#116761
November 2nd, 2005 at 04:36 AM
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Wild Woman
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OP
Wild Woman
Joined: Apr 2004
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For as long as I can remember..I have been the chief cook in mine & hubby's family for Thanksgiving. Always the highlight of my year...I start planning for the next year as soon as we get the dishes off of the table! Well, it had been a bit of a problem when we bought our last house because it was so much smaller and didn't accomidate everyone well. But we managed and it worked. But, now that we are here...far away from everyone and in a MUCH MUCH smaller place place, I have had to realize that thing will have to be different this year! Very different. So, the only solution that we have come up with is to meet my family in Tulsa...we will all be in hotel rooms...and we will have to eat out for Thanksgiving. Then, we will spend Christmas with hubby's family. This is REALLY traumatic for me...it has been unheard of to eat out or allow our friends that don't have family near to have to eat out or spend Thanksgiving by themselves. But here we are finding ourselves in that situation....hopefully for only this one year! So, no Thanksgiving cooking for me this year.... I am wondering if I can locate a 12 step program to help with my withdrawls and panic attacks.... I think I will just go ahead and do the cooking and freeze it ALL!!!!
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#116762
November 2nd, 2005 at 04:57 AM
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Member
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Member
Joined: Feb 2004
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My parent's house to too small to have everyone over for Christmas, so we have dinner at my sister's house. My parent's do most of the cooking, cover all of the dishes and put all of the turkey and ham in a huge disposable foil platter thing, pack it all into a foot locker and actually transport the dinner to my sister's house. We've done it that way for years! Maybe you could kind of do it that way in Tulsa? I mean, how cool would it be to have your ENTIRE family in a hotel for a couple days at Thanksgiving? You'd be able to meet with them for more than just one day. And maybe the hotel has a conference room that can be set up and you could put all of your food in there and eat in there??? It may cost a little bit, butyou wouldn't be paying for food since you'd be making it and maybe everyone could split the cost??? Just an idea??
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#116763
November 2nd, 2005 at 05:05 AM
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Wild Woman
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OP
Wild Woman
Joined: Apr 2004
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We did think of that...and also thought of getting a hotel room that has the kitchen in it. But...it is a 7 hour trip for us and that is a pretty long haul to get there and then feel like cooking.... But...we will be there for 3 days...so we are thinking that we are going to use one day to get out and do fun stuff with the kiddos...like go to the aquatic zoo....swim etc...so, I am giving in to the going out to eat thing...because I don't want to be exhausted...and it is more important that I am getting to be with my family...so, I am sure I will live through it! AND...I keep telling myself...it is just for this one year! The day after Thanksgiving is NOT a good day to be out in Tulsa at all!!!You know the Christmas shopping thing...(ask LOZ)...
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#116764
November 2nd, 2005 at 05:09 AM
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Member
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Member
Joined: Feb 2004
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#116765
November 2nd, 2005 at 05:51 AM
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Wild Woman
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OP
Wild Woman
Joined: Apr 2004
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Well...I'm glad you do Jenn... BECAUSE I DO NOT!!! I am not a "shopper" to begin with...I leave that to Loz! But I REALLY don't want to be out on busy crowded days...it makes me REAL cranky. Nope..no shopping happenin here!
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#116766
November 2nd, 2005 at 12:43 PM
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Critter Keeper
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Critter Keeper
Joined: Aug 2004
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Vanessa go ahead and cooke that dinner you can always send it to me . Be happy you have family to be with and don't have to spend those days alone. Sure miss Billie cooking thanksgiving and Christmas dinners and the good smells. I'l stop on that. Jimmy
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#116767
November 3rd, 2005 at 10:29 AM
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Compost Queen!
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Compost Queen!
Joined: Apr 2003
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We have a big family, well, between siblings, spouses and children.. And one of the things we went looking for when buying a dinning room table was one we could expand to accomindate alot of people.. I found one that pulls out and has 3 leaves in it, and can comfortably seat 22 people... But when we have it extended out in the dinning room, it's touches from one end to the other, with only a chair space and barely room for a smaller person to sit at, let alone put anything in their tummy... So, now, we hope someeeeeeeee day we could get a room to accomindate our long table with out everyone having to get up to get the last guy out of it... :rolleyes:
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#116768
November 3rd, 2005 at 11:34 AM
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Wild Woman
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OP
Wild Woman
Joined: Apr 2004
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I use to have a big table like that Weezie...except it was just plain big all the time! After many years..I decided to get a smaller table so we would actually be able to walk around the dining room. I will never forget moving it into the house and the boys both looked at me as if I had lost my mind! they said "MOM...WHAT WERE YOU THINKING...getting this tiny little table!" It was actually a "normal" sized table...but it was so funny that they were so use to that big whonker thing that they thought it was tiny! Now, I don't have a table at all...I am regressing! I thought at this time in your life you were supose to be PROgressing!!!!! :rolleyes:
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#116769
November 3rd, 2005 at 11:58 AM
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The Cheetah!
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The Cheetah!
Joined: Mar 2003
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Vanessa: I hear you on the after holiday shopping...and just plain ol shopping period. Yucky, yucky. You know most simple hotel rooms have mini refrigerators and microwaves. You could cook up the meal ahead, freeze...and then when you got to the hotel put some leftovers in everyone's frig....I think the best part is the turkey sandwich's a few days later....can make those up and take with you to the "fun stuff" activities....or midnight snacks(RAID THE REFRIGERATOR)lol.
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#116770
November 3rd, 2005 at 12:05 PM
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Official Problem Child
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Official Problem Child
Joined: Mar 2004
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I think I will just go ahead and do the cooking and freeze it ALL!!!! That's not a bad idea! Then you'll be ready for whatever you decide to do. Thanksgiving and Christmas stress me out so bad I hate to even think about it. Cindy
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#116771
November 3rd, 2005 at 12:36 PM
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The Bird Man
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The Bird Man
Joined: May 2005
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Thanksgiving ?!? I already put up our Christmas tree two days ago!
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#116772
November 3rd, 2005 at 08:52 PM
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Member
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Member
Joined: Aug 2004
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It's looking like Hubby might have to work on Thanksgiving, so if he does Ashley and I plan to go with him even if it means I have to have humburgers for thanksgiving dinner, we can just have a real dinner later.
Vaness, you might look into buying some of the food already made where you're going, some of the big groceries now do pans of ready to heat dressing and side dishes.
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#116773
November 3rd, 2005 at 08:57 PM
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Compost Queen!
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Compost Queen!
Joined: Apr 2003
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That's what we did the year I had my C~section with my last kid... It was late in the year when I had the kid, and wasn't about to do a sit down dinner for 25 people after surgery and bringing home a new born.
Went to Tops, got a full turkey bird, stuffing, mashed taters, some kind of veggie, corn and a greenbean thingie, and some cranberry sause and rolls...and a pie too I think.. But it worked, minimal work and clean up.. Worked for me...
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#116774
November 3rd, 2005 at 10:17 PM
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Wild Woman
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OP
Wild Woman
Joined: Apr 2004
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Thanksgiving and Christmas stress me out so bad I hate to even think about it. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday! I love the big meal & being with family. I don't do Christmas well at all...I could skip it every year and that would be fine. People MAKE it stressful and it just isn't worth it! Hubby made me put up a tree last year...that was the first tree I had put up in 6 or 7 years....I am definately a BAH HUM BUG kinda guy!!! I am just going to miss the cooking for Thanksgiving...but..like I keep telling myself...it's just for this one year!!!!
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#116775
November 3rd, 2005 at 11:44 PM
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Member
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Member
Joined: Mar 2005
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4Ruddy, at least you can have a sense of humor about the situation. *****Steph
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#116776
November 3rd, 2005 at 11:49 PM
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Member
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Member
Joined: Nov 2003
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Vanessa - on alternative years we are either with my family, or my husband's. On my side, sometimes we do it here, on his it's at a distant relative by marriage.
On his years, we always do our own Thanksgiving dinner the weekend after, for just the immediate family. That way, we have all the turkey, leftovers, side dishes that WE like, etc - it's like having a double holiday.
Maybe you could do a small scale dinner like that when you get home?
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#116777
November 4th, 2005 at 12:03 AM
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Wild Woman
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OP
Wild Woman
Joined: Apr 2004
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I was thinking along those lines. Since Darin & Lisa are close now...it is just wonderful. One reason I am really tickled about the Tulsa thing is that Darin & Lisa are going with us. My sis & I raised our children together...but as they got older and have moved away...they don't get to be together at all. So, this will be the first time in 4 or 5 years that we will have all the kids, and now with baby Galvin, grandkids together. I think it is gonna be a ton of fun...the not cooking thing just hit me kinda hard!
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#116778
November 4th, 2005 at 12:09 AM
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Member
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Member
Joined: Apr 2005
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Vanessa...I don't wait for Thanksgiving for my turkey. I usually do a big spread in October, didn't get around to it this year. I was going to buy a turkey right away and have a "pre-Thanksgiving" dinner, and yesterday, while re-arranging the freezer, I found a frozen turkey! Looks like maybe Saturday or Sunday...He's thawing now! Yummm!
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#116779
November 4th, 2005 at 12:33 AM
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Wild Woman
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OP
Wild Woman
Joined: Apr 2004
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I can eat turkey & dressing anytime of the year...i love it! But it's like everything else...I have to have SPECIFIC things with it or it just isn't right!!!!
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#116780
November 4th, 2005 at 01:15 AM
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Member
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Member
Joined: Apr 2005
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I REALLY have to go...but I want to talk more about turkey (talk turkey! ha ha) later, Vanessa! I'll tell you my secrets for gravy!
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#116781
November 4th, 2005 at 01:16 AM
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Wild Woman
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OP
Wild Woman
Joined: Apr 2004
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EWEEEE...I love a good secret...I'll be sittin on the edge of my chair now!!!
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#116782
November 4th, 2005 at 02:58 AM
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Compost Queen!
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Compost Queen!
Joined: Apr 2003
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Me toooo... I make two kinds of gravey.. The one's from the gizzard and heart, etc.. **Which I DO NOT EAT** And the other one, we call "The Artery Clogging Gravy" The pan scraping's with butter.
So they are labeled, Gizzard Gravy and Clogging Gravy... *so, they all know the difference.*
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#116783
November 4th, 2005 at 03:23 AM
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Wild Woman
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OP
Wild Woman
Joined: Apr 2004
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Why in the world would anyone pass up a good heap of gizzard gravy??????
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#116784
November 4th, 2005 at 04:57 AM
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Compost Queen!
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Compost Queen!
Joined: Apr 2003
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Ahhhhhh because they're GROSS!!! :p I barely eat a "good cut of meat" let alone a gizzard... Eeeee wwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!
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#116785
November 5th, 2005 at 10:07 AM
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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vanessa, i couldn't cook the first year we were here for thanksgiving, so i know exactly what you are going through. but, sounds like you have a brave heart on it, and i will tell you, the non-traditional meal we ate was very good, and it was strange (but nice) to just be us for thanksgiving. you'll be ok, we ended up having a huge Christmas dinner to make up for it (i don't normally cook for christmas)
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