The Thanksgiving Mega Thread

My inlaws are coming next weekend so we decided to do a Thanksgiving dinner with them while they're here.  Now can we find a turkey this early?  That's our quest for this weekend!

My inlaws are coming next weekend so we decided to do a Thanksgiving dinner with them while they're here.  Now can we find a turkey this early?  That's our quest for this weekend!

I think I've seen them in Waitrose.  Last year I bought one from our butcher but gave them about a 2 week notice.  This year due to costs we are doing a veggie roast.

I think I've seen them in Waitrose.  Last year I bought one from our butcher but gave them about a 2 week notice.  This year due to costs we are doing a veggie roast.

Thanks. They're not in at our regular grocery, so I'll give Waitrose a look!

My inlaws are coming next weekend so we decided to do a Thanksgiving dinner with them while they're here.  Now can we find a turkey this early?  That's our quest for this weekend!

They had loads of huge turkeys at our local Co-op last night (they call this one "Quality Fair" but its still a Co-op, not sure if that makes a difference) when we were there.  Couldn't fit one in the freezer or I would've bought one myself!  The local butcher said they could get one for me, but I think you have to order two weeks in advance, same as Red5... I have decided to just roast a breast since there are only 4 of us and the oven is so small... and we don't really need to spend a lot on a full-sized one.  The ones at the Co-op were half off at £16 or something...

My inlaws are coming next weekend so we decided to do a Thanksgiving dinner with them while they're here.  Now can we find a turkey this early?  That's our quest for this weekend!

The boyfriend's family have apparently found turkeys at Tesco's, for 12 pounds, and if I recall correctly, in the 3-kilo range. 

My butcher said to just let him know about a week ahead of time, but they source from farms directly around here (he rang them up when I was in the shop!) so I reckon it's just a matter of them ringing them up & asking for one. 

Ah, yes, much preferable, that.  Wish I was in charge of obtaining the turkey, but there you go.  *shrug*

My husband found us a turkey at Tesco.  Yay!  We've been forced to eat all of our ice cream in order to fit it in the freezer, but it was a sacrifice we were willing to make. 

Does anyone know if you can buy ready-made pie shells?  I will probably just buy the pastry and roll it out, but the lazy part of me says "why do that if you can buy the ready-made crusts?"  I've tried making my own pastry, and it wasn't too bad, but cracked pretty easy, and I would rather not have the hassle while trying to cook so many other things.  I've never made pumpkin pie before, not a huge fan, but DH really wants to try it, so I am gonna give it a go!   

Does anyone know if you can buy ready-made pie shells?  I will probably just buy the pastry and roll it out, but the lazy part of me says "why do that if you can buy the ready-made crusts?"  I've tried making my own pastry, and it wasn't too bad, but cracked pretty easy, and I would rather not have the hassle while trying to cook so many other things.  I've never made pumpkin pie before, not a huge fan, but DH really wants to try it, so I am gonna give it a go!   

You can buy pre-rolled stuff in the case with the butter, at least in my Tesco.  However, they don't sell pre-rolled ones already in a pie tin.  I haven't seen those anywhere.

The bigger sainsburys have these. If there's a sainsburys near you that is. The other bigger stores should have them as well.



http://www.sainsburys.com/groceries/frameset/navigation_frame.jsp

Whoops, it won't open the page right away, just click on the link, and then click go up in the right hand corner, where it says premade pastry cases. Anyway, they are ready made pie crusts in a pie pan.

Does anyone know if you can buy ready-made pie shells?  I will probably just buy the pastry and roll it out, but the lazy part of me says "why do that if you can buy the ready-made crusts?"  I've tried making my own pastry, and it wasn't too bad, but cracked pretty easy, and I would rather not have the hassle while trying to cook so many other things.  I've never made pumpkin pie before, not a huge fan, but DH really wants to try it, so I am gonna give it a go!  

You can buy the ones already in pie tins but they tend to be too shallow for Pumkin pie.  Buy the stuff you roll out.  V. easy.

You can buy the ones already in pie tins but they tend to be too shallow for Pumkin pie.  Buy the stuff you roll out.  V. easy.

I got a pre-rolled pie crust (without the tin) last year. Because I HATE rolling out pastry.

Does anyone know on the ready roll pastry that you buy here...are you supposed to roll it out thinner (flatten it out more with a rolling pin - making the surface area bigger) and then put it into your pie dish, or is the idea you just unroll it and lay it in your pie dish?

When I used it before, just unrolling it & into the pie dish - what is sold here is not big enough for my American sized Pyrex pie dishes.  I had to graft part of one pastry onto the other (lucky they come in packs of two!) to have a circle big enough to drape over my pie dish and some for crimping.  The pie dishes I have - one is big enough to contain the entire Libbys canned pumpkin recipe of filling without any left over.  When I made it at my MIL's one year, using her pie dishes, the ready roll crust fit just fine but we had pumpkin filling left over just to bake like pumpkin custard alone.

Sorry Mrs. R, no clue on the pie, I'm pretty new at this stuff!

But I was wondering, my mom sent me a can of pumpkin pie mix that says just add condensed milk, is that right?  Or do you guys add other stuff to it as well to make it extra tasty?
I am planning on making some fresh whipped cream in the food processor to go with it, as well, and was wondering if you generally add vanilla and icing sugar to the cream while whipping? 
I'm sooooo nervous about doing it all myself this time!