Ok Ladies, here is the dealio....

Long story shorter version....

My more than likely future son in law is moving out here from Long Island to be with my step-daughter. Because of circumstances with failed plans for both he is dragging his feet a bit for arrival.

The plan was for him to be here in southern California Oct. 1...a few weeks ago he told her he had not yet given his 2 week notice at work. When my daughter asked why he just said "well, I think I want to wait until after Thanksgiving" when she asked why he said "because the west coast doesn't do Thanksgiving as good as the east coast"

Seems a friend told him so

She has spent two Thanksgivings with his family so I asked her what was different. She said the food...theirs was lousy and ours is good She said that his mom's cooking isn't so hot. She also said her scalloped potatoes are nothing like mine

Now normally Angie and I have Thanksgiving on the Friday or Saturday after. We give the kids up to go with their other parent/spouses parents and family/grandparents etc. Then we all get together a day or two later. This has worked for us for almost 16 years fabulously.

Fast forward...boyfriend gives notice and is on his way. So, we will all meet as a family on Friday or Saturday right?....

not a chance!

My super competitive wife tells me a couple of weeks ago she wanted Thanksgiving here on THURSDAY! I tell her to call the kids and see if plans were made on their ends. Nope...all is good for here...

Now then, the reason my wife made the change is because she wants to ROCK this Thanksgiving for the future son in law

How do I know? Because I asked her "So Babe...what are you gonna make for this West Coast vs. East Coast Thanksgiving Showdown?".....

She looks at me and says..."I don't know what you are talking about"...which is total BS Then she says..."Same as always"

Riiiight!

She always makes the basic turkey and ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potatoes or yams, several veggie choices, wheat/sourdough brown and serve rolls and apple and pumpkin pie. I make the scalloped potatoes.

Simple...basic...good

So East Coasters...what do you do different or the same?

How about you fellow West Coasters?

Northerners?

Southerners?

Family signature dish?

Ideas?

I'm in the midwest and that sounds pretty standard and awesome to me. I'm guessing though, that his foot draggin' has more to do with his own side claiming the holiday and him not wanting to rock the boat. That stuff gets complicated. I think it's so great that you have tried to accomodate the kids by having the holiday gathering afterwards. I wish my people had been so flexible!

Btw, cranberries of some sort would be a requirement on the east coast and in my house. That's my homeland.

^^^ Oh yeah, gotta have cranberries!

My cousin's husband must have the jellied stuff in the can; I bring homemade. The recipe on the back of the bag of Ocean Spray cranberries is fantastic if you add a splash of Grand Marnier.

My one aunt always hosts Thanksgiving. She makes the turkey, potatoes, squash, pumpkin pie and (ew) rutabaga. My mom makes candied sweet potatoes and cabbage salad (my grandmother's version of cole slaw). My other aunt makes the green bean casserole, corn casserole, apple pie and chocolate cake (3 birthdays Thanksgiving week). I usually bring artichoke dip for before dinner - this year I think I'll bring a healthy hot bean dip.

Unless you're topping your turkey with guac or sushi, I can't see how it's "West Coast"

What time is dinner, Gary, I'll bring the cranberries.

There could be a lot of truth to that about the family Gogirl. His family is very close also so I am sure that there is some sadness with him moving out here....causing some dragging of the feet. I really feel for them, we have met them and they are really nice people. Oh and we do have cranberries, I just don't usually have more than a taste of them.

LOL! RIDDY I am actually surprised Angie ahs not tried to spread guac on our turkey!! Our Thanksgiving meals are a combo from mine and her moms....both born and raised in the midwest. Angie doesn't do the green bean casserole because her mom's was nasty she said...now my mom's was good...so we compromise...we have green beans...out of a can! The only veggie my wife loves out of a can instead of fresh....go figure. Although she does love our son in law's roasted green beans!

COME ON DOWN!

Gary, you will teach that young, East Coast whipper snapper how to have a Thanksgiving Dinner.

this is too funny. well, I grew up in California, northern, and I have to confess my family was not very much into fancy cooking, ha.

I'm not sure yet if we'll be having it at home or elsewhere this year, but in general bf doesn't like turkey anymore, so we usually take a pork loin, give it a dry rub overnight, sear it, cook it at a low temp with veggies, and use vermouth in the recipe. is fantastic (from Julia Child French Cooking book). and I make scalloped potatoes with it, and in the past a killer stuffing with dried fruit, nuts, use a fresh pullman loaf, I think I put mushrooms in it once. kind of play it by ear. I totally second the fresh cranberry sauce, that is so easy and light years better than what you get in a can. make it a day ahead.

I've made clover leaf rolls from scratch before (lot of work!), and I have a yam casserole recipe that calls for an egg, orange juice, then a topping with pecans (let that go due to all the calories too, ha).

we went to boss's house last year and I made a great pumpkin pie.

I don't mind being leaner now. it can be a drag to have to spend a lot of time working off the holiday calories.

BARGOO the future possible sil and I are good buddies...Angie and I like him a lot! And so do my kids and my dil/sil!

DRAGONWOMAN No problem here having a NO TURKEY Thanksgiving on that day...as long as I can have the traditional turkey meal somewhere close...Angie and I ate at Jack In The Box one year for Thanksgiving as we were busy painting the house all day preparing for the next day when the entire family was coming over!

Gary, I think people who live on the East Coast or the Midwest have the wrong idea about California, they think of it as Hollywood, not so. I was born and raised in Minnesota and when I first came to California I was shocked to find that they have farms here (they call them ranches) with pigs, cows, sheep, goats,and horses, etc. And the food the rest of the country, a good share of it is coming from California. Californians , as far as I am concerned, are the salt of the earth. Every Thansgiving Dinner I have had in California is equal to every Thanksgiving Dinner I have had in Minnesota.

too funny about Jack in the Box. I actually think bf would enjoy that, ha!! maybe Burger King, actually.

yeah, Calif has fantastic produce, lots of gorgeous ranch country. they've started making their own olive oils, and all kinds of fancy cheeses. areas of nut trees, almonds, etc. in Oakland there's a farmer's market where you can get the best strawberries I've ever tasted, and a great selection of produce. It always kind of amazed me that when I was a kid we ate canned veggies when we lived so close to where all the fresh stuff is raised. but that was actually sort of the norm for the times.

DRAGONWOMAN Angie and I bought some flavored olive oils in Napa Valley this past summer...way delicious! Ordering more online soon!

BARGOO I can assure you no one has ever left our house feeling a need for more food! Not too long ago my brother and brother in law came over for the day...they wanted me to teach them how to make my lasagna and my enchiladas. It's so EZ!!

Turkey is a give in. Baked sweet potatoes, boiled turnips. Both get mashed with a tad of butter. Mashed taters (with skim milk). Stuffing of white bread (bad, I know), onion, celery and turkey breakfast sausage, spiced with black pepper and thyme. Gravy, whole cranberry sauce, assorted "plain cooked" veg, cauliflower and pearl onions in bechemel (white) sauce, and the corniest side of all...French's string bean casserole. Biscuits. Its pretty standard, what I grew up with, and what my daughter and hubby expect/demand....lol. We've gone out 2x for thanksgiving in 24 years...and they were just awful foodwise! After the 2nd time, I promised to always cook our Thanksgiving dinners. The worst thing on the menu is the stuffing and the gravy, really, for me. Those will be the 2 things that are going to be my biggest challenge to limit, but I think I can, so, I can!

Many years ago, I substituted the turkey breakfast sausage for the pork sausage...but its my mom's recipe, its delicious, and I don't miss the pork grease!

I don't think I mentioned stuffing because I am not a big fan of it but Angie always has it and the kids all like it.

When my mom made it I liked it when it was just the Stove Top brand and a little well done and crunchy!

Mmmmm, homemade stuffing! I know it's bad for you, but I could make a meal of stuffing, gravy, sweet potatoes and cranberry sauce!

Chicksinger, my family cooks breakfast sausage with the turkey, too. It's our favorite appetizer.

My SIL, my aunt and I all have a weakness for crispy turkey skin, too. Good thing Thanksgiving only comes once a year.

We do the basic, traditional TG dinner.

But we MUST have my sisters home made peanut butter pie! And Gramma's homemade pecan pie. Her pecan pie is to die for. Yeah, I know enough bad stuff in that to turn your blood to sludge, but it's only once a year.

Corn is cooked with a box of cream cheese added in and of course the green bean casserole.