Some Thanksgiving advice…
Tuesday, November 23rd, 2010
I guess I have always taken holiday meals for granted. It seems like I have spent my entire life entertaining and preparing meals for large numbers of people. And mostly, I have. I was always active in my church growing up. And that meant preparing meals for an entire congregation of sometimes hundreds. I helped out with our holiday parties. For me, entertaining large numbers of people has become second nature. It doesn’t mean that I don’t get a little stressed, but mostly, I hold it together. I’m not completely baffled or paralyzed with fear at the thought of cooking for large numbers.
And that’s why when Rachel announced that Ashley was coming, I didn’t flinch. And that’s why when Dad hinted that having the meal on Sunday instead of Saturday might be superior; I didn’t even hesitate to move the day. And when we looked around the house and S panicked over where everyone would I eat, I simply pointed out that we would make it work. We always do.
Yet lately, I have had friends and blog family contacting me about how to prepare a Thanksgiving dinner. And it occurred to me that not everyone has years of experience to rely on. And not everyone has skilled family and friends to chip in and help. And not everyone can overcome their fears to make it a special and relaxing day.
While I can’t attest to how everyone makes these huge meals possible, I know what works for me. Hope this helps.
- Start with a menu. I like to have a combination of hot and cold sides. I never consider calories or nutritional value. It all evens out. It’s a holiday. We’re supposed to relax and be a little decadent. That’s why even my vegetables are rich and tasty. Try the Broccoli Casserole.
- Make a shopping list. At the same time, realize that it doesn’t matter. You will go and the store will be out of something. Or, you will think you have more of something than you actually have. You will have to go back. Many times. Embrace it. No worries.
- Plan ahead. I make sure that I can cook over the course of a few days. It is far less overwhelming that way. I make applesauce in advance. I cut bread for stuffing DAYS in advance. I bake bread over the course of a few days. (Some comes from a bread machine, others are sweet breads. Don’t get too excited. I’m not that good.) Oh, but the Pistachio Bread was a hit.
- Have an idea of when you want to eat. And then realize that it could be anywhere from half an hour to an hour difference. Don’t sweat it. If people are around to socialize all day, like they were when I was growing up, we have nuts lying around or other nibblies. No one is going to starve. And after they eat your amazing meal, no one is going to remember they were ever hungry.
- Envision your perfect meal. And then accept that it is probably not going to happen. The other day, my greasy fingers dropped a glass dish on the rolls. That’s why they were smushed. And I took a deep breath and laughed. It doesn’t matter. Your turkey may be a bit dry. That’s why there’s gravy. Your rolls may be flat or burned or both. That’s why there’s butter. Go with it. The only perfect meals are on television and in magazines. And I have it on good authority that they aren’t even real! So forget about holding yourself to that standard.
- Have fun. Nothing is worth being miserable over. If making a huge meal and entertaining a lot of friends and family is too much stress, it isn’t worth it. Holidays are meant to be fun and memorable, shared with those we love. It’s not about being perfect. Although I have to admit, those we love tend to be very forgiving.
Now, a stuffing recipe, for those of you who may need one…
Saharja, I hope this helps!
And for the record, this recipe comes from Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book:
Old-Fashioned Bread Stuffing
1c. finely chopped celery
1/2c. chopped onion
1/2c. butter
1 tsp. poultry seasoning
8c. dry bread cubes (16 slices of bread)
3/4 to 1c. chicken broth
In a small saucepan, cook celery, onion, and butter until tender, but not brown. Remove from heat. Stir in poultry seasoning, 1/4 tsp. pepper and 1/2 tsp. salt.
Place dry bread crumbs in a bowl. Add onion mixture. Drizzle with broth. Toss lightly. Bread should be moist.
Use to stuff one 8-10 pound turkey. Makes 8-10 servings. And that’s why I usually double it.
Don’t worry if it doesn’t all fit in the turkey, I put the rest in a casserole dish and heat for 30 minutes or so at 350 degrees. Very tasty.
***And if you need further tips, don’t hesitate to let me know!
I vividly remember the time that mom and her friends made Friendship Cake. It was a one time deal. The starter sat on our counter for a long time. And I suppose because I was so young, I only remember the good parts about it…like eating it.
Okay, so even though we had this amazing feast that we can snack off of for days…we get tired of eating the same foods over and over and over again. So, while the food has held out, our interest in the food has waned. Amazingly enough, it seems to pick right back up as soon as we take a break. With that in mind, let me share with you some of our favorite easy break meals. I like to post recipes that I think you will enjoy, that will make your life easier, that will make your belly happy. And these meals will do just that.
Yes, that’s my Christmas bush being overshadowed in every way by Kimberly’s present. It won best in show. Trust me when I say that the picture doesn’t do it justice.
Yeah, so Kimberly has never baked cookies before. And I think I told you about the
By the end of last week, my kids were up in arms, complaining about the quality of our meals. Food is VERY important to us. Eating well and having variety in our foods is of the utmost importance. And so while I focused a lot in the week leading up to my early Thanksgiving on all the baking I did, I may have glossed over the actual meals we were consuming.
Well, our Thanksgiving morning was dark and ugly, which was rather perfect. I had been warned previously that Ed was planning on working unless weather prevented it.
Then everyone arrived. The teens sat at the counter. The four youngest had the table. And the adults gathered around the coffee table and the football. Ed and Jay rigged the television while we finished the meal preparations. Everyone has a role.
Okay. I’m home with a sick kid. And in my effort to temp his palate and get him to eat himself well, I’m fixing a family favorite. When I was sick, my mother used to make me poached egg on toast. It’s good. It worked. It was also time consuming. I have no idea how she did it. Anyway, here’s the version that I make my kids that you might enjoy. It’s so much faster and they love it.
So, this recipe was a product of my diets. See, I went through this taco/fajita phase. They are…mostly good for you. At the same time, let’s face it, there is such as thing as too many tortillas.
Well, I told everyone on Friday that Rachel had become this great chef. It’s time we benefit from her expertise, so we’re going to partake of her favorite dessert tonight. I asked her to come up with a nice create name for it. Please enjoy…





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