That Brie sounds delicious
@Marilyn , I love dried tart cherries in the dressing. 
Actually, I love them in virtually anything. Great in chicken salad, particularly.
Especially my Black Forest Truffles, for which they are soaked in kirsch.
Next time you fix the brie, try using a little orange liqueur or rum instead of extract. B-)
That salmon sounds fantastic, especially compared to turkey. The last time I made a turkey was over a decade ago. As usual had many stray guests, that year included two of H’s partners’ families with someone on call for their or spouse’s practice. Had warned them that there would be no turkey, the Indians were fine and the Americans would have eaten in the hospital cafeteria because of call and kitchen remodel. However, kid did a turkey trot and won a fresh turkey (medium sized but no weight given). So we added turkey to the menu, figured out when it was done, let someone carve it and take the leftovers. Plenty of Cornish game hens had been readied the evening before as well.
Am I ready? Getting there. Did major lanai, screen cleaning for the season and landscape pruning. Have purchased most foods- waiting for tomorrow’s sale and some stuff that is best freshest. Indian M-in-law arrives for a month or two (from her US D’s) Sunday so I’m doing my house cleaning as close to then as practical. Son comes for several days the week after thanksgiving (a mere almost 3000 miles- all day travel basically). T-day will have Indian and American foods. Six or seven people (if H invites one more who accepts). The neighbor who was coming got another offer after telling me she would do the Cornish game hens so I was able to get those. She has now revised her plans to travel to see elderly relatives. It is good for people without family to be able to get together instead of being alone. Despite the work it feels more like a holiday to have extra people to justify the feast (meaning so many leftovers I won’t cook for a few days).
Patience in shopping is required. Could have gotten better deals on a couple of items if I had waited a few days. Nickel and dime stuff. Can’t buy the fresh (local- in Florida) green beans yet, hope they will still have some close to the day (or the frozen ones will have to do). Patience in cleaning and preparing also. Remembering to thaw stuff in a timely fashion et al. Part of me enjoys the challenge of coordinating all of the foods but it is work. It’s up to me- I declined the two grad students’ offer to “get the turkey” or dessert as they are likely clueless about it- from other countries, not just young. I’m a better cook (even of Indian foods) than M-in-law and H…
Son hopefully will again go to his cousin’s for thanksgiving and be with people. It is actually easier for him to fly here later and things are not shut down (found local parks closed for the holiday one year). Believe it or not he may again have tech call that weekend following - much easier than a medical call but being unreachable while traveling doesn’t work. Think about that the next time you want customer service when you are home- someone has to be working (and not all are foreign).
I worked 9 Thanksgivings in a row as a nurse (in addition to working New Years Eve and NY Day and July 4) just so I could have Christmas Eve and Christmas Day off with my young children. Hospitals are 24/7.
A couple of times I got sent home on Thanksgiving due to low census. Those were nice ones. Get off early and go eat MIL’s delicious cooking.
I only need to take a dessert or two, so it won’t be hard. I will likely make apple pie or apple cobbler, plus a cheesecake. Godiva triple chocolate cheesecake was a big hit, and since I don’t have to do much, I may make it.
May I whine a little?
I go to my aunt’s house most years, and she does a great job. But her husband’s family traditions do not involve gravy, so we never have gravy. I LOVE mashed potatoes, turkey and gravy… but not enough to learn how to make it myself.
Honestly, I think I’ve only cooked a turkey once or twice in my adult life.
Best wishes to runners mom.
I am working the two days before TG 12 hour shifts. H says he is cooking.
Bought some things today, I know the store will be bought out.
It is too soon this year!!!
After looking at my calendar and our weather forecast, I bought our frozen turkey this afternoon. We usually go around 14 lbs, and for some reason that’s really hard to find at our grocery store. Since I’ve always bought fresh in the past, I spent the afternoon looking up how long to thaw it.
I’ll make a couple different kinds of rice, or maybe put DS1 in charge of risotto. Sweet potatoes are easy, some roasted carrots and broccoli, my mother makes the cranberry sauce and desert from scratch, and I make yeast rolls – again, looks like a job for DS1.
I just messaged DS2 to get their turkey because of how early it is this year.
Annnnddd one of our local radio stations was already playing Christmas carols this afternoon.
There is another thread about how often one uses a food processor. It made me realize I only use mine for one thing. Then I come to this thread and see the post about cranberry salad, which is the one thing I use my food processor for, so I’m taking that as an omen that I should make the salad this year. It has fresh cranberries chopped very finely and refrigerated overnight with sugar and marshmallows. Also has chopped pecans and crushed pineapple and cool whip. Sweet and tangy at the same time.
We will have 9 this year and enough food for 99.
I wish I was having dessert with all of you. My SIster in law insists on buying the pies from Costco. Apple, pumpkin and a cheesecake. Many years we also had desserts made from scratch by other family members but it seemed silly to have so many sweets and my SIL is stubborn. We will have one yummy dessert as my D has requested that my sister make a fruit tart. It is a summer tart but my D loves it and her Aunt will make it even though the summer berries cost a fortune in November.
Those Costco pies are fine and good (their apple and cherry are the best IMO) but they feed an army!
I had to do my big marketing today so picked up the easy things - carrots. celery, sweet potatoes and cranberries.
I am going on a Sunday for the rest, bringing H along as he wants to make something with baby boy choy. Might have to go to Asian market for that.
I love baby bok choy, @emilybee.
I was dumb to not look at the calendar when I postponed my jury duty for tomorrow. Ugh. I’ve been stressing over whether or not I’ll be picked. My co-worker friend is serving for a second day because they were taking too long to select jurors for a trial.
And DH decided on a whim to order a smoker. It’ll be arriving tonight and he wants to smoke a turkey for the first time on Thanksgiving! So, I guess if anyone pops over, I’ll have to tell the they’re guinea pigs. But to answer the OP’s question, no, I’m not ready!
We don’t belong to Costco, but S1 does and he offerred to get pies from there for Thanksgiving. When I heard how large those pies are, I declined his offer. We won’t have enought people here to finish it & DH and I don’t need the leftovers.
I don’t even know how you cut those ginormous Costco pies. A very long skinny sliver? Some people get pie with no crust just the middle?
I’ve become very picky about baked goods. From scratch or from very good, select bakeries only.
My sister bought a turkey today for our family celebration a week from Saturday. That officially makes us ready as long as the weather cooperates with my lads being able to get where they need to.
I still trust the restaurant to be ready for our big extended family meal on Thursday.
Speaking of pie (if you’re not you should be!), I think this looks AMAZING - cranberry pie with pecan crumble
https://smittenkitchen.com/2014/11/cranberry-pie-with-thick-pecan-crumble/
Someone on the bus today dropped a frozen turkey and it rolled the length of the bus aisle. Good thing it was tightly packaged! 
Oh that is funny. The list is made and off to the grocery store and other stops tomorrow. Just 5 of us this year so easy!
Thanks to all of those ( nurses, doctors, EMT’s, fire and police) who can’t spend Thanksgiving Day with their families. If
@intparent - LOL!!! I can totally see that happening on my Metro route. Turkey curling?