Ronni
Well-known Member
- Location
- Nashville TN
For quite a few years now I've celebrated Thanksgiving on whatever day worked for my family and friends who attend. With 5 kids it became impossible to gather all my kids around on the traditional Thursday because their spouses and/or significant others were also wanting to or were obligated to attend THEIR nuclear family's celebration. As I don't care WHEN we all get together, just THAT we do, I chose to schedule Thanksgiving whenever it worked for everyone. The day changes each year, depending.
A couple years it's even been the weekend before or the weekend after. My own children are SO grateful that I'm flexible, because that means they aren't pressured. A couple of them already attend several events on the same day...for one, their spouse has a Mom and Stepdad plus a Dad and Stepmom, both of whom hold the get together on Thursday, though thankfully one is a lunch thing and one is a dinner thing. For another of my kids' spouses there's a Gran get together separate from Mom and Dad's. It gets cumbersome and confusing to try and sort out all those schedules, so I just don't anymore! Which works for me as I get an extra day or two to make food, and great for everyone else because they aren't stressed.
My son in law smokes or deep fries the turkey. Sometimes both. It's absolutely delicious..far better than anything I can roast in the oven, so that's been the default for a few years now. I make it potluck so everyone brings a side or dessert or sometimes both, and then I fill in the gaps. It's very informal, we eat off paper plates because that reduces cleanup all round. My youngest boy (youngest ha! He's 35!) enjoys being bartender, so he brings his supplies and sets up an informal bar on the kitchen island.
Several of my kids and friends have things they always make...son #2 a broccoli casserole, my daughter makes a killer sweet potato casserole, one of the guests always brings the stuffing and gravy, and EVERY SINGLE YEAR we argue over whether to call it stuffing or dressing (maybe that's a southern thing?) I start three days early making the gravy and I typically make about a half gallon .... I swear they drink it like soup!
It's a fun, crazy, boisterous and noisy get together. We play games after, the grandkids are tearing around like crazy, the dogs are ever alert for an opportunity to steal food, everyone has fun.
What about you? When, and how, do you do Thanksgiving?
A couple years it's even been the weekend before or the weekend after. My own children are SO grateful that I'm flexible, because that means they aren't pressured. A couple of them already attend several events on the same day...for one, their spouse has a Mom and Stepdad plus a Dad and Stepmom, both of whom hold the get together on Thursday, though thankfully one is a lunch thing and one is a dinner thing. For another of my kids' spouses there's a Gran get together separate from Mom and Dad's. It gets cumbersome and confusing to try and sort out all those schedules, so I just don't anymore! Which works for me as I get an extra day or two to make food, and great for everyone else because they aren't stressed.
My son in law smokes or deep fries the turkey. Sometimes both. It's absolutely delicious..far better than anything I can roast in the oven, so that's been the default for a few years now. I make it potluck so everyone brings a side or dessert or sometimes both, and then I fill in the gaps. It's very informal, we eat off paper plates because that reduces cleanup all round. My youngest boy (youngest ha! He's 35!) enjoys being bartender, so he brings his supplies and sets up an informal bar on the kitchen island.
Several of my kids and friends have things they always make...son #2 a broccoli casserole, my daughter makes a killer sweet potato casserole, one of the guests always brings the stuffing and gravy, and EVERY SINGLE YEAR we argue over whether to call it stuffing or dressing (maybe that's a southern thing?) I start three days early making the gravy and I typically make about a half gallon .... I swear they drink it like soup!
It's a fun, crazy, boisterous and noisy get together. We play games after, the grandkids are tearing around like crazy, the dogs are ever alert for an opportunity to steal food, everyone has fun.
What about you? When, and how, do you do Thanksgiving?
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