Totally OT----Do you have any 'way out' Thanksgiving traditions?

[essdipity]

Hi, everyone. Thought this might be interesting and informative.

We do have a tradition here, meaning mostly Maryland, with a bit of carry-over north and south. It's that of including sauerkrout along with the turkey and all the other trimmings. We cook it with either keilbasa or (my preferred way) a rack of pork ribs. It's easy to do this in advance, thus giving some yummy eating a day or two ahead, and the main part can be quickly reheated on the day itself. Yum. Of course, we have all the regular stuff too, so the board is really groaning.

I don't know why this has become a tradition here, as it really doesn't seem to go, but for many generations, it wouldn't be Tgiving without it.

Do you have any special traditions, food or otherwise, for Thanksgiving? Inquiring minds want to know, that is, if you can take a break from cooking!

ess

[Sumanadevii]

Each year since my sons were small, they (for some reason) would begin the lyrics of "Alice's Restaurant".  Needless to say every year just as the last bite of the meal is finished one will pipe in....and on it goes through dessert.

[MsWobbles]

In my post above, I meant "dessert" not "desert" (LOL).  Now I remember my English teacher saying, many eons ago, the way to remember whether it is "desert" or "dessert" is that with desserts you usually want more than one (so it has more than one S).

Ess, we just had  Kielbasa last night with delectable fresh-cooked cabbage!  Yummm!

Lulu, I think it is wonderful that you have such a large family coming to your house and that you don't have to cook all the food.  What fun!  I hope there is also a cleanup crew pitching in afterward!!  Regarding your having to get up early to put the turkey in the oven, Google says you don't need to do that.  Just go to Google, put your mouse over the turkey and click to read the recipe for what they say is a great turkey.  You can do that for every item in their picture today.  

Sarahsmom46, I can relate to the Thanksgiving chores.  As a kid I got to polish the silver (days in advance).  I like your idea of specifically stating 3 things for which we are thankful.  I will use that today at our meal.

Thorneygates, your post wins in the most humorous category!  Cracked me up!

Have to go start our other Thanksgiving tradition I didn't mention above:  Every Thanksgiving I look forward to watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (a family tradition).  And to properly watch it, I must have a steaming slice of freshly-cooked cinnamon streusel quick bread or coffee cake on a plate on my lap.  Going to go make it now so it'll be ready in time for the parade!

WAF  

[MsWobbles]

After many years of my happily slaving over the Thanksgiving meal, our current Thanksgiving tradition evolved when my parents moved to their beautiful retirement home in Atlantic Beach, Florida 20+ years ago.  Every year we would fly down to join them in their elegant community dining room at a lake-view table (which they had to wait in line in the early morning hours months in advance to reserve).  It was a fantastically beautiful event, white tablecloths, turkey centerpieces, and autumn flowers, where friends and families came together, were greeted cordially and offered every delicacy without ever having done any "kitchen time."  There was fragrant hot cider with cinnamon swizzle sticks, spiked or not, and anything else you could want, prepared to perfection.  We loved it when the chef would make the rounds, carrying a huge platter of turkey drumsticks, each wrapped in foil, for us to take home for leftovers.  My son's favorite part came toward the end of the meal when he could freely attack what the seniors called "The Kevorkian Table" because it was laden with every scrumptious, high-cholesterol desert known to mankind!    

My parents have since passed away and we miss them so much!  But we continue the Thanksgiving tradition they began some 20+ years ago by making Thanksgiving reservations every year at a local restaurant known for great Thanksgiving fare. It gives us more time for the important thing - just being together - and we could swear we feel my parents' presence there too!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!

WAF

[Lulu54]

Postnote - true to our tradition, my turkey went in the oven an hour ago.  DH just came downstairs and asked if he could put the turkey in for me!!!  LOL


If you haven't seen this on Youtube, check out this young Aussie who has invited himself to America for Thanksgiving - this story makes me smile, a lot, and I wish he were coming to my home.  He has posted multiple videos as he has tracked down his host family and should be in America today.

Tracking Down the Trans

"After three years of accidentally being copied into some random American family's Thanksgiving email preparations, it's time to track them down -- and maybe even get invited to The Tran Family Thanksgiving 2010!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=395SRMefGAI

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.  Even if you are not officially here in the US I hope you can pause today and reflect on the things you also have to be thankful for.  

[Sarahsmom46]

In my family we have a group tradition to share three things that we were thankful for.  I think a lot of people probably do that around the dinner table at thanksgiving.

But the one thing that I think might be different from other families that we used to do it that each of us had a role for thanksgiving.  There are 7 kids in my family and my mom and dad tried to help us all feel a part of it.  My role was to set the table. My mom showed me how to set a fairly elegant table with a special tablecloth, folding the napkins in a certain way and putting everything in its place. I helped with putting the food out on the table as well.  This seems simple enough, but it was special to me and my mom made me feel special for doing this part. My brothers and sisters had their roles and she probably made them feel special too although I think I had it best.  

So that was our tradition. Great idea Ess.  I never heard about the sauerkraut tradition before, but it sounds intersesting.  Hmmm....Might be a bit of a German influence going on there.  

Have a good one.

Julie

[thornygates]

not sure this is a tradition or not but we always made fun of it. when i was a little kid my mom would put the frozen turkey in the bath tub the night before to thaw, but she always said it was so he ( the turkey ) could wash his arm pits. lol we had cats so it was the only place to keep them out.

Lulu - ONLY 31 people. wow!

[Lulu54]

we have hosted Thanksgiving ever since we moved into a larger home - we have had as many as 40 but this year will be only 31 as best as I can count.

Eveyrone brings food to eat - we provide the turkey, mashed potatoes and setups.

Wednesday night I will grouse about putting the turkey in the oven in the early morning hours.  My DH says he will do it instead and I agree that he will do it.  Then on Thursday morning I will be the one to roll out of bed before dawn, wrestle with that still half-frozen carcas, and put it in the oven.  About two hours later he will get out of bed and say that he would have done it but I beat him to it.  If we do this every year does that count as a tradtion?



Enjoy the day everyone, and remember despite all our ills and woes there is still plenty to be thankful for.

best to all,
Lulu