey with dried cherry apple stuffing. Jellied cranberry sauce. Homemade gravy with either. That’s good enough for me and DH can pick whatever green vegetable he likes. We have a gift card from our realtor for a free pie from a local bakery.
I just need to decide between bottomless Mimosas or open pour wine, and the planning is done.
@Nrdsb4, I make it - a very old McCormick recipe from a Sunday newspaper magazine. But I’ve seen similar cheeses in groceries cases at holiday times.
Warmed Cranberry Brie
Combine 1/3 cup crushed cranberry sauce, 2 tbsp packed brown sugar, 1/4 tsp rum extract or orange extract, and 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg.
Peel off top rind of 1 round 8 oz Brie cheese, leaving 1/4 inch rim.
Top Brie with cranberry mixture and sprinkle with 2 tbsp chopped pecans.
Bake in 500 degree oven 4-5 minutes. (I changed this to 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes, less runny.)
Serve with assorted crackers. (I also serve with apple slices.)
The picture on my very old paper recipe shows orange rind curls on top for show.
Hah - just noticed the back of the recipe includes a coupon for Job Squad that expired in 1993. So that’s how long I’ve had the recipe. I really miss Job Squad paper towels.
The question is do you do a double crust apple or dutch apple? I’m in the Dutch Apple camp. 