I'm sitting here at work looking in my lunchbox at two day old spaghetti. We are a week away from delicious, juicy, sleep inducing turkey. I'm like the Dad in A Christmas Story.
I'm pumped up for this year! I can't wait to have a house full of family, good food, and laughter.
So much so that I started a thread on SIGforum.

Hands down my favorite holiday. Good food and good company.

Our Friendsgiving group is 12 years old. We all worked together in Alaska, and now work together in Houston. My friend's son was the youngest when it started and now he's a highschool senior. All of the other kids are currently college students.

As a teen, my paternal grandmother invented a peanut butter pie recipe during the great depression. It was a staple at every TG my entire life, and I inherited the recipe. I bring it to Friendsgiving, and my friend's daughter likes it almost as much as I do.

I can't stand canned cranberries and can nominally tolerate homemade cranberry sauce. A few years ago, I found a jalapeno cranberry recipe that I love that is sweet, tart, and spicy. I bring that as a TG side and while watching football it's also good on crackers with some cream cheese.

Since I'm normally a guest (i.e. their houses are more fun for kids) there aren't any turkey leftovers. Therefore, I wake up early Friday morning to smoke a bone-in turkey breast so that all weekend I can eat turkey plates, make turkey sandwiches, and make turkey enchiladas.

^ I love smoked turkey but I am the only one in the family that does. I would do like you and just smoke one for myself, but we have so many leftovers that it would be overkill.
I would use my Weber Kettle with some charcoal and apple wood. Ok, for Christmas I might insist on smoking a breast.

^^^

You don't have to wait for a special day, man.

My wife and I have been going to her niece's house for the last 4 or 5 yrs . We're burned out on it. The food is ok but not outstanding . Too many people and too much turmoil .This year we found a restaurant serving a traditional Thanksgiving meal and we're going to give it a try. Of course we had to fabricate a little white lie to tell her niece to prevent hurt feelings . She probably wouldn't be offended that we were going somewhere else but the wife felt bad about it .

This year getting the whole sha-bang from a local bbq joint. More time to spend with family instead of hustling in the kitchen to make sure everything was cooked.

quote:

Originally posted by vthoky:
^^^

You don't have to wait for a special day, man.

Word!

45 kin will get together for reunion lunch.

Ham , a turkey is offered and everything else is a a random
nothing planned pot luck.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: bendable,

5 close family members at home along with a couple we know well. The Mrs. insists that I use the Big Easy to cook the bird, I may sneak a breast in the smoker this year too

Go Lions!!

Making pumpkin cake with cinnamon buttercream, maple glazed carrots and green bean casserole with fresh not gross canned green beans as my contributions to our Thanksgiving meal at my wife's parents.

My once a year treat - oyster stuffing !

2 birds in the freezer for next week.
Alton Brown recipe, that I think I got from here.
We'll have about 17-24 here, depending on who makes it in.

My wife and i do not care for turkey so i usually make prime ribeye steaks for thanksgiving and Christmas. That has been out tradition for the last 10 years or so. I have smoked a turkey in the past and it turned out well, but I can only handle turkey once every 10-15 years.

We were hoping to have Thanksgiving at the new house, but decided to partially renovate the kitchen and there’s no ovens.

We’re not at that stage where the kids are coming back yet. College boy will be here, but his school is only 90 miles away. The other two are in high school. We’ll have my dad, sister-in-law, and a couple family friends over. It’s be nice to have the extra space in the new house, but it will be a good time regardless.

I think I’m going to pick up a few extra frozen turkeys on sale this year.

quote:

Originally posted by tatortodd:

As a teen, my paternal grandmother invented a peanut butter pie recipe during the great depression. It was a staple at every TG my entire life, and I inherited the recipe. I bring it to Friendsgiving, and my friend's daughter likes it almost as much as I do.

I must know of this peanut butter pie you speak of...recipe please.

Here is the turkey recipe I use. It is absolutely phenomenal. I highly recommend it.

I love cooking a good meal, but I hate the pressure of the holidays. I don’t need a holiday to have family and friends over for a meal. I love having family and friends over for a good meal I do the cooking for. I just don’t want it forced. With holidays it is at a set date regardless of what is going on, decorating, and gifts. I am just not a holiday person. I once was, but I have changed.

We usually do just us, and occasionally go visiting after (we eat earlier in the afternoon).
Growing up, lots of family, but times change. I make our meal so I get everything made the way I like it! Turkey, stuffing, green bean casserole, potatoes au gratin, yam, glazed carrots, popovers, pumpkin and apple pie… pickles, olives and beets for starters. I can’t remember what else. Last year we added 4 more family to the mix, this year it’s back to us. It’s always good, and I’m always grateful. One of my fav holidays!

We usually do 2 20 pound mesquite smoked turkeys. The kids do not like to fly in on holidays any more, airports are crazy and my son has the added logistics of a 3 year old.

This year, we are doing crab legs, bakes potatoes and asparagus. We'll save the fancy stuff for Dec 27 - Jan 3 when 2 of the 3 kids and families will be in town.