Living in Oregon, with all our family and friends in California, this is the first year ever that we are spending the Thanksgiving holiday away from everyone. This year, we’re on our own, and there are so many things I’m going to miss about Thanksgiving day. :givethanks
Being with family and friends will be first and foremost. It’s one of those few times a year that everyone gathers together in one place and we catch up on everything that’s been going on in everyone’s lives. It’s a few hours of sharing stories, laughter, and great food. And that’s the other thing I’m going to miss — all that home-made, once-a-year, Thanksgiving type foods.
Now most of you are probably thinking that I’ll be slaving away in my kitchen this year for my own family of four. Well, the truth is, in all my twenty-one years of marriage, I’ve never, ever, cooked a turkey or hosted a Thanksgiving dinner. Not once. Each year, we’ve always traded between spending the holiday with my family and my husband’s, and they do the bulk of the made-from-scratch cooking. I’m always the one who is assigned to bring something – like rolls, a pie, appetizer, etc. But all the really good stuff is prepared by someone else.
There is always the traditional turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, pumpkin pie, etc. Those are 
the staples of any Thanksgiving dinner. But most families also have other traditional dishes they’ve added to the table, and our families are no exception. There are a few favorite “must-haves” that we look forward to every year. And those special dishes are going to be majorly missed this year!
For me, one of those dishes is one that my husband’s mother makes – - candied yams. These candied yams go above and beyond that basic yam-and-marshmallow dish and is more of a dessert than side dish! She takes yams and adds real butter, brown sugar and pecans (and a few other things that will remain a “secret”) and bakes the dish, then at the very end tops it off with marshmallows. Oh, yum. The butter, brown sugar, and pecans, mixed in with the yams, makes this a to-die-for dish! Unfortunately, I don’t have the recipe, or else I would share it with all of you! But it’s one of those dishes that we anticipate at Thanksgiving time, because we only get it once a year.
So, Don and I have been talking about what we’ll do this year for Thanksgiving. I know there are quite a few restaurants who serve full-course Thanksgiving meals, and that’s what we’ll probably do, then head off to the theaters to see a movie with the girls.
So, what is your favorite Thanksgiving dish (other than the traditional spread)? What is that one dish you only get this one time of year that you savor and enjoy?
Janelle Denison finds it hard to believe that it’s been nearly 25 years since she first started writing romance novels. At first, it was a way to pass idle time while her husband worked swing shift, but before long it became an obsession to get published. Luckily, she kept at it (it took her over 5 years to get that first book published!) and is now a Waldenbooks, Barnes & Noble, and USA Today Bestselling author! Now, after selling over 45 plus novels, she finds that her Plotmonkey pals help to keep her stories fresh and unique, and she can’t imagine writing a story without their input. Janelle lives in Oregon with her husband, Don, along with two teenage daughters that keep life interesting.
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Ah, food. My favorite topic!
My grandmother used to make “oyster dressing” which is stuffing with oysters in it. I always loved it! I miss it.
My aunt is famous for her gravy. Unfortunately, my cousin has taken over Thanksgiving and my aunt doesn’t make the gravy anymore, though I watched her do it several times…still not sure I could copy it. My aunt also makes this delicious grapefruit salad with cream cheese…that one I learned out to make last year.
We’re going to my husband’s family this year…so there are no traditions that I know of, except my brother in law deep fries the turkey. That ought to be fun to see. I’m probably going to make a flan cake…it’s another aunt’s recipe that I’m trying for the first time. :yumturk
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Janelle-I make a candied yam recipe that sounds a lot like your m-i-l’s. Only on Thanksgiving and Christmas, and my family loooooves them.
I am also the designated “pie maker” in the family and will be baking several on Wednesday to take over to my sister’s where we’ll be having our big turkey day celebration.
Hope your family starts a new tradition this year–something “just for you”. :bigturk :jiveturkey:
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Thanksgiving has been at my house for the last, oh I don’t know how many years. I cook the turkey. :jiveturkey: Everything else I bring in. My mother used to cook the stuffing and candied yams (w/marshmallows; brown sugar; maple syrup; apples, raisins, etc. YUM! :givethanks But now we bring in from someone who makes delciious like home cooking food. We have a minimum of ten people and it’s a really nice day … :yumturk and though peple laugh, we’re usually finished eating by 6 and everyone gets back on the road early! :fourturks :gobbler:
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It’s the cornbread dressing–being from the south this is different from stuffing. It’s delicious. I haven’t made it in a while because it was just the three of us for a long time. I liked it way, way too much. Not to mention the carbs.
Then my brother-in-law divorced the skank he was married to and everything changed. Thank God. Last year we had Thanksgiving with him, his kids, his then girlfriend and her kids and some of their friends. My mother-in-law flew out from Boca. But nobody cooked! We order it from Mimi’s Cafe. It was great. We’re doing the same thing this year only we’re having it at our house and he and his girlfriend were married this past summer. Another no-cook Thanksgiving so I can just enjoy the day.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone,
Cher :bigturk :gobbler:
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Dinner out and a movie sounds like heaven to me!! I hope you all have a wonderful time. :fourturks
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Growing up I always wanted to be in a “normal family” I guess I’m what they would call the black sheep of my family I’m the complete opposite of them and have always been more of the “adult” when we lived in Washington for the 11 years I can count on one hand how many times I went home for Thanksgiving. So moving to Florida we now have to go to my sister in laws and it isn’t better. there house is always gross there is yelling at her kids her oldest may be there this year if she is out of her detention center. so I may need to drink to get though anouther year. lol
Just yesterday I was putting myself up for adoption 33 year old looking for nice family self sufficent, lol
As for the food love yams and pumpkin pie and this year I’m bringing my Candy Apple salad and it is yummy. :bigturk
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Some of my best Thanksgiving memories were when hubby was still on the road with FEMA and we would spend T-day at a restaurant and then head for the movies. The 3 of us always had a nice, stressfree day! :yumturk
This year we are heading to NYC for the weekend. I didn’t feel like cooking, so the kids can do it. Daughter is staying home since she has to babysit for Black Friday and Saturday. Means I get to shop at Macy’s and B&H and DSW by myself!!
I usually do everything, although the kids have each started to bring something. Usually someone brings a pie- from a store- I bake all mine from scratch. Including the pumpkin, which I grow first. Don’t get me going on that one.
I don’t have to cook for Christmas either since we will all be in Mouseland for the week.
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My favorite thing to eat at Thanksgiving is my dad’s dressing. It has both cornbread and biscuits in it and is the best!!! In fact, I’ll start making cornbread and biscuits on Tuesday night for the dressing. We all go to my sister’s house for Thanksgiving and it is so much fun. My dad does the dressing and chess pie, my bil does the deep fried turkey, and my sister an I do most of the rest. I’m making a red velvet cake tonight to take down tomorrow. Never made one before, but my bil gave me his mom’s recipe to try and copy…wish me luck!
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Truthfully I only have stuffing and pumpkin pie this time of year and I sooooo look forward to it. My sil makes a great pecan pie and can’t wait for that either. Seems like we never have the traditional Thanksgiving meals at any other time so we look forward to it. This year I’m cooking for 14 and already stressing. But it will be well worth it.
:yumturk :givethaks
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It’s a super secret
day. I’d post it, but it’s sort of james bond like (let’s say due to circumstances, no travelling involved).
:yumturk :turk2 :sleepturk :givethaks :gobbler: :givethanks :bigturk :jiveturkey: :fourturks
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FoooooooD!!!!!! :givethanks :sleepturk :yumturk
We used to to the whole spread (WE meaning ME!) I start the day with homemade cinnamon rolls (with pecans), then the big meal mid-afternoon with turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes & giblet gravy, green bean casserole (green beans, mushroom soup and crunchy onions), the candied yams (with pecans) a cranberry pineapple Jell-o salad (with pecans), homemade rolls, relish tray (my DD used to stick black olives on all her fingertip and eat them one-by-one), and followed by pumpkin pie, pecan pie, rhubarb pie, and the pie of someone’s choice if they didn’t like the other three. Then the parental in-laws on both sides passed, my brother passed (and the SiL disowned me – w00t!), the BiL/SiL on hubby’s side when vegan (tofu turkey just isn’t….just…don’t go there…).
We realized the best part of :gobbler: day for us was the cinnamon rolls, sandwiches and pie. So that’s what I fix – a turkey breast, pumpkin pie and one other, and cinnamon rolls. I make them and the hot rolls throughout the year (The family loves when I get serious writer’s block – I bake
) So that’s our T-giving now. Any “strays” hanging around get to eat and watch football or movies or whatever. Makes for an easy day!
Have a great one, y’all!
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My father likes a variety of food that we do not eat… this time of year he always wants creamed onions, creamed cauliflower, turnip in his mashed potatoes… me I live for the pumpkin pie… give me pumpkin pie!!! :jiveturkey:
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You all are making me very hungry, LOL! :yumturk
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I was thinking the same thing Janelle with all this food talking I am starving and it is not lunch time and I am at work so I won’t get any of that great food. LOL
I make yams with all the yummy stuff in it, and the pies of course. This year my big dinner is going to be Wednesday evening so this going to be hard to get it all done I will have to work hard Tuesday night and Wednesday morning before work and pray my hubby remembers to put the turkey in oven I will have it all ready for him but you know how sometimes good plans don’t turn out….
I hope eveyone has a great holiday and you all get some time to spend with the people you love the most or not . LOL
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My favorite dish is the cranberry sauce.
Like you Janelle, I bring rolls, Stouffers macaroni and Cheese and Chinet Plates.
:bigturk
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Interesting to see just how everyone spends their Thanksgiving.
Janelle, hearing that you are away from family for the first time reminds me of when we first moved from Oregon to northern California. Long, long time ago! I’ve spent Thansgiving many different ways since that time.
This year my daughter that lives nearby is not working on Thanksgiving but will on Christmas. She is a CNA at a hospital, no holidays! Anyway, she is fixing a turkey for the first time and doing the mashed potatoes & gravy. Her son/my grandson, 19 yrs. old, is making a salad and I volunteered to bring the sweet potatoes, pumpkin pie with whipped cream and the cranberry sauce. I already had all the ingredients for those and I love making them. I’m all excited about cooking & spending time with the two of them. Last year I found a recipe for Brandied Cranberry Sauce that is really delish & so easy to make. The pumpkin pie is made from the same recipe Mom used and it is the only pumpkin pie that tastes right to me! My favorite is pumpkin pie and whipped cream for breakfast the morning after Thanksgiving! Yummy!
:gobbler: :givethaks :jiveturkey: :happythanks
My other daughter in Oregon is not traveling down this year as her husband has to leave the Sunday after for a trip to Denver where he will be in classes all week.
I hope everyone has a wonderful day with family, friends eating good food and enjoying whatever you do. :fourturks
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Janelle, I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving, even away from a large majority of your family. I’ve never been away from my family at Thanksgiving and actually celebrate it twice. The actual day my immediate family always goes up to my mom’s parents’ house for dinner and the following day we all go to my dad’s oldest sister’s house for dessert with all of his family.
Candied yams is definitely my favorite dish that I only get at this time of year. The way my mom makes it sounds similar to what you were describing and my mouth was watering while I read that.
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We deep fry our turkey! :gobbler: And it always comes incredible! But we eat with my inlaws and I always miss my mom’s stuffing which is hands down the best and my favorite part of Thanksgiving. :sleepturk My inlaws do more of an Italian version of Thanksgiving (antipasta, and lasagna and meatballs, then soup,and eventually turkey. The turkey isn’t really the main dish it’s more of an after thought. :turk2
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I have to tell you, Janelle…I love thanksgiving at a restaurant (we used to do that on the off year, before I was married). No clean up, plus I’d always have salmon, yum-o. I know it is not traditional, but it was always fun just to go out (no stress!!!!!!).
:bigturk
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Pumpkin cheesecake!!!
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Mmmm…cornbread dressing, yams (mine have a crumble topping), chocolate delight. :yumturk
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Pumpkin cheesecake
we go to my Aunt’s for :yumturk and every year it gets smaller and smaller. I have never cooked a turkey either always go to my Aunt’s
restaurant and a movie sounds good :jiveturkey:
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Mashed turnips we only have on Thanksgiving and I love them. My mom makes them and mixes in some mashed potatoes to cut down on the tartness.
They are soooo good with butter or a little gravy.
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janelle , I am 42 and I am so glad I am not the only one who hasnt ever cooked a turkey-lol like you I always had my mom or mother n law to do the dinner . my mom has passed away so now its just my mother n law so I am thinking with 5 kids I better learn to make the turkey!!! My favorite dish at Thanksgiving is scalloped corn it has the saltine crackers on top yummy its the only time I get it . Happy Thanksgiving everyone
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Deep Fried turkey is yummy, great for tailgating. My grandmother makes great flan that I’ve yet to replicate, but I’ve come close … Hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving! :turk2
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um, mashed potatoes? lol so it’s not I *never* get it – but it’s incredibly rare in my house. The last time I had it… was… uhh…
And PUMPKIN PIE! YUM! That and cranberries – sauce, in the can, real, fresh cranberries, I really like them :)
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Sweet potato casserole and turkey. I could eat them daily for a month and be fat and happy.