First...HAPPY THANKSGIVING to all my Laundry Freaks!

I have the day off...YES! My mom makes a turkey dinner for our household (just me my mom and dad).

But we also go over my sisters with her family (my sister, her husband, their two kids now adults in their 20's and the family dog). We usually get a few family members that stop by also.

Of course turkey and all the trimmings and after eating into the family room by the fire place and chill and later deserts.

I love Family Thanksgivings..even when my mom was alive once I got married and the children arrived I cooked my own Thanksgiving Dinner and we always went to moms after dinner for moms famous leftover stuffing, my moms was the BEST, and dessert and coffee. now we stay home, I always give the little ones a small gift after dinner to occupy them so they have something fun to do Thanksgiving evening.Every year for the past 5 years after everyone leaves I tell the hubs..never again, were going out next year, this is too much for me now, than the next year rolls around and hubs says I thought you wernt cooking, I respond with..NOT cook Thanksgiving are you NUTS...LOL.

Sounds amazing! I have cooked Thanksgiving dinner MYSELF for the past 4 years. It is usually 5-7 of us. Our Menu:

Turkey (12-14 lbs, Organic and brined.....juicy and moist)

Stuffing/Dressing in the bird and extra in a casserole

Mashed Potatoes and Gravy

Candied Yams

Indian Corn Pudding

Green Bean Casserole

Cranberry sauce with pineapple and a little Jello (it's amazing)

Wine, Coffee, Juices

Pumpkin Pie with whipped cream

It's SO much work, and no one helps, LOL....but I love it in a twisted way. My Mom does help a little, but she keeps saying...."I've done this 40 years, you can enjoy it now". HA ha

Larsi...that Cranberry with pineapple and Jello sounds YUM!

I'm in recordaras"s same boat. Except I bring at least 4 bottles of wine. I also have to cook huge amounts of my specialty side dishes because they have decided there needs to be enough for everyone to not only eat dinner but take some home as well. (Latins, I tell you lol). I'll refrain from anymore details as you never know who's reading these posts! I do have a dinner party usually 2-3 weeks after thanksgiving called "friendsgiving". It's a potluck where everyone brings their own wine and a side dish, appetizers or dessert. Last year I only needed to get one extra table and 6 chairs. This year I need 2 extra tables and 12 chairs! It's a nice way to see friends for the holidays and 1 person is not stuck with doing the entire dinner alone. I like to use real cloth napkins, tablecloths and real dishes and flatware, but this year I'm going to skip on the dishes and flatware and buy very nice disposable ones. Mama p I have those same dishes as you but in ivory and gold, and they are available in very nice disposable version.

Turkey Day at my Mom's-which she swears she will NEVER do again. Strains her gizzard too much! Roast beef with all the trimmings there. Thanksgiving Dinner here on Friday:

Turkey with Stuffing inside bird and outside.

Whipped Potatoes and Sweet Potato Souffle

Cream Cheese Corn, Green Bean Casserole, Chili con Queso with corn chips, 7-Layer Salad,Homemade Chex Party Mix, Fudge and From scratch Coconut Cream Pie and Lemon Meringue Pie.

I'm up at 5 and do every bit myself and love every second of it! I do decorate for the day but we just use everyday dishes and everyone wears elastic-waist pants!

OMG YES I have to wear my stretchy pants otherwise the first time I pee ( yes folks Mama Pee's) I won't be able to zip back up LOL This will give me freedom of movement when I'm swiggling that wine.

LMFAO Jean and MamaP!! I will wear, what I call my "eatin' pants". :)

George-by the fireplace, there's no better place to be! Tummies full of great food and just enjoying a warm crackling fire!

Wishing y'all a very happy Thanksgiving! We all have so much to be thankful for. And you all are such hoots!! Yeah Mama I know all about those pants. LOL! and Roc I hear ya!

There will be 6 of us to share turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes and giblet gravy, cranberry sauce, rolls, greenbean casserole, sweet potato casserole (not me, can't stand it) deviled eggs broccoli, cranberry fluff and dessert. All prepared by moi. The girls will clean up afterward, which is much appreciated.

I am cooking a traditional Thanksgiving meal.

Turkey injected with Cajun butter

cornbread dressing

mashed potatoes

turkey gravy

cranberry sauce

hawaiian sweet rolls

sweet potato casserole

pumpkin pie

chocolate pie

pecan pie

Thanksgiving dinner is at 1 with my side of the family then again at 6 with my husband's. My dad is cajun and my mother is from Poland so dinner is a crazy blend of dishes. My husband's family has the traditional stuff :). I just love seeing everyone around the same table. I don't get to cook for Thanksgiving and always have dinner here with my adopted family here a few weeks after so I can.

Larsi, share your cranberry recipe?

Bea, your reminded me I also make deviled eggs...cute story...every year for 40+ years I've made candied sweet potatoes from scratch because my eldest son loves them, except for me no one else can stand them..well last year my 2 adult sons went out on the patio , the kitchen window looks out onto the patio and I had opened the window as it was so hot in my kitchen..I over heard my eldest son say, oh God I have to choak down moms damn sweet potatoes, which I hate,and don't you dare tell her, there's no reason to hurt her feelings. I wasn't really hurt I was shocked because for 40 years I believed he loved them...on Thanksgiving once we all sit down we briefly go around the table and say one thing were grateful for-- this year I said...I am so damned grateful that my son hates sweet potatoes and I no longer have to make them every year for 2 people..LOL he looked at me and I said and I'm grateful for a son that cares about his mothers feelings. Well I'm making them this year anyway because I like them and ill bet my son eats them LOL

Mmmmm...sweet potatos with real maple syrup and a touch of brown sugar.

How funny Mama! My son eats sweet potatoes like baked potatoes for breakfast.

@ Sandy.....There is no real recipe for the Cranberry sauce, as my Mom or I have just been making it for years. Depending on how many people you are cooking for you just cook a big bag or two of fresh, real cranberries. Cook them down with water and sugar to taste. When they are soft, to your preference....you add crushed pineapple and a sm. pack of Cherry, Raspberry OR Strawberry Jello mixed in with a little water. If your cooked cranberries are a little thick, do not drain the pineapple. Chill and serve. Best made a few days early!

Yummmm I love anything and everything cranberry, I will play around with this this weekend with a small batch if it comes out as delish as I think it will it will be made again for Thankgiving..Thanks Larsi.

I love cranberries. The real ones not the canned. Thanks for the recipe! Always nice to change things up a bit! Bet I can sneak that in as desert with the kids :)

I already had Thanksgiving! I had to do recipes for my blog and last week was the turkey. It took me so long to get it all coordinated because I had to explain how I stuff the turkey because I put my Sourdough Mushroom stuffing between the breast meat and the skin plus inside the cavity. It's the Jayne Mansfield of turkeys.

But I've done it this way for 25 years. Always make the same meal: Turkey stuffed under the skin and in the cavity, sweet potatoes with pineapple, fresh cranberry sauce with orange. This year I added buttermilk cloverleaf rolls. I swear I gained 5 pound eating those rolls hot. I change the desserts each time. Sometimes apple pie. Sometimes pumpkin pie but lately I haven't been liking the pumpkin pie so I need to work on that one. My mom made the greatest Tday dessert -- it was pumpkin ice cream cake with caramel sauce.

Usually do a fresh turkey. Love those. But this year because it's 3 weeks before T day and no one has fresh turkeys in yet. I should have gone after one of the turkeys that appear on our lawn every October. Usually we see them the first week. This time they came back and back so we must have good worms. I heard some noise outside and they came to visit.

I have 3 quarts of turkey broth in the fridge and the turkey bits all off the bone. So it will be soup tomorrow or Friday. DH is getting sandwiches tomorrow whether he likes it or not! Two neighbors got turkey meals already with the sourdough mushrooms stuffing.

Since it's over already, we'll hide this year but we'll meet some friends for lunch on Saturday.

Thanks for the recipe, larsi! I got a bag of fresh cranberries in the co-op package, and I hadn't figured out what to do with them. The cranberries will be served with traditional Thanksgiving chelo kebab and khormei sabzi as my husband is Iranian, and we have Thanksgiving at his parents every year with all of the Iranian extended "family".

That Saturday, everyone (Iranian and non-Iranian) comes over to our house with leftovers and we redneck it out for the Alabama/Auburn game. There's nothing like hearing 70 year old Iranian men yell out "Roll Tide" in perfect Persian accents.

Have A Happy Thanksgiving everyone and Safe Travels!

Rococo......The Jayne Mansfield of turkeys, with the extra breast stuffing!! LMAO

Sadly, the turkey is also the Jayne Mansfield when it becomes the T-Day turkey :-O HA!!