Since I am not as eloquent as some of our men on BP's excellent thread, I started this one! Happy Thanksgiving to all!

We are flying out Wed. am for a southern Thanksgiving with my in-laws (who are fun, not to worry!). Wednesday is mother-son bonding for Steve, Thursday is dinner for 17 and then Friday is...........you guessed it - Shopping! Home on Saturday, Jamie goes back up to school on Sunday. I am really looking forward to it!

How about "y'all"?

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I respectfully disagree with you Corrine. You are as eloquent as the men on BP's post!!
We will be driving to my parents about an hour away and enjoying the family and,of course, football to go along with turkey and all the trimmings! These are the times when I wished I had kevin's apparent appetite!!!!
Have a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving!
P.S. How is Jamie enjoying "college life"?

I'm with Donnie on this one, Corrine. You are as articulate as any one of us 'men.'

As for Thursday, I think I mentioned earlier that my parents are in town. The plan is to go out to their house (they still own a house here in B'ham - my brother has been living there since they moved to New Mexico about 10 years ago but technically, it's still their house.) and feast and watch pigskin and nap.

As for the balance of the weekend, the only thing planned is getting Rover unstapled on Friday. One thing I won't do is shop. You couldn't get me to a mall on the weekend following Thanksgiving at gunpoint!

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Once in a while you can get shown the light, in the strangest of places if you look at it right.

I'm with you on this one Charlie! Besides my wife and I only have each other to buy for. All the gifts have been bought!!!! Time to relax.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Our Thanksgiving is usually pretty quiet. It's just Tom, Matthew, Lisa, my aunt, and me. I always cook the Thanksgiving dinner, and just because we don't have a big family doesn't mean I don't cook a lot of food! LOL It's the traditional dinner with a big turkey and all the fixins. Lisa has a new boyfriend this year that moved here from West Virginia, so he's going to be spending the holidays with us. It's always nice having someone new at the table. We have very quiet holidays, but it's always nice just being together.

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For the last 20 years we've gone to my brother and sister-in-law's for dinner, but the families are growing, (children having children) and it's getting pretty crowded, so this year I decided to do something new. Instead of driving to my Mom's which is an hour each way, (that means 4 hours in the car for me) I'm taking my daughter, son-in-law and my Mom out for dinner at a lovely restaurant close to where my Mom lives...(brother is not very happy with me) Not sure I'll like this, but it does take some stress off me. Besides, as long as I'm with my daughter, I'm a happy person. Not to worry though, on Saturday I'm cooking a turkey with all the trimmings so we can have left overs!!!

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The countdown's begun!
January 30th to February 27th!

We are headed to my Moms for the Big Day. Lots of Good Food - I am Deep Frying a Turkey and Mom is making Fried Chicken and taters. This will be the second year without my Dad, and it won't be easy - In fact I believe it will never be, but Time keeps ticking on.

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I lead with my Heart and my Body follows

Dan & Sweet Georgene

bp, i do understand what you are saying. my father died the day before thanksgiving quite a few years ago. it is now my dreaded holiday. jews bury the dead within 24 hours normally. it is tradition. we spent that thanksgiving waiting for the funeral director to find a grave digger that would dig on the holiday. no luck. so while dad was lying in the funeral home we had a spaghetti dinner. it is one holiday i won't cook for. this year heather is doing the cooking and i will go there but as much as i love my daughter i hate the holiday and get very grumpy around it.

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I know how you feel Dan. My dad has been gone for a long time. Over 23 years. But my mom has only been gone since December of 2000, and I still feel that loss very deeply. I miss both of them with all my heart, but since I lost my mom more recent, I guess I take her loss the hardest right now. At times it still feels like yesterday that she and I were baking our Christmas cookies together. Yes, time keeps ticking on, but you never forget. Dan, I wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving and wonderful memories to keep in your heart. I know you'll have them forever. Even though some of our loved ones may not be with us right now, their love and spirit are with us in our heart, and no one can take that away from us.

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What? All your gifts have been bought???? How did that happen? You outshopped me!

No, seriously thanks for asking donnie. College is great according to Jamie. There isn't a party she doesn't love. That's all I hear about. I can't imagine what her grades are going to be. She is coming home tomorrow, the bus never showed up today and she is miffed! They hate home when they are young teens, but when they go away, they can't wait to come home!

Why do all the men mention watching football, and the women cooking?


My thoughts are with you Sherry, Dan and Sandy. I hope your surrounding family can ease your pain of your losses!

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Thank you Corrine! I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving! I use to go shopping the day after Thanksgiving every year and loved it. My mom loved it too. My aunt (the one coming over and my moms sister) use to go with us shopping too. She's going through chemo now so she can't do alot of power shopping. Me, no one really likes to shop with me. I shop till I drop. IF I drop! LOL

BTW..........Speaking of football...........I love my Broncos and YES, they do play on Thanksgiving!

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Not to quibble over details but.....Dan did mention frying a turkey. I may not have mentined it but I'm responsible for a significant portion of the side dishes on Thursday.

I think if you want an accurate gender distinction, men mention football and women mention shopping!!!!

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Once in a while you can get shown the light, in the strangest of places if you look at it right.

You're right about Dan's turkey! And I'm glad to hear you are responsible for side dishes. Steve thinks its hilarious that us women (and me being the thinnest of my in-laws - how sad is that?) have to cram in my MIL's tiny kitchen preparing dinner, while the men stretch out in the den and watch football!!!! Sandy's excused because she cooks too!

And to be fair I brought up the shopping -it is the day after Thanksgiving - holiday kick-off day!

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I love to cook! I'm not particularly metro***ual but I am in touch with myself and cooking (and watching cooking shows on TV) is one thing I really enjoy!

For Thanksgiving, I'm assigned the squash casserole. I will be making a Mexican dish called calabacitas; delicious!

I'm also given license to surprise the rest of the family. I'm going to take advantage of that license - don't know exactly how, just yet. I'll think of something before Thursday.

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Once in a while you can get shown the light, in the strangest of places if you look at it right.

Sounds delicious Charlie! You could cook for me anytime! I love squash and that Mexican casserole I would try in a heartbeat. Any man that can cook, or at least gives it a try, gets A+ in my book!

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A+ for me!!!
Seriously, I truly love cooking. And I love eating. It's a beautiful combination!

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Once in a while you can get shown the light, in the strangest of places if you look at it right.

I'm thinking that the next get together should be at your house, Charlie!!

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The countdown's begun!
January 30th to February 27th!

Hey - Does anybody know a good GRAVY I can make, that is easy. Any time I have tried Gravy - it is either like water or lumpy. I will be Deep Frying a Turkey and I need a Gravy for Taters.

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I lead with my Heart and my Body follows

Dan & Sweet Georgene

Love to help you, Dan, but the only way I know to make gravy involves pan drippings and you don't get those with a fryed bird.

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Once in a while you can get shown the light, in the strangest of places if you look at it right.

Mike is the cook in our house (he loves to cook!) He'll be cooking almost the entire dinner (my jobs are the decorating and the desserts) and.....BONUS....he hates most sports! So instead of watching sports after dinner, we'll be listening to music, sipping champagne, and pulling out the Christmas decorations.

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~Amy~®

21st trip to Aruba: May 2010
Paris, France: Aug. 3-19, 2010

That will work for me Elaine! And I will make my famous or should I say infamous Chicken Divan! Yes ladies I too can cook and I do enjoy it.
Corrine - I can't beleive I outshopped you. Actually, Val did most of the shopping and I just picked up a few things for Taylor that val didn't have a chance to get. I also have to buy for Val and that takes more thinking time than actual shopping time! BTW my mom won't allow anyone to bring anything. This is her holiday and she loves to cook the turkey.

I'm coming to your house instead!! No sports???? Champagne???

BP - I am not home right now to check my recipe for gravy, but I do remember my MIL taught me a secret to blend your flour and cold water together first and slowly introduce it into the pan of drippings, scraping up the bottom. No lumps! I remember then I add turkey broth that I made by cooking the giblets ahead of them. But if you don't have drippings like charlie said, I am out of ideas!

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I must say I'm lucky with Tom helping me as well. He helps with the whole dinner. He basically takes care of the turkey and I take care of the rest of the stuff. But as we do the cooking, he's right there helping me clean up as we go along, and helps with anything I need him to do. Since we don't have much family, he's always just pitched in. Then after dinner he's the first one to help me clean up. I still think Thanksgiving dinner has the most dirtest dishes made of any dinner I make. Pots and pans everywhere! We do all different things after dinner. Sometimes we'll watch a movie, sometimes play cards and listen to music, and sometimes like this year, the Broncos play. Maybe we'll do a little of everything! Even though it's just a few of us, I just like being together!

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And Mike's specialty: Chocolate Volcano Cake (most restaurants call it Molten Chocolate Cake).

Come on over!!!

It's just Mike and I on Thanksgiving Day. We'll be getting together with Mike's family (20+ people) on Saturday at one of his brother's houses - that will be the noisy/chaotic (but fun) day.

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~Amy~®

21st trip to Aruba: May 2010
Paris, France: Aug. 3-19, 2010

What a nice attitude, Sandy! I hope you have a great day, it sounds like you will!

Now, Amy, chocolate cake too with the champagne???? THat's it, I am coming!

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Hey Amy - are we all invited? I love chocolate cake and champagne too!

Absolutely! Everyone is invited!

It's not a holiday without champagne and chocolate!

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~Amy~®

21st trip to Aruba: May 2010
Paris, France: Aug. 3-19, 2010

What time????

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The countdown's begun!
January 30th to February 27th!

Amy - I don't think you want me to visit - Champagne gives me gas " I think it's the bubbles "

Corrine - Charlie reminded me that Alton Brown from the Food Network was doing a show on Gravy " thanks Charlie " and I kinda got lost in all the Gravys there are. The most I got out of it is You can not introduce something cold into something hot, but you can do it the other way around. I did understand how to make a " ruue "(sp). I think this is something I will have to play around with.

My youngest said " Dad why don't you just get Kentucky Fried Chicken gravy - it's good " Ha

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Dan & Sweet Georgene

bp, i got tired of working hard on gravy. it is the only non home made thing i cook at any holiday. i buy franco american/campbells (same brand, different names...campbells bought them out). no msg, low in salt and absolutely yummy. everything else is cooked from scratch. the best part is if i run out i just open a can and heat it.

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Sherry, I tired that gravy for the first time last year when I wanted it for leftovers and it was good! I've also had their chicken gravy. I'm not a good gravy maker, but I'm also not crazy about canned gravy either. This is one gravy I reallly like. Better than any of the other canned gravies and my family likes it too. People must buy it alot because around here it runs out fast while the other brands just sit on the shelf. I try to make my own homemade gravy, but it never turns out like my mom use to make. My mom and grandma made a killer gravy, guess it was never in my genes.

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We use the same gravy, too! Tried making it from scratch every year but it never turned out so now we buy the pre-made gravy instead and it's better than any of our "attempts" ever were!

Tomorrow morning....my house....scrambled eggs and Mimosas and Bellinis - 9am! Sure would be fun if everyone actually could come over.....

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~Amy~®

21st trip to Aruba: May 2010
Paris, France: Aug. 3-19, 2010

omg sandy, if i made gravy like my mother we would all be in the hospital. my mom was one of the worst cooks ever in this world. some day i will share some of her recipes with everyone. i usually wait until people are depressed then show them the recipes. if that doesn't turn your mood into hysterical laughter nothing does. (almost like being manic depressive, lol.)

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amy, you either have to move closer or come to my kitchen. it is a nice big kitchen. plenty of room for more than one cook. the most i ever fit into my dining/living area for dinner was 40 so don't bring too many people. funny, my house is small but those areas are large. good thing too because i have had more than one big meal here.

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That would be GREAT Amy! Sounds delicious!

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A THANKSGIVING POEM

Twas the night of Thanksgiving, I just couldn't sleep
I tried counting backwards, I tried counting sheep.

The leftovers beckoned,-the dark meat and white
But I fought the temptation with all of my might.

Tossing and turning with anticipation
The thought of a snack became infatuation.

So I raced to the kitchen, flung open the door
And gazed at the fridge, full of goodies galore.

I gobbled up turkey and buttered potatoes,
Pickles and carrots, beans and tomatoes.

I felt myslef swelling so plump and so round
'Til all of a sudden, I rose off the ground

I crashed through the ceiling, floating into the sky
With a mouthful of pudding, and a handful of pie.

But I managed to yell as I soared past the trees,
Happy Eating to all -pass the cranberries, please.

May your stuffing be tasty, may your turkey be plump
May your potatoes'n gravy have nary a lump.

May your yams be delicious, may your pies take the prize,
May your Thanksgiving Dinner stay off of your thighs.

And may your Thanksgiving be Blessed!!!!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone on this board!!! pg

How far do I have to move, Sherry? Is it warmer there than it is here....because I'm all for moving SOUTH!

How about an Aruba trip at the same time? Everyone could come over to Amsterdam Manor for my promised scrambled eggs and Mimosas!

Sandy, you need to plan (plot!) another trip to Aruba soon!

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~Amy~®

21st trip to Aruba: May 2010
Paris, France: Aug. 3-19, 2010

amy, i'm in maryland. it is 43 degrees as i type this. right now, after the heat of africa i need a few weeks to chill before wanting to go to a warm climate, lol.

i agree...sandy, get motivated for aruba.

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It's 43 degrees here in Minneapolis right now, too! Guess, I need to go farther south......

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~Amy~®

21st trip to Aruba: May 2010
Paris, France: Aug. 3-19, 2010

Sherry and Amy, I'm all for planning and plotting another trip to Aruba! And I'm for sure motivated! Our first trip and only trip was the first of October last year. Matthew was in school and Lisa was still living at home and was able to watch him. She has now since moved out (for the 3rd time) and we really don't want to leave him on his own. We loved it there in October and there are several people that we really want to meet that go there at that time, but now we're thinking we might have to go there when he's out of school so he can go stay with his sister. But I guess we could take him with us too. That was the first time that Tom and I had ever been away together and we really liked it and I guess we'd like to do it again. Plus we always make sure we take him someplace during the year.

Amy, I think it would be fun if we could all get together for your scrambled eggs and Mimosas at the Amsterdam Manor! Sounds like a good excuse for me to buy a ticket!

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Greetings from freeezzing North Carolina. BP - Mix the flour in COLD water, about 1-2 tbls. in one cup of water until smooth. This is like a roue. It can be SLOWLY poured into your pan drippings, scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon. Then you slowly add the turkey broth. This is from my MIL. Good Luck! Happy Thanksgiving all!

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34 here, north of Philly Amy, and expecting some snow tonight. Yep, a mimosa sounds like a good morning drink!!

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The countdown's begun!
January 30th to February 27th!

Happy Thanksgiving to all ;^)


I'm cookin Snook@ my House!!

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it's really not my habit
To intrude
Furthermore, I hope my meaning
Won't be lost or misconstrued

Sherry, You know how they say after the first of the year some people tend to get depressed because the holidays are over, we're all out of money, and sometimes the first of the year can just drag on and on? Kind of the let down of the end of the holiday season? Maybe you could share some of your moms recipes with us then! It might be interesting!

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It's 30 and snowing here in western Pa. Happy Thanksgiving to you all.
Amy, maybe in Sept. we can do the eggs and mimosa thing in Aruba. I would love that! Everyone have a safe and happy holiday.
ruba

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Only happy people allowed!

Well your gonna hate me but it is low 70's here! I wish it were a little cooler. I am still wearing shorts! I got off at noon today, came home and have started baking. I leave next Friday for the Poconos, so I am sure it will be much cooler.

I really wanted to stop for a moment and wish all of you and your families a Happy Thanksgiving!

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Aruba, no other place like it!
Our next trip June 19 th - July 3rd 2010

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Have a safe and wonderful holiday!

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it will be my pleasure...i am busy trying to figure out a way to cut and paste it from my files here so it could be in her handwriting but haven't figured the way yet. at worst i will just type it in but it lacks her hysterical writing style if i do that so i am going to experiment when i get time and try to find a way to do it.

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That sounds GREAT Sherry! Looking forward to it!

I use to have an uncle and aunt (the uncle was acutally my dads uncle) and they were the greatest 2 people ever. I was born in Indiana and we use to go and visit them all the time. My dad use to tell my brother and me no matter how bad her food tasted, we should smile and eat it. LOL My uncle loved her so much, but really didn't like her cooking. Over the years he just got use to it. When we use to go over there to eat he use to whisper to my dad "Johnny, don't make those kids eat all that food, you know she can't cook. She'll get ice cream and pie out later and they can eat that." Well, the ice cream was great, but even the pie would be burnt. LOL She would pick the cherries from her cherry trees in her backyard. Yummmm! My aunt had a heart of gold, but everyone knew she couldn't cook and yet we all sat there and ate whatever she put out on the table. My dad usually went home with heartburn and my brother and I went home with stomachaches from eating too much ice cream and pie. Funny how you remember things like that.

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i got used to my mother's cooking too. that is a survival trait, lol. pie? your aunt could cook...oops burn..pie? mom made one type of cookie and although i tried making it myself as an adult and found out it was very good, i never knew it as a kid because i never tasted any that weren't burnt. funny, i wound up in a dessert business for a while and worked in the food service industry.

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