Where Everybody Knows You're Numb

BoxDog · Guru

RE: Gimme Eat!

Nightowlhoot3 · Guru

BoxDog wrote:

Nightowlhoot3 wrote:

That was a good day, until they started playing poker. I gave up poker in Campfire Girl camp. Long story, and I ended up almost getting kicked out of Teepee Town.
It was strip poker.

Even Cowgirls Get the Blues?

Look.

I was a little girl. I was "allowed" (because I was such a GOOD little girl) to hang out with the older girls in Teepee Town. We slept in real Teepees. It was very cool. I didn't know how to play poker at all, but THE BIG GIRLS wanted to, so I went along with it. Obviously, being a novice, I didn't fare too well. When the teepee "door" swang open, I quickly pulled my sleeping bag over me, and tried to paste an innocent look on my face. Miss Gus glared down at me, and I weakly offered: "I'm cold."

"I can see why," she barked, "my office in half an hour."

To be honest, my memory of that ends with me standing outside the building which housed her office, looking gloomily up at the window I knew to be hers. I don't even remember if I was demoted back to the cabins or not, or if I was told to be a whistle blower.

It is a dark blot on my "permanent record" about which I still grieve.

biggrin

(Ah, if it had only been "Miss Julie" instead!)

<-- normal sized

-- Edited by Nightowlhoot3 at 10:56, 2008-11-25

BoxDog · Guru

Nightowlhoot3 wrote:

That was a good day, until they started playing poker. I gave up poker in Campfire Girl camp. Long story, and I ended up almost getting kicked out of Teepee Town.
It was strip poker.

Even Cowgirls Get the Blues?

Nightowlhoot3 · Guru

Psych Lit wrote:

Nightowlhoot3 wrote:

Thankee. And to you, too.
They didn't have in the store that non-alcoholic champaigne stuff I always get for Thanksgiving (Mom really likes that.)

they had this on sale in the local walmart this week. i wonder if they sell it in all of their stores?

That's a good tip. Thanks. I'll see if I can brave that crowd today -- not sure I can make any more shopping trips at this point what with the plumber and Mom and all, but I'll try. I first got turned onto that when I was directing, and for special occasions (this was the ongoing dinner theatre shows, which had the same people basically for years) like New Year's Eve, I'd bring bottles of champers for after the show, and always pick up a bottle of that stuff for my Mormon cast member. Not bad!

Can you believe I forgot BREAD?? D'oh!

uh huh. its easy to forget the main things you go in for. i forgot the toilet paper 3 times this week. really. 3 times i walked into a store to get it and walked out with everything but. and when i finally did remember i was shocked by the price. ive always bought the big warehouse package and two of those a year is usually enough to last and ive paid like 8 bucks for them at the dollar store. so i ran into the market and for a small 4 roll package they wanted 5.97. and that was the store brand. wtf? for tp?
i had to buy it because if i didnt id space it again and there would eventually come that moment of truth so it was better than not!

It was secret because anyone who knew it was in there would go "ewwwwwwww." I always had to make a SEPARATE pan of dressing for my new partner, but only the first year, because after they tasted "my" dressing, the other just wasn't the same. The "secret" ingredient? "Campbells oyster stew." I looked for it online today (hoping maybe I'd find a store that carried it) but nope.

have you tried other brands? i think chef emerils (or one of those food channel people) co makes this. ive seen it in the specialty soup section of the grocery.

The three chain stores I've tried didn't have any oyster stew under any brand, but then again, I didn't go to the more expensive stores. I guess I'll have to decide how important it is to me/us at this point. I did get a can of cream of mushroom soup, but the oysters added just the right special "tang" to the dressing, I think.

That was a good day, until they started playing poker. I gave up poker in Campfire Girl camp. Long story, and I ended up almost getting kicked out of Teepee Town.
It was strip poker.

that could have been a very good day. hee. the lesbianese dinner tho not the campfire game with ms gus!

Really, though, I live for the week after Thanksgiving, when I nosh on little teeny tiny turkey sandwiches made from the left over dinner rolls, with the left over cranberry sauce, and sometimes, if I've a spoon handy, and a napkin, a little of the left over cole slaw as well. Yum!
omg that sounds good. one of my favorite things is a leftover turkey sandwhich with stuffing and cranberry sauce on a sourdough roll with lots of disgusting mayo. i wont be having one this year tho. i worked too hard to take off the 40 lbs ive lost this year and im nearly where i wanna be so it will be spaghetti squash with spray on fake olive oil and black pepper leftovers for me. the leftovers will leave with the guests. sigh.

Psych -- I strongly encourage you to re-think this. Even if you save just one or two plates for yourself. I do understand the discipline of diet, but it's not like Thanksgiving rolls around every week. Treat yourself, dammit!

Okay... I'm seriously getting hungry now, and my mouth is watering. This is not good the Tuesday BEFORE Thanksgiving.

So what is everyone else's favorite dishes on Thanksgiving?

youve mentioned two of my faves, cole slaw and green bean casserole. im having a load of people this year. in the past the kids have all gone to one of my exs homes for turkey day and ive done the bird for leftovers purposes only but apparently there was some big drama thing that happened last year with her present lovers family so shes refusing to do thanksgiving anymore so i guess i am. so all the kids and their so's, some holiday stranded friends and their so's and 2 of the ex's. and out of the 22 im expecting 2 are vegan, 2 plain ole vegetarian and one who has said she is prediabetic so i have to have things that those folks can eat.

i will be doing the green bean thing since thats a family favorite. i roast the turkey with root veggies and baste both in a sauce made from orange marmalade, onion soup mix and butter. the veggies in the roaster will be a few carrots, potatoes,turnips, a couple of yams,a few stalks of celery, onion, cilantro

Cilantro, hunh? Never thought of that. Hmmm. I sometimes do parsley, but really, spending over a buck for a little sprig isn't in the budget this year.

I hate turnips. I put 'taters in my roaster with the carrots, celery and onions too ... forgot to mention them. Gawd, I love those roaster veggies ... YUM!

and a small separate pan of the same veggies without the butter for the vegans. i do the stuffing separately from the bird for safety reasons. one future daughter in law is studying nursing and after several years of hearing why it isnt a good thing to do ive given up stuffing it in the bird and will do it separately. tho its just not the same as the old way.

Yeah, I've heard that too.
Don't care. When I had a bunch of people to feed, I'd usually make a separate pan anyway -- was never as good. Plus, the stuffing keeps the bird moist. Live on the wild side -- shove a little into that bird -- those who don't want to, don't have to eat it. Do you know anyone who died or even got sick from eating stuffing from inside a bird?

i make cranberry sauce rather than using the canned stuff. i think its kinda fun to make. i like to see the berries pop. gets me all excited! thats another thing thats gone way up this year. usually the ocean spray bag of cranberries is like 99 cents. it was 2.99 a bag this week so i only bought one extra. in the past ive picked up 10 bags or so and put 8 in the freezer for use throughout the year. given that i live in the cranberry capital of the world it mystifies me that i cant get fresh cranberries after christmas. im also making a vegetarian "white" artichoke lasagne, garlic mashed potatoes with black olives for the purists who need a vector for the gravy, and a butternut squash, mincemeat casserole.

Nummers! The lasagne sounds super ... and the butternut squash, too. I sometimes make a dish of yellow crook necked squash, but that's generally for when it's a bigger presentation. Funny about the potatoe's -- mashed taters were "the must have" dish for my ex at Thanksgiving. I don't think she even cared about the Turkey, but dang, the thought of not having mashed potatoes was horrifying to her. I'm looking forward to my scalloped tomato casserole. I forgot to get pimento for the scalloped corn, but again, with budget and all, it's a touch I'm willing to live without this year.

the future daughter in laws have said that they will be bringing desserts so im not doing those but did spend this evening making pumpkin chocolate chip and cranberry breads, to send home with the guests and either of these breads can be turned into dessert if they forget. i also have one of the seasons guilty pleasures in the freezer. peppermint ice cream. its like one of my favorite things. but i only allow myself 2 treats a week. rrrraindrops on roses and ice cream on cookies! lol. really its like a healthy treat. two small oatmeal cookies turned into an ice cream sandwich by a healthy spoonful of peppermint heaven placed between cookies... now if i were gonna be unhealthy id choose a brownie for the ice cream base but oatmeal cookies? lowers the cholesterol, right?

i doubt theyll forget tho, i think they are looking forward to bringing something special. that too is a rite of passage.

Nightowlhoot3 · Guru

Psych Lit wrote:

My Turn wrote:

for me, dont really do thanksgiving...i had a wacky family growing up and holidays were always a nightmare...so while i tell people i dont really celebrate holidays, it is really just a cover up...i would love to be included in holiday celebrations, but since i dont have a partner/gf that i could join in on celebrating with her and her family... and being a third wheel at a friends house with their family just leaves me feeling pathetic....so eh, i just try not to think too much about it. <--mt
do your kids go to other relatives for the holidays?   i absolutely hate holidays. its a very sad time for me and if i could, id wave a magic wand and it would be jan 2. the focus on the material, the hecticness of the whole thing and the reminders of family who are no longer alive just make the whole thing a bust for me. but i go thru the motions tho for the sake of my adult children and in fact, i prolly overcompensate on this whole lets decorate, bake,wrap thing for the whole 6 week period to make up to them for my ambivilance. still. my heart isnt into it. i used to love the holiday period but it will never again be like it was so...gak...im making myself ill with this pity party. lol. enough!

See? I'm working on a different take on all of this.

Christmas used to be my favorite holiday, and I used to love getting a tree, and making the outside of the house into a mini Vegas. One year I made wooden lawn ornaments for the holidays with my scroll saw, and my partner and I painted them together ... like life size or bigger. Even the concrete duck and her trailing babies had stocking caps, and wraps around their necks, and I made reins for the Mama and attached it to a sled I built, upon which I piled empty wrapped boxes, and the ducklings would sit attop the sled for the ride.

I spent at least a part of every Easter, Christmas, and Thanksgiving (and birthdays) for ten years or more with my best buddy. Some years I was single, some years he was single, but we were always together. The last six or so years, we both had the same partners, and so it was a strong foursome.

When he died (on Thanksgiving, ty very much) the year before my last live-in partner and I broke up, it was beyond horrible, and I just couldn't get into doing the holidays at all for a while, but then, I was blessed with my Christmas Show gig which I did for several years. Writing and playing "The Spirit of Christmas" -- having the honor of that position was an incredible gift. Don't like holiday music? Do nine shows a week for six weeks, and talk to me. But I loved it -- loved every minute of it. Loved the rehearsal times and the performances. The "key" message I wrote for my character which I tried to convey to the nay-saying cast (not the real people, but the characters) was "The best way to feel Christmas cheer is to spread Christmas cheer" and I knew that first hand, via that very show. It's the standard truth: once you get outside of yourself, and start focusing on others, their joy, or whatever, then you get caught up in whatever you're putting out. Or maybe it's "fake it 'til ya make it." Either way...

Of course, since I was gone every night doing the show, I didn't put up lights outside (I wasn't home to watch over them ... I'm pretty sure there's still a "Wanted" poster of me and my dubious extension cords up in some UL headquarters somewhere.)

This year, though, I want to try to decorate again. At least the outside. Just because. Because it's imporant to me, and because it's nice for neighbors. Back in the day, I'd be out mowing the yard in August, and a neighbor walking by would stop and tell me how much they enjoyed my Christmas lights.

At the moment, I have water coming into my home via a couple of industrial hoses, and only hot water in the kitchen. Everything under my sink is in a big pile in the middle of the room, and every surface is covered with stuff I've pulled out of the room I'm making Mom's (and all over the rest of the house as well -- was a quick "just get it out of this room" job.) Cooking Thanksgiving dinner will be a challenge, certainly, but here's the thing...

Being in the (I hope somewhat unique) position of being one who's lost 2/3rds of my family here in the last three months, I think it's even more important Mom and I force ourselves to take at least one day to yeah, feast, but also to recall the rituals of preparing the meal, and the good memories from holidays past. Even more vital, to me, is to take a portion of a day and just look at (now) my Mom, and be present, and take mental photos of our time together while we have it. If I had a big family, I would try to take five minutes out of the day Thursday to just focus on one person (five minutes for each person) and take in who they are; their mannerisms, their presence, and to yeah, be "thankful" for having them still in my life. None of us can be assured they'll be at the same table a year from now. I think it important to "remember" them while they're still here, I guess. And ... it's a "gift" to have those which you do. Sometimes, we forget that. I hope for each of you gift yourself with that practice, and allow Thanksgiving will be a day to remember both past and present. And too, to remind yourselves that those no longer at the table aren't really "lost" to us, so long as we hold them carefully in our memories.

i started that paragraph to say that i do think that rituals and setting aside liminal space for special days is an important thing for kids of all ages. even getting a small bird and having each kid think up a favorite recipe that can become "theirs" can be grounding for them and theyll never forget it.   even if your kids have to be elsewhere on the main holidays, setting aside a special day for yourselves to share those kinds of memories can be worthwhile.

Yup. And while it's hard sometimes, I've always been a strong proponet of establishing new rituals along the way. I haven't done that for a long while, and need to get back to it. Just little things which can stick -- I remember Bobby and I always played Pictionary on Thanksgiving, and I always gave him a new ornament for his tree marking the years with his last partner which I'd take to him during the holidays (we alternated homes for the holidays, so it wasn't always at their place.) I was always responsible for the Thanksgiving sweet potato casserole and the scalloped corn no matter where we spent the day. :)

I think celebrating the holidays can be whatever we make it -- doesn't have to be a flurry of dreaded activity, if that's not what we want. And yeah, the "grounding" thing is, I think, important. Continuity, or something.
i bet your puppy boy is gonna enjoy the smells of the day.... (and i am guessing a plate too..!!! )
lol..note to owl, do not leave bird cooling on counter:)

Puppy boy is in the kennel until Friday -- the plan was to have the plumbing done by then, but thus far... not even close. Even so, with the door opening 30 times a day and closing about 16, it's a good thing he's not here. And too, since he's no clue about not eating anything he can reach (and his reach is long) I'd have to be in the kitchen the entire day if he were here, and spending the day (as I have been doing for the last couple months) pulling things out of his mouth rather than concentrating on cooking. This way, this year, for this time, it's just better to have him there with his paid playmates watching over him in his Elizabethan collar.
edited to add: omg! you might make homemade noodles?!?!?...sigh...my grandma used to make homemade noodles....i remember as a little kid "helping" her...lol, and then when she would cut them and drap them all over the backs of chairs to dry.....wow. havent thought of those/that in years....thanks for the memory jog...!

are you italian? my first lover was italian and her grandmother used to do this too. and she made the best bean and escarole soup. i swear we lived on it for my whole first year of college.

-- Edited by My Turn at 21:39, 2008-11-24

Yeah, I make noodles. :) My grandma used a rolling pin, and her big 50's formica and chrome kitchen table. I will sometimes use the rolling pin (and a knife) if I'm in a hurry, but I do have a hand-crank noodle cutter, for uniformity. Packed that puppy in my suitcase one year when I went to MI for either Christmas or Thanksgiving, and there were lots of spaghetti and noodle meals those three weeks. I like 'em simple, myself, with just a little chicken stock.

(My grandma was good Kansas peasant stock -- mostly Dutch. Must be a "grandma" thing.) There are at least two things I can think of off the top of my head that are completely different items when you buy the less expensive ones in the store -- noodles and tomatoes. Noodles are the simplest food on the planet to make ... a little flour, a little water, and some egg -- it's hard to go wrong with them. It's just that they take a little time. Even so, they are, for me, one of the most satisfying "comfort" foods around, perhaps in part because of the time invested in them.

I still haven't read where anyone's named their favorite "must have, or it's not Thanksgiving dish." Ahem!

-- Edited by Nightowlhoot3 at 07:28, 2008-11-25

Psych Lit · Guru

Nightowlhoot3 wrote:

Thankee. And to you, too.
They didn't have in the store that non-alcoholic champaigne stuff I always get for Thanksgiving (Mom really likes that.)

they had this on sale in the local walmart this week. i wonder if they sell it in all of their stores?

Can you believe I forgot BREAD?? D'oh!

uh huh. its easy to forget the main things you go in for. i forgot the toilet paper 3 times this week. really. 3 times i walked into a store to get it and walked out with everything but. and when i finally did remember i was shocked by the price. ive always bought the big warehouse package and two of those a year is usually enough to last and ive paid like 8 bucks for them at the dollar store. so i ran into the market and for a small 4 roll package they wanted 5.97. and that was the store brand. wtf? for tp?
i had to buy it because if i didnt id space it again and there would eventually come that moment of truth so it was better than not!

It was secret because anyone who knew it was in there would go "ewwwwwwww." I always had to make a SEPARATE pan of dressing for my new partner, but only the first year, because after they tasted "my" dressing, the other just wasn't the same. The "secret" ingredient? "Campbells oyster stew." I looked for it online today (hoping maybe I'd find a store that carried it) but nope.

have you tried other brands? i think chef emerils (or one of those food channel people) co makes this. ive seen it in the specialty soup section of the grocery.

That was a good day, until they started playing poker. I gave up poker in Campfire Girl camp. Long story, and I ended up almost getting kicked out of Teepee Town.
It was strip poker.

that could have been a very good day. hee. the lesbianese dinner tho not the campfire game with ms gus!

Really, though, I live for the week after Thanksgiving, when I nosh on little teeny tiny turkey sandwiches made from the left over dinner rolls, with the left over cranberry sauce, and sometimes, if I've a spoon handy, and a napkin, a little of the left over cole slaw as well. Yum!

omg that sounds good. one of my favorite things is a leftover turkey sandwhich with stuffing and cranberry sauce on a sourdough roll with lots of disgusting mayo. i wont be having one this year tho. i worked too hard to take off the 40 lbs ive lost this year and im nearly where i wanna be so it will be spaghetti squash with spray on fake olive oil and black pepper leftovers for me. the leftovers will leave with the guests. sigh.

Okay... I'm seriously getting hungry now, and my mouth is watering. This is not good the Tuesday BEFORE Thanksgiving.

So what is everyone else's favorite dishes on Thanksgiving?

youve mentioned two of my faves, cole slaw and green bean casserole. im having a load of people this year. in the past the kids have all gone to one of my exs homes for turkey day and ive done the bird for leftovers purposes only but apparently there was some big drama thing that happened last year with her present lovers family so shes refusing to do thanksgiving anymore so i guess i am. so all the kids and their so's, some holiday stranded friends and their so's and 2 of the ex's. and out of the 22 im expecting 2 are vegan, 2 plain ole vegetarian and one who has said she is prediabetic so i have to have things that those folks can eat.

i will be doing the green bean thing since thats a family favorite. i roast the turkey with root veggies and baste both in a sauce made from orange marmalade, onion soup mix and butter. the veggies in the roaster will be a few carrots, potatoes,turnips, a couple of yams,a few stalks of celery, onion, cilantro and a small separate pan of the same veggies without the butter for the vegans. i do the stuffing separately from the bird for safety reasons. one future daughter in law is studying nursing and after several years of hearing why it isnt a good thing to do ive given up stuffing it in the bird and will do it separately. tho its just not the same as the old way.

i make cranberry sauce rather than using the canned stuff. i think its kinda fun to make. i like to see the berries pop. gets me all excited! thats another thing thats gone way up this year. usually the ocean spray bag of cranberries is like 99 cents. it was 2.99 a bag this week so i only bought one extra. in the past ive picked up 10 bags or so and put 8 in the freezer for use throughout the year. given that i live in the cranberry capital of the world it mystifies me that i cant get fresh cranberries after christmas. im also making a vegetarian "white" artichoke lasagne, garlic mashed potatoes with black olives for the purists who need a vector for the gravy, and a butternut squash, mincemeat casserole. the future daughter in laws have said that they will be bringing desserts so im not doing those but did spend this evening making pumpkin chocolate chip and cranberry breads, to send home with the guests and either of these breads can be turned into dessert if they forget. i also have one of the seasons guilty pleasures in the freezer. peppermint ice cream. its like one of my favorite things. but i only allow myself 2 treats a week. rrrraindrops on roses and ice cream on cookies! lol. really its like a healthy treat. two small oatmeal cookies turned into an ice cream sandwich by a healthy spoonful of peppermint heaven placed between cookies... now if i were gonna be unhealthy id choose a brownie for the ice cream base but oatmeal cookies? lowers the cholesterol, right?i doubt theyll forget tho, i think they are looking forward to bringing something special. that too is a rite of passage.

My Turn · Senior Member

Psych Lit wrote:

gak...im making myself ill with this pity party. lol. enough!

can i join you...? i have been having my own pity party for awhile now....be nice to have some company... blankstare

thanks so much for your post....i'll reply tomorrow when hopefully my head is clearer...at least during the day time hours it is....the nights, when its quiet and the thoughts start swirling around....ugh....nm...

Psych Lit · Guru

Nightowlhoot3 wrote:

Mom didn't want to do Thanksgiving dinner this year, but I got a notion about noon, and took off for the grocery store, and by gawd we will have a warm house with airborne and aromatic goodies attacking throughout the day.

yay!

heh. "rub"
I kill me.

lol

So ... menu is looking like ...
turkey, (cooked atop a bed of onions, carrots and celery, a'course) dressing, smashed taters, yams (bought one big ole yam I'm just gonna nuke, and a couple of cans of 'em in case I get a wild hair and decide to make that sweet potato casserole (hell, I even snagged a sack of marshmallows!) Whew boy, they're might proud of their walnuts these days. But hey, it's not like they grow on trees, yanno ... got green beans and mushroom soup, but consciously took a pass on the fried onion ring thing --it's my tribute to moving out of the '50s... Got cabbage for slaw of some sort, and cranberries, and a punkin' pie.

Mom can have all the above.
Me? I'm thinkin' bourbon and coke.
Now, if I can just find my kitchen ...

omg that sounds good! all of the traditional goodies! id keep the onion rings those are yummy! i love slaw too and think it makes a nice addition. i like mine with shredded red and green cabbage, carrots, and finely diced red onion and granny smith apples, mayo, cider vinegar and lots of paprika. double yummy. i wont be making it this year tho because i have no clue where the food processor has gone off to. i havent seen it since i moved in and well shredding alla that cabbage by hand would take me a year. upload some for me!ive seen some interesting recipes for pumpkin pie this year. i was reading mags in the checkout section and saw pumpkin and brown sugar meringue. that sounded heavenly. bourbon and coke sure sounds doable and after the year you and your mom have had, completely appropriate. i always save the glass of wine till that time when everyone has gone and the dishwasher is humming. throw a log on, put on one of those mood music cds that i use to sleep and just chill for an hour or so.

Psych Lit · Guru

My Turn wrote:

for me, dont really do thanksgiving...i had a wacky family growing up and holidays were always a nightmare...so while i tell people i dont really celebrate holidays, it is really just a cover up...i would love to be included in holiday celebrations, but since i dont have a partner/gf that i could join in on celebrating with her and her family... and being a third wheel at a friends house with their family just leaves me feeling pathetic....so eh, i just try not to think too much about it. <--mt

do your kids go to other relatives for the holidays? i absolutely hate holidays. its a very sad time for me and if i could, id wave a magic wand and it would be jan 2. the focus on the material, the hecticness of the whole thing and the reminders of family who are no longer alive just make the whole thing a bust for me. but i go thru the motions tho for the sake of my adult children and in fact, i prolly overcompensate on this whole lets decorate, bake,wrap thing for the whole 6 week period to make up to them for my ambivilance. still. my heart isnt into it. i used to love the holiday period but it will never again be like it was so...gak...im making myself ill with this pity party. lol. enough!

i started that paragraph to say that i do think that rituals and setting aside liminal space for special days is an important thing for kids of all ages. even getting a small bird and having each kid think up a favorite recipe that can become "theirs" can be grounding for them and theyll never forget it. even if your kids have to be elsewhere on the main holidays, setting aside a special day for yourselves to share those kinds of memories can be worthwhile.

i bet your puppy boy is gonna enjoy the smells of the day.... (and i am guessing a plate too..!!! )

lol..note to owl, do not leave bird cooling on counter:)

edited to add: omg! you might make homemade noodles?!?!?...sigh...my grandma used to make homemade noodles....i remember as a little kid "helping" her...lol, and then when she would cut them and drap them all over the backs of chairs to dry.....wow. havent thought of those/that in years....thanks for the memory jog...!

are you italian? my first lover was italian and her grandmother used to do this too. and she made the best bean and escarole soup. i swear we lived on it for my whole first year of college.

-- Edited by My Turn at 21:39, 2008-11-24

My Turn · Senior Member

you forgot bread....lol..well you knew it would be something...i never go the grocery store and dont come home to realize that i forgot something...at least you have a coupla days to swing on by and maybe they will have your mom's faux champagne back in stock....

you sound like a wonderful cook and that you really enjoy it...i love watching a woman who loves to cook and chatting together while she does it...just something about their passion for the food they are preparing and the smells and the conversing while they bustle about...i know weird..but i like it...

for me, dont really do thanksgiving...i had a wacky family growing up and holidays were always a nightmare...so while i tell people i dont really celebrate holidays, it is really just a cover up...i would love to be included in holiday celebrations, but since i dont have a partner/gf that i could join in on celebrating with her and her family... and being a third wheel at a friends house with their family just leaves me feeling pathetic....so eh, i just try not to think too much about it.

i bet your puppy boy is gonna enjoy the smells of the day.... (and i am guessing a plate too..!!! smile

)

edited to add: omg! you might make homemade noodles?!?!?...sigh...my grandma used to make homemade noodles....i remember as a little kid "helping" her...lol, and then when she would cut them and drap them all over the backs of chairs to dry.....wow. havent thought of those/that in years....thanks for the memory jog...!

-- Edited by My Turn at 21:39, 2008-11-24

Nightowlhoot3 · Guru

My Turn wrote:

your menu sounds wonderful!

i am glad you and your mom are gonna have a warm and aromatic home this thursday... 'course the bouron and coke always helps...enjoy!

Thankee. And to you, too.
They didn't have in the store that non-alcoholic champaigne stuff I always get for Thanksgiving (Mom really likes that.)

Can you believe I forgot BREAD?? D'oh! furious

I always add plain ole bread to Mrs. Cubbinson's dressing (one box cornbread, one box herbed.)

LOL I spent one recent Thanksgiving in Michigan, and they didn't have at the market Mrs. Cubbinson's stuffing, and I made my partner (well, I didn't make her...) drive to another city to get some. When we finally got there, they were out. ARG! So I used some other brand, and ... it just wasn't the same. I could tell as I was preparing it. So? I changed my "standard" recipe altogether. Think I even threw in some sweet Italian sausage that year, as well as some raisins, or something ... it was "okay" I guess, just not "my" dressing.

But I can't make "my" dressing anymore anyway, because they no longer make my secret ingredient.

It was secret because anyone who knew it was in there would go "ewwwwwwww." I always had to make a SEPARATE pan of dressing for my new partner, but only the first year, because after they tasted "my" dressing, the other just wasn't the same. The "secret" ingredient? "Campbells oyster stew." I looked for it online today (hoping maybe I'd find a store that carried it) but nope. I think they discontinued it about four or five years ago, and my Thanksgiving dinner has never been quite the same. Anyway, the "handed down" recipe for me has always been incredibly simple: bread crumbs, the two boxes of Mrs. C's stuffing, sauteed onions and celery, chopped apples, walnuts, and ... ummm... poultry seasoning, and .... and ... oh, a can or two of corn, and chicken stock as needed. I was kind of surprised a year or so ago when I was having a Lesbainian Thanksgiving and saw the hostess use milk instead of chicken stock. That was a fun day, because I brought the butter churn that was my grandma's and all the butches took turns churning and whimpering about how tired their hands were getting, and I'd show them the picture of my 90 something Grandmother churning away, and they'd get their second winds. :) That was a good day, until they started playing poker. I gave up poker in Campfire Girl camp. Long story, and I ended up almost getting kicked out of Teepee Town.

It was strip poker.

"Miss Gus" (my hand to gawd, that was her name) made a suprise appearance. Oy. There went my pristine rep...

This year I just want to basically serve my Mom "comfort food." Nothing new, or fancy, just familiar and warm. If I have time, I may make some homemade noodles, and forego the smashed taters, but that may take up more of my kitchen than the plumber is going to allow. We'll see...

Really, though, I live for the week after Thanksgiving, when I nosh on little teeny tiny turkey sandwiches made from the left over dinner rolls, with the left over cranberry sauce, and sometimes, if I've a spoon handy, and a napkin, a little of the left over cole slaw as well. Yum!

Okay... I'm seriously getting hungry now, and my mouth is watering. This is not good the Tuesday BEFORE Thanksgiving.

So what is everyone else's favorite dishes on Thanksgiving?

My Turn · Senior Member

your menu sounds wonderful!

i am glad you and your mom are gonna have a warm and aromatic home this thursday... 'course the bouron and coke always helps...enjoy!

Nightowlhoot3 · Guru

Favorite Thanksgiving dish:

With me? It's leftovers.
But beyond that, I'm guessing my dressing.

There are a couple of family handed-down dishes that I don't know if I'd even really like if I didn't remember watching both my Mom and Grandma prepare them: scalloped corn and stewed (sorta) tomatoes.

Mom didn't want to do Thanksgiving dinner this year, but I got a notion about noon, and took off for the grocery store, and by gawd we will have a warm house with airborne and aromatic goodies attacking throughout the day.

I know I've forgotten something. Or several somethings. List? Pfft. We don't need no stinkin' lists. I'm pretty sure I've got the stuff for inside the bird, and I've got the bird, so ... how bad can it be? I mean, hey! I even have my annual "use once then store for 8 months and throw away" tin of poultry seasoning. Now, I just have to remember the remember the recipes... drat. Therein lies the rub.

heh. "rub"
I kill me.

So ... menu is looking like ...
turkey, (cooked atop a bed of onions, carrots and celery, a'course) dressing, smashed taters, yams (bought one big ole yam I'm just gonna nuke, and a couple of cans of 'em in case I get a wild hair and decide to make that sweet potato casserole (hell, I even snagged a sack of marshmallows!) Whew boy, they're might proud of their walnuts these days. But hey, it's not like they grow on trees, yanno ... got green beans and mushroom soup, but consciously took a pass on the fried onion ring thing --it's my tribute to moving out of the '50s... Got cabbage for slaw of some sort, and cranberries, and a punkin' pie.

Mom can have all the above.
Me? I'm thinkin' bourbon and coke.
Now, if I can just find my kitchen ...