Only How Many More Days?

Nov 14, 2007 | Holidays, The Marlowes

Yes, the countdown to Thanksgiving has begun. If you read The Goddess Blogs, you might have seen my comments about disastrous Thanksgivings which the ever wonderful Kathryn Caskie wrote about, but usually around here, Thanksgiving in like my own personal Super Bowl. Tons of planning, working out hauling groceries into the house, and of course all the cooking that I get done ahead of time. Yes, ahead of time. So if you are cooking Thanksgiving this year, don’t make the rookie mistake of thinking that you have to cook the entire meal that day. Are you kidding? You’d be too tired to decide between the pumpkin or pecan pie (and just make mine a sliver of each . . . no a little bigger sliver, please!). If you do a little bit each day, starting now, by Thanksgiving, you’ll be the star quarterback of the finest meal around.

So let’s all take a deep breath, say it together, “I wish to channel Martha, I wish to channel Martha,” and get going.

I usually start with the menu a few weeks a head of time. With Thanksgiving coming early, I’m a little off my game, but I am going to catch up quickly. Getting the menu and ingrediants written out now will make the shopping over the weekend (I recommend early Sunday or Monday morning as the BEST time to shop for Thanksgiving). Tuesday shopping is frowned upon and don’t even drive past the grocery store on Wednesday. So here’s the tentative menu for Thanksgiving at the Boyles:

  • Turkey (Well, duh)
  • Stuffing
  • Garlic Mashed Potatoes
  • Spiced Pearl Onions
  • Asparagus or green beans (whatever looks good in the store)
  • Mom’s rolls (I know, we are having stuffing, but you have to have Mom’s rolls)
  • Some cranberry, pineapple, jello, marshmallow thing the kids (and adults who have room on their plate)
  • Salad with mandarin oranges and candied almonds
  • Cranberry relish
  • Fruit Punch for the kids

No sweet potatoes. I usually eat those year round, so I don’t do them on Thanksgiving. And no, I am not taking reservations. So now that I have the menu, I make the grand shopping list. We’ll go through that closer to Sunday.

So what is on your Thanksgiving menu that is special, you love, or that you absolutely hate?

NEXT UP: Making your own cranberry relish.

8 Comments

  1. Haven Rich

    We normally add a broccoli cheese casserole. But cooking for my very fickle in-laws special dinners (and general dinners) are always tricky.

    Garlic Mashed Potatoes…No Garlic! Despite my Mil having a heart condition, which could be helped by the added garlic, she swears it’s poison and we’re trying to kill her.

    Sweet Potatoes…Not allowed, again, Mil doesn’t like them.

    The above mentioned Broccoli dish, we make it but the Mil won’t eat it.

    Hubby likes making this Corn Casserole but I can’t eat it due to my disease. However, its really good!!

    The turkey…everyone will eat it, but the Fil grumbles about it, as he’d rather have ham. However, if we put this really great tasting orange or peach glaze on it, the Mil will refuse to eat it and thus go for HOT DOGS.

    My personal dislikes…I can’t have a lot of onions (or fresh onions) with my disease. It’s too painful. I like almost everything the hubby and I cook but often, I’m left unable to eat it due to my illness…trust me it sucks! The one thing I don’t like at all: Ham.

  2. Keira Soleore

    Elizabeth, you never EVER fail to amaze me with your organizational abilities. Loved your T-day story, and thanks to you enjoyed all the other stories over there.

    BTW, I was wondering if it’s possible for you to share where you got your bookcases from? They’re lovely! And I really like that they come in two different sizes, because I really don’t want to fill up the room all the way around with the same sized shelves. Another thing, do you find that they don’t bend under the heavy weight of those tall hardcover books? Thanks@@

  3. Keira Soleore

    Eek. I wonder what happened to the last word “Thanks” in the above comment.

  4. Elizabeth

    Haven, I love knowing what people have for T-day–thanks for sharing. And picky people are always fun to serve.

    Keira, I wish I was that organized. Some things I do right and others–well, you should see the inside of my car! I got the bookcases at Pottery Barn. They are from the Bedford Collection and are actually two stacked, and then one individual. I’ve got to get my pictures up on the wall and then have a cyber open house. 🙂

  5. Haven Rich

    Wow, I took a look at that site and they have some very beautiful stuff! A bit to $$ for my budget but one can drool right?

    Cooking for picky people has made things interesting to say the least.

    Of course I can’t overly complain because I’m a picky eater as well. Not because I have this huge dislike for many foods (beans is the main one though) but my disease dictates what I should skip. Sadly, I often have to skip some of my very favorite things. Onion Blossom anyone? Oh I so miss that one.

    A quick recipe question:
    Do you make your stuffing or do you cheat and go with the Stove Top?

    I’m asking because I love stuffing (don’t tell the turkey). I found this one Stove Top that includes cranberries and I love it!!! I think it’d be great in a home-made version of stuffing as well.

    Oh and I almost forgot..I didn’t see any mention of desert. Do you skip that?

  6. Keira Soleore

    Elizabeth, those bookcases are lovely. I like that they have smaller sectiona as opposed to the standard wide open shelving. Makes it easier to stand non-hardcover books up and saves on bookends, which I don’t like very much.

    Haven, Pottery Barn, especially the kids store and catalog, is a very fun place to visit.

    Another furniture place I like (only through catalog though) is Ballard Designs

  7. Elizabeth

    I’ve always loved Pottery Barn stuff, so when I decided to redo my office, I blew the budget and got the shelves. I really love them–though they don’t hold really over sizd books, so you have to put them in sideways, but other than that, they work great.

  8. Elizabeth

    Menu alert—the oldest little hero around here was looking over my shoulder and spied “garlic mashed potatoes” and protested heartily. So make those plain mashed potatoes, and oh, I am being prompted again–no pepper. Kids!

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