CHAT Not in the Thanksgiving Mood this Year

November is a tough month for me. The last few years, I've worked on Thanksgiving and not decorated for Christmas. This year, I decided I needed to kick myself and make myself enjoy the holidays!!

So, inlaws and a friend of DHs are coming for dinner tomorrow. I have pies in the oven and a 30 lb turkey to put in when the pies are done. We may be eating leftovers for fourth of July!

moldy said:

November is a tough month for me. The last few years, I've worked on Thanksgiving and not decorated for Christmas. This year, I decided I needed to kick myself and make myself enjoy the holidays!!

So, inlaws and a friend of DHs are coming for dinner tomorrow. I have pies in the oven and a 30 lb turkey to put in when the pies are done. We may be eating leftovers for fourth of July!

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We used to have leftovers...back before grandsons. Now if we have anything left the boys take it all home with them.

This year's Thanksgiving and Christmas will be only the second time in my life not spent with my parents, and it will be that way going forward, as this year, one passed away and the other was placed in a memory care facility with dementia.
Always (except that 1 year abroad) spent both holidays at their home, with big meals on both days.
Siblings (near and far) have with their own families, and we will not get together.
Tbh, it wouldn't feel good to try and make like everything is back to normal again anyway without the parents.
So... never having ever cooked a meal before during the holidays (for my own DW and young children), I just bought 3 typical Thanksgiving side dishes from the refrigerated section at the local supermarket today and tomorrow will pick up some freshly cooked turkey breast from the same store.
I agree with the title of the thread, but you play the cards you are dealt with and try to figure out how to move on as best you can.

Cheers and good eating (however they may be) to all.

Son just left to work FD till 1pm. Said they had a gun shot, then after that, a live healthy birth! I'll get the details later.
Daughter and I have been cooking like nuts and so many yummy things to eat. Tree is up and music. Very much to be Thankful for.
We are doing a honey baked spiral ham. Mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole. Mac and cheese pie. Brussels from the garden, deviled eggs, fresh pies, bread pudding, more but I can't remember, I'm ordered out of the kitchen after I made my contributions.
Other son coming out, plus daughter and her man and the boys, us and youngest son.
In spite of the rough year its been, making it a fun special day. My grandma always did, so I try to honor her and the baton got passed some years ago for us to carry on.

Milkweed Host said:

DW has been preparing for several days now, so I have to stay out of her path. Otherwise, I'll get run over
and left for dead. The meal comes first.

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LOL

you are wise man. self preservation in action. hahahaha

packyderms_wife said:

Maybe things will change by tomorrow but I'm just not in the mood for thanksgiving this year. Anyone else finding themselves in a glum mood? Of course it doesn't help that it's been cloudy here for the past four days.

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Well the obvious glum mood of mine is from the loss of my Lori 118 days ago...........but add to that this covid lockdown/social distancing...............and now the holiday's begin and like anything else in life today they a strange surreal event under the current virus dodging circumstances.....................

Then the gloom is also hanging on the shoulders of all of us who wonder what our country will end up like in the future given everything that has been going on in the sociopolitical atmosphere and you have a recipe for feeling exactly like you do....

I'm not either this year. My daughter has found out she has lymphoma cancer, my grandson has covid, my aunt passed away all in one week. I so wanted the family to be together this year, but its not happening. I'm cooking the meal and going to deliver it to each home but not going in. I feel like my heart is broken

nomifyle said:

Me too, I'm thankful every day for my blessings. Holiday celebrations are just too stressful and back when I cooked all that cooking stuff wore me down big time. I didn't enjoy it then and I don't now. When I was growing up there was always drama from my mother and raising my sons there was drama from their dad. It was a viscious cycle. DH and are blessed to have each other.

God is good all the time

Judy

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Yes! The drama growing up. I come from two very large clans. One Irish (Mom), and the other, Scottish (Dad). We all still live in the same county our ancestors settled and lived. When we all got together, there was DRAMA, LOL! Today, our clans have got so large, each family divides up into their own for the holidays. In a way, I miss those days, but not the drama or the stress.

Deanne said:

I'm not either this year. My daughter has found out she has lymphoma cancer, my grandson has covid, my aunt passed away all in one week. I so wanted the family to be together this year, but its not happening. I'm cooking the meal and going to deliver it to each home but not going in. I feel like my heart is broken

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I’m sorry to hear about your daughter. I feel like I can handle many things but when it comes to my daughters, I can’t handle anything.

Deanne said:

I'm not either this year. My daughter has found out she has lymphoma cancer, my grandson has covid, my aunt passed away all in one week. I so wanted the family to be together this year, but its not happening. I'm cooking the meal and going to deliver it to each home but not going in. I feel like my heart is broken

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Prayers going up for your daughter.

Cardinal said:

Prayers going up for your daughter.

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Prayers here too, Deanne.

The sun is shinning in Central Iowa, and it's in the lower 50s. I hope the weather is decent wherever you are!

Just got out of the hot tub and slathered my knee and shoulder with Summerthymes ouch liniment, DH is vacuuming, and I'm about to start the potatoes. Life Is good.

These are my pumpkin pies

they look a little light, don't they?


funny story.....

so i make my cherry pie last night and then do some other stuff to get ready for today. fezzik had to work today, and also tomorrow, so we modified when we did thanksgiving dinner and stuff so that he can still fit all of it in. so i wake up this morning around 4:30. pretty close to my usual time. fezzik is getting ready for work and i am doing my morning routine. he leaves and goes to work, and i do a few things and then start making my pumpkin pies. i have to use cream instead of evaporated milk because i can't have the milk. this is the first time i am doing it that way because i want to have some this year.

so i am getting my dry ingredients all ready in the bowl, and my wet ingredients in the other bowl. i was really happy because i was able to get a hand mixer and that would make things a lot easier this year. i go get that and mix up the pumpkin and get it in the the pie crusts. in the oven, timer on, bam! i am doing great for my timing! the timer goes off and i check them with the knife and they needed a little more time, so they go back in and i set the timer again. as i shut the door, look up at the counter and see the bowl on the counter with all of the sugar and spices for 2 pumpkin pies that i had forgotten to mix in with the now almost done pumpkin pies!

those almost done pumpkin pies are only pumpkin, cream, and eggs. nothing else.

that is thanksgiving 101!!! rookie mistake and SO NOT my first rodeo!!! that's why the pies looked so light! LOL

DOH!

so i call the one grocery store in town here and thank you Lord, they are open for a few hours today. i was able to run over and get stuff to make more pies, and they had stuff that we could all have with our food allergies! yay!!!! thank you Lord!! its a small thing, but i am still grateful and happy about that!! i have been getting QUITE the ribbing from the kids for this! hahahaha

i tested a little bit of the ruined ones, and as a savory, they are not bad! it gives me ideas for other stuff! i could make those again and add in some savory spices, and they could be REALLY good! i think this time, i am going to use them as a base for a cheesecake. i have a no bake cheesecake recipe (it is SO good!), so i could modify a few things and i think it may turn out awesome! so...lemons, lemonade!


that perky really is irritating, isn't it.....




hehehehehehe....

hunybee said:

i am SO happy to see that! i remember when that happened, and my heart broke for you. it makes me very happy that you have been able to make peace and settle it and have now found someone new!!

MANY BLESSINGS TO YOU!

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Thank you very much! Yeah, it's all good right now. Can't complain (still do so I don't get out of practice). It's time for a new chapter in the ongoing saga...

I pop light-looking pies under the broiler for 2 - 3 minutes, watching them like a hawk. Also, by the time I put whip cream over them, no one is going to notice! HA!

My worst Thanksgiving disaster was a year I had a 12-hour shift at the hospital. I should've brought home one of the extra turkey dinners, but instead I popped a turkey breast into my microwave. UGH! This was the old days when it was almost impossible to do a turkey in a microwave. It came out half over-cooked and half raw. I wasn't able to salvage it. Fortunately I had ham left and pre-made mashed potatoes and green beans, along with a lot of wine, so in the end it didn't matter.

I understand your feelings completely, Packy. DH and I were invited over to our old pastor's place like we are every year, but I just didn't feel up to going--in fact, I was actually kind of dreading it--and so, DH took the kids there, and I'm home right now. I can honestly say that I'm looking forward to Christmas, but Thanksgiving, not so much.

hunybee said:

they look a little light, don't they?

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I've found as far as dark or light, it makes all the difference whether you use brown sugar or white. This year I used all brown sugar, and they came out very dark. I think my mom used half white and half brown. In your case, not using any would make a difference, too.

I had a cousin who WAS a rookie...she made her first pumpkin pies by just dumping the canned pumpkin in the crust and baking. Thought the canned stuff was pre-made pie-in-a-can I guess.

JMG91 said:

I understand your feelings completely, Packy. DH and I were invited over to our old pastor's place like we are every year, but I just didn't feel up to going--in fact, I was actually kind of dreading it--and so, DH took the kids there, and I'm home right now. I can honestly say that I'm looking forward to Christmas, but Thanksgiving, not so much.

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and that's ok! you have had a baby fairly recently, and you have other kids as well. don't feel bad, just enjoy the down time and recharge!

WalknTrot said:

I've found as far as dark or light, it makes all the difference whether you use brown sugar or white. This year I used all brown sugar, and they came out very dark. I think my mom used half white and half brown.

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yup. i always use dark brown sugar as it gives it a very rich flavor. that's what i used, but i just didn't actually put it into the filling mixture! HAHAHAHA

the second batch are looking just right!

Been too long since I made pie crust, obviously.

Yeah, I'm so thankful that I'm on my own schedule today and don't have to interact with people in the real world.

Added: Sacajawea, whip cream covers up all problems! I'm sure it'll taste great. As I used to tell the younger cousins, be thankful for something homemade. This is Thanksgiving, not the state fair bake-off. HA!

sacajawea, it looks just fine to me!! i would eat that in a flash!

Sacajawea said:

Been too long since I made pie crust, obviously.

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Crust looks flaky and light. Blue ribbon, eh?

hunybee said:

and that's ok! you have had a baby fairly recently, and you have other kids as well. don't feel bad, just enjoy the down time and recharge!

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Yes, Ma'am! Don't have to tell me twice!

I actually found myself thinking that it would've been nice to have a TB2K Thanksgiving gettogether; it's much better spending time with folks you can relate to with life than those who aren't paying attention. Besides, I'm not one to care much about appearances. I much more appreciate those I can laugh with and actually enjoy myself. Plenty of folks on here know how to laugh.

Sacajawea said:

Been too long since I made pie crust, obviously.

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Looks a lot better than anything I make! My brownies look like a pile of dog crap!

Me and mrs. were ok till yesterday laughing about having thanksgiving together her getting the pies and dressing done. Me helping when asked generally fun day, then my 44yr old daughter called bawling and sqawling like a little girl. momma I miss you you and daddy it doesn't feel right y'all not being here. That put a damper on the thanksgiving mood for both of us.

Pumpkin pies are lighter too if you use fresh pumpkin as opposed to canned. and waterdog, that would get me too!

Wondering how Older Than Dirt is doing, these days.....I think we’re the oldest hanger inners on the forum.... l’m 87 and she’s a tad older. Maybe someone could check on her.?

I’ll be spending the day alone....most of my kids are far away. My T-Day dinner will be to open a home canned jar of cabbage-tomato soup to have with a grilled cheese sandwich. No complaints, here, tho-
less work than I used to go have fixing those memorable dinners with the pretty plates, years ago.
Do miss the camaraderie, tho, but I will have two special guests sitting next to me......my precious little Chihuahuas, Dennis!

mzKitty, I love your pictorial humor! I needed those laffs!

Those pies look great!

My thanksgiving disaster happened when I neglected to clean the sweet potato drippings out of the oven before baking the turkey. Thought the fire department was going to show up with all the smoke, omg. Had to pull the turkey out, wait for the oven to cool, and replace the foil lining the oven. Turkey still turned out great.

I'm a silver lining type of gal. A little disappointed DH is under the weather and we can't go to the in-laws, but that just means I don't have to put on a bra today

Thanks all, I consider the crust to just be an edible plate anyway.
(Probably my problem, btw.)

waterdog said:

Me and mrs. were ok till yesterday laughing about having thanksgiving together her getting the pies and dressing done. Me helping when asked generally fun day, then my 44yr old daughter called bawling and sqawling like a little girl. momma I miss you you and daddy it doesn't feel right y'all not being here. That put a damper on the thanksgiving mood for both of us.

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This year has taken a lot out of a lot of folks.

abby normal said:

Those pies look great!

My thanksgiving disaster happened when I neglected to clean the sweet potato drippings out of the oven before baking the turkey. Thought the fire department was going to show up with all the smoke, omg. Had to pull the turkey out, wait for the oven to cool, and replace the foil lining the oven. Turkey still turned out great.

I'm a silver lining type of gal. A little disappointed DH is under the weather and we can't go to the in-laws, but that just means I don't have to put on a bra today

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We're dressed pretty casual today as well. My missus is running around in a t shirt and panties-she looks perfectly dressed to me!

JMG91 said:

Looks a lot better than anything I make! My brownies look like a pile of dog crap!

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as long as you don't mix those up, you are golden!

packyderms_wife said:

This year has taken a lot out of a lot of folks.

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Just got call my wife's brother died this a.m. 16 days in ICU with covid. His wife is at home sick with it.

waterdog said:

Just got call my wife's brother died this a.m. 16 days in ICU with covid. His wife is at home sick with it.

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I'm so sorry for your loss. Hugs.

waterdog said:

Just got call my wife's brother died this a.m. 16 days in ICU with covid. His wife is at home sick with it.

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Sorry to hear about his passing. Prayers for his family and yours.

waterdog said:

Just got call my wife's brother died this a.m. 16 days in ICU with covid. His wife is at home sick with it.

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Prayers for you and your family. What an awful thing to have happen on Thanksgiving.

waterdog said:

Just got call my wife's brother died this a.m. 16 days in ICU with covid. His wife is at home sick with it.

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oh man....i am so sorry. that is...GAAAHH!! that sucks and there is no nice way to say that. we are praying for you all.