It’s the Monday before Thanksgiving… do you have your lists ready? Or do you just have a singular list? Or do you have no list (and just a super brain) and have no issue remembering all the things to do this week!?
Yes, I noted that I asked three rapid fire questions… this week has a sense of urgency to it, doesn’t it? As I sit here and type this I can hear the washing machine diligently working away in the basement. It sounds like it is almost done and I will need to head down to move things along down there!
But… I have my lists… yes more than one. I have the Thanksgiving Feast List/Timeline and the Things That Need to be Mailed Before Month End List. One is looming larger than the other because of the general clusterfuck that is the Post Office these days. (16 days ago I mailed a birthday card to my son in law… which has yet to arrive and his birthday was the 18th… I truly hope it gets there before he arrives home to celebrate Thanksgiving with his family!) Anyways… the Post Office is adding unnecessary stress to my life!
But… now for the REAL questions! Ha!
Question One:
What is the one thing that must be on your Thanksgiving table to make it feel like Thanksgiving?
(My answer… my nana’s ewy-gewy-rich-and chewy Sweet Potato Casserole… this year I am trying a lighter version sans marshmallows.)
Question Two:
Is there something new that you are adding to your table this year?
(In my mind this is always a dicey idea… but, I could use some controlled risk in my life this week so I am adding Bonny’s Cranberry Pie to our table this year!)
I am eagerly awaiting your answers! See you all back here on Wednesday for some Unraveling!
I’ve got one half-assed list of food that I need to make each day leading up to Thursday, and one grocery list that consists of all the things I forgot to get yesterday. For food that needs to be on our table, I’d say crescent rolls. These are my homemade version, more bready than fancy laminated croissants, but we all love them. For question two, I’m making Watergate Salad. It’s not a salad at all, but my MiL’s recipe for a concoction of pistachio pudding, cool whip, and crushed pineapple. I usually make a raspberry jello dish, but there are no frozen raspberries to be found in NJ. My grandmother would be honored you are adding her cranberry pie. Maybe I’ll make one and see if I can keep from eating it all before Thursday!
I love Watergate salad!
Last year we pared down the list of items significantly because we were only cooking for five (my brother and I split cooking duties — I did the turkey and stuffing, he did some sides). This year the fact that we are getting the family together again in full means that we can have everything! But to me, the item that we must have is pumpkin muffins — basically a pumpkin bread that we make into muffins and serve alongside the rolls. For the past several years, my daughter and I have been in charge of baking them, using my mother’s recipe. Baking day is Wednesday!
I think for me it’s the stuffing, it just wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without stuffing. Oh, and homemade cranberry sauce. My something new this year is mashed turnip and carrot instead of butternut squash. We all like it better so I’m changing it up.
Oh I’m hungry!! I must have pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving and I will be making it! I will also make a pecan pie and I have been relieved of making an apple pie – Anna, Mailing’s sister is making that. I don’t know what the kids are doing other than turkey and stuffing – not sure what the side dishes are. This year I am making an olive tapanade for an appetizer. I found a simple recipe and will make it either tomorrow or Wednesday. I can’t wait to dig into everything!! Best of luck with all your lists and the P.O.
This year, we’re having Cracker Barrel make the food. My daughter is having surgery tomorrow on her back, so no one has time (me) to make dinner. We did that the year my dad died, too. He passed shortly before Thanksgiving, and no one was really “in the mood”. So no new dishes for us, this year.
My dad cooks thanksgiving dinner, I have to have mashed potatoes. This year I am making and bringing them.
No list for me only because I have ONE thing to do for the dinner…mash potatoes, and I will have my husband do that too. I’m sure we will have a new dish since this dinner is a pot luck and my SIL family will bring some of their favs, always good too. I have to have mash potatoes, stuffing and graving. I even made chicken, potatoes, stuffing and gravy yesterday to ensure I had my fix this week no matter what shows up on Thursday. Bought a pumpkin pie from Costco-never again, its awful. Yes, my daughter is making about 500 pies at her shop this week that has been ordered, but we only get fresh pie if anything is leftover, (not picked up.)
You know the story, shoemaker with children with no shoes.
I have a short list this week as we are going to my sister’s on Thanksgiving. I really need our Mom’s cranberry relish and homemade rolls. My niece’s in-laws are joining us and are bringing a traditional Mexican dish. I’m not sure what it will be but it will be good. The woman is a very good cook.
Pumpkin pie! We seldom have turkey for this holiday — could be ribs, could be enchiladas — but we ALWAYS have pumpkin pie.