I Tried A New Kind Of Thanksgiving This Year

[remember2000forever]

I admit, I'm older. But instead of having all the relatives over or driving 200 miles plus to see them, my husband and I cooked a 22 lb turkey and had a very quiet day. We have lots of leftovers and plan on making "Brief" visits next week with goodies. It was such a pleasure cooking without the stress. I highly recommend it!

[H2O Man]

1. Very good!

I like the concept of this being a season, rather than a single day. It's a nice time to see others, and especially to spend quiet time with either a few people, or even by one's self.

"Left-over" food can be the source of many feasts. I'm looking forward to making turkey soup, as my grandfather taught me how when I was young. My teenaged daughters are having as much fun cooking/baking with me, as their brothers did a decade ago.

[tularetom]

2. We went from 30 last year to 5 today

Grandma still worked all day in the kitchen but we will eat leftovers for a week and our son and family will leave with a large care package.

And the political arguments will be reduced or eliminated.

So we're happy.

Unfortunately it won't start a trend. We'll probably go back to the extended family routine next year.

[MissDeeds]

3. Lovely idea

That's just the kind of Thanksgiving I wanted. Instead, my husband and I took my eighty-five year old mom, my brother and his wife out to a "lovely" establishment in a nearby town. Our reservations were for five, but we were seated at a round table large enough for twelve. Conversation was nearly impossible. The food was awful...a Swanson turkey tv dinner would have been tastier. And for this, we paid $170, which included three glasses of wine (I wished I'd had three bottles myself). My husband and I didn't want to make a fuss and embarrass my family, so we paid (cash) and left. What a disaster. I'm mortified and furious.

[DesertFlower]

12. we have a turkey dinner at least once a week.

it's lean cuisine and it's delicious.

[noamnety]

4. I cooked a turkey yesterday just for the two of us

And it was such a weird feeling to put it in the oven with a meat probe, and know that when it was done we would eat. No stress about having it ready at a certain time, no stress about making a thousand side dishes all perfectly timed. I figured the turkey, the stuffing and cranberry sauce was fine for day one, I loved mashed potatoes but I can make some fresh when the stuffing is gone instead of having multiple starches at once. It was nice.

Today we went to a relative's house, and we could hear the couple in the kitchen yelling at each other over carving technique. "Just calm down!" "NO, YOU calm down!" So much tension over nothing.

[remember2000forever]

6. Did That.. Done That... Got the Tee Shirt

This was so... much better. Whether it's a headache or a personal opt-out, do it. Thanksgiving was such a pleasure watching The Macy's Day Parade in Jamies and setting the small table with just me and mine. Next week we will deliver the turkey, stuffing, pies and all the fixings , and not be oblicated for the family stress marathon. Best Thankgivng Ever! Yes I am thankful. Just not in all one day with all in the same room. I love them all. They are better in small groups.

[BrklynLiberal]

5. Brilliant....lovely relaxing Thanksgiving.....

[uppityperson]

7. Do what makes you happy, give thanks for what you have, love your friends/family.

[Saturday]

8. I had no stress.

The 2 of us went out for dinner. It was delicious. Glad you had a stress free day too. I like quiet. :)

[knitter4democracy]

9. I don't have my kids today, but they come home tomorrow.

We're doing a very small family Thanksgiving tomorrow, just the kids, my mom and her husband, and I. I'm so glad it's a low-stress Thanksgiving this year.

[lunatica]

10. Breaking with that enfoced family tradition can be a balm to everyone

My son and I kind of did a token celebrated of Thanksgiving on Wednesday with a Mexican dish. Our version of Chilaquiles which we prepare as a casserole. We're eating leftover today. We haven't done any holidays for 17 years. We've never regretted it.

[DesertFlower]

11. we just finished a nice meal. i made

meat sauce and pasta. hubby made garlic bread. we're having cheese cake for dessert. just the 2 of us and our cat.

we like it this way.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

13. Last year we mixed it up by cooking Italian fare

and then this year back to traditional thanksgiving selections. i love getting up early and cooking like mad for 5 or 6 hours on thanksgiving...my wife helps and does a couple of her fav dishes but i do the bulk of it. turkey...sweet potatoes...green beans (and green bean casserole)...cornbread dressing...corn casserole.

yeah, it was a heavy meal and we fed 15...wouldn't have it any other way. Now for the Texas v. Texas A&M game and i will consider it a thanksgiving for the ages!

sounds like you had a wonderful thanksgiving...good on ya!

sP

[liberal N proud]

14. We had turkey legs for dinner in place of the whole bird

There was just three of us and we did much the same, quite day watched the parade, fixed dinner with the turkey legs, potatoes, green beans and cranberry sauce.

We didn't even fix desert this year

[Th1onein]

22. I cooked just the turkey breast.

I'm on the road, for business, as usual, so it was just me. I had chocolate chip cookies for dessert. It was nice. I sliced the extra turkey up for sandwiches and put it in the freezer.

I haven't done holidays since my son died, twelve years ago. Why celebrate when it just makes you feel like you have a big whole in your heart? I will never celebrate a holiday again, and I have no regrets about it. But I do miss turkey breast.

[noel711]

15. for the first time in years, there were 2 of us...

Instead of turkey, I baked cornish hens,
brussel sprouts, low sodium dressing, and
homemade cranberry sauce.
Plus a nice chardonnay.

No stress, just peace as the snow fell down.
Why do we allow the day to get all frantic and crazy?

[Speck Tater]

16. My kids and grandkids are scattered all over the globe

From San Fransisco to London England and several points between. There's only me, my sister and my mom left in the area, so the three of us went out to diner today and had a great time. No cooking, no dishes, no problems. It was a good Thanksgiving.

[SoCalDem]

17. I slept until 11 AM, made hotdogs for Hubby at 1 PM

we both took a nap this afternoon until 5 PM, and since neither of us is hungry, we will probably go to Dennys at 8 or so tonight..

[lame54]

18. We did that last year and loved it...

this year - back at the relatives - I loved that too.

[Subdivisions]

19. I had my most culturally diverse Thanksgiving crowd and dinner ever today.

My step-daughter cooked at her home. There was about 21 of us. One latino family. One white family. And one African-American family. Each family brought food to add to the feast.

It was the most beautiful Thanksgiving bunch since my childhood when Grandma did the cooking and hosting, especially the part where it was time to eat and everyone stopped where they were and we formed a circle, holding hands, and gave thanks for each other and for the food and our good health.

[Dappleganger]

20. Good for you! We broke with tradition

and went out to eat at Cracker Barrel. I doubt we'll ever do it again. Everyone complained from the moment we got there until well after we left. :shrug:

[SheilaT]

21. I have NEVER been able to understand

why or how people let themselves get frantic about fixing a huge dinner for too many people, insist on baking the cornbread to be able to make the stuffing, bake three kinds of pie and a cake and . . . well, you get the idea.

Even the three years when I hosted a bunch of our friends -- about 15-18 altogether, not large by many standards -- I did it at my own pace, had LOTS of wine, did the turkey, potatoes, dressing and gravy and everyone else brought a side dish, served buffet style, and didn't worry if all the dishes didn't get washed until the next day.

Why, oh why does anyone let any holiday become a source of misery. If you're not happy with the way its being done, then change it to some way that you enjoy.

Me, I slept late today, at 4 pm went to my Info Desk job at the hospital, at 4:45 went to the cafeteria for my free holiday meal (not bad, considering it was a cafeteria), worked until 8pm happily chatting with the few visitors who came by. Got home by 8:30 and spoke with both of my sons (one lives in Kansas, the other in Portland, Oregon) and now I've been on DU for the last hour or so. Good day.

[Major Hogwash]

23. Hey! So did I!! A totally different way of celebrating for me this year.

Instead of eating turkey, I made a few bologna sandwiches and gave the money to the food bank that I would have used to buy the turkey with.

I don't mind giving up a turkey dinner like this at all.
There have been some other lean years many years ago where I wasn't sure we should spend that kind of money on a bird that I don't really like eating that much anyway.

I was going to go down to help out at the Rescue Mission, but they were turning away volunteers even though they set a record for free dinners doled out this year.
The need this year was even bigger than it was last year, over 1200 dinners wer served for those that showed up this year.
So, I can see already that we're going to have to do some fund raisers next summer to raise more money to help out the Rescue Mission next Thanksgiving because Boehner hasn't created any new jobs for any of those people yet.

[Darth_Kitten]

24. Lots of turkey sandwiches, turkey soup, turkey a la king, etc awaiting you!

Way to go! :D