Thanksgiving in about a month and I have a question

Mark - IN.

Well-known Member
Next Friday is October 31, Halloween. And then we move into November, the month of Thanksgiving as I recall. I don’t know about the rest of you, but traditionally on Thanksgiving we eat turkey. Always have. For the past decade or so we have had Thanksgiving at my house, turkey. And not just a turkey, but I learned from John Madden doing Thanksgiving football that a turkey should have at least 6 drumsticks, so when I do my turkey I always buy 6 or 8 drumsticks and soak them in a mixture of a 1/5th of Jack Daniels black, honey, cherry preserves, and home made barbeque sauce for a few days before I do them outside on the Weber. If we do have leftover turkey, we never have left over drumsticks.

Today I was told that one of my sisters wants to have Thanksgiving at her house, and no turkey. Thanksgiving dinner…aint going to be turkey. I can't answer for the rest of the world, but in America where I'm from, we have a holiday called Thanksgiving, and we eat turkey on that day. When told about this, I asked, “What do you mean Thanksgiving without turkey”, and was told that lots of people have other things for Thanksgiving instead of turkey. What comes to mind are two episodes of “Everyone Loves Raymond”. One where Raymond’s mother made tofu turkey, which makes sense because I heard this from our mother, whom apparently doesn’t like turkey and probably has her hands buried in this no turkey Thanksgiving at me sister's. And the second episode, Raymond’s wife Debra made some sort of fish for Thanksgiving.

Now here is my question. Thanksgiving in about a month with no turkey? I only have about one month to come up with a plan. What, as we’re sitting down to Thanksgiving dinner at my sister’s of cheese fondue and crab meat finger sandwiches or whatever they’ve cooked up, should I have a turkey dinner delivered to her house? Can you order a turkey dinner with 6 or 8 extra drumsticks soaked in Jack Daniels and other spices? What am I supposed to do? This world…really is upside down, but I aint married, so its not like any woman is going to make me sleep on a sofa out in a garage or anything over a turkey or anything else for that matter. I'm down to about a month and don't want to wait until the last minute to come up with a plan. Cook a real Thanksgiving dinner at my house, toss it in the refridge and then head over for a Julienne salad dinner, knowing that later that night...

Mark
 
My wife makes both turkey and ham for Thanksgiving because I lost my taste for turkey about 10 years ago. No leftover ham but lots of leftover turkey!
 
It's simple! get a package of drumsticks, and do them up your way, then open a fresh bottle of marinade, and drink it before you get to their house. Hopefully you won't care what they have, and when you sober up the (day after Thanhsgiving,) you can eat the drumsticks.
 
Find a good buffet that serves what you like, get STUFFED, take a nice nap, then go play with your tractors.

NO drama that way.
 
I think that I would just go on over to my sisters and take advantage of her hospitality, but would cook my own turkey at home and have it later. That way, everyone is happy.
 
Mark you say you have been having the traditional Thanksgiving meal at your house until this year. Now your sister wants to have the meal without Turkey. A question and then maybe an work around for you.

You say your not married so any fall out is limited. (Wow must be nice!!! LOL)Who fixed the traditional meal in the past???

Now the work around. Whenever we have The Thanksgiving meal everyone usually brings a dish or two. This kind of makes it a big "pot luck" meal. Asked your sister if she would care if you make your dressed/seasoned up drum sticks and brought them as additional dish for anyone that would want it?

The idea is from my sister. She likes dressing/stuffing with oysters in it. Now many of the rest of us like them in the dressing. So she always makes a pan of dressing with oysters in it for herself and a few others that like it that way. That is one of her dishes if she is not doing the whole meal.
 
Never even tasted turkey until I had been out on my own for a couple years. With plenty of home grown beef, pork, & chicken in the locker, Dad wouldn't spend cash money for turkey.
First few turkey dinners I had were disasters. Either got cold by time it was served, or really dry trying to keep it warm.
Lately it has been good. Friend of ours got a deep fryer, but is scared of it, so I got the honors. More dumb luck than good sense, my first attempt came out perfect, now I can't pass the job on to anyone else.
Willie
 
This is your biggest problem? One turkey-less Thanksgiving isn't going to kill you. Go to your sister's place, bring a bottle of her favorite wine and enjoy whatever she puts on the table. Next year you can be back at your house doing the traditional thing. Unless, of course, everybody decides they like the no-turkey dinner, in which case you might find yourself baking a tofurkey.
 
I was never a big fan of turkey, I like a good ham or the best is a big leg of lamb. Although fresh turkey is better then frozen. As others have said you are the guest be gracious, enjoy the time with family and have your prefered dinner at home or ask if she would like you to bring a dish. Enjoy the day.
 
I'd say go eat the free dinner and give thanks for it.
Meanwhile, bake yourself a turkey so you will have leftovers at home.
I bake turkeys about 3 or 4 times a year - whenever the mood strikes.
As for traditional...
I learned to make eggrolls about 20 years ago and brought a batch to share at my sister's.
At first everyone said HUH?
But now if I don't bring some to turky day everyone is disapointed.
It's become a tradition.
 
Maybe she's not cooking a turkey because she would like to have a more relaxed day by serving something simpler. It's a fair amount of work for the cook at the last minute to remove stuffing, mash the potatoes, whip up some gravy and carve a turkey - plus get out all the other salads, vegetable dishes and relishes. (Not to mention cleanup detail after a huge meal.)

I like JD Seller's sister's idea of asking your sister if you may bring a pan of your turkey legs to share with everyone.

Then over Thanksgiving weekend, go ahead and make a turkey dinner of your choosing. Leftover turkey is great with broccoli in an Alfredo sauce over pasta or homemade turkey soup.
 
I agree with most below. Go enjoy the day with the family and then come home and eat the turkey you prepared if it's a tradition you can't (and shouldn't) give up. But enjoy the time with the family.

Cheese fondue and crabmeat finger samiches? Julienne salad? Sounds like you've had previous experience with your families' culinary preferences. Enjoy the day, eat light and pig out when you get home. Then you get to keep the leftovers for yourself.
 
Mark, I'm from Indiana and agree with you IT AINT THANKSGIVING WITHOUT TURKEY and real mashed potatoes and gravy and pumpkin pie, then men watching football, napping and passing gas while the women chat n yak and do dishes lol AND BESIDES IF ALL ARE HAPPY WITH THAT (as our family for years n years), whose business is it to complain huh????

HOWEVER if some tree huggers or militant vegetarians or lettuce, tofu and alfalfa sprout eating mamby pamby anemic looking pencil necked folks want to eat otherwise, that's their free choice which I respect, BUT EXPECT IN RETURN MY FREE CHOICE ALSO.

PROBLEM is if you're a guest in someones house what they serve is THEIR choice, but you in return have the choice to NOT eat any rot gut maybe snack on something you consider edible OR BRING SOME OF YOUR OWN. Hopefully they will as adults respect your right to eat as you please same as you do theirs BUT DONT BET THE FARM ON THAT LOL

I say live and let live, don't impose your values, lifestyle and choices on others and be tolerant of other views and respect diversity HOWEVER expect the same in return and hold others to it, tell them to be tolerant of you and appreciate diversity and to NOT impose their choices and values on you NUFF SAID......

So yallllllll do as you please, but in our family Thanksgiving consists of TURKEY, if yours consists of Tofu or Alfalfa Sprouts, I'm happy for you and hope you are for me in return. If the host doesn't serve turkey and doesnt care if that offends you, then you shouldn't care if turkey offends them. SURELY THEY CAN LIVE ONE DAY DOING WITHOUT their normal diet lol lol

John T
 
Can't drink the marinade. Every time that I do, someone calls the sheriff, he sends over deputies, they always tell me to get down from the barn roof and I never do, so they taze me which always gets me down, they drag me to the house and help me put some clothes on, then the ambulance takes me to the hospital psych ward for a few days...so I quit drinking the marinade. If I ever did anything like that at my sister's house with family and friends around again, then they promised they would never invite me back. They just now started inviting me back, and its going to be for a peanut butter and jelly or something Thanksgiving. As someone above said, much less drama if I just shave, comb my hair, get dressed up, and go over and be a good boy, and not drink any marinade.

Mark
 
Like Bob suggests, find a good Buffet and stay home afterwards. When your sister asks why. Tell her...
 
Thanks everyone. I get the idea. Thanksgiving and other holidays are to be spent with the family, and be a nice boy while doing it. I can cook a thanksgiving dinner, toss it in the fridge, and go over for veggie delight and cookies or whatever. Its only one day out of a traditionally four day weekend from work. I love my family and can take a spinach and ham casserole or whatever for one day. I don't think that John Madden or the pilgrims would appove, and that's probably why they won't be coming over. But this is my family, so egg plant parmissian it is, and I love egg plant parmissian, but no one else in my family does, so maybe hotdogs and hamburgers. I get it, I get it. I will go over and be a good boy until I get home.

Thanks everyone. I was being, thinking selfishly.

Mark
 
Now let me get this straight......

Everyone is at Mark's sister's house.
We sit down to enjoy cheese fondue and crabmeat finger sandwiches with a julienne side salad.
The door bell rings and it is a delivery guy with Mark's turkey dinner.
So while Mark eats his turkey dinner I gota eat this cheese fondue and crabmeat.

Now I understand why you are not married!!!
LOL!!!!!

Do like JD suggest.
Bring a dish as a way of helping out your sister.
You can bring soaked drumsticks.
Heck get creative and bring a "turducken" or fry a turkey in your sisters back yard.
It will be something that most have never had so they will want to try it; and gives you your turkey.
 
You need to pick your battles, and I wouldn't fight this one.

JDSeller's idea of making it pot luck in the future is a good one, but if other relatives want to take turns being the host just relax and enjoy getting together with your family on a happy occasion. Too many families only seem to get together at funerals these days.
 
Mark, I too would miss the Turkey on Thanksgiving.

That being said, I can remember family gatherings in years past. Many are gone now. I would love to be with that group again even if we only had Dandelion Greens to eat.

So I would go and enjoy the fellowship. I see nothing wrong with checking with the sister and asking if she would care if you brought a side dish of turkey drumsticks. If she hesitates ask what you could bring.

Enjoy your day, Bill
 
"It's not food - it's VIOLENCE!.........."

Your sister didn't have a pet turkey named "snow" when she was a child, I hope!
 
I always make an extra pan of dressing beyond stuffing the turkey. In my dressing, I use two or three loaves of bread, two big Red Delicious apples, sage, celery, black olives, green olives, mushrooms, crushed walnuts, a dozen eggs for stick-to-it-ness, and a couple huge cans of salt free chicken broth. No one complains, everyone eats it and goes back for more. I don't mind the effort on my part.

Mark
 
I cant give you an opinion, we seldom have turkey on Thanksgiving, unless we go to kin folks out of the state. 99% of the time, its a sugar or salt cured ham. We broke from the traditional turkey when my wife worked at the hospital. Im not fond of turkey anyways, but I do like it better deep fried, which we do at the inlaws for Christmas.
 
You bring back some fond memories. There was a time as a kid when my family had nothing. My father was killed when I was 10, and I was the second youngest of five kids. For years, times were extra lean and we barely made do, but we pulled together and survived. That's partly why I like to do Thanksgiving, because now I can well afford to, and I figure so long as I still can, NO ONE ever needs to leave my house hungry, no one in my family need not ever have a roof over his or her head...why I still can. Kind of like the Depression when my mother was a child and aunts, uncles, family members came to live with them instead of being homeless along with jobless. Family takes care of family at the very least. And during those lean times when I was a kid? We DID have some fond memories that you reminded me of.

Thanks very much.

Mark
 
All of my family, especially me, prefer mexican (Tex-mex) food for all occasions. We're anglo by the way. To each his own, I say.
 
Take some of your turkey and make a turkey noodle casserole (Tetrazzinni) for Sister.Never too many dishes at Thanksgiving.
 
I'd roll with it. If you brought a small turkey, one you prepared per the above, with the fixings, and or a heap of those drumsticks, (just in case they are a hit with the others) how could you go wrong ? if close, it will stay hot a long time so that could easily work. I've never seen anyone angry at someone bringing a contribution, (food) to a holiday gathering. You just don't want to up end anyone, or have it perceived that way, so if were me, I'd get a small one, dress it accordingly, and share it as an offering for all in good faith to that holiday, and in the spirit of being thankful for being able to gather, and all things of similar nature to be thankful for.

Worst case, and if there is distance, I'd call ahead and just ask if it was ok, if you prepared and or used the oven there to do the above, again in the spirit of sharing and thanksgiving, sharing a favorite meal and or offering same that you thought others would enjoy, doesn't it just add to the whole affair ? It sounds like a good one with what you described in how you prepare it.
 
Me, I'd refuse to go and tell them why. "Sorry, I'm not going to be there because I refuse to eat that garbage you want to serve". But that's me. I haven't seen any of my cousins sense 1988. See my sister who lives a mile and a half from me maybe once every 2 months and see my wife's family only when they need something from me. So I can get away with a lot. They will put up with a lot from me and only be mad until they need something. I spend a good deal of time helping my sister's husband and my nephew anymore with farm stuff so she will not stay mad at me anyway. The BIL and nephew are both good guys and I'd help them anyway.

Rick
 
I'd go and enjoy myself. Visit with friends and family, enjoy: the food that is served; conversation and maybe a football game; or just play cards with the folks you won't get to see often, etc.

If you still want turkey, fix some for yourself at home and enjoy it later in the long weekend. Many grocery stores sell fancy turkey dinner "kits" that are easy to make and are very good. They come in different sizes so you can choose how many leftovers you want!

If you are really upset about the food to the point that you could spoil the holiday for others, then I would stay home. But I would try to avoid that, it would only be your lose.
 
'Traditional Thanksgiving' for some is Venison and Goose, side of seafood and corn pudding with some greens, maybe a bit of turkey and squirrel. Seems that is most likely what first thanksgiving featured and some New Englanders make a point of serving that kind of meal- mostly to tease the tourists I think but some might have some fresh venison about that time. Didn't have much turkey for thanksgiving growing up- ham, pork roast, ducks and geese, plenty of garden veggies- all the cheap stuff that was raised on farm- why spend money on a big bird you didn't raise? after first hard frost was slautering time- so plenty of pork, geese, etc and the occasional deer. Neighbor had a rifle on his corn picker- whatever has been eating in corn field can be harvested since he fed them. Mild Teasing alert! RN
 
That sounds interesting!

Sometimes I do stuffing with a little fried sausage and wild rice in addition to the bread, sage, onions, celery and broth.

I'd like to also try the oyster stuffing that some have mentioned.
 
When I was a kid, Mom would always have turkey for Thanksgiving. There was always enough left over that she made a casserole. After 3-4 days the turkey got fed to the dog. After I was married my wife was asking how big of a turkey to get, I asked if she liked turkey and she said no. Our family tradition now is roast beef and all the fixins'. BTW Mom comes over and usually has 2 helpings.
IMO Thanksgiving is about family and being thankful for what we have. It shouldn't involve being wasteful.
 
MY MY>>What a big to=do about nothing. Thanksgiving is not about TURKEY..It is a day to be thankful..thankful that you have family and FOOD TO EAT. Many are not as lucky.
 

Proper date for Thanksgiving for 2014 was Oct 13th. Way into November 27th is getting into winter weather and too close to Christmas.
 
Chuck a turkey (and the extra drumbsticks) in a Nesco and take it over. That way you dont need her oven or anything. Just start cooking it ahead of time, unplug it when you leave and finish it on her counter. Problem solved.
 
My Dad always told my mothers parents we have 1000 head of beef, you raise hogs, why do we have to eat a fowl bird when we have better things to eat right here on our farms?
 
Our Turkey Day family dinner at our farm usually consists of 2 to 4 people. I haven't fixed a turkey for a long time because there aren't any small turkeys. The last time I bought one, I bought the smallest one I could, but we still wound up throwing a lot out.

I wanted to try to stay with tradition, but didn't want to waste a bunch of food, so I substituted Cornish hens for turkey. It works well and not much waste.

The rest of the 'fixins' are the traditional Turkey Day stuff: homemade egg noodles, dressing, sweet potatoes, rolls, etc.

One Thanksgiving a few years ago, the city part of the family decided to have barbeque catered in for Thanksgiving. My mom was not pleased. She called and asked if I would pick her up and take her with me to the farm so she could have at least somewhat of a traditional Thanksgiving meal. Of course, I agreed. We had a nice visit and a good meal.

If you want to have a traditional meal, then I suggest you find someplace that prepares turkey, dressing, whatever you like, go pick it up and take it with you. It might not go over well, but in my opinion, Thanksgiving wouldn't be Thanksgiving without the bird.
 

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