What does it say about you if you don’t want to bring the same dish every time 
1 Like
That was not her plan.
But as of tonight, that may be happening.
Meanwhile, the menu was turned upside down already
2 Likes
I tend to forget how much cumulative work there always is.
I’ve assembled the mac & cheese (using the pasta soaking method - it will cook when it goes in the oven to finish), and the cheese sauce is decadent.
Components of the savory bread pudding have been sauteed / caramelized – assorted mushrooms, leeks, and onion. I’ll infuse cream and make the custard tomorrow so the stuffing cubes can soak overnight, to be baked Thursday morning.
Made the Kenai / japaleno cheddar dip I’ve been curious about, and I’m a bit on the fence about it as a dip. Might spread it onto puff pastry and bake cheesy pinwheels instead.
Tomorrow’s biggest project is the sticky toffee pudding / cake.
If the chrysanthemum greens and snow pea leaves are in decent shape I might add a caesar salad.
6 Likes
i have been craving sticky toffee pudding ever since you brought it up a while back. LOL
2 Likes
I have one friend who does this sort of thing.
I think it’s usually a control thing. It isn’t about you or what anyone else wants. The turkey person has blinders on and is not paying attention to what everyone else is saying, or might be a little capricious.
I would do what you’re doing, work around the turkey person, be the flexible ones. It’s a bit like not arguing with someone who is nuts.
I hope you enjoy your meal, I can’t wait to see the photos.
Which mac and cheese recipe are you making?
This Martha Stewart recipe is the one I make once or twice a year.
2 Likes
My husband’s pumpkin cheesecake (smitten kitchen) is in the oven, and my two stuffings are in progress. I do a scaled up version of Ina Garten’s cornbread stuffing, and and an Epicurious Farmhouse herbed stuffing (basically a slightly elevated Stovetop). In a little while, I will get working on the gravy. When the oven is free, I’ll put in David Lebovitz’s spiced pecans, which are a family favorite. My husband is setting up the folding table to connect to our dining table - the kids have officially outgrown the small kid table we have used!
7 Likes
One of the little things we did this year because of Caitlin being in town for the holiday and my wanting to kind of minimize the cooking fuss is order our desserts. Well. That may have been an error. The ice cream from Malai ice cream is decent (I have ordered many brands of mail order ice cream at this point, and most would not be worth ordering again: chasing that stupid dragon), but two of the pints had thawed and refrozen.
And the pumpkin pie and cider doughnut truffles from Milk Bar … I know a lot of people are down on Milk Bar in general, but I’ve always liked their cakes and cookies. The truffles, though, are really not my thing. Soft like wet cake, and with a strong booze flavor despite a lack of liquor in the ingredients. The pumpkin pie is fine, for me, not very interesting but not untasty, but Mrs C really doesn’t like it, and since she’s the much bigger pumpkin pie fan than I am, that’s the more important opinion. (This is how we met, actually: she was living in Australia and wanted to make pumpkin pie, and I knew her boyfriend at the time, who reached out to me for advice. Don’t worry. Time passed. Occurrences transpired.)
I should’ve just made a pie, man. Actually I should’ve just bought some doughnuts. I could … still buy some doughnuts.
Right now I am on mashed potato-and-celeriac duty; we’re having our big Thanksgiving meal in an hour or so, and later I’ll make the peanut butter stuffed dates that my grandmother used to make, and that my mother will miss if I don’t bring her some. Sandwiches tonight!
8 Likes
Under duress, I agreed to make stuffing with the offer of a boxed mix. I swore I was going to stick to the box, but of course I can’t resist zhuzhing it up.
More ideas from Bon Appetit, at the bottom: How to zhuzh up store-bought stuffing mix
2 Likes
My boo put the orange almond cake in the oven just a while ago, and the entire house smells fantastic 
1 Like
Productive morning - got all my bird parts roasted and into the stockpot with all the scraps from my stuffing vegetables (celery, onion, carrot, fennel, shallot). Stock will simmer until this evening. All of the stuffing components have been roasted/sauteed and are stashed in the fridge so all I have to do tomorrow is dump them into the pan with the bread and stock. Next project - pies.
6 Likes
I’m not attempting dessert, everyone is always too full anyway. And, I have too much to do today so I’m skipping ironing the tablecloth, we’ll do without this time.
3 Likes
I am not big on desserts most of the time, and after a very large meal, I would need to wait a long time to be ready for any. Pumpkin pie, thankfully, is not overwhelmingly heavy or sweet. Also, I am not a chocoholic, but recently I have been thinking of pots de crème. Maybe I shall make them for dessert after Thanksgiving. They are pretty amazing and just the right size.
3 Likes
I like the addition of pepitas, but I’m not sure they could ‘save’ pumpkin pie for me (not a fan).
what flavors did you order from Malai? (they are my favorite.) i wonder if they don’t guarantee that it’ll arrive without having refrozen…?
1 Like
I finished stock last night/ very early this morning. Today is garbage day and I wanted all the strained stuff gone
I’m with you on pies as my next step after I find fridge space to store them.
3 Likes
I’ve already had to move the beans into the garage for lack of fridge space…
My friend was making my cranberry sauce recipe (shallots, bourbon, orange zest, sugar) and said she used mini chopper for shallots so I tried it and it was brilliant, chopped fine, not mush. I’m going to use it with onion and shallots for dressing.
Re Cranberry Sauce, last night I made 2 double recipes for 2 friends (a quart each). My hand was aching from zesting 4 big oranges. My friend arrived to get them so he zested the next 2 so I could make one more quart for me. (People always want my leftovers the day after!)
Dessert: I still have a few cookies left from my marathon the other day so I can put those out along with TJ chocolate covered figs!
2 Likes
My DC let me know she would prefer roast turkey thigh to turkey schnitzel so, I think that is what I will make tomorrow, if I can find some nice skin-on turkey thighs.
I am thinking about making a pumpkin créme brûlée or pudding, instead of a pie.
4 Likes
Make an easy pie!
This is my first job today: reorganize fridge so that all the things can be stored.
2 Likes
