How are you celebrating Thanksgiving?


pam
 Share

Recommended Posts

Thanksgiving is usually my American husband's side's holiday because, we Filipinos, are not used to celebrating Thanksgiving.  But, this year, due to some craziness going on with my husband's family, he decided to go to my brother's instead... just hanging out like any normal visit-with-my-brother day except he gets to choose to watch Football instead of my brother's soccer...

 

So, my sister-in-law and I are trying to figure out if we should prepare an American feast or do our normal Filipino meal.  She grew up in the US so she knows how to make American stuff...

 

So yeah, if I can find super easy and economical traditional American Thanksgiving recipes, we might be able to pull off an American dinner!

 

But, my husband is probably spending Thanksgiving day ignoring 5,000 calls from his mother.

Edited by anatess
Link to comment
Share on other sites

For me I'm going to my sister's house...which btw is also john doe's house.  :)   I'm taking his favorite pie.  Pumpkin.

 

No seriously I'm taking apple becausje he can't stand pumpkin pie.

Pumpkin pie is nasty. Yesterday, the school cafeteria served a Thanksgiving dinner - type lunch with all the glory and flavor of school lunch. They also had the assistant principal and parent volunteers serving pumpkin pie. They were all "Mrs. Backroads! Eat pie!" And I declared my hatred of pumpkin pie right in front of the lower grade kiddos.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Pumpkin pie is nasty. Yesterday, the school cafeteria served a Thanksgiving dinner - type lunch with all the glory and flavor of school lunch. They also had the assistant principal and parent volunteers serving pumpkin pie. They were all "Mrs. Backroads! Eat pie!" And I declared my hatred of pumpkin pie right in front of the lower grade kiddos.

 

Good thing you didn't go to my son's class.  He would be heartbroken.  He loves pumpkin pie so much his birthday wish list this year contained only one entry - pumpkin pie.  And so we had a bday party where the guests brought their own version of the pumpkin pie.  He was in heaven.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I Skype with a few European friends in an attempt to keep my linguistic skills passable. It's interesting to me that they all know very well about Thanksgiving, even though they do not celebrate it. I should ask them what they think of it. Someone today even asked me if I was going to eat turkey. Hello! THANKSGIVING! Dictionaries are legally required to put a picture of a turkey next to any definition of Thanksgiving.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ham vort, honey glazed spiral cut ham. Way better than turkey.

Cranberry sauce, ham, pumpkin pie and candied yams. mmmmmmmm.

We will be eating at our in-laws with just a few family members. Hopefully my mom is coming to it. Our family has never done the big gather the family thing on thanksgiving for some reason, we all just celebrate in our tiny fists of close family.

Edited by jerome1232
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Pumpkin pie is nasty. Yesterday, the school cafeteria served a Thanksgiving dinner - type lunch with all the glory and flavor of school lunch. They also had the assistant principal and parent volunteers serving pumpkin pie. They were all "Mrs. Backroads! Eat pie!" And I declared my hatred of pumpkin pie right in front of the lower grade kiddos.

 

I know I shouldn't get my feelings hurt at this. Pumpkin pie is my favorite. :tears:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

While I was serving in England during my mission we were always challenged as a mission to fast on Thanksgiving day. It always felt odd knowing it was Thanksgiving at home but not celebrated in England. My last Thanksgiving I spent in England we were fasting and our Ward Mission Leader asked us if we would meet with him at Church that evening. He knew what time we were going to end our fast and requested us to stop by the Church to meet him before going to our Flat to break our fast. Low and behold to our surprise several members had gotten together and made us a Thanksgiving dinner. I think we were both in tears and surprised and shocked and very appreciative of what they had done for us. It was a awesome dinner.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Brethren and Sistren:

 

Why is turkey the traditional Thanksgiving Day dinner?

 

Wouldn't venison be more historically accurate?

 

Also, why don't white American families invite Lamanites to share their meal?

 

After all, were it not for the assistance of the Lamanites, the Pilgrims would have starved to death, and there would be no United States of America today, nor would The Church of JESUS CHRIST of Latter-day Saints have been established.

 

Thank you.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I go on vacation every Thanksgiving, usually to a foreign country.  My relatives (mom, aunt, cousins) live in Nevada, and they only cook at gunpoint.  Since I don't have a gun, that means we eat in their favorite place: a casino buffet, which is usually packed to the rafters with other mageirocophobiacs.

 

I did that for years and then got fed up with it... besides, I see them very often and I spend 1.5 to 2 weeks with them every Christmas (and guess where we eat Christmas dinner?) so I can be a bit selfish with my Thanksgiving days.

 

By the way, when I am in a foreign land on Thanksgiving Day, the locals who know I'm an American* often go out of their way to wish me a pleasant Thanksgiving, even though their culture is utterly clueless about most U.S. holidays.  It's really quite heartwarming.

 

*I look very American, sadly, all the way from my eyeglasses to my white winter coats to my jeans and tennis shoes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Brethren and Sistren:

 

Oh, how FORTUNATE we are that a major Winter storm is arriving just in time for Thanksgiving Day!

 

After all, without snow, how will the horse know the way to carry the sleigh over the river and through the woods to Grandmother's house?

 

Thank you.

Edited by writesong
Link to comment
Share on other sites

As a Canadian, the celebration of Thanksgiving took place with my family in October. Because I went to graduate school in the US and have good memories of the late November celebration, I try to take that Thursday off each year from work and celebrate here at home on my own as well-so I have two Thanksgivings.  My dog and cats eat a little better than usual on that day. Me? I can't cook a turkey or ham properly; but I can do the mashed potatoes thing easily enough. The rest I can get from a grocery store deli if need be. My best friend; who is a Jehovah's Witness, has promised to bring me over a pie this year-she finds the whole thing mildly amusing :).

Edited by lonetree
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Brethren and Sistren:

 

My most memorable Thanksgiving Day was in 1971.

 

I was a soldier with the 101st Airborne Division in the old Republic of Viet Nam, and went on a week long Rest and Recuperation leave (i.e., "R&R") to Sydney, Australia.

 

On the chartered Pan American Airlines flight from Da Nang, I mentioned to the soldier sitting next to me that I was looking forward to celebrating Thanksgiving Day.

 

He reminded me that Thanksgiving Day is uniquely an AMERICAN holiday, not observed in Australia, nor in almost any other nation on this globe.

 

In Sydney, I contacted representatives of The Church of JESUS CHRIST of Latter-day Saints, telling them that our Church leaders in Viet Nam had advised that, rather than going to a hotel.

 

Thus, I became the house guest of the stake patriarch and his wife, immigrants from England, who lived across the bay in the suburb of Manly, and whose only son was away serving on a submarine in the Royal Australian Navy.

 

They arranged for me, along with two American full time missionaries, to enjoy our Thanksgiving feast at the home of an American Latter-day Saint employed in Sydney, who had a very attractive daughter.

 

Because of that experience, I now wear my military decorations when invited to someone's home for Thanksgiving dinner, as I deem it a patriotic occasion.

 

Thank you.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For thanksgiving, we're heading to the church to have dinner with 5 or 6 other families who, for whatever reason, aren't going somewhere or having family over.  

 

We are bringing a duck which we raised, fed, hugged, killed, and (as of a few days from now) cooked.  There were 7 of them total, and the 10 yr old is in charge of picking which one to use.  We went down to the freezer and she was all like "No, that one's Sprite - we're saving her to last.  That one is Tiny Afro, too big.  We'll use that one - that's Daddy's duck Tape."

Edited by NeuroTypical
Link to comment
Share on other sites

For many years, we would have a big family get together at my sister's house in Southern Utah.  Some years we could have up to 70 people.  When my sister and I made pies, we were making 20 or more pies the day before Thanksgiving.  It was an all day project.  As my children got older and started having jobs, we ended up staying in Northern Utah because they couldn't get Thanksgiving day off.

 

This year, we are going to my older son's home in Bluffdale. My daughter-in-laws family will be there along with my other children and their families.  I love family get togethers.

 

BTW, pumpkin pie is a favorite.  Half of my children prefer pumpkin pies on their birthday instead of cake.  So, that's what we do for their birthdays.  One son loves cherry pie, so I make sure I make a cherry pie just for him for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Going to church for dinner. Turkey, Ham and every ones sides. Mashed, scalloped potatoes, sweet potatoes with brown sugar and marshmallows, fruit salad with marshmallows, green jello with grated/shredded cabbage, garden salad. Brownies, cookies, apple-cherry-and pumpkin pies. 

 

I am making my Grandmother's receipt for Pumpkin Pie. One 9" deep dish pie - 3 eggs, 1 cup pumpkin, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup whole milk, cinnamon, allspice, clove, nutmeg. Beat the eggs till lemon in color. add sugar, beat until dissolved. Add pumpkin, beat well, add all of the spices, beat well. Add milk, beat well. Place in raw pie shell in a pre-heated 400 degree oven and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce oven to 350 degrees and bake for 50 - 60 minutes until knife blade inserted 1/2 from middle comes out mostly clean.

 

Cool on a raised rack. Serve warm or cold. 

 

I am taking 4 deep dish pies. Because there is never enough pies for everyone to get a serving. Not when they let the kids eat dessert first! I am hiding two of the pies in the kitchen, just for us privileged adults. 

 

Of all the gatherings and pot lucks - Thanksgiving is the only time we don't rush to clean up, and put the tables away and chase everyone out of the doors.

 

We eat at 2pm, and generally we lock up around 7PM. We clean the food up, put leftovers into clam shells for the Missionaries and for those who we know don't have much food at home this time of the month. There will probably be two HUGE turkeys cooked and two HUGE spiral cut hams - so there will be plenty of left overs. Also, the Branch presidency has instant mashed potatoes (Idahoan brand in the envelopes), a box of turkey stuffing mix, jar of turkey gravy, can of green beans and corn, Marie Callandar brownie mix in the envelope along with 1/2 dz eggs waiting in bags to go with the turkey and gravy for those who didn't make it to the dinner and refused to ask for rides. 

 

For Christmas, the High Priests and the RS put together meals for the families who will not get a traditional dinner. The empty nesters whose children & grandchildren cannot travel here. The young families who are on tight budgets and cannot travel to parents or siblings homes out of state. There are two new members who need to be included in the getting - I hope both join us for Thanksgiving. 

 

For Christmas, husband and I are going to a restaurant in the third town north of us - and we are going to have either rib eye steak or prime rib. We will have garden salad, & sauteed vegetables instead of potatoes or rice and if we aren't too full, maybe hubby will have a dish of vanilla ice cream and I will have a slice of pie. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We sort-of celebrate Thanksgiving in our house because my wife is American. I have never actually tasted pumpkin pie, but I believe this year Jean is planning on getting some - or at least she was talking about it a few days ago. If so I'll let you know whether or not I agree with Backroads.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We always go to my husband's parents' house, about 45 minutes away. My husband is Chinese, and his parents always make a huge meal featuring dishes from both American and Chinese cultures. They make enough food to feed an army.

There is usually a small crowd of us, but numbers vary depending on whose kids are home from college for the holiday. This year there will be 3 from my household going. My daughter flies in later today. My son is staying in Hawaii and having Thanksgiving with his girlfriend and her family.

My husband's sister and her family will be there, but not sure if her two older kids will be home from college or not. They have a younger son who will be going with them for sure.

My husband has younger twin brothers who will both be there unless one of them has to work or something. Neither of them are married or have kids.

It's a nice, cozy little gathering. After we eat around 1:00 or 1:30, the twins usually head to the living room to watch football if there's a game on, and if not, my young nephew will watch a movie or something that he brought.

We all end up in the small living room, some of us on the sofa or recliner, with the rest of us sprawled on the floor in various stages of food digestion...The parents will not let anyone help them clean up after the meal, so they stay in the kitchen cleaning up and packing 3 sets of full meals for each of their kids' families to take home later. They are dead serious about not letting anyone help with the cleaning. I tried one time when my husband and I first got married, and was strongly rebuked for it. Not sure what my mother-in-law was saying because she was speaking in Chinese, but she was clearly angry. So I sat back down and have never tried again since then. She won't even allow her own kids to help.

So we talk a bit, watch a bit of tv, share the newspaper....pretty soon my mother-in-law comes in and asks if anyone wants dessert. It's usually pumpkin pie a la mode, and we protest that we are too full from lunch but we have the pie anyway.

The early evening sneaks in, and we can smell good things from the kitchen again. One by one or in small groups we make our way to the kitchen again. This time it's a very flavorful thin soup with chicken and some sort of Chinese fungi in it. The soup is completely clear. I don't know what the fungi is but it's wonderful. We gather around the small tv in the kitchen, some sitting at the table, some standing, and watch the Chinese drama or comedy that my in-laws are watching. Everyone laughs at something on the show, and I laugh too, even though I have no idea what just happened because it's all in Chinese.

After the soup, the families start to drift off one by one, after Mom has made sure we all have our food to take home with us. We all say goodbye, and mention about how we will see each other again at Christmas, when we will gather there again.

Thanksgiving is a lovely time in my family, and I have much to be thankful for, indeed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
 Share