oh, fun. As a kid everyone got together with at my grandparents house, and we'd just munch all day and talk and grandma liked to get this magazine "The good old days" and she would always find a good story to read out of there.
My favorite memories are just everyone all together, the windows would always be steamed up and everyone would always be laughing.
The last few years I've been hosting Thanksgiving for the little bit of family I have left, while my hubby goes with his family. It's definitely not ideal but we don't really like each other's family's so it works for us.
Ideally I would get to host thanksgiving for everyone. It will have to wait until I have a house, and room for more than 4 people in it at any given time... but I would love to be able to host.
I'll have to get back to you on the favorite recipe...
1) What we did as a child was have a big Thanksgiving dinner with all the family. I'm talking aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents of course. Those are my fondest memories, especially since my grandparents have passed.
2) I cook a big dinner for just DH and my kids, just the five of us.
3) My ideal Thanksgiving would be to have a big dinner with all my brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews and parents. It's been a long time since we all got together. Especially this year I would love for my son to be able to be home for TG...he's in Iraq.
4) I don't have a favorite recipe but my favorite dish is waldorf salad the way my grandma made it. Apples, celery, bananas, pecans and miracle whip...I love that stuff but don'tmake it too much because no one else does!
#2 invite all my friends they're families etc we fry turkeys and drink
#3 i do have my ultimate with loving friends and my DH and kids I really dont talk to my famliy i lost touch with everyone so my friends have become my family we spend every thanksgiving and christmas together
#4 this is really stupid but i'd have to say that chesse ball with the nuts on it and wheat thins
#1 What Did You Do As A Child For Thanksgiving And Your Fondest Memories - We always had two Thanksgivings. One with my mom's family and one with my dad's. Dad's family was very traditional with turkey, honey glazed ham, stuffing, the whole nine. Mom's family was a combination of dishes from our family's heritage. We had lomi lomi salmon, poi, teriyaki steak, schezuan pork, fried rice, wontons, tortilla soup, tamales, and various side dishes. The only thing traditional was the pumpkin pie. My fondest memories are when my sisters and I were the only kids. We got to do pretty much whatever we wanted and the adults went along because we were "so cute and honest"!
#2 What Do You Do Now For Thanksgiving - We spend even years with my family doing the same as above and odd years with DH's family doing -- nothing. (They used to order their Thanksgiving meal from a restaurant but gave up doing that too!)
#3 What Would Be Your Ideal Thanksgiving - I would love to be able to have Thanksgiving with just my immediate family. It would be great to have it at my house as it actally gets cold for Thanksgiving here. It is so hectic with all the people around, that we don't have time to cherish eachother. I just want them to myself and a big, gourmet dinner with great wine. Yum!
#4 What Is Your Favorite Recipe That You Would Share With Us For Thanksgiving (weight Is Not An Issue For This Day!!!!!) - I love my grandmother's wontons. (She's Japanese.) You just mix ground pork with fresh grated ginger, garlic, salt, soy sauce, finely chopped carrots and pepper. (We've never measured -- we just know when it's ready to go!) Then you just fill a wonton wrapper with about a teaspoon of the stuff, seal it with a finger dipped in water, and fry in hot oil for 2 - 4 minutes. Done! My favorite, any time of year!
1. I do the same thing now as I have for the past 24 years of my life: GRANDMA'S HOUSE!! Grandma can't cook the turkey anymore as it is too heavy for her to manuever, so I cook the turkey and the rest of the family shows up. It will be a very sad time for us when Grandma and Grandpa are no longer around (I am very attached as I spent much time with them as a child). I can't say that I have any outstandingly fond memories, but just the thought of spending the holidays at Grandma's house with the family makes me feel good...the winter holidays are the few times in the year I get to see most of my relatives.
2. See #1
3. Ideally, my grandparents would be immortal and I would never have to face not having holiday dinners with them. Ideally, our tradition would never change...
4. I have lots of great recipes to share, with one problem - they are all in my head and not written down, and if I try to write it out and have someone else follow it, they won't get the same result. I don't measure anything, I just put in "enough" until it "looks right".... sorry!
#1 What Did You Do As A Child For Thanksgiving And Your Fondest Memories--We've always had large extended family gatherings, and we still do! My dad's brother lives in California and we lived in Utah, so we'd either travel to California or they would come to Utah. It was always a huge gathering--30 to 50 people.
#2 What Do You Do Now For Thanksgiving--For the past few years, the festivities have stayed in California and were at my house the past two years! This year, we'll head up to the mountains to celebrate and my parents and sister and BIL will be flying in. We always crack several bottles of champagne while visiting and cooking. It is not rushed at all and everyone has a wonderful time.
#3 What Would Be Your Ideal Thanksgiving--see above!!
#4 What Is Your Favorite Recipe That You Would Share With Us For Thanksgiving (weight Is Not An Issue For This Day!!!!!)--I'll have to get back to you on that, but it is my Mom's chocolate walnut pie. Kind of like pecan pie, but with chocolate. It is my brother's favorite and has become my DH's favorite also. We're in charge of pies this year, so we'll do: pumpkin, pecan, chocolate walnut, apple, mincemeat, and perhaps one other.
1. As a kid My mom, dad, and sisters and I would all have dinner together. Fondest memory: Thanksgivng day 11 yrs ago we got custody of my then 4 month old cousin, she is now my little sister
2. I have 2 dinners one on thanksgiving with DH's family one the Sunday after with my family, (even though my parents are divorced and my mom remarried we still have dinner together.)
3. Ideal dinner: only 1 dinner with both sides of my family.
4. Favorite recipie: 1 quart cottage cheese(lowfat), 1 package of cherry jello, 1/2 jar of marichino cherries quartered, 1 container of cool whiip. mix it all together, put it in the fridge for 1 hour and serve....mmmm cottage cheese/jello salad.
1-When I was younger, my entire family (on my mom's side) would get together for thanksgiving. That's nine aunts w/ their husbands and all of my 30+ cousins. Back when we all got along and everybody liked each other (or at least acted civil towards one another). My fondest memory has got to be making turkeys out of apples, jelly candies, mini marshmallows, and toothpicks. It was awesome being a kid.
2-this is my 3rd year away from my family on thanksgiving. and it pretty much sucks. my bf's family doesn't eat the traditional tg fare...mashed potatoes, turkey, corn, biscuits, etc, etc. more like arroz con pollo, cerdo (pork) and stuff that is not thanksgivingish at all. they get together too, but it's nothing like when my family got together
3-my ideal tg would be me and my bf back in los angeles with the entire family-mom and dad (they're divorced and don't talk to each other), bro, sis, aunts, uncles, cousins, nephews, nieces, and my grandma. that would be awesome!!
4-don't really have any as I never do the cooking on thanksgiving.
#1 What Did You Do As A Child For Thanksgiving And Your Fondest Memories?
We always went to my grandparents on my mom's side of the family on the Sunday before Thanksgiving. On Thanksgiving Day, we went to my grandparents on my dad's side. We did that until all of the grandparents passed away. Now, my mom and my dad's two sisters take turns having Thanksgiving Day at their house. We don't celebrate with my mom's side anymore, because my mom's brother says that it upsets his kids too much to be with us, because it makes them miss the grandparents. These kids are grown now, BTW, but they're still too sensetive to see us on any holidays.
#2 What Do You Do Now For Thanksgiving?
Now, we go to either my mom and dad's, or one of my two aunt's houses.
#3 What Would Be Your Ideal Thanksgiving?
Going back to the way it was when I was in the 3rd grade and before, when all of my grandparents were still alive.
#4 What Is Your Favorite Recipe That You Would Share With Us For Thanksgiving (weight Is Not An Issue For This Day!!!!!)?
I wish I could, but all of my favorite recipes are the kind where you just have to see it being made your whole life, to know how to make it. Dumplings (flour, water, butter, chicken/turkey broth) and Dressing (Biscuits, cornbread, egg, onion, lots of sage, NO CELERY!) are my two favorites.
#1 We always had two Thanksgivings - one with my dad's side of the family, one with my mom's. We never hosted it, so I remember Thanksgiving as consisting of a lot of time in the car with a very full belly.
#2 What Do You Do Now For Thanksgiving - I go to dinner with my dad's side of the family. I am in charge of bringing the rolls, and I take this very seriously - last year I had three varieties that I made and baked that morning (standard dinner rolls, vegan italian herb french rolls, and cracker pepper and cheddar crescents). A few years back I wasn't able to get away for Thanksgiving, so a bunch of friends in the same boat got together for our "orphans" thanksgiving, and we cooked quite a feast together. My dad's side of the family puts on -quite- a feast, though, for a crowd of about 30 - including two deep fried turkeys.
#3 What Would Be Your Ideal Thanksgiving - I would want to cook everything. A blitz of 2 days worth of cooking a classic gourmet thanksgiving - just your standard dishes with maybe a little bit of a twist to keep it interesting. I'd want so many people there we might want to make it 3 days worth of cook time...friends, family from both sides, and most of all my sister who lives across the country who is never here on Thanksgiving. Guests arrive and there are canapes on the table, a few good bottles of wine being poured freely, and the house smells like roasting turkey and freshly baked bread (right, 3 days worth of cooking and a couple extra ovens...). There would be pumpkin cheesecake, as well as something chocolate-y for dessert, and a pecan pie which is family tradition. And I'd cook as much of it as possible in the heirloom pots and dishes that were my grandma/great grandma's. And everyone would get along and there would be great conversation and I could think about how grateful I was that I had all of these wonderful people in my life that I could provide a delicious meal for. Feeding people makes me happy, what can I say?
#4 What Is Your Favorite Recipe That You Would Share With Us For Thanksgiving (weight Is Not An Issue For This Day!!!!!)
CHEDDAR AND CRACKED PEPPER CRESCENT ROLLS - these were the absolute hit of last turkey day - I just saw my cousin 2 days ago, and we were talking about Thanksgiving - she asked if I was bringing the rolls and REMEMBERED these (and who remembers the rolls at Thanksgiving??) so they are definitely a keeper.
2 tbsp. honey
6 tbsp. butter
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. lukewarm milk
1/4 c. lukewarm water
2 pkg. dry yeast
4 c. unbleached flour
1/4 c. butter, softened
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
Freshly ground pepper
Dissolve yeast in a little lukewarm water. Add remaining water, honey, butter, and milk, and then stir in flour, adding a few tablespoons more or less flour to make a somewhat sticky dough.
Let rise until double in size, then split dough in half. Roll first half out (with plenty of flour to prevent sticking) in a 14" circle. Spread the surface of the circle with half of the softened butter, then sprinkle with half of the cheese. Grind pepper generously over the top, and use fingers to gently press the filling into the dough. Cut the circle into 12 equal wedges and roll from the long edge toward the point of the wedge to make a crescent shape. Place on a cookie sheet and repeat with second half of dough.
Let rise until a finger pressed into the dough leaves a mark which does not rebound. Bake at 425 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes. Makes 2 dozen.
#1 What Did You Do As A Child For Thanksgiving And Your Fondest Memories: My family and I would go to my grandmother's house. All of our out-of-state relatives would be there, and my cousin (same age as me) and I would play. Fondest memories would be writing "plays" or silly little shows with my cousin... we'd sell the tickets for 10-cents, and then after dinner, we'd go to see the Christmas lights at the park, and we'd give the money to the Salvation Army people there.
#2 What Do You Do Now For Thanksgiving: DH and I usually spend it with his family. If we're spending it with his dad's side, we generally go up to the Colorado River (his uncle has a time-share kinda thing, there). If we're with his mom's side of the family, then we go to Bakersfield, or they come down here.
#3 What Would Be Your Ideal Thanksgiving: Being able to share it with DH's family (except, maybe the psycho-SIL ) AND mine.
#4 What Is Your Favorite Recipe That You Would Share With Us For Thanksgiving (weight Is Not An Issue For This Day!!!!!): I'll have to see if I can dig up the recipes... but it's a tie between the chocolate pudding dessert that my grandmother makes, and "Pumpkin Fluff" - a pumpkin pie alternative from Weight Watchers in the late 80's.
Growing up in southern California, Thanksgiving Day was always one for ... Nah, usually the day is pretty nice, it is rare to have a cold or rainy Thanksgiving here.
Until 3 years ago, Thanksgiving was always at my mom's house. We always had just the basic turkey, ham, mashed and scalloped potatoes, corn, green bean casserole, lime cottage cheese jello!, pumpkin and apple pies, and tons of brown and serve rolls. My mom is a good cook so us boys (dad and 3 of us boys, one sister) would always be stuffed, watch football and take naps. As we got older and girlfriends and wives came along, the meal stayed the same as well as the events of the day. When everyone was there we would have a crowd of about 20.
My mom moved back to Illinois a few years ago to take care of her mom. Since that time we have had Thanksgiving at my house...it may not be on Thanksgiving Day though. Angie and I almost always run/walk a 5K on Thanksgiving morning. Sometimes my kids go with their fiances now to their parents homes, sometimes to my ex-wifes parents house, my step-daughter to Arizona with her dad sometimes. Eventually, before the week-end is over EVERYONE comes to my house for Thanksgiving, my kids and their fiances, my step-daughter, ex-wife and sometimes her parents, my brother and his family, my sisters kids, my sis is with my mom now so she won't be here this year. She will be out the week before for my son's wedding though.
Of course my ideal Thanksgiving would be one that had my dad and youngest brother back with us. We don't get too concerned around here when we celebrate the day, we always do.
I don't really have a special recipe but my favorite Thanksgiving food is the brown and serve rolls and scalloped potatoes!
Thanksgiving ~ Thanksgiving
) AND mine.
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