Do you have Big Thanksgiving

[Basketmiss]

What does everyone do for Thanksgiving? I mean do you have a big family get together or have a small affair..

We go to my husbands sisters out of state and 15 of us stay in the same house for Wed thru Sun ( yes I am serious 15 of us DO stay in the same house) LOL

We have a great time, eating lots, I think we all gain 5 pounds eating much bigger meals than we ever do normally!

We play games, go shopping, just spend a fun time together...

We also do Christmas with them as we dont see them at Christmas..

Our kids love that they get a xmas early!

 

[backwoodsnanny]

Well our Thanksgiving isnt the same as most. We dont do it Thanksgiving Day. For years we went to my sisters for Thanksgiving but that tradition faded fast once my sister passed away and even when we did go there I did a meal the day after Thanksgiving because everyone missed the leftovers so for 4 years I did the meal at home the day after Thanksgiving and I also had the family every year since I was married on Christmas Eve. One of the great things about this is it doesnt interfere with inlaws and outlaws well you get the picture. For the last 4 years my sons lady has done Thanksgiving at her house to give me a break but we all take food. She does the turkey and some of the veggies my daughter does some of the veggies and dessert and I do a roast pork and dessert and we bring it all together on Friday evening. We have hunters in the house and this is the last week of deer season so it has to be at night. When people ask I just tell them everyday is a day to give Thanks it really doesnt matter what day. There are now 12 of us with kids and grandkids and grandsons girlfriend and am sure it will only grow as 3 more of the grandkids are teenagers now. Christmas Eve is similar but two friends are added because they have no family to be with, their families are here for Thanksgiving but not for Christmas so I guess 12 would qualify as fairly large.

 

[Basketmiss]

backwoodsnanny you know we Never have much leftovers, I love leftover turkey the next day but not any after 15 people pig out!! I just love having pumpkin and pecan pie both , my favorites!!

 

[Marty]

Well of course we used to have my parents and aunts and uncles etc. but now we are just us three and I hate that.

We have no one at all to invite to join us. We used to have friends of the boys that had no place else to go but seems like now everyone has their own places to go so......

Tradition will live on in us no matter what I have to do.

It starts Thanksgiving Eve when I will do lots of orderves and serve them and I just keep them coming. All kinds of finger foods. Dan will do his anual cleaning out of the turkey and play with the guts

because he thinks that is wonderful. I'll be cooking the stuffing. Then Dan & I will get it all ready to shove in the oven in the morning. I'll bake the pies and whatever else.

Thanksgiving morning is a sacred ritual.

After I feed and do the barn I'll come in and shove the turkey in the oven and get more orderves ready to go again. Then I make everyone DRESS UP NICE including me. I don't know why but I inisist. Then I make everyone sit down in front of the TV and watch Macy's Day Parade with me. No one is allowed to talk or interrupt cause it's very important that we get to see the whole parade. That parade is important because that is when the REAL SANTA comes down to this hemisphere for the very first time of the year. Then it's ok to talk and I'll go "Doesn't he look wonderful this year?" and everyone better say "YES HE DOES" or they'll get smacked if they wise crack. And then I"ll go on and on about how wonderful he looks and cry and ball my head off I have no idea why but I do.

THEN........I'll serve orderves and peel potatoes or whatever else I need to do in the kitchen and make everyone watch Miracle on 34th Street with me three times in a row because we have it three different versions but we like the really old black and white one the best with Natilie Wood but we do all three anyhow cause we're a little nuts but oh well who cares. By now we are starving and dinner is ready and then Hus does the blessing and we eat. Then Hus will go "Why did you make so much food again" and I'll go"cause we'll eat it" and then we'll talk about all the food that we can't eat because we got full on orderves.

Then after we eat they all go change their clothes in to some junk and go in the living room and nap and leave me with a couple of hours of dishes but I don't really care. Whatever.

I love Thanksgiving.

I hope we have a good day best we can and I hope yours is wonderful.

If you know anyone that needs a place to go send them here.

 

[Candleliteranch]

My Mom had the bright idea of going out to eat this Thanksgiving, but was met with so much oposition that she relented and we'll all be going to her and Dad's house again. All 16 of us! We all have assigned dishes tto bring and assigned tasks to do. It's my grandson's first Thanksgiving. I can't wait for Christmas!

 

[Jill]

This year, like most years, Harvey and I go to my parents' first and then to his parents'. This year, we're having brunch at my parents' and my sister and her family will be there. Then, we'll drive to his parents' (only about 20 minutes) for more food and his brothers and their families, and his grandmother, some aunts and uncles, etc.

It's my favorite holiday. I love spending the time with family (especially mine... I know that's bad!).

 

[MSRminis]

This year I am going to Marty's house!! Just kidding-but i LOVE hor D ouerves(sp?)-finger foods! They are my favs!! May have to steal that tradition from you and start it here!!!

 

[Rebecca]

We have an 'early' Thanksgiving around here, get the whole family together and some friends, one year we had around 20 hungry people to feed!!!!!

Over Thanksgiving break, my two brothers and I go to Utah with my aunt and uncle, as long as there's enough snow. We spend Thanksgiving skiing, then retire after a long day to a hotel, where there is a heated pool OUTSIDE that faces the mountains. And then there's always the big feast, with beautiful ice sculptures sitting on the tables. Ahhh, I love Thanksgiving!

 

[Sonya]

We have an "early" Thanksgiving as well...only because my husband and I have to work on Thanksgiving day (3pm-midnight)...planes don't stop flying just cause it's a holiday!

We will have ours on Wednesday (our weekends are tues-wed)...We have no family in this state, so will just be me, my husband, and our good friend that my husband works with, Darrin. He also has to work on Thursday and has no family in this state (or spouse, girlfriend at the moment)...he usually spends all the Holidays with us..I think he does just about everything with us...he's like the brother I never had, same for hubby.

Guys will hunt in the am behind the house, then come in and fry a turkey, we will make all the fixings...eat around 6pm and then go to the local pub a couple miles down the street...Night before Thanksgiving is a huge "club,bar" night around here, since most are home for college. They will have dj, karaoke, and dancing...dancing is good so I can work off all that food I ate!

Happy Turkey Day!!!

 

[Betty B]

Just hubby and me. 1 kid in MI and 1 in GA and the rest are busy with their other in-laws. You all have fun.

 

[sfmini]

Sometimes we go to my brother's, not sure if that is happening this year or not. We usually don't do our turkey until the weekend, but maybe this year we'll do it on the day. In any case, we always do our own so we can have leftovers and I can make tetrazzini. It is a pain to make, but man is it ever good!

Thanksgiving is the day before we open for Christmas tree season, heck, sometimes people just show up trying to get us to sell them a tree. Gee, like we don't want to enjoy our holiday? Well, we really don't, or at least Pete and Judy don't. They will spend all day outside cutting and moving trees. I'll stay in and watch the parades and corny old movies. Being laid up and unable to do that kind of work has its benefits I guess.

 

[Buckskin gal]

changed

 

[Kathy2m]

We have a big one, it started with my parents having everyone over, all family and friends that had no where to go. Then my sister took over, same deal. When my Dad passed my sister took over Christmas because my Mom just couldnt bring herself to do it without him. I took over Thanksgiving, we have anywhere between 14 to 25 depending on who needs a place to go. We used to bake the Turkey now we deep fry 2 of them I make a twice baked potatoe casserole the day before and everyone brings something to share. I like to do it this way now because all i did before was spend time in the kitchen and didnt get to visit with my family and friends that I only see a few times a year. Happy Thanksgiving, Kathy

 

[sfmini]

Oh, twice baked potato casserole?!! Please post that recipe, sounds wonderful!

 

[Marty]

Well we had yet another unexpected turn of events.

One of the oldest step sons is coming from Ohio for Thanksgiving and will be here today.

I'm happy about that but he never stops talking and I already warned him not to talk while the Macy's Day Parade is intruducing Santa

Then one of Dan's friends, well she's a family friend, Tamara, is also coming for dinner. She's hillareous. She's one of our local mountaineer rednecks and didn't have a place to have dinner because her parents are military and were not able to get home so we invited her here. I told her she had to park her shotgun at the door.

Hus and I are going shopping for extra food. This should be a really good fun dinner!

 

[TN Belle]

If this cancer has done nothing else but bring everyone together, then it did its job. Our get together is usually around ten people or so. BUT this year, my Mom is expecting 32 people, yes, I said 32

!! Between four sisters and their husbands and two to four kids each, three sets of grandparents, aunts, uncles, and my husband and me, it will be a full house to say the least. She actually has rented a table and chairs in addition to the already kitchen table and dining table and we think tv trays will still be needed. She always does the turkey and dressing and everyone brings something else. There is a bonus room for the kids, the den for the guys, and us ladies will hang around the kitchen. Unless it's warm, then most of us will play outside, but they are predicting cold rain here. PLUS I still have go to my inlaw's house and that will be another 13 people!! So, I hope all goes well, the whole family hasn't done this in ages, lots of old wounds there, maybe this is the wake up call everyone needed.

HAVE FUN!! BE THANKFUL!!

Gotta watch Macy's Parade, that's a must!!

 

[Basketmiss]

TN Belle- thats sounds so fun!! We used to do that when my grandmother was still alive.. Had probably 40 people but my Nanny would cook EVERYTHING!! No-one was allowed to bring anything!! She was kinda a control freak!!

Although she would sure leave the kitchen fast when it was time to do the dishes!! LOL

Then there was sooooooooo much food we all took about 2 meals worth of leftovers, which I loved! My Nanny made the best egg noodles I have ever eaten!

Thats great that this has brought your family together, sometimes it takes something like this to make people realize that life is short and there are no guarantees for any of us.. Enjoy each other and dont worry about silly fights that dont really matter in the whole scheme of things....

Have a great Holiday!!

 

[ChrystalPaths]

Everyone's day sounds like it will be lovely. Here in the hollow it will be very quiet with just Shain and I so we opted not to do the big dinner thing. It will be just another day, maybe I'll do a nice leg of lamb for supper and work thru the day on my jewelry. That isn't a bad day just different.

 

[Basketmiss]

Well we had yet another unexpected turn of events.

One of the oldest step sons is coming from Ohio for Thanksgiving and will be here today.

I'm happy about that but he never stops talking and I already warned him not to talk while the Macy's Day Parade is intruducing Santa

Then one of Dan's friends, well she's a family friend, Tamara, is also coming for dinner. She's hillareous. She's one of our local mountaineer rednecks and didn't have a place to have dinner because her parents are military and were not able to get home so we invited her here. I told her she had to park her shotgun at the door.

Hus and I are going shopping for extra food. This should be a really good fun dinner!

Marty you will have to tape the stepsons mouth shut while the parade is on!! LOL LOL LOL

 

[Just Us N Texas]

Well, since we've been in Texas, we have no family but ourselves here. But we will be cooking for at least 11 people! The five of us, Roger, our friend who also moved here from Ky., (we'll be eating at his house), another couple from Washington that moved here about the same time we did, and my daughters started a tradition several years ago of inviting people they knew that had no where else to go, so add two more, and my oldest daughter's s.o. came in from New York to join us this year.

Nata will cook the turkey and make a broccoli casserole, an oyster casserole, and a corn pudding. I will make mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, cranberries, and a pumpkin gooey cakle. Jenny and Larry will bring the rolls, and hors'douvres. Tina will bring a pecan pie. Mostly the guys will bring their appetites, and after the Macy's Parade, watch all the ball games. Since we're having it at Roger's house, he will furnish all the plates and cutlery, and he insists that it be paper and plastic so no one has to clean dishes for hours. Never have done that before, but am anxious to try NOT doing all those dishes! I think it will be great, and we'll have lots of fun. Most of us get together at least once a month and barbecue or pot luck it, and we always have a blast.