Sweet friends, talking turkey today for 10 on the 10th 11.2020. Thanksgiving here in the U.S. is just a few shorts weeks away. And I venture to say this year’s holiday may look nothing like Thanksgiving from years past. Just two weeks but I am not certain how the day is going to pan out for us.
So in answering the Thanksgiving Qs for this post, I am going to be basing my As partially on holidays past and partially on how I hope this year’s turkey day will go. A girl can dream…
10 on the 10th 11.2020
I divided the questions in half. The first 5 questions are more about the hours leading up to the big feast. How does your family spend the day? Is your meal casual or fancy and festive?
First Five
- Will you watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade? Football? Movies? Or maybe you keep the TV off all day, but play family football or board games. Would love to know what you do before Tom Turk is ready. When I had littles at home, we watched the parade in the morning while I was cooking. A number of years we have gone hiking before we ate. This year, I am hoping my sister Valerie and BIL Roby from Houston will be with us. And Lauren’s posse will come over to eat. So I am thinking we will spend the morning baking and cooking, showering and dressing. Eat. Then probably watch a movie while enjoying leftovers and dessert in the evening.
- Who does the cooking? Fix anything ahead of time? I think I have probably cooked every Thanksgiving but maybe a half-dozen since I became a wife and a mom. Lauren insists that the pumpkin pie be cold, not cool or lukewarm but stone cold. So I tend to make it the day before. Most everything else is fixed ‘day-of’.
- What time do you eat the big meal? Do you eat Thanksgiving for lunch or dinner or somewhere in between? When the girls were young, we ate early afternoon with leftovers for dinner. Now days, I tend to fix a late afternoon meal. PC likes having nibbles a few hours before we eat. Cheese, cocktail sausages, crackers. This year, I want to create a charcuterie board to enjoy either A) before the big meal on Thanksgiving OR B) filled with leftovers the following day.
- Do you set a formal table or keep things more casual? Place cards? Children’s table? Is it just your family coming together for the feast? Or do you have extended family and friends around your table? We have never had enough folks to require a children’s table. Besides, the children in our family like to eat at the grown up table anyway. And because that is the case, we are usually all jockeying for a place at the table around the booster seats and high chairs. No place cards needed.
- Is the food placed on the table or served buffet style? Do you pull out all the stops or keep things simple? Have you ever eaten out for Thanksgiving? I always apologize to my guests for my lack of formality. I have never seen much sense in dirtying up a whole bunch of extra serving bowls…ha!! Especially since I am the cook and the dishwasher. But with Valerie and Roby coming, I will probably dust off my bowls and platters and put them to use this year. The food is always set out on the island in the kitchen and everyone fills their plate then retreats to the dining room to eat. In another lifetime, years ago when the girls were very young, we did eat out for Thanksgiving. They were mortified!! As if it somehow reflected on them!! The pumpkin pie wasn’t spicy enough and Lauren was terribly disappointed. Never again.
Second Five
These questions get down to the meat-n-potatoes of the day!!
- Ham or turkey? What’s for dessert? Who carves the meat? Does anyone make a wish on the wishbone? Most of my gang prefers ham. I like turkey. Mostly for the stuffing! I always make ham and usually a small turkey breast, too. We used to break the wishbone as kids. But now days I would rather not think about my Thanksgiving dinner having once been a living, breathing animal with bones, and assorted anatomical parts. Like gizzards. What are gizzards? And necks. And giblets. So no wishbone breaking, please and thank you. PC does the carving. We always have a pumpkin pie and usually a pecan pie, too. This year, I may make a German chocolate cream pie because Roby likes German chocolate like I do! Two years ago, I tried my hand at mince meat. It was yummy, too.
- Does your family have a Thanksgiving tradition? Do you say a blessing before you eat? Stay up late then head out for Black Friday shopping? Right after PC and I were married, I bought a gratitude tree with paper leaves on which we have written things we are thankful for. But no one likes doing that but me!! The Clingan family says grace before each meal every day, which is a lovely practice. Thinking we should at least say a blessing on Thanksgiving. Maybe go around the table and share one thing we are especially grateful for? I like the idea of Black Friday shopping but have only gone once! A couple of years we have run in the Thanksgiving 5K Turkey Trot but that is not to be this year.
- Yay or nay to leftovers? Favorite leftover recipe? Maybe you enjoy leftovers for days to come or send them all home with the guests. Until recently, I really did not like leftovers from any meal. Once I have eaten whatever it is, I didn’t want any more of it for days to come. But in my ‘advanced years,’ I find eating leftovers less distasteful than cooking a whole new meal!! I do freeze some of the ham and turkey, though. And usually make a soup with some too.
- What will everyone wear? Dress up or comfy? Will there be family photos taken? Dress up for us means jeans. So we will be comfy in our dress up jeans!! I would love to get some family pictures this year but things always get so hectic that it never happens. Not going to hold my breath.
- For what are you most thankful this year? In what ways are the things you are grateful for this year different from years past? I am always grateful for family, home and health. But this year, there is a greater emphasis on health. I don’t know how we have been so fortunate to have remained Covid-free. But we have. Thank God. Concerned tonight about my mom as her personal care complex is on an even stricter lockdown as of this week. And our poor city is really suffering with Covid. We have had 26 consecutive days of over 500 cases a day. About 15K cases so far this month in El Paso alone.
Your Turn
Have you begun making holiday plans? Is planning even a worthwhile way for us to spend our time this year?? Have been almost afraid to buy a turkey or a ham yet. But going to throw caution to the wind and go Thanksgiving grocery shopping the end of this week.
If you have a 10 on the 10th Thanksgiving edition post, won’t you link up with us below?
Have been having computer issues again. My laptop monitor is continually blinking off and on as I try to type. Makes blog writing and emailing and checking Facebook a bit of a challenge. Hope to figure something out – not sure what!
Thank you for joining me today for 10 on the 10th 11.2020. One more installation of this series to go this year!! Stay well, my friends.
Hugs and kisses,
So fun to read your answers Leslie. Love the shirt in your one picture. Too funny. Though I’m not a pumpkin pie fan…lol.
Thanksgiving sounds like it is a rehearsal for Christmas dinner! I always think that the important part of any family gathering is the family all seated around the table together, while I sometimes have aspirations to have fancy serving plates and sophisticated table settings, I know in my heart that it is unlikely to happen!
Sounds like you will have a fun time – enjoy your day x
Your tee is perfect! LOL.. though mine would have to stay apple or pecan pie.
I hadn’t thought about eating out on Thanksgiving until I read your answers. When I was in grade school and probably even in middle school my father always had us for Thanksgiving and while my grandmother cooked a few years when I was real young (where there was a kiddie and an adult table) we mostly went out to eat. MY grandmother’s brother lived in the other end of the state so we’d all travel and meet half-way. I enjoyed seeing the rest of the family but hated eating Thanksgiving in a restaurant as I missed my mom’s cooking/ food. Plus we were required to dress fancy and I hated those uncomfortable tights and sitting still through the whole long meal. Gosh I hadn’t thought about that in ages!!
We ate Thanksgiving in a restaurant the one year when my girls were little because their step-dad was a paramedic and had to work that day. He was allowed to join us at a restaurant for a quick bite but couldn’t come home to have a Thanksgiving dinner. So we ate at a cafeteria. My daughters were horrified.
I think this is one holiday meal that is just best eaten at home!!
I love reading everyone’s responses! We are all about the turkey at our house, and stuffing is always a big winner. My Grandmother In Law makes the best stuffing, I have watched her carefully so that I can try my best to do the same.
Fun to read your answers. I bet you make a great Thanksgiving dinner!
Stone cold pumpkin pie..that’s funny. I can eat it either way – hot,cold, warm. It’s all yummy to me.
A gratitude tree… I love that idea.
I’m intrigued how many people are still doing Thanksgiving as usual with COVID numbers going up. Giving me all the anxiety.
Hope you’re feeling well my friend!
I don’t care for most Thanksgiving food, and we don’t really do much on the day of, so it’ll be interesting. I am sad we can’t do our tradition of going to the movies on Thanksgiving though – that’s always fun. I’m hoping the weather will be okay, so we can put up our new screen and maybe watch a movie that way.
-Lauren
We went to the movies one year on Thanksgiving, and it was really fun! We also had Thanksgiving dinner at a restaurant, which was nice, but the wait time was over 2 hours! We may have to bring back the movie theater tradition when our daughter is a little older. Hope the weather is good enough for you to have an outdoor movie!
Oh I love the idea of movies on Thanksgiving. But our theaters are closed here. Are yours open? An outdoor movie would be groovy!!
We will be alone for Thanksgiving this year as the local son and DIL are spending the month out of state at her parents but we got good at that when we lived far from our family for many years. We get them for Christmas weekend which will be fun. Everyone else local is not socializing outside of those they live with. We will just make a special non-turkey dinner of some sort. The last few years though we ordered a precooked turkey, gravy and pie from Whole Foods to reduce the work load. It was delicious and supplemented with side dishes we and our son & DIL made. We always take a walk and don’t watch TV.
We always take a walk, too, to make room for more food! Being across country or out of the country does make it a bit easier to be apart for the holidays but of all the holidays, Thanksgiving is the one I want to spend with family. When my girls’ father and I were married and young, we went fishing on our Thanksgivings in Panama. Just wasn’t the same.
My mom and I did a Turkey Trot one year, and it was so energizing! Our town hasn’t had one for a couple of years, but I’ve seen some virtual options this year. Unfortunately, working from home and being lazier this year has killed my fitness level, so I don’t think I’d be ready for a 5K by Turkey Day this year!
Hope you get your computer issues resolved! That sounds so frustrating!
We are all in the same boat, girl. This working from home, being locked down and shut away has made doing much more than eating pretty impossible. So thankful I didn’t purge ALL of my chubby pants.
Have figured out that there is a short in my computer screen. So if I position it just right, it stays on. Not always easy to do but at least there’s a ‘free’ solution!!
Loved your 10 on the 10th – especially all the photos. You might not get “formal” family photos done but you have lots of great memories in pictures! We have such a small family..making the holidays feel like more than “any other Thursday dinner” is a bit of a challenge. This year, we will be even smaller. Sigh. Enjoy all those folks scooted up to your table – no matter how many high chairs and what not you might have to shuffle around:)
Oh, Jennifer, the kids won’t be at the table after all. I am so sad. It is just going to be 4 of us adults. BOR-ING.
I’ve seen on the news El Paso has been getting hit hard, so I am thankful you are all healthy, too! It is getting bad here in St. Louis again and rather rapidly! 🙁 I love your Thanksgiving shirt! So cute! My brother usually does the big Thanksgiving meal, but this year we will not see them due to Covid. We are going to probably get a carry out meal with my parents and buy some extra munchies and drinks, of course!! Brian could prepare the works, but we thought this would be easier and more enjoyable since it’ll be just 6 of us!
Carrie
curlycraftymom.com
Good for you guys to just order dinner. Then everyone can relax and enjoy. And hit up that drink machine!!
PC suggested ordering pizza but my sister is coming and I can’t do that! Cooking isn’t that big a deal. Will
get it all started and go on a hike.
Stay safe, friend. I saw where you guys are getting slammed again with this junk, too.
This was such a fun post, Leslie!!! I loved reading your answers and seeing how your family celebrates. I’m getting so excited for the big day! 🙂
Me, too. My sissy is coming and I can’t wait. Even if we are breaking all the rules by having her visit.
Happy Thanksgiving, Leslie.
I LOVE the tee-shirt!
Thank you, Donna. How are you feeling? Hope things are looking brighter for you.
I hope you are able to have the fun thanksgiving you are wishing for! It’s scary there are so many cases around you and good that you are safe! We haven’t had any cases for over 60 days in our state so I’m really hoping that we get to have Christmas as planned – one of the phases of restrictions was a travel restriction though so if things get bad again and that comes into place we may not be able to see family – I’m hoping that doesn’t happen!
Hope that you have a lovely weekend ahead of you!
Thank you, Mica. Waiting to see what my sister thinks about coming for the holiday. She has been all in but our numbers just make it scary to think about having anyone visit.
Hi Leslie – we don’t have Thanksgiving in Australia and I think that’s a crying shame. For some reason we’ve decided to adopt Halloween (which I hate – all the ghouls and kids coming around for lolly handouts just does my head in). I love the idea of pausing to give thanks and to share time with family. We have to wait for Christmas for that – and a lot of your answers tie in with how we celebrate Christmas with our family. And I’m a big fan of left-overs because it means one less meal to cook!
I am all over left-overs these days. If I don’t want to eat them, I send them in Paul’s lunch!! Ha!!