The Thanksgiving Mega Thread

I just found this & I dedicate it to all of us Thanksgiving eaters lovers!

I ate too much turkey,
I ate too much corn,
I ate too much pudding and pie,
I'm stuffed up with muffins
and much too much stuffin',
I'm probably going to die.

I piled up my plate
and I ate and I ate,
but I wish I had known when to stop,
for I'm so crammed with yams,
sauces, gravies, and jams
that my buttons are starting to pop.

I'm full of tomatoes
and french fried potatoes,
my stomach is swollen and sore,
but there's still some dessert,
so I guess it won't hurt
if I eat just a little bit more.

- Jack Prelutsky, I Ate Too Much

Right, so now we've got Halloween & Guy Fawkes out of the way...

Roll on Turkey Day!

That happened to me my first year here.... trouble is no one understands that it's an all day event and not just a dinner party...

i totally understand this... i spent the first 2 thanksgivings here crying.  i had bought a turkey... and all these people started cancelling via TEXT.  i've now made it a bit of a hybrid holiday, i have it on a sat night, it's a houseparty of sorts, and i try to make it inclusive of everyone... but boy those first 2 years were tough.

Our first Thanksgiving in London, we did with just the two of us.  We made loads of things and enjoyed.  Last year, we invited a few of my colleagues over to experience a true American Thanksgiving (well, as real as it can be without turkey!  ).  They loved it and as I had moaned all week about all the cooking I was doing, they really appreciated it and got into it.  This year, we will be in Edinburgh for the first time so it will be just the two of us again.   

This year, my family - hopefully all of us (my brother and his family have not shared T-Day for some time).
The first year I was in the UK, I got overzealous and invited everyone I knew at the time to my SIL's house to share Thanksgiving dinner, that I would be making.  ALONE.
IDIOT.
Out of 17 people, FOURTEEN RSVP'D YES.  Thank GOD one was an American who was thrilled, as she'd lived in the UK for ten years and NEVER celebrated Thanksgiving, and was dying to help.
After a nightmare trying to get the turkey (three butchers later, the first two not understanding that we NEED TO GET THE TURKEY IN THE OVEN AN HOUR AGO, WHERE IS IT???), somehow, it all fell together.
We did the whole works, with homemade everything, and the Brits who came (the majority; only a total of three of us Yanks), absolutely loved it.  My favorite moment was explaining that yes, you do have yams with marshmallows on top as part of the main course, on the same plate, with everything else, and no, dessert was not yet on the table, and yes, you were pretty much required to have seconds.
It was a blast.

And I will never do it again! 
(not on my own anyway)

This year, my family - hopefully all of us (my brother and his family have not shared T-Day for some time).
The first year I was in the UK, I got overzealous and invited everyone I knew at the time to my SIL's house to share Thanksgiving dinner, that I would be making.  ALONE.
IDIOT.
Out of 17 people, FOURTEEN RSVP'D YES.  Thank GOD one was an American who was thrilled, as she'd lived in the UK for ten years and NEVER celebrated Thanksgiving, and was dying to help.
After a nightmare trying to get the turkey (three butchers later, the first two not understanding that we NEED TO GET THE TURKEY IN THE OVEN AN HOUR AGO, WHERE IS IT???), somehow, it all fell together.
We did the whole works, with homemade everything, and the Brits who came (the majority; only a total of three of us Yanks), absolutely loved it.  My favorite moment was explaining that yes, you do have yams with marshmallows on top as part of the main course, on the same plate, with everything else, and no, dessert was not yet on the table, and yes, you were pretty much required to have seconds.
It was a blast.

And I will never do it again! 
(not on my own anyway)

My, this sounds remarkably like what I may be letting myself in for this year!

No marshmallows on the sweet potatoes, though. Blech.  Oh yeah, and no turkey.

Absolutely! It's very easy.

You can either grate the zest of an orange, or peel just the zest and cut it carefully into fine shreds. Depends on how much time you have.

Put 2 cups of water, 2 cups of sugar, 1/2 cup of orange juice, and the zest of 1 orange (see above) in a pan. Heat to boiling, then reduce and simmer about 20 mins, until it makes a really thick syrup.

Then add the cranberries, cover and keep cooking until the skins stop popping (you'll have to listen carefully - sort of like making popcorn). It'll take about 5 mins.

Remove from heat and transfer to bowl. Stir in 2 Tbsp (or more!) Grand Marnier. Chill at least 2 hrs before serving.

Makes about 5 cups.

What amount of cranberries are used in this recipe?

My, this sounds remarkably like what I may be letting myself in for this year!

No marshmallows on the sweet potatoes, though. Blech.  Oh yeah, and no turkey.

YAMS. Not sweet potatoes.
To each his own.

What amount of cranberries are used in this recipe?

Ooops, I left that out! Sorry! It's 1 lb. of cranberries.

starting my shopping list.  what kind of pototaes make the best mashed?  (am i opening a can of worms here?)  in the US, i use idaho.

I'll be celebrating Thanksgiving at home in CT for the first time in 3 years!!!  Looking most forward to the atmosphere that I miss so much over here.  You can always cook a turkey, but I miss that Thanksgiving feeling! 

starting my shopping list.  what kind of pototaes make the best mashed?  (am i opening a can of worms here?)  in the US, i use idaho.

This website gives you the best varieties of potatoes for each use. I generally use Maris Piper or King Edward - they seem to always be in the shops around here.

i am so printing that page and putting in my cooking resources binder.  thank you!

starting my shopping list.  what kind of pototaes make the best mashed?  (am i opening a can of worms here?)  in the US, i use idaho.

Yep - worms are escaping all over the place!

Seriously - have a good look around the potatoes.  Those in bags will tell you what they're good for, and they'll usually also be available loose.

Personally, I'll mash almost any spud.  But I usually use King Edward or Maris Piper.  I've also been known to use new potatoes, and not peel them.  And mashed sweet potato is lovely, too.

New "tradition" is that my kids like mashed swede & carrot.

yeah- i mash most things... but since i'm doing 5kg... thought i should do it proper.  and i'm also doing my shopping online.