Thanksgiving Plans and Menu

instead of fully attending our friend's thanksgiving celebration, we are just going to do brief drop-in.

probably drop off a platter of cookies, and maybe take a small plate to go.

 

when it's just us we typically do mock-turkey sandwiches with stuffing & fresh cranberry sauce and watch a movie.

maybe take those last couple tabs of acid.

Just the two of us this year. We ordered our meals from a local catering company. I'll cook a full meal for 4 people or more, but it's a bit much for only 2, especially if we want multiple side dishes. 

I'm working on Thanksgiving, but when I get home my wife will have made a nice turkey breast for the two of us. 

Most likely an early night as we are both working the next two days as well.

Winter sports season is upon us (whether one likes that or not).

Just the 2 of us - we'll make a mini-dinner. If weather permits we may have an outdoors dessert with a couple of friends.

A Pig

Supposed to be warm that day,  maybe rain.  Probably smoke a chunk of Venison over Cherry with a taste of Black Walnut.

Sweet Potato / Yam for vegetable (I can't tell them apart -- they're the same color).

https://www.thespruceeats.com/sweet-potatoes-vs-yams-1808067
^ They explain it all -- one's a Morning Glory relative.

working. smoking hash. 

chicken tenders and hot sauces. 

laying low with the kids....one thing that COVID has done is to make one really appreciate what you have right in front of you. Seems everyone is always trying to get somewhere and then before they know it are dead. It has been great to just take stock and realize that "happiness is right where you are" 

Sorry I have daughters so Moana is in constant rotation 

food? Some whole food/plant based version of thanksgiving. Not sure yet

Turkey n all the fixins, with no family that dont already live here - wife + 1 daughter 

Raspberry Cough - BKH - Strawberry Glue. May your days be just as comforting.

Today taking a ride (55 degrees gorgeous) with a buddy up yonder north in a bit.

The Pass Co: New product alert! Sours and Tinctures by The Pass are available now. We've got a lot going on on our menu - www.thepass.co/pre-order

Lily's Jambalaya.

 

Shrimp; Chicken; Ham; Smoked Beef, Andouille and Chorizo Sausage

Birthday Cake, Runtz, and the latest acquisition.

Flying Dog Road Dog Porter

 We aren't hosting anybody and not going anywhere.  Although are going to miss getting together with friends and family this year, it allows us to focus in with laser precision on exactly our most favorite things to eat without worrying about trying to cover a wide variety of palates and dietary restrictions.

We've been doing a big tribal stomp for at least 30 years. Friends who have no local extended family. We'll zoom for a bit but that's it. No pot luck dinner this year. I think the consensus here is Banh MI tacos. 

Started off with on sale ham, which later became potatoes au gratin.  Think I'll make sausage stuffing tomorrow, and do the formal Turkey dinner on Monday.  Then Turkey Enchiladas on Weds, so can relax on Thursday with various leftovers available (or more likely order burgers from the Peacock, lol).  I'm not inviting folks over this year, but my long time homeless friend I let move in for the pandemic will be sharing with his tribe (they love my lasagna!).

Remember to donate socks to the homeless, a daily need in crappy weather!   And support local cafes best you can, we don't need any homeless cooks, wait staff, busboys, etc...

Bon Appétit

 

Love ALL. You peeps

 

For some reason I bought a turkey and a ham a week ago.  Only I love that shit    lol

will round out with pie n sides liking the sausage stuffing idea   (No cannabis)

may have 3 or 4 of my children  so 60-80%.  (Covid fear with one distance another)

being grateful for what we have  HELL YES

and help those less fortunate HELL YESSIR 

XOX

Apparently the large turkeys are not popular this year as people forgo large holiday gatherings. and many grocery stores are overstocked - look for some discounted big birds the day before Thanksgiving, good luck defrosting it in time. 
 

 

We're dodging my side of the family this year. Low key this year at our house. I'm working then coming home to home made chicken and dumplings wife and mother in law. Just the three of us.

 

I can dig it.

Happy Early  Thanksgiving,  zoners.

 

Time to feel a little grateful and  if your able do things for/with others without expecting anything in return.

 

<< Druba - do you have a good potatoes au gratin recipe?

I usually just improvise them, never quite the same twice.  Sometimes i'll layer it like lasagna (butter the dish, then spud layer, cheese layer, a little flour, caramelized onion possibly ham, cheese, spud, repeat, end with cheese, pour some 1/2 and 1/2 with a little sour cream in it over the layers),  Other times, i'll slice up and parboil the spuds, sautee onions, add flour, add cream, add garlic, add cheese, add spuds, pour into casserole dish.  If you do the raw spud lasagna method then it needs to cook a lot longer (hour and 20 minutes instead of 40 minutes).  I'll cover with tin foil either way, then remove for the last 20 minutes (maybe add a little parmesan?).  

Also remember, a simple glaze can really elevate some meats!   

Just talked to my Philly family, they're taking their bird to in a pizza oven. They drop off the bird and come back and pick it up a couple hours later.  they have an appointment for Thanksgiving day. I suppose this leaves more space in the oven at their house to cook everything else.
not sure if this is the place. never heard of this service, and you have to wonder if they get the birds mixed up and return the wrong one...

https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2019/11/28/locals-line-up-to-have-than...

^^^Bakeries in small villages in Spain offer the same service on certain days, but it would be for winter baked rice recipes... turkey is only eaten at Christmas, if at all.

Slow food.

<Berghoff's creamed spinach recipe>

bleeeeeech ....God gave us teeth for a reason!

Don't mind me ...I'm sure it will be enjoyed. Happy Tday. Glad you get to spend it with family.

(Now that  jambalaya and porter at Bluestnote's sure sounds inviting)

 

^ that kid sure has some well developed eyebrows --- kinda haunting --- guess that spinach grows more than just muscles

sushi take-out

we'll be dropping off some at our sons place for he and his girlfriend also.

 

2020 dystopian holidaze

 

 

Turkey, mashed potatoes, cauliflower with a cheese sauce,  mac & cheese, salad, cookies and blondies for dessert. Just the 4 of us

 

 

It was my 60 yesterday and my son came home from Denver and my twin daughters and son in law came up from So Fla.starting on Wednesday. All of them work in the health care industry including my wife. Stuck to our small group, golfed a few times, cooked out burgers and frys on Thursday, take out pizza and wings and along with the fire pit on Friday. Yesterday was birthday/thanksgiving dinner with Turkey, Sausage stuffing, regular stuffing, mashed taters, corn, beans, apple pie, birthday cake, and pumpkin cake, ice cream, and lots of college football. 
 

next week will be just me and the wife at home, although we are invited to Daughters Family in-laws thanksgiving, we will be staying home. 

Thanks Sara, yes my idea of a perfect family gathering. We were all talking about a group trip to Costa Rica for fishing and hanging out to celebrate but the Covid shot it down. I was even trying to get them to postpone this, but that was not happening, pops was over ruled. Only thing we didn't get to do was my son and I to take the boat out for some red fishing, but another time, hopefully in the next two years fishing becomes a near daily activity in so fla

Jeez  Fabre

nice work dad! Congrats on making it this far

 How much weight did you gain?

 

Enough to be fasting for a day or two

 

Home alone (been there)-- Norbest breast - green beans- taters- crescents - stove top --hold the crans -never liked them ...... bottle of white zin .....GOOD !

Anyone have a good cranberry sauce recipe? I usually cook the  berries in OJ but don't have any. 
 

Also, will try my hand at butternut squash soup, for the first time. And will make a ton of persimmon bread since my neighbor just gave me a dozen..

When I was a kid we used to go get our turkeys from the plainvile turkey farm. It was kind of a ritual. My family still does. They've been raising free range birds there for a couple hundred years now. It's like some kind of religious fundamentalist commune farm.

I especially loved seeing (and getting chased by) the peacocks. Those weren't for sale, just decorations mostly.

^ here's my wife's 

maybe find a sub for the oj 

the ginger is what makes everything happen, imo 

great on biscuits too

 

Nancyinthesky>  

I have a great recipe for persimmon / walnut salad and for cranberry sauce w/ port wine and walnuts -- let me know if you'd like them too -- no OJ involved.

I have port wine and walnuts. So yes on the cranberry sauce recipe. I don't have Fuyu persimmons and doubt this mushy variety will work in a salad. 
 

>maybe find a sub for the oj 

 

I do have orange extract that could work. And a ton of ginger. 

 

real simple and sooo good.

 

I'm not sure about the menu yet. I'm in semi-quarantine after getting a Covid test last week and getting an epidural next week, so I'll figure something out before Thursday, but it likely won't be a traditional Thanksgiving feast.

Something to give thanks for.  Apologies for political content.  There is a god

https://apple.news/AouubPGpGRV2KOp9k7yMwzQ

I'm just playing menu consultant and not cooking this year, LOL.

Going up to the mountain for the day and excited about that! 

Nancy, here's the cran recipe..I forgot it lists zest -- but I bet lemon would do, or the orange oil.... yes, the salad recipe requires the flat-bottom persimmons, which I think are the Fuyus.

The recipe w/ walnuts is a raw relish -- will find it in a bit.

Thanks for the recipe. I have plenty of lemons from my tree! actually I have a dwarf tangerine tree I planted last year with 2 almost ripe tangerines.
 

 

I confess: I'm a cranberry sauce freak, and I'm confusing all the recipes I've tried over the years. Here's another one w/o Port... but you could sub Port for the OJ w/ good results... both are acids, but not THAT kind of acid. ;)  I remember I liked this recipe because of the herbs in it...though not THAT kind of herb, hee hee.

Wow you have citrus trees? Love those, and had them across the street in Spain... used to walk in the citrus orchards almost daily.

 

>Wow you have citrus trees? 

I just have a few dwarf citrus. The lemon is 10 years, tangerine and two lime trees are still babies. and a fast growing young avocado tree.  I know many neighbors with larger ones who share. Right now people are giving away persimmons from their trees. They seem to grow well here too

Cool! I've been getting persimmons in my veggie / fruit box delivery, so learning how to use them still. The persimmon / radicchio / walnut salad w/ shallot viniagrette recipe has been the fav so far, but I may try canning a chutney recipe I found for persimmons if I get more of them this week.

My son came home and he has a bitchin mullet.

Says he wants to try his hand at a pig.

Step one name said pig. Done

Step two obtain some acid........

Doing the prep work today for Tuesdays Turkey meal (Thursday having Turkey enchiladas!).  

Pulled a bunch of herbs from the garden (parsley, sage, marjoram, thyme, chives, scallions, etc), diced up for the "under the skin" herbed butter for the turkey.  Meanwhile, making the stuffing (sage sausage, onions, celery, garlic, herbs, scallions, turkey stock from the freezer, made the sourdough bread crumbs yesterday).  All scraps are going into the broth pot, which has all the above, including 2 types of celery from the garden.  After this puff break, will rinse off the turkey, and dry it off really well, then let it sit uncovered so it can dry further in the fridge tonight (I might add a salt rub after a few hours;  celery salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, cayenne).  The neck and giblets will go into the broth pot!    

Here's a lemon bar recipe!  (and Limencello is pretty easy to make too)

Cheers! 

Turkey enchiladas - what a great idea, Noodler. 

...and who doesn't like "Hot" shortbread? 

Here's the evidence, will make tomorrow so much easier having the prep done!  

I learned the turkey enchilada recipe almost 40 years ago from a roommate, have been honing them in ever since.  I accidently brought them to a vegetarian thanksgiving potluck decades ago at the local Oddfellows, was playing in an acoustic duet (upright bass and acoustic guitar, we traded off instruments depending on who was singing).  When we were done, the enchiladas were gone, there were about 30 signs around it saying "meat dish",  and folks had even 'fingered' the sauce off the tinfoil, lol.  We were busy playing, so nobody knew who made them, had become a huge mystery!  They're pretty easy to make! The original sauce recipe called for a can of cream of mushroom soup, cream of onion soup, 2 cans of green chilis, and la victory green chili salsa.  The burrito part had tortillas, and your typical filling; turkey, cheese, sour cream, leftovers, etc.   Now I made the sauce from scratch, but still use the green chili salsa.  

Gonna be just me and the pup.

Chargrilled grassfed sirloin steak and baby bok choi.  Stuffed poblanos.  Baked potato. Creamed spinach. Salad.

 

Gotta steal that covid pic Noodler.

One of my favorite things these days. I grew the poblanos. Let them ripen to a nice red color.  Char them on the barbq,  cleanoff and stuff with multiple cheeses and spices. Into the oven.  Yummmmmmmy.

 

Good call Mark, those sound excellent.

4 Winds, because of my wife mentioning it last week and you today, I was This close to tackling a key lime pie, but I decided I had enough on my hands,

so that will wait a couple of weeks. I found a recipe that is pretty straightforward, I think I can pull it off!

 

Thank you!

I hope you and everyone here has an excellent holiday.

CHEERS!!!!!

 

coli casserole  ~ done

bon appitit  sausage stuffing  with 9 ingredients ( and a dark rye bagel throw in ) ~ done

amazing mashed potatoes ~ done 

green bean dish pending tomorrow

turkey ready to rock - thawed, all spices and garlic assembled

yams with gooey marshmallow  toping - ready

cherry, apple, berry pie from store

bacon wrapped asparagus - coming tomorrow
 

wood for the fireplace and chimanea at the ready

festive table cloth and table settings ready

good champagne chilled

 and 4 of my five chillin will be here !!

lovin it - glad I cooked the last two nights - tomorrows should be easy peasy

plenty to give thanks for, that is for sure - and even for me, complaining all the time does get old

 

enjoy all

 

oh yea - the neighbor gave us some of the world best lemon bars!!

Forgot the seafood part. Got some frozen breaded calamari I want to try.

Liberace?

Alfred Hitchcock?

Shirley Temple

Lucy

Jimmy Durante.

What do I win?

First one could be Danny Thomas, but I will stick with Liberace.

 

Since we celebrated already we are doing bar type snacks all day along with some homemade chicken noodle soup I made yesterday and watching football. Shrimps, cocktail sauce, egg rolls, pierogis, chili dip. I also am doing marinated banana peppers in olive oil, and garlic parmasean seasoning, placed on a crackers with a slice of pepperoni 

key lime pie, love that stuff, our thing now is Better than Pumkin Pie Cake - replaced pumpkin pies long ago, de bomb 

Love to all

enjoy life's blessings 

and appreciate and reflect 

cherish all of life's blessings large and small 

(and you can start a diet tomorrow if you wish

good food magic on here 

 

 

family first 

Turkey Enchiladas with a verde sauce, the final feast of the week...    hope everyone had a great holiday (and double cheers to those who had to work)

I've eaten little but jambalaya since Thursday.

 

But it's just so F'n good.

 

I need a salad in the near future.