# Thanksgiving Day Plans, Traditions, etc.



## Herb G. (Nov 6, 2019)

What are you guys planning on for Thanksgiving Day this year?
Do you have any family traditions that you have to do every year?
The only tradition my wife & I do is bake an extra turkey & donate it to a local soup kitchen for the homeless. 
We usually cook a 25 lb. bird the night before & take it to the local shelter for them to serve.

It's a small gesture, but someone gets a turkey dinner they wouldn't normally have.
My food traditions include home made potato salad, and my Mom's deviled eggs with bacon in them.
Some years we have a bird, some years it's beef roast. Since it's just my wife & I, we usually have a smaller dinner these last few years. No need in wasting food just for one meal.

So, what do you do for Thanksgiving? Besides stuff your face, that is.

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## CWS (Nov 6, 2019)

We have the family members come in for dinner. As the kids get married the number of people has increased. Most of the time we have a Honey Baked ham. No wish bone for the young ones to fuss over. Always a good day. Sometimes there are 10 people and sometimes there is 20.

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## Eric Rorabaugh (Nov 6, 2019)

My tradition for the last however many years is, I'm working. That is probably the busiest time of the year for us. We do our dinner another day when we can.

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## woodtickgreg (Nov 6, 2019)

My tradition is I do all the cooking and give Betty the day off. Not sure which kids can come yet. I do Turkey with cornbread stuffing, home made milk gravey, mashed taters, sweet taters, cinnamon carrots in honey butter. We will have pecan and pumpkin pie with real homemade whipped cream. Thanksgiving and christmas are my 2 big splurge meals of the year where I eat anything I want (carbs).

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## Bigdrowdy1 (Nov 6, 2019)

I go and take my Dad and I deer hunting for 2 weeks. We squirrel hunt some and do a little predator calling. I usually pre cook a ham for us to naw on and fresh deer tenders or squirrel stew. Most of the time now it is just the 2 of us. Wife and grandkids come up if we get them through Thanksgiving.

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## T. Ben (Nov 6, 2019)

It’s normally a turkey and ham and whatever vegetables are brought. Drink a bunch of beer so I can deal with having people over,watch football and take a nap.

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## ripjack13 (Nov 6, 2019)

Just my wife and I this year, but I usually have my mom over. Turkey or ham. Big turkey or small ham. If we do the turkey we have leftovers to make turkey pot pies.
Eggnog and whisky for me, kaluah and cream for the wife, and bud light lime for mom.

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## Nature Man (Nov 6, 2019)

Traditional fare with turkey, dressing, gravy, and a couple other dishes that my wife always makes. Usually have family members that can make it, and sometimes friends that would otherwise be alone. Have learned to throttle back to actually enjoy the meal! Chuck

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## Wildthings (Nov 6, 2019)

The last few years I have smoked a turkey and my BIL/SIL have deep fried one. With the rest of the associated side dishes. The 3 kids with families in toll come spend the weekend at our place along with y BIL/SIL whose kids are missionaries across the globe and cant be here. It's a great time of year!!

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## Wildthings (Nov 6, 2019)

Eric Rorabaugh said:


> My tradition for the last however many years is, I'm working. That is probably the busiest time of the year for us. We do our dinner another day when we can.


@Eric Rorabaugh I wanna thank you for that service that you do !!

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Agree 3


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## Eric Rorabaugh (Nov 6, 2019)

Thanks Barry. It actually works out better. My daughter and stepdaughter have their other parts of the families and boyfriend/husband families houses to go to. So us doing it a different day actually works better for us all. We asked them several years ago what they want to eat. Since everyone does the ham/turkey meal, they said they want steak. So that's what I fix.

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## Pharmacyguy-Jim (Nov 6, 2019)

When my parents and in-laws started heading to Florida for the winter we started hosting “orphans Thanksgiving”. My sister’s family, my SIL and BIL when they were alive, and whomever they might bring along. The menu always includes roast turkey, Pepridge Farm stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy made from pan drippings and homemade turkey stock, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes with butter, brown sugar, maple syrup and marshmallows on top, “zippy green salad” (a 50s recipe with Lime jello, cottage cheese, canned pineapple, and horseradish) fresh cranberry relish, a relish tray of giant black olives, mini gherkins and celery stuffed with olive cream cheese and Pillsbury crescent rolls. Dessert is pumpkin pie with freshly whipped cream and occasionally an apple pie. Might be another vegetable or a salad thrown in every once in a while. We’ve been doing this for close to 20 years. Could be anywhere from 7 to 12 people.

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## Herb G. (Nov 8, 2019)

The one thing about turkey day that bothered me was people you invited over for a meal never returned the favor.
When mentioned to them, I always got the "We'll be out of town that weekend" or "We forgot to shop for the meal"
or "Our oven isn't working right now" or some other lame excuse.
Yet they had the balls to ask us if we were having a turkey day meal this year.
They got the hint when they got some of their lame answers given right back to them.
Bunch of mooches is all they were. We haven't seen or heard from them in 15 years or more.

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## Nubsnstubs (Nov 10, 2019)

I'm gonna be Mooching off my friend Mary up near Prescott again this year. Makes about 10-12 years now we've been mooching. It's a beautiful place in the middle of the Bradshaw National Forest, just west and off the mountain near Prescott. She owns 45 acres, is totally off the grid except for propane. The houses are made of straw with local mud covering the straw. Mary's house looks like a Trapper and Indian artifact museum. Disclosure; All the skins, skulls, feathers, and bones were either purchased or given to her and are all legal animal parts. All the Indian artifact replicas were given to her by all the knappers she and her partner, 9finered Abo, know from when they hosted the Quartzsite Knapin for over 30 years. It's beautiful there, and the only noises you will here up there are the noises you make.

Deb and I don't really mooch as we bring the turkey, and enough stuff to overload her fridge. She gets really pissed off if we bring a lot of stuff. This year, I'm gonna buy the turkey from the Skull Valley boys I've come to know and get a fresh turkey. That'll be a treat I hope.

Notice: I have invited them to Tucson numerous times. They always have an excuse for not coming. At least Mary is always looking for our arrival at Thanksgiving. ... Jerry (in Tucson)

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## Herb G. (Nov 24, 2019)

Well, we got our turkeys on Friday. Our local chain store had them on sale for $.37 / lb.
That's cheaper than anything else you can buy.
We got an 18 lb. bird for us, and a 22 lb. bird for the local shelter.
We have the basement fridge stuffed with food to cook.

I'll be starting the side dishes today or tomorrow. Lots of stuff to do.
I usually make the deviled eggs & potato salad on Tuesday so they have time to meld the flavors.
They always taste better if you make them a few days ahead of the meal.

My wife makes her cranberry sauce the day before. Her sauce is delicious because she adds other fruit to it.
It's more like a cranberry fruit compote because she adds blackberries & tangerines to it.
We got some nice asparagus this year, and I'll be making Pepperidge Farm Herb Stuffing with the bird.
Gallons of gravy too, because my wife loves her food swimming in it.

You guys getting ready yet?

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## woodtickgreg (Nov 24, 2019)

Buying the Turkey today.

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## Wildthings (Nov 24, 2019)

woodtickgreg said:


> Buying the Turkey today.


Ditto

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Eric Rorabaugh (Nov 24, 2019)

Don't do Turkey. Work that day so no use

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## Mr. Peet (Nov 24, 2019)

We had our local Fire Hall Turkey Raffle Friday night. Didn't win any birds, but did win a few desserts. You get 3 chances per dollar, turkey, chicken or dessert. Wife and daughter do the spending, I help run it so have no clue what they do.

Wife is flying to Denver to spend the holiday with our son. The girl and I will go to my mom's. Used to have 20-26 family members, but nieces and nephews have moved away, so now more like 12-15 folks.

I used to play football in the morning with highschool friends, but after 20 years they called it quits, guys were just getting to out of shape for full contact without pads and refuse to play any other way. Sad, we haven't got together in 10 or more years now.

After dinner, about half hit the TV room for football (and sleeping) and the other half shoot the "bull". Sometimes my older brother plays the piano like dad did when he was with us, and we all join in with song. 

As for my wife's family, the T-bird day was with the immediate nuclear or in-laws. My one brother in-law worked every other weekend. The weekend he was off they had us all over, so her family was basically a Saturday thanksgiving. They did the same thing for Christmas and Easter, Saturday family meal. The Christmas thing stopped about 8 years ago, the Easter thing 7 years ago and Thanksgiving thing 6 years ago. Wife's folks said they were getting to old to do things (Christmas & Easter), the grand-kids were getting married and family extensions grew, complicating life. Wife's brother moved to Colorado 6 years ago ending her family Thanksgiving tradition. Sadly, our 13 year old daughter, being the youngest grandchild got shorted on these great family traditions when little while her cousins were in their late teens to mid twenties....

So life morphs, think we'll consider doing Christmas decor next weekend, had always waited until December in the past, so a few days early.

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## Mike1950 (Nov 24, 2019)

26 for T-day Kathie has already started. 4 of the 5 kids and 11 grandkids....

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## Mike1950 (Nov 24, 2019)

It begins, we enjoy this room. 2 sons and I did 80% of work. Kathie and I designed All 3 coat plaster with color in finish. 14th thanksgiving in it.

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## Eric Rorabaugh (Nov 24, 2019)

Well, well, well.....
@Mike1950 invited @Tony to Thanksgiving supper. Got a chair just for him!

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## Herb G. (Nov 27, 2019)

You guys ready for the big meal on turkey day?


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## Mike1950 (Nov 27, 2019)

Eric Rorabaugh said:


> Well, well, well.....
> @Mike1950 invited @Tony to Thanksgiving supper. Got a chair just for him!
> 
> View attachment 174483



Ruby 3 would be pretty upset if Tony stole her chair.

Reactions: Funny 2


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## Sprung (Nov 27, 2019)

We're not really doing much tomorrow. No big meal, just hanging out. It'll just be the four of us and we've come to enjoy it as a usually quiet day for us - and nice to have a quiet day in the middle of such a busy time of year. Probably will watch some movies as a family part of the day and spend the other part of the day on packing for our upcoming move. We live nowhere near any of our family. But my parents will be arriving sometime this weekend, as they do every year, and will be here Saturday through Wednesday. While they're here we'll have a big meal and we'll celebrate both Thanksgiving and Christmas with them at that time, as has been our tradition. My in-laws will be out here about 10 days after my parents and we'll do the same with them.

That is one bonus of the location of the new church I will be serving at after we move - we will be closer to all of our family and will see them much more often than we get to now.

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## Gdurfey (Nov 27, 2019)

things have been changing with me and my family. As my wife is a nurse, no telling what day Turkey day will be. This year it is Thursday, she works tonight but has tomorrow night off. Was a traditional Thanksgiving meal, but here have late we have mixed it up. This year is Cornish game hens. Middle step son is in with girlfriend and he is a chef, so no telling what all I will get to experiment with...……...have to admit, a little anxious about it. I grew up as more of a plain meat and potatoes guy. I have expanded my taste greatly, but..... Okay, truth be known, for me personally, forget the entire traditional meal I had growing up and most of my life. I love a good turkey, but prefer it with homemade bread, lettuce, tomato and a side of chips in front of a football game!! I love a leftover turkey sandwich!!!!!!!!

Blessings to all of you, no matter what the plate looks like (with or without sideboards)!! ……..and bless our troops that are not home.

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## trc65 (Nov 27, 2019)

Was just going to be four of us, but sister(and family) wisely cancelled their drive to Wyoming. Driving through Nebraska right now would be next to impossible.

So, tomorrow we will have ten. We always get a 20# minimum turkey, so will just have to increase amount of dressing and potatoes and get another jar or two of vegetables to open. Sister has two pies already made, so we will be making two more today. All the cooking is at our house, but no big deal, we are used to cooking for a crowd. We will have 22 on Christmas!

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## Herb G. (Nov 27, 2019)

Gdurfey said:


> This year it is Thursday,


Thanksgiving is always on the 4th Thursday of November.

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## Wildthings (Nov 27, 2019)

Smoked a 14# turkey today and it came out juicy and delicious. So I'm going to do the same to a second one in the morning!! Yeehaw!

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## Eric Rorabaugh (Nov 27, 2019)

Wildthings said:


> Smoked a 14# turkey today and it came out juicy and delicious. So I'm going to do the same to a second one in the morning!! Yeehaw!


I've got that deer meat ready to go in the mail as soon as my smoked turkey gets here!

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## Wildthings (Nov 27, 2019)

Eric Rorabaugh said:


> I've got that deer meat ready to go in the mail as soon as my smoked turkey gets here!


I love it!!!!!!!!


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## Herb G. (Nov 27, 2019)

We made deviled eggs & cranberry compote yesterday.
My wife used fresh blackberries & tangerines in it this year.
We baked the 22 lb. turkey yesterday & took it to the local shelter.
They were glad to get it. Usually they get a lot of canned goods, which they are grateful for, but the turkeys 
are the thing they need the most.
At least the homeless population gets a decent meal once or twice a year.
God bless 'em.

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