I am a traditionalist... I don't want anything different for Thanksgiving Dinner--not even ham... Guess I'm set in my ways!!!! However, since my sons are all grown up and gone, we scale down our dinners --by using a Turkey Breast instead of an entire turkey.
Tell me about some of your Thanksgiving traditions --when it comes to food!!!!! Different areas of the country do things differently --and it's so interesting to read what others do.
I recently read this neat little poem written by Karl Fuchs. I would like to share it with you today.
MORE THAN A DAY
As Thanksgiving Day rolls around,
It brings up some facts, quite profound.
We may think that we're poor,
Feel like bums, insecure,
But in truth, our riches astound.
We have friends and family we love;
We have guidance from heaven above.
We have so much more
Than they sell in a store,
We're wealthy, when push comes to shove.
So--add up your blessings, I say;
Make Thanksgiving last more than a day.
Enjoy what you've got;
Realize it's a lot,
And you'll make all your cares go away.
Let's all count our blessings --not just on Thanksgiving---but year 'round!!!!
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving. I'm taking some time off from blogging and will be back on Monday.
God Bless You ALL,
80 comments:
Hi Betsy :
Not growing up with the traditional of Thanksgiving, I've followed my husband's family's recipes throughout the years, all of it scrumptious !
One thing I do enjoy is five dup salad Ambrosia, I make it every year, and it's always a hit.
I hope you and George have a wonderful Thanksgiving, I'll be keeping up with you, and awaiting your return ....
Blessings,
Jo
x
My family was pretty traditional for the Western NY area. Except we always started the day watching the Macy's parade - eating bagels! Dinner was Turkey, stuffing (stale bread with sausage, celery, onion and seasoning always cooked in the bird), mashed white potatoes, gravy, sweet potatoes with marshmallows baked on top, cranberries (from the can) green beans, pumpkin pie and my sister always made my dad a mince meat pie (he was the only one who ate it!)
Larry's family is 1/2 Italian and 1/2 Lebanese ( from central NY) so the tradition was much different. They started out with appetizers all day (including lots of shrimp!) When dinner came round - they would start off with Italian Wedding Soup (with a million little meatballs my husband remembered his mom making), then there was Turkey, Lasagna, sweet potatoes with maple syrup, bread dressing (stuffing in my book) Rice dressing (lamb, mint basil rice), salad, italian peas, green beans and then apple and pumpkin pies and cookies. They ate all day long (with that amount of food - I can imagine all week long!)
We have combined the two traditions for our little family - although we are celebrating with his siblings tomorrow. Although we wont have any of the traditional Italian foods except the peas. So we have cut back from their amount of food quite a bit!
Hope you enjoy your celebration! We all have so much to be thankful for. God surely has blessed us over abundantly!!
Hi Betsy, Your Thanksgiving dinner sounds very much like ours but mama made cornbread dressing that included biscuits. Wishing you and George a wonderful Thanksgiving and have fun decorating for Christmas too! I'll be away from the computer for a few days during our water woes!
Happy Thanksgiving Betsy, Our dinner was the traditional one - turkey, giblet gravy, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, yams and pumpkin pie. I grew up in a German family - oh ya, I forgot the cranberry relish as well. Let's all count our blessings and thank God for them.
Hi Betsy!! Thanksgiving is one of my favorite times of the year...next to Christmas. We usually have it at my house or one of my kids' houses. We usually have Turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, corn, peas, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, gravy, rolls, & Pumpkin pie (or Apple, Cherry, etc)..but ALWAYS Pumpkin Pie. I'm with you on the meat part. I love the turkey...really it's about the only time of the year I bake a turkey. I get tickled when I watch all the shows on tv that address baking a turkey. (the comedy shows)..I watched Mike and Molly the other night, and it was funny as heck. Then there was the show with Katie Holmes in it (Tom Cruise's now wife)...when she couldn't seem to get a turkey baked...landed on the street, stove broke down, etc. I guess we are blessed to have NOTHING unusual happen when we bake a turkey. Pretty simple. Have a large enough pan to put it in the oven, (but not too high for certain ovens). Take the giblets and neck out. Wash it off, and place in pan. I usually bake it in aluminum foil. It seems to keep the juices in it better. Then you can spoon the juices back over the turkey to keep it moist later. Bake for several hours...usually 5 or so. (depending upon the weight). Let it cool off and then carve. VERY SIMPLE...Hope you and George have a LOVELY Thanksgiving. All my love to you.
I remember waiting all year for tiny, individual dishs of walnuts roasted in butter and sprinkled with salt. My parents could slave over a huge meal but I just craved those walnuts and was miserable the allotment was so small. I have yet to replicate that taste.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Hope you and George and his parents have a great Thanksgiving.
Happy Thanksgiving Betsy!
Growing up in Ohio our dinner was pretty traditional; turkey bread dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, etc...but one thing that was different was my Grandma's Scalloped Oysters. She made them only at Thanksgiving and we all anticipated the dish by welcoming her at the door and taking it from her basket wrapped in nespaper. It smelled delicious and was the centerpiece of our feast.
When Grandma died, it just wasn't the same and no one had the nerve to take up the dish. However, now that I am with my family, we make the traditional dish. This year we are spending the day with family and plan on bringing the dish to share.
Have a blessed day!
I wish for you and George a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend.The meal sound lovely.Now if only I lived close enough,I might have to check in to see if there were any leftovers.:)
HUgs,Ruth
Sounds delish Betsy!
Happy Thanksgiving to you and George!
We are scheduled to eat with my son-in-law's family and their new tradition is deep-fried turkey which he first infuses with some kind of hot spices. It is delicious - - -never thought I'd say that. However the first grandchild is being born as we speak - - - so we'll see if Thanksgiving is tomorrow or Friday.
see you on Monday and have a wonderful TG. like that poem a lot. and your menu is exactly what my mother put on the table minus the pimento. she did have a few more things added to this menu, the table groaned.... we will have turkey, potato stuffing (bob's mothers recipe) cranberry salad, brussel sprouts (bob loves them) and rolls and sweet potato pie, that is our menu for TG and Christmas and like you it never changes.
Your meal sounds great, Betsy! There are three of us sisters and all their offspring who contribute to our meal, so we have a little of everything! It's always way too much food and every dessert know to man.
Have a blessed Thanksgiving Day George and Betsy! Your traditional meal sounds absolutely wonderful! No tradition of food here - even for our Canadian Thanksgiving - although when the kids were still at home or when we were all together, we often made a Turkey dinner. Most often though, the kids asked for Rouladen with all its standard fare.
Enjoy your week-end! Lots of love, Karin
We had similar, but also had scalloped corn,fresh cranberries,sweet potatoes and homemade bread and rolls. I will make some bread to pass out to a few friends today.I am going to a chinese restruant, meal for one.HA!Something different.Have a good holiday celebration.
Steve
We do a turkey and a ham.
Green bean casserole.
squash casserole.
salad with pears.
smashed taters.
sweet tater pie.
and about 12 desserts. We have more dessert selections than people at the table!!!
Happy Thanksgiving!!!
xoxoxox
Suz
Turkey, dressing, sweet potatoes, green beans, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry relish... and my pumpkin pie... this is my favorite meal of the year. I think I'll get on the exercise equipment now. ;)
There is so much for which to be thankful, and Betsy, you are one of them. We hope you and George and your family have a blessed Thanksgiving.
Hi Betsy,
When I grew up in England there was no Thanksgiving just Harvest Festival which was just a church service so I'm not much into Thanksgiving. We had ours in Canada in October and my kids came up so we did a Thanksgiving dinner then.
I hope you have a wonderful few days with your beloved George!!!
xxx
From the first time I can remember, until I decided to heck with all that work, we had a very traditional Thanksgiving Dinner. It started with a huge turkey (a couple times had goose) with dressing made from seasoned bread cubes, onions, apples, raisins, and ground beef. Always mashed potatoes and gravy. Candied sweet potatoes were my favorite ;-) I always made extra! There was always German potato salad, for the die-hards. Both styles of cranberry sauce were available for the picky ones. We would have the jello salad, made just right - with cubes of cherry jello, fruit cocktail, bananas and real whipped cream folded in, MMMmmm! We had green beans for added color and naturally lots of pies - pumpkin and apple. I mustn't forget the home made rolls and REAL butter!
One year, I over-did it, I made traditional Southern cornbread dressing, a lovely glazed ham and macaroni & cheese too! To suit my DH's palate! One of the boys brought a big cheesecake from Sam's too. Boy,now that was a feast!
I think all two of us will be having a frozen pizza tomorrow, neither of us wants to cook and to worn out and sick.
I am still thankful!
The menu:
Turkey
cornbread dressing (I don't stuff the bird)
giblet gravy
chicken-n-dumplins
sweet potato casserole
green bean casserole
squash casserole
turnips
pineapple casserole (Paula Deens to die for casserole)
fruit salad
rolls
pumpkin swirl for dessert
this is traditional for us. My sis and I will be taking dinner to moms since she is in a wheelchair this year.
Wishing you and George a wonderful day filled with good food and maybe a nap. Happy Thanksgiving
Love Becca
Have a wonderful holiday weekend!!
Sounds good, Betsy! Yuuuuummmy!
Our Thanksgiving dinners are pretty much like yours (we live close to each other). I think my favorite is cranberry sauce - that stuff is sooo good! Plus, my mom makes zucchini cake & that just melts in your mouth, plus the dressing (like yours, stuffing), which is also mouthwatering YUUUMMMY, mashed taters w/ light & dark gravy, OMGosh, I gotta stop, I'm gettin' so hungry! Oh yeah, & turkey!!! heheheee!
Ya'll have a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving & GOD BLESS YOU BOTH!!!
Happy Thanksgiving Betsy! It sounds like you'll be celebrating it in grand tradition!
hi Betsy. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!!
Happy Thanksgiving, Betsy!
Happy Thanksgiving, Betsy!
Have a very blessed Thanksgiving Betsy!
Wish you the same Betsy!
Our feast is turning out pretty much like yours. Grandma used to make oyster dressing, but now we make it without the slimy little buggers! ;-) We also have to have mashed white potatoes and pecan pie!
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Hugs!
Happy Thanksgiving Day to you and George Betsy!
Turkey !! The best part is the day after; eating cold turkey sandwiches! Enjoy ♥
You may not know this. You are an angel that God had sent via the internet to encourage me.
Do you remember my Tunnel photo and story about the hospital.
You inspired me and encouraged me with your comment.
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I have just finished the first draft of my book, it is my testimony of my life. Please pray that it will get published.
Hope you have a great Thanksgiving, Betsy!! Will your sons be coming? Glad that you'll be minus the leaves as unwelcome guests!!
We celebrate Christmas, Turkey,roast potoaoes, roast parsnips, asst veg, yorhshire pudd, thick and cramy gravy (with wine in) - Christmas Pudd and brandy sauce - mincepies - all washed down with a glass or 3 of red wine.
Have a grand day - both of you.
That's a neat poem, Betsy. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family! :)
It is really interesting to see after reading through some of your fellow bloggers' comments how so many of us enjoy many of the same things. This year we will be spending Thanksgiving with my son and his wife and their family. One of the things he asked me to make which was something my mom always made because he liked them was deviled eggs.
Have a great Thanksgiving celebration and a peaceful weekend.
Happy Thanksgiving to you also Betsy. Enjoy your time off and have a wonderful holiday.
Blessings and smiles across the miles :)
Hi Betsy
I have photos of my Thanskgiving menu on my blog! :) Nothing fancy ..just traditional favorites..plus lasagna, as my husband's family always began a holiday with that or some other pasta :)
I hope you and George have a wonderful Thanskgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving to you and George.....see you next week!
Your menu sounds delicious!
Hi Betsy, your Thanksgiving Dinner menu sounds delicious, especially the Pimento Beans. At our house, pecan pie and pumpkin pie are the only parts of the tradition we still keep. The rest of the meal, we're flexible about because we like to try new things. I hope you and George have a wonderful holiday! :D
When growing up, our meal was traditional turkey, always stuffed, baked oyster dressing, for Mom and Dad only, mashed potatoes, gravy, canned cranberry sauce and I suppose some green stuff - I was a kid and only ate meat, stuffing, potatoes and gravy. But the best park was Mom's pumpkin which was the best I've ever eaten. Now, Bev insist on turkey and I insist on dressing otherwise we're pretty flexible - we're having both turkey and baked pork chops (with a different dressing) this year.
Hi, Betsy, Since you asked - I'm cooking 2 meals - neither one on Thanksgiving Day. Long story. Leonard is taking me out tomorrow for Thanksgiving. Friday for his daughter and his family I'm cooking the "traditional" turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, gravey, green bean casserole, candied sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie with whipped cream. For his daughter. Cathy's family is coming on Saturday. She said "make it easy Mom" so I am. So I'm doing ham, baked potatoes, asparagus, homemade rolls. She's bringing a dessert she wants to try as well as some leftovers. Happy Thanksgiving Betsy and George. Diane
Betsy,
I hope that you and George have a blessed Thanksgiving.
Kay
Your dinner sounds just like mine usually does. Pretty good, huh.
May you and George have a wonderful day tomorrow.
I like the poem too. MB
Betsy, I used to fix turkeys, and even ate some. Now, I have to force myself to eat any...the kids don't like it...unless it is deep fried. So, I have been fixing hams for the past few years.
I wish we did like turkey...Roger does like it. But I cannot stand to handle and smell it cooking...so thought that might be it. Went to someone's house one year a bit back and decided to try some...it was all I could do to eat the few bites I got.
Sorry to disappoint...and this year I am not fixing all that I used to fix because there are so few of us, and Sarah and Jeremy and Lo will have other family they stop at...
But I do always fix tater salad and deviled eggs for Roger, and our "pudding cake"....this year that is the only dessert. Normally I fix apple pie, pumpkin pie, and maybe pecan pie.
I forgot to say Happy Thanksgiving...I read your post and thought how disappointed you would be with my meal...forgot all about what I came to say.
Anyway, have a wonderful day tomorrow.
Well, Betsy, tomorrow at noon we Brannen boys and girls and spouses and children, grands, and some great-grands - plus a few cousins will gather for our annual "Thanksmas" meal. After dinner one of the children will give the devotional - then we will open Christmas presents. Then comes the most fun part - singing and making music and everyone talking at the same time!
I'm the same way in that I will make the same dishes that I've been making for the past 20 something years! I don't change or switch because every time I do, someone comments about missing the dish I replaced.
As for dinner tomorrow it will be Turking and stuffing (made from white bread) mash potatoes and gravy, green beans, carrots, broccili casserole, corn pudding, cranberry sauce, rolls, pumpkin pie and chocolate chip cookies. All made by me for 30-40 people.
Happy Thanksgiving, Betsy!! Enjoy your holiday & LONG weekend!!!
Blessings & HUGS,
Coreen
Pimento Beans? That sounds delicious, do you just add them to the traditional green bean casserole?
I grew up with the traditional Thanksgiving dinner pretty much the same as yours. For the last few years we have either been down in San Diego or Cabo and had dinner with my hubby's family down there. This year it's just the two of us at home so we are going with ham (hubby's favorite), candied yams, etc.
Wishing you and George a very
Happy Thanksgiving.
Hugs,
Judy
Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!!!!!!!!
Now Betsy, you and I would fit well at each others tables sharing nearly the same traditions, except for the Pimento Beans. Our dinner was tonight and in place of the green bean casserole, we had scalloped corn. It was great. Also Pecan Pie and Strawberry Cheesecake along with the traditional Pumpkin Pie, all homemade, of course. To me , tradition is quite sacred, tho changed days happen lately.
BlessYourTurkeyDay and YouAndGeorge
Happy Thanksgiving, my friend. I am certainly thankful for my blog friends!
Have a great weekend.
Blessings and hugs!
CottonLady
Happy holidays Betsy and don't let George eat to much LOL
happy Thanksgiving to you and your loved family, Betsy!
I'm glad could learn much about your traditions on celebrating
Thanksgiving in your place... Its very interesting indeed!
Thanks for sharing them here.
hugs,
nensa
And very beautiful Poem!
I love it!
Happy Thanksgiving! I'm a sucker for traditional Thanksgiving myself! Enjoy your break!
Wow that is great, hope you have a wonderfully blessed Thanksgiving my dear friend, Hugs Barbara
WHooee! These lengthy comments outta keep you busy for awhile ;)
Our tradition changes according to who died and where we eat :(
We used to have turnips with the meal you told about and I LOVE them. Lima beans...asparagus casserole :)
I have to tell you about a girl I worked with once...her family had for Christmas dinner every year...beer, pretzels and shrimp cocktail!
I'd be heartbroken :(
You have a Happy Thanksgiving Betsy!
What a great Thanksgiving Post!
I think you should share some of your recipe's periodically. I would love that.
What a beautiful poem. Thanks.
I'm spending Thanksgiving in Arizona with family! My contribution today is fresh green beans sizzled with a bit of bacon grease, bacon, & mushrooms. Yum! Also a Sweet Potato dish with crushed pineapple and a very yummy Winter salad.
Blessed Thanksgiving! May you be filled with the warmth of Jesus this season! (No Thanksgiving tradition here in SA)
Hi Betsy, Loved that poem - thanks for posting it. We are having a good quiet day here at home. I am taking lots of pictures of waterfowl and woodpeckers (no surprise). Enjoy your day. Happy Thanksgiving!
I grew to love the Thanksgiving Celebration, not having that in England. Turkey and all the fixings was always celebrated on Christmas Day for us but my first Thanksgiving in America was spent with Gregg's family and I have loved it ever since. It was the first time I ever ate sweet potato! Gregg's mother was a fantastic cook and her turkey always came out just perfect. I don't have to cook today as Gregg and I have been invited over to our daughter-in-law's parents' house.
I hope you and George have a Very Happy Thanksgiving Betsy. Look forward to hearing all about it next time I drop by.
Hope you had a great Thanksgiving and didn't eat too much. :)
Happy Thanksgiving to you and George!
Our thanksgiving meal is much like yours, except I like to add pecan pie to ours.
Loved this post...Happy Thanksgiving to you...I have missed you...
Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving Betsy!
xo Catherine
We had roast turkey with madeira cream gravy, dressing (not stuffing), green bean salad, cranberry relish and Andrew made a delicious pear tart for dessert. The boys weren't able to come but we had a couple for dinner that we've been sharing Thanksgiving with for over twenty years.
I hope that you, like me, are looking forward to leftovers today!! No shopping for me! Cozying up the fireplace instead.
Best,
Bonnie
Hi Betsy... Happy Thanksgiving. Am back and visiting you once again before I get so busy once more.
I am thankful to have a friend like you.
Happy Thanksgiving. So, you are a traditionalist...good to hear that!!
Road Trip!!!!
http://twistedsifter.com/2009/12/plitvice-lakes-national-park-croatia/#
We don't have Thanksgiving in Australia but I sure would like to try some of those mouth watering dishes.
sorry we don't celebrate Thanks giving in New Zealand, but back in Borneo, in June, there is harvest festival, and there is great feasting, drinking and dancing.
I don't believe I have ever registered as commenter # 73, but anyway... hope that you and George are keeping well. I am slowly starting to see the light of day before it grows dim again. Catch you soon, gal,
Jane
My children were each getting two turkey dinners at other family get-togethers, so I went with ham for ours on Wed. night. My husband and I had the traditional T'day dinner on Thursday: turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, two types of dressing--the regular sage seasoned bread dressing and the oyster bread dressing that my husband fixes, lima beans, corn, sweet potatoe casserole, rolls, and pumpkin pie and pumpkin roll. We also had custard pie, and fudge.
When Dad was still alive (He would join my husband's family on T'day), I would make noodles and the green bean casserole with French fried onions on top (but not with pimentos, Betsy). For Dad, it wasn't a complete T'day dinner without those.
My Wed. night dinner was geared towards favorites of my daughter up from Texas and what her little boy would eat. He's not a big meat eater though he loves ham.
Loved the poem---so true---and Thanksgiving Day is a good reminder to us all of our many blessings.
Hi, Betsy. Happy Thanksgiving! I'm like you in that I want all the dishes we had when I was growing up. It's okay to add a new dish to try, but do NOT by any means substitute it for something we expect. LOL
We had a really quiet day here, but full of thankfulness.
We had the crowd here. On the grill, I smoked two brined turkey breasts. We had a broccoli souffle, green beans almondine, sausage stuffing, cornbread stuffing with cranberries, apples, and pecans, sweet potato casserole, pumpkin bars, pecan bars, and apple crisp for dessert!
There were 16 here -- we had a lively time!
Your Thanksgiving menu sounds divine Betsy! Hope you and George had a nice holiday weekend! Greg's family likes to experiment on thanksgiving w/ the menu and on my side of the family we always stick to a traditional turkey. We celebrated 2 thanksgivings this year - too much eating!
P.S. Any snow yet? :-)
Hugs,
Shelley
I put the giblets in the bread dressing rather than the gravy. I like my gravy pure and unflavord except by turkey. I do my green beans plain. We put whipped cream rather than ice cream on the pie...pumpkin and pecan. Don't usually do sweet potatoes but have mashed potatoes. Rolls. It's all good and like you I prefer not to have changes. We had family here this year so I did a whole turkey rather than just a breast.
We enjoyed a lovely Thanksgiving at my brother's-in-law and sister's-in-law.
Most of the food was raised and/or grown by them, including the yummy turkey, potatoes, turnips, and butternut squash. Other produce was locally grown like the cranberries for the sauce.
It was definitely worth the long drive to share a wonderful meal with family.
☼ Sunny
I know I am late but I still would like to express my thanks for discovering Betsy's lovely blog.
Happy Belated Thanksgiving!
P/S: Did you save any left over turkeys for me?? LOL
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