Good Saturday morning….as I shared with you yesterday, today was going to be a "Silly Saturday" post to get some good old feedback and advice as what to do for the upcoming feast this week! Please leave me a comment with some advice and tips…..we all love to see and hear what others do! Below you will see that there is some BLOG CANDY!!!
But before we get to the Thanksgiving questions I have for you…do you remember yesterday I shared with you that Stampin' Up! is going to be having an incredible sale starting on Monday for just 1 week?(Well there are actually (2) exciting offers next week) Here is the 1st one….
Click here to see the Sale Flyer…I would suggest that you print it off and grap a piece of paper, a good cup of coffee, your catalog and have fun taking it all in….WOWZERS – there are some "doorbusters" that are a super deal and then those of you that have never taken the "plunge" to get the Blendabilities…..woot-woot….now is a great time!
Make sure that you look at when the "doorbusters" are as they are only for one day and then you see that there are 50%, 40 % off etc…..that are good for the whole week! Fun, fun…..FUN!!!!!
Let's get to the "discussion" part for the day and please let me hear what you and your family does! I just love the feedback and personality of everyone – I truly feel like we all are one big family!
Below you will see that I am giving some "Blog Candy"….(2) retired Stamp Set and some home good love from me….a batch of my yummy brownies!
You have (2) chances to win, leave me a comment today and also tomorrow - on Monday I will announce the winner!!!!
When John and I were driving for our Anniversary get away we talked about things that we need to get for Thanksgiving etc….and then when I was going over the menu I was thinking that I would change things up a bit this year with some new dishes…..Well that did not go over very well…..
So my question to you is….what is tradition to you in your family???…This is what our day looks like and I have it down to a science but I just thought I would change up the food a bit….help me…should I stick with Tradition or change things up?
- I get up before everyone as I adore the early morning….I love to make sure that the dining table is "just right" and I place all of my goodies that I made at each place setting…
- For Breakfast, we always have a BIG one….a yummy strada with turkey sausage and asparagus (if you want this AMAZING recipe, email me…it's a keeper), my homemade sticky buns and fresh fruit cocktail (a true labor of love but soooo worth it)
- Turn the TV on and start cooking for the feast as I watch the Macy Day Parade
- Now I get to sit and papercraft as I watch the Dog Show…..
- Time to take a walk/bike ride on the C & O Canal…then I come home and if the weather is good – hop on a horse and ride – play with the dogs….
- Football on….my time to keep cooking away….put out a bunch of "nibbles" for the family to "graze"….
- Get ready for the feast – a highlight it to watch John make sure that the turkey is to his liking (he always does the turkey) and then he gives me an hour warning to get all of the others ready! (stand back when it is time for him to carve the Turkey…..he is a master at it!
- THE FEAST…..we sit….eat…laugh….and then I usually drive my kids nuts asking a fun and different question each you to share what they are thankful for….
- Time to take a deep breath and we always watch Chevy Chase's Christmas Vacation and laugh until tears are rolling down our face….
- Dessert…..YUMMY!!!! I always do a Carrot Cake and of course…. Pumpkin Pie
- PLAY A GAME!!!! I love games but I have a hard time rounding up people to play with…..this is the time that I slowly start to see people leave to go to other areas of the house as no one likes to play Scrabble with me but I am sure this year they will!
Whew……sounds like a PERFECT day….right!?!? I just love Thanksgiving Day and I simply adore having the kids home…it is a casual day for us – filled with just being "thankful" for all that we have!
Now to the 2nd exciting offering that Stampin' Up! is offering…(just for 1 week)
JOIN PROMOTION. On Monday – just for a limited time, (the Starter Kit Sale runs from Nov. 24 thru Dec. 2) you can purchase the Starter Kit at 25% OFF. That means you get to choose $125 of product for only $74.25 (and FREE SHIPPING).
December is right around the corner and that will be your chance (with your demonstrator status) to see and pre-order products from the NEW Occasions Catalog and earn Sale-A-Bration gifts (also new)! This is always an exciting time for Stampin' Up!
You’ll have through April 30, 2015 to “test drive” demonstrator discounts and benefits. There really is no "catch" at all…you do not "have to" hold a workshop…you do not "have to" sell SU Products to other…you can simply take advantage of this for YOU!!!!
I ask you….if you are going to continue to do what you already LOVE to do…
stamping and creating works of art from your heart…
why not give yourself a gift!
You can email me and we can talk …the promotion starts on Monday so over the weekend you can figure of the goodies that you will want for YOUR starter kit – (YES, you can put the promo items in for your kit)
Let's have a great day and please leave me a comment about should I stick with tradition or throw some "curve balls" in there with the Feast! I love to hear what you all do!
Until tomorrow…..(it's a super practical post that will help your shopping!!!!)
Every year my husband (Ed) and I go to Victoria, BC, for Thanksgiving. We start our day by walking around the harbor, then go to Murchies (a over 100 year old tea and coffee company) for coffee. We then spend the day shopping, a movie, dinner at our favorite Italian restaurant (Il Terazzo), and top the evening off by going to the Empress and looking at the Festival of Trees and listening to jazz music in the Bengal Lounge, sipping on an Egg Nog martini. Very non-traditional, but we have done this for the past 18 years. Very relaxing!
I love the Thanksgiving meal! One of my favorite times of year. Thanksgiving day is shared with my husbands family. Then on Saturday we have a big breakfast with our kids and enjoy hanging out with them. Thanks for sharing your Thanksgiving day. Have a happy Thanksgiving.
Every year we go to my sister’s house for Thanksgiving. She has a beautiful house decorated for the Thanksgiving season. She and I always make little treat boxes to place on the plates at the dinner table. Always a special time creating treat boxes with her.
Traditions are the only way to keep the memories of past family members close to the heart, all year!
I say mix it up….keep the traditional turkey, stuffing, potatoes and cranberry sauce. But try some new and exciting veggie recipes. There are so many tasty and pretty presentations out there on food blogs and magazines. I know I am sick to death of green bean casserole and am determined to get it off our menu!!
My family has our Thanksgiving on the weekend after as I help serve meals to people that are less fortunate than myself and have no place to go for Thanksgiving. Doing this really makes you thankful for what you have. We have a couple family members who always fight over the nice crisp turkey skin, I know not good for you but it is always fun.
I say keep the traditions. I tried something new one year and the boys were totally disappointed. I didn’t think being boys that they really paid attention to the details of the meal, but they do. They have their favorites that they look forward to all year, so of course they’re going to get them.
I love a traditional Thanksgiving with all the comforts of home foods. Something new is always fun too, why not add one or two new recipes while keeping most of the traditional and who knows this might become a new tradition.
Tradition is wonderful and comforting – some people look forward every year to a specific dish made for the occasion, but if you don’t try new things once in awhile, you never know what could become a new “family favorite”. So tradition (it’s called tradition for a reason) but throw in a little new!
We usually have Thanksgiving with my husband’s family – but this year we are still having it with them but doing it at our house. We will have 30! So my days are busy getting ready. I don’t usually do the turkey but of course I am this year. Tradition is important to my kids so it doesn’t go over well to try and change things up 🙂
My youngest son moved to Japan in May to teach English, so our Thanksgiving will be different this year.It did help me figure out that the food isn’t what’s important, it’s the time with your loved ones. My advice is not to stress over the little things but to enjoy your family! Happy Thanksgiving!
We do mostly traditional. Every now and then we add a new dish to see if it’s worthy of becoming a tradition. Some winners, some not! Just love being with family!
Even though it is just the two of us,(family is too far away) we still have a traditional Thanksgiving. (If we hear of anyone who is alone, we do invite them. Always room for one more.) My husband has offered to take me out, but then there wouldn’t be any leftovers. Love those leftovers. Get up and put the turkey in, sticky buns for breakfast, Macy Day Parade, eat around 2, football, relax, turkey sandwiches and pumpkin pie, and then a movie. Oh, a nap in there someplace too.
We traditionally get together with all of my husband’s family as our families are so large it is too hard to do at Christmas!! I am thinking a little crimp in it this year as my daughter -in- law and son who are hosting it had a minor setback. My daughter-in-law fell off a chair and ruptured her spleen!! Hopefully we can all pitch in and pull it off!
I’d have to say tradition with a little something new most years…like the year we had BBQ’d King Crab Legs instead of turkey;
that was a great idea that year!!!
I agree with Carol B’s attitude…..tradition (because that is what our families expect and love) with just a bit of shake-up to satisfy my creative needs. I’ve subscribed to this tactic for years, and ocassionally ww add a new winner to the mix.
We go with tradition too! My favorite part is the day after Thanksgiving when we decorate the Christmas tree with our family. Love reminiscing about the ornaments and memories with our family!
Any family member who is in town is invited to my twin’s for Thanksgiving at the old family homestead. Could be 40. We assign foods to bring and meet at 1:00 p.m. We have a traditional turkey dinner around one big table that stretches through living room and dining room.We have already used the dining room table, the kitchen nook and 2 banquet tables. We always threaten to find a “J” or candy cane-shaped table to swing around into the hallway! Ha. After being thankful and eating, many leave to visit other in-laws. Those who remain play a Christmas Grab-bag game with playing cards.
We “steal” each other’s gifts and when all cards are called, you keep what is in your lap. We spend $30 each but through careful shopping, most things are worth $60.
Lots of laughs and then we are ready for pumpkin or lemon pie! YUM!
Our family is all about the tradition, but it’s interesting to note where new ideas have slipped in over the years and become tradition down the road. Our family-unique plan of action is going out for Chinese for lunch on Black Friday, lasagna for dinner, and no turkey leftovers (well, OFICIALLY! but you KNOW everybody picks…)until Sat dinner when we repeat Thursday but with lots of appy’s and new (different)desserts. Saturday is where the new recipes usually creep in. When the kids were little they had no idea that everybody didn’t gastronomically spend Thanksgiving weekend the way they and their cousins did!
I say stay with tradition. It is the memories that keep holidays in our hearts when we lose those we love. No one makes gravy the way granny did, we always had 6 or more pies so everyone got their favorite – mince, pumpkin, lemon meringue, custard, pecan, chocolate, remember the year the oven didn’t work and we borrowed the neighbors after their turkey got cooked, the year auntie forgot the sweet potatoes (she lived two hours away) and the only grocery store in town had only yams. My grandchildren love these stories so it is part of the traditions they are starting by asking to hear them each year.
Tradition is important. In our family Thanksgiving Day is spent with our own families: turkey and the whole bit. The weekend before or after Thanksgiving the extended family gets together. This year is Baked Potato feast. We love to play games that include all age groups.
Our new tradition is playing minute-to-win-it games. Everyone had a blast last year, so we are continuing on with it this year. So.Much.Fun!!!
Your Thanksgiving Day sounds so fun. Ours will be spent with my husband’s family. We have a traditional meal, but I try to add in something new in the vegetable area. These folks are not big veggie eaters and I usually end up eating whatever it is so I’m going to prepare what I like. This year it will be a new recipe with French green beans and a lemony butter sauce. As for you perhaps a more traditional meal with something new that you would like to try. And remember calories don’t count on holidays!
We’re in AZ * my husband always grills the turkey & boy is is fabulous. I make several dishes & then we take it to my Step-sons house and spend the day there with family. Yummy time.
DO NOT BREAK WITH TRADITION! Think of the Thanksgiving memories. There will always be something new happening each year which will change a bit but, the menu must be preserved. LOL I still make my grandmothers (which was her mom’s) homemade stuffing from scratch the night before and let it sit overnight before stuffing it inthe turkey Thanksgiving morning. My kids LOVE to help with this and I wouldn’t dream of picking up a bag of croutons or stuffing mix from the grocery store. I do leave out some of the vegetables from the Thanksgiving menu (if certain people are not coming) and may add another pie in addition to the traditional pumpkin pie, but that’s as far from tradition as I bend. (The biggest tradition is that I actually do the cooking on Thanksgiving instead of my husband! LOL)
Whenever I ask what family members want for the Thanksgiving meal, I always get the same traditional responses. I’ve thought about using different recipes, but it seems everyone has come to expect certain items, so I’m making the traditional meal. It’s always been at our house with our oldest son arriving with his 2 sons, our other 2 sons live in the area. We normally have lots of extended family members also. This year will be smaller since my out of town brother has invited several family members to join him; however, 1 son can’t make it, so we’ve decided to stay home. Turkey, cranberry dressing, cranberry jello salad, chutney, gravy, green bean casserole, mashed potato casserole, butternut squash bake with apples, pumpkin pie and carrot cake (just like Susan), licorice treats, wassail (like mulled cider), mixed nuts and home made black bean salsa with chips! All yummy! Can’t wait to start the cooking and baking~
We do something different almost every year! Sometimes I do the big meal, sometimes my mother in law does, and this year we are taking a mini vacation! Me, the hubs, kids, and mom in law are goons spend it together but no big cooking meals! Can’t wait to see how it goes.
I wanted to try some new things last year so I emailed my kids and asked what we “had” to have for it to be Thanksgiving for them. Well, we ended up with basically the same menu that we’ve had forever! LOL!
I like tradition…..but there are times when I try a new dish……most of the time the new dish is thrown by the wayside!! But as the years have gone by & we loose our loved ones or hard decisions have to be made to keep our elders safe…….like moving Mom to a nursing home…….traditions change! This is one of those years for us…….we will be spending most of the day with Mom at the home & then doing our “traditional” meal with only 1 child on Saturday. Traditions keep good memories alive in our hearts but sometimes you need to make new memories a tradition. Happy Thanksgiving.
Every year, I try a different recipe for the turkey and a new side dish. We look forward to the different side dishes. We are up to eight dishes, I know it’s a lot but we love to send left overs with the family.
Tradition is great, but sometimes we need to shake things up a little. When our kids were growing up it was always traditional, turkey and all the trimmings. I’m the one who is not a big turkey person, but that is what we had. Of course when the grandkids started arriving and now that they are teenagers a ham has also been added just to be able to have left overs:). Unfortunately we now live on the west coast and all the kids and grandkids are on the east coast, so they do the traditional. Ron and are are usually in Palm Springs at Thanksgiving on our way to Yuma and last year I decided to mix things up, we had barbecue ribs, potato salad, and beans :). Now that was untraditional LOL, but the leftovers were fantastic. This year we will spend it with Ron’s sister and her husband and since she’s not a big turkey person either, we’ve been talking about ribs again:). Of course I usually make a cranberry salad, which is one of those make ahead dishes and can also be frozen, that is usually the only dish that has to be there. Of course the Macy’s parade and football are a must, and football is usually when I take a nap. I enjoy being with family and sharing about past years.
My hubby and I look forward to Thanksgiving and that weekend every year. It’s the only time during the year we just hangout with each other. We cook, talk, laugh and connect. It’s our tradition and retreat before the rush of Christmas and the New Year.
We keep the same Thanksgiving traditions each and every year! We make nachos and watch the football game and we always take a family walk after the big meal
Tradition is comforting and something that most family members crave. But to get a creative side going, you can add a dish or two to change things up. That is what works with my family. As for games, I have to say that cards are the easiest to engage my family members in. Phase 10 is great as it is essentially collecting “Phases” or suites in a particular order. Add in the fact that you can trash talk while you are doing it, makes it a lot of fun. One thanksgiving we played with our extended family until after midnight. Lots of fun.
I’ve been slowly adding a new dish each year and its been a hit.
We go with Tradition. The kids love this. We get together at my MIL’s house with all 30+ of us. Each family has a food assignment or two. The kids all play with their cousins, the ladies are in the kitchen, the men are watching football. When it’s almost time for dinner, the men join us and help with the last of the preparations. We all sit down to eat and visit. Afterwards, everyone helps clean up and we just hang out for the day. People are playing board games, games outside, chatting, napping, etc… Later in the day we pull out the pie and eat! It is just a lovely, relaxing day!
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Though I am up there in years I still do the Thanksgiving dinner. I definitely keep with tradition and will always do that. Tradition is a very important part of our lives. I see how it affects my children and grandchildren, just mention change and they don’t like it. We have Sunday dinner every week as well. That tradition will continue with their families also. Love getting up early and starting the dinner. We eat at 2:00 pm. Time never changes. That gives time for my children and grandchildren to spend time with their spouse’s side of the family.
Stick with tradition but add one new dish if the mood strikes.
Just Hubby and I now. All my Family are gone now; but, I will make the traditional Thanksgiving meal.
Blessings!
We have had French people over the past two years for a Thanksgiving dinner the Sat. after Thanksgiving, since it isn’t a holiday here. There are not whole turkeys to be had, so I get turkey cutlets and make a stuffing. Put the stuffing in a baking dish with the turkey on top and bake it together. Cook a pumpkin to make pumpkin pie. I learned not to use the “puree” potatoes for the kind of mashed potatoes we are used to; the baking potatoes are what I get now.
In the U.S., sometimes we go to my in-laws’ for Thanksgiving. Sometimes we have it at our house. The most important foods, other than the turkey, are yeast rolls, Lima beans, and cornbread stuffing.
As far as changing tradition, I’m with those who said to try one or two new things while keeping the favorites in the line-up. Traditions are important.
Have a very Happy Thanksgiving with your family!
(I’ll come play Scrabble with you!)
Cyberhugs!
We celebrate the Sunday before Thanksgiving on one side of the family as there are 55 of us. We usually go to the community room at the park, lots of fun for the kids, and no one has to worry about carpet. But this year my sister decided to try to have it at her house, a big old farm house with a working farm. Lots of baby calves etc.again fun for the kids. brother in law is roasting a pig this year, and my son is still bring a small turkey.
I’ve learned too, to stick with tradition. Our family simply loves the turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy. Top it off with pumpkin pie. We usually groan that we’ve eaten too much, but that doesn’t stop us from doing that again either!
This year our Thanksgiving dinner will be changed somewhat due to the small tasters at our table. No point in making what they won’t eat. But what remains is the essential ingredient, family. Laughing, joking,all the boys home at the same time, with their families. What’s not to love. The kids will do a cream/butter making experiment, and I will make the rest of the cream into a big slab of butter for the table (this is new, heard homemade butter tastes better, we’ll see). And to top it off, a lot of hugs.
Traditions that have already been put into place for us are fondly remembered but it is fun to kick things up a notch and introduce to younger family members it’s ok to be different. It’s ok to love what been done yet love something new. That’s how new traditions are created!
Thanksgiving is always traditional with us. One year I decided to change things up and it did not go well. My grandsons always insist on my corn pudding and rolls.
Traditions are great, but cooking for two is no fun, so my husbands treats me to Thanksgiving at the country club. We get a table for 8 and then invite friends that have no family in town. We started this tradition when we retired and I thoroughly enjoy not slaving over a hot stove and enjoy a great meal and the company of my friends.
It is just myself and my husband a family is to far away to come for the holidays! soooooo i would love your recipe and try starting a “new” tradition in my home! These were the holidays my parents absolutely loved and always went all out for them. I miss that and them during the holiday seasons and have very fond memories of all of us the way it used to be. Blessings to you and your family
We’ll have the usual turkey & stuffing, plus sweet potato casserole with pecan topping (NO marshmallows!) — but this year the rest of the menu is evolving. We live in the epicenter of the oil & gas fracking boom going on in Ohio and have invited four men who are friends of friends of my sister’s, who are all from TX & LA and won’t be able to get home for the holiday. I’m trying to figure out what from-home delicacies they might be missing–I’ve never met them!
Well, this year is going to be something new for us. 4 of my children live too far away to be able to come. OF the 2 in town couples one will be going to the in-laws house (it is their first year married) and the other will be going away. So DH and I are going to a restaurant. Then we will decorate the tree for Christmas (I always fuss that he won’t get it down from the attic til mid Dec!) I think it will be pleasant and totally new for us. I am happy not to cook. I have done that for over 40 years and I am delighted not to do it this year!!!
We were just talking about this and have come to the realization that traditions we once thought were etched in stone are changing as we add more generations to the family.
It used to be that after dinner all the ladies would be responsible post dinner clean-up while the men retired to the family room to watch whatever game on the TV. Now, however, the men are equally involved in clean-up and the ladies are equally interested in sports.
One tradition remains, though, and that’s over-eating!
Well we are starting a new tradition this year. My Father passed in May so I promised my kids it would be about them. Now we are starting a tradition to cook at their house. Sad times but new times.
Tradition -we keep things pretty much the same every year with maybe a new salad or dessert thrown in.
I agree that Thanksgiving is all about traditions. I know my family would certainly rebel at any change in menu. I also have the same problem…everyone scatters when the scrabble board comes out! But they all play Words with Friends….go figure! Your day sounds positively lovely.
My Thanksgiving tradition is being part of a cross-generational tradition for many families. I work on the “backstage” part of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and have for many years. It’s such a joy and privilege to be part of a uniquely America tradition and know that it brings a smile to so many faces – young and old alike – on Thanksgiving morning.
This year, I am “improving” my weight, so I proposed some healthier Thanksgiving fare. For example, green beans almandine rather the corresponding casserole. Gauged by the reactions of my adult children, you would think I had told them there was no Santa Claus! So,we will celebrate as we have for years… Tradition!
I always look forward to your posts!
Lately our tradition is my guys recovering from Boy Scout Camp on Thanksgiving and cooking the turkey outside on the grill. Family is out of town, so just our family for the meal. Our favorite dish is the pineapple, cheese and ritz crackers casserole. I only make it at holidays. Otherwise we try to eat a bit healthier–whole sweet potatoes instead of casserole, no stuffing, fresh green beans, and I’m enjoying learning to cook fresh cranberries. So, some new, some tradition. Thanks–Happy day to you, too!!
Traditional is great, but it’s not always easy to do! With in-laws and family in different states, it’s always a surprise where everyone will end up. The wishbone is always the highlight, with the youngest usually getting a chance to make their wish.
I say have your cake and eat it too! Keep the most traditional but add something new. We do Thanksgiving at my mom’s or my sister’s house and though we have the traditional fare, if someone wants to add something new, we try it too! It doesn’t detract from the traditional and you might find something that becomes a new tradition! Things change when children marry and have their own children, which is a change in tradition but becomes part of a new one. Be thankful for family and fun–whether traditional or new!
We lost my mil this past February. She always cooked Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday. Only in the last few years, did she allow us to help her with sides. So we are not sure what is going to happen this year. My side of the family has celebrated Thanksgiving together the Saturday after the holiday. This allows us to spend the holiday with our inlaw families. Before we came up with this plan, we would either have two meals on Thursday or not make it to one side. So relaxing. I am not a fan of green bean casserole either and would like to strike it from the menu, but my sons LOVE it – ewww, so it stays. One year I added a sweet potato recipe that only my husband and I liked; now I only make it once in a while. Like most posters, it would be nice to change things up, but the family would be disappointed. Every year we also always say, “why do we only have turkey with stuffing once a year.” Seriously – only make turkey for Thanksgiving.
I would like to try some new things but have been told “Don’t mess with Thanksgiving!”
We are all about tradition, but this year will be a little hard since my dad passed away in July. He will be greatly missed. Love the give away. Happy Thanksgiving. Blessings.
Traditional is great, but it’s not always easy to do! With in-laws and family in different states, it’s always a surprise where everyone will end up. The wishbone is always the highlight, with the youngest usually getting a chance to make their wish.
My favorite tradition is spending time with my family.
I love your clean and simple style, Susan. I do not break tradition! Thanksgiving is at my house every year, and every year the basic menu is the same. Why mess with success? Your day sounds wonderful, have a good one!
Family traditions are the best….new ones can be made and old ones never forgotten. Turkey day starts with the guys golfing (brrr), then dinner with family and friends (25 peeps) and ends with fun, laughter and lots of love! My daughters and I go to NYC on Saturday for some “rest and relaxation!”
My family keeps things fairly traditional. We recently have adjusted the day we celebrate to accommodate growing families’ ability to celebrate with both sets of “in-laws” and work around dairy farm family work schedules.
I’m excited to try a “twist” on our traditional menu this year. We typically begin the meal with a glass of fresh cider or cranberry juice. A local apple and cranberry farm just introduced a hard cider and lightly carbonated apple cider and apple cranberry cider. We are going to offer these as our starter beverage. This provides a way to keep tradition, keep things current, and support a local business that has been part of the community for 9 generations.
Definitely traditional but we [occasionally] throw in something new, like the Thanksgiving we had BBQ’d King Crab Legs instead of turkey. Now THAT was an excellent idea!! Yum! Thanks so much for a chance to win goodies; I don’t have those stamp sets so I feel a win coming on [finger’s crossed!]
I love our Thanksgiving traditional turkey! The years we go to my mom’s, I cook one when we get home just so we have leftovers! We like to play games late into the evening, which game is really the only thing that changes!
Love your notecards and box! What a great idea for Christmas or any occasion. The practice of sending (actually giving or mailing!) cards may be on the decline, but who wouldn’t LOVE this gift. Thank you!
I commented yesterday about our big thanksgiving today. Now to the smaller one but most enjoyable my sons and their wives and children and now a great grandchild. One of my Grand daughters has a new home so we will be going there. I think it will be all traditional..
In our family, we stick with a traditional Thanksgiving. Everyone pitches in and brings a dish for the meal. My sister and I take turns hosting each year and it’s a wonderful help when you know that one family is in charge of dessert, another brings the potatoes and still another the takes care of the wine or stuffing. We all look forward to the “goodness” of the day and spending time with loved ones that seem to be growing up before our very eyes!
It sounds like you have a wonderful Thanksgiving day tradition. We alternate his side/my side each year. For his side, we go 3 hours north to his parents home on the lake and stay through the weekend and enjoy some fun snow activities – sledding, snowman making, snow ball fights. For my side, we stay in town and go to my aunt & uncles for a wonderful dinner and in the evening family friends come by for lots of laughs.
I think it’s best to keep the tradition for holidays that are important to your family. Pick another time to try something new.
My family has certain menu for Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter. We keep the same foods for each holiday as a way to honor and remember family members who are no longer with us.
I am traditional all the way! This year, for the first time in about 8 years, our oldest son will be with us for Thanksgiving. He is coming from Brooklyn. Our 2nd son and his fiancé are coming from Tempe, Arizona. He has not been here for a couple of Thanksgivings, but more recently than his brother! Of course I am planning on making all of their favorites, which include many of their grandmother’s recipes. The only one missing will be our daughter, who just moved to Jacksonville, Fla. in September. It will be the first time she has not been with us at Thanksgiving. However, a co-worker’s family invited her over, so she won’t be alone.
Some advise or tips? Ummmm, get it catered or go to someone else’s for the dinner! But, be picky – one year right after we were married and Mike’s mom was very sick with cancer – we went to his mom’s side for dinner. Ph, that reminds me also make sure there is a convenience store close – I had to stop and get Doritos and a Diet Coke as I was still hungry! No kidding!
They had goose (too greasy and gross), all the chicken and noodles were gone by the time they got to me. I was too nice and passed everything by me first! The iced tea was sweetened and his aunt refused to make it without sugar. The gravy had giblets and the dressing had oysters and really smelled awful. One aunt had made that green jello stuff – Warergate salas – only she messed up and put sour cream and horseradish in it. I don’t like it anyway but Mike does and he said he had to spit it out in his napkin – it was gross! They dolled out the pumpkin pie and passed the slices around and ran out by the time they got to Mike and me! I had made a load of pumpkin bread and a loaf of cranberry bread to take. Thank goodness, I had some of them, a dab of mashed potatoes and some green beans. Mike had some goose and said it wasn’t very good. Besides all that, they couldn’t get my name right. My MIL made a big scene in the kitchen to at least get my name right before she died,
Then, to make matters worse they decided I had to see the farm animals. The pigs chased me in the mud. At least the next year their dog managed to kill a turkey so we at least had turkey.
We made it a point to go to my parent’s for dinner at least if not the rest of the weekend when we lived in the area. Now, we either ho to his dad’s and his wife’s or stay at home. Either way, this year h is trying to smoke a turkey in his new smoker he got for an early Christmas present! Of course watching the parade on TV and football too are a part of our tradition too. I think we might have to play a game too – we used to do that a long time ago. I have to work on Friday.
Sorry, to be so wordy and so negative. I think that really had to be the worst dinner for me.
We start each Thanksgiving with a special breakfast (I haven’t decided what it will be this year). We have time with just the three of us and just enjoy each other’s company. Then we either head to my mother-in-law’s house or my mother’s house (they trade off each year). This year we are at my mother-in-law’s home. It’s great because my mom and sister join us there so we are always all together. Now that the dads are with the Lord, we don’t have as many people. I just bring a dish or two so I never have to clean my house or cook a ton of food. We always watch football and eat way to much. I can’t wait.
Every year it is something different on where we go, or if someone is coming to our house. This year is the first year I will have to work and will not being having a Thanksgiving dinner in 25 years 🙁 My husband and daughter are going to his brothers house, who live about 2 hours north of us. I have to work a 12 hour shift. So I will have a catered dinner from my work place. I thankful I have to work because getting work around here at my age is hard to do. I have been a stay at home mom for 25+ years. So now it is time for me to go and work. At the age of 55. I thank God everyday for my family and for my friends. For the life He has given me. I hope you have a great Thanksgiving and I am thankful I have your blog to look forward to and all the great talents you have. Blessings to you and your family.
Our thanksgiving has the same traditional/basic items, turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, biscuits and gravy, but we change the vegetables, salads and desserts. This year will be a little different bkz my mother’s glass pie dish was broken…she is no longer here and every year since she passed I always baked with that dish to feel like she was still with us. She baked her desserts in it every holiday for as long as I can remember.
We sometimes change up the sides-broccoli rice casserole is a favorite! I think we may try cranberry fluff this year & we’ll have apple crisp. I don’t like pumpkin pie but the others do so we always have that, too 🙂
Tradition, with a few changes maybe, let them choose a new game to play or buy one you never played before and start a new tradition playing that one.
I have done both traditional and non-traditional, but I prefer the traditional. I have started to include my international friends to share the tradition with as well.
I LOST MY HUSBAND OF 52 years two years ago so I don’t cook anymore but I have the most amazing neighbor who makes sure my daughters and aren’t alone for dinner. I love her so much. I made 18 of your favor boxes for everyone. They will love them.