May all your giblets be crossed (Thanksgiving 2021 thread)

[Moderator1]

The past few years I've hung with the kids in DC, smaller gathering. Traveling with their young kids is a bit of a pain.

This year, given my recent health issues and those of some of my siblings, we figured we better make it happen while we could. So we're all gathering in North Carolina for a few days for some big family meals. Then I'll go hang with the kids for a couple of days before heading home.

This is my big holiday week when I take some time off. I work Christmas and New Year's (which isn't much of a holiday in this business anyway).

I've been losing weight since my surgery, which ain't necessarily good. But one good thing is I can eat like a demon without worry. Had apple pie last night and it was outstanding!

 

[Cosmo]

Usual flow for me ...
* Tomorrow night, Friendsgiving with a crew that I basically only see once a year. I will almost certainly consume too much bourbon (and a gummy or two). I hear there's a hot tub involved this year.
* Will wake up in a stupor on the couch at Friendsgiving, drink a cup of black coffee and drive around Lynchburg trying to find a place to take a dump.
* End up at my buddy's mom's house for all-day debauchery, steak and booze consumption, and eventually take a Lyft to my old watering hole, where friends I haven't seen in a while will indiscriminately slide double shots of Jameson in my face.
* Hate myself Friday morning and drive back to RVA for the day. Maybe I'll try to sneak in a tee time in the afternoon if the weather is OK.
* Scoot up to NOVA to see my mom on Saturday. We'll watch football and be appropriately disappointed when Virginia Tech shirts away bowl eligibility in Charlottesville. (In reality, it was shirt away in Blacksburg against Syracuse earlier this year, but alas...)
* Drive back Sunday and hope that the 90-mile trip south takes less than four hours. 95 south sucks at most times, but the Sunday after Thanksgiving? Ugh.

 

[jackfinarelli]

My wife and I are hosting a small "Friendsgiving" this year (total 6 people). Given the variety and amount of food and wine that have been announced as the menu, we would probably be able to feed the entire US Coast Guard if they would all agree not to take seconds. Friday will be the making of turkey stock from the turkey carcass and ham stock from the ham bone. Saturday and Sunday will involve deep dives into the leftovers...

 

[DanielSimpsonDay]

Usual flow for me ...
* Tomorrow night, Friendsgiving with a crew that I basically only see once a year. I will almost certainly consume too much bourbon (and a gummy or two). I hear there's a hot tub involved this year.
* Will wake up in a stupor on the couch at Friendsgiving, drink a cup of black coffee and drive around Lynchburg trying to find a place to take a dump.
* End up at my buddy's mom's house for all-day debauchery, steak and booze consumption, and eventually take a Lyft to my old watering hole, where friends I haven't seen in a while will indiscriminately slide double shots of Jameson in my face.
* Hate myself Friday morning and drive back to RVA for the day. Maybe I'll try to sneak in a tee time in the afternoon if the weather is OK.
* Scoot up to NOVA to see my mom on Saturday. We'll watch football and be appropriately disappointed when Virginia Tech shirts away bowl eligibility in Charlottesville. (In reality, it was shirt away in Blacksburg against Syracuse earlier this year, but alas...)
* Drive back Sunday and hope that the 90-mile trip south takes less than four hours. 95 south sucks at most times, but the Sunday after Thanksgiving? Ugh.

 

[SixToe]

Daughter arrived this morning. Turkey is almost thawed. Prep has begun in earnest.

Turkey Trot in the morning, followed by watching parades and finishing any cooking, then gorging into a stupor. Visiting with family. Probably hunting on Friday morning, watching football this weekend, little of nothing else. Making stock from the fatbird carcass and any ham trimmings/bone, as jackfinarelli noted above.

Happy Thanksgiving to all, wherever you are. Be safe, hug someone and tell them you appreciate them.

 

[swingline]

@Driftwood, killing hogs on Thanksgiving? That's crazy. We always waited until it was cold-ass December before we butchered — but never after Feb. 1 because the hams might not cure if it got too warm. The coldest I remember was a -56 wind chill day when we butchered three or four. The tenderloin dinner (lunch to most folks) that day was damn fine, though.

 

[OscarMadison]

I hated Thanksgiving as a kid. I grew up on a farm. Everyone was off. That meant work. Throw in the fact that I grew up with my grandparents on one side of me, great aunt/uncle on the other side, aunt/uncle/cousins across the road, a holiday was when we didn't see each other.
When I was small, we still had hogs, and Thanksgiving day was hog killing day. We did usually have a pretty nice supper. After we got rid of the hogs, the farm work didn't go away; it just switched to cows and building fence.
I would just as soon been at school.
I didn't have at traditional Thanksgiving meal as you think of it until I went into the Navy. We did the whole get dressed up in uniform and go to a local host family a couple of times.
Now, it's the big family get together with my inlaws, and we have a big time.

My mom told me she didn't have turkey for Thanksgiving until she got married. It was hog killing time for her family, too. They usually had tenderloin for dinner and chops and biscuits that weekend.

 

[Michael_ Gee]

Picked up the turkey today 17.4 pounds. All supplies bought. Son will start making gravy today. Our usual routine is big feast Thursday, leftovers Friday, turkey sandwiches Saturday and Sunday, turkey soup Monday

 

[Driftwood]

@Driftwood, killing hogs on Thanksgiving? That's crazy. We always waited until it was cold-ass December before we butchered — but never after Feb. 1 because the hams might not cure if it got too warm. The coldest I remember was a -56 wind chill day when we butchered three or four. The tenderloin dinner (lunch to most folks) that day was damn fine, though.

Well, today is two days before Thanksgiving, and it was after lunch before it hit 40 degrees. That's why we did it on Thanksgiving because it got cold enough. That's still a saying among the old folks: "It's cold enough to kill hogs" or "It's hog-killing weather."

 

[qtlaw]

Family getting together (about 15) after missing last year (Thanksgiving and Christmas); mom's cooking turkey again. I requested that everyone take a COVID test the morning before showing up to protect the older ones. Looking forward to the warmth of a family gathering again. Hope the same for everyone else.

 

[Chef2]

Huge Thanksgiving at Casa De Chef beginning Wednesday evening going into Thursday evening.
Wife and son going with my parents to my sisters house back east Friday morning. I'm officiating state football title game Saturday…..leaving Friday afternoon……family driving up Saturday to watch the game……I'll ride back with them….finish out Thanksgiving Saturday night into Sunday.

 

[swingline]

We're having my in-laws, sister and BIL over for Thanksgiving. Regular turkey fare. Will battle the wife about football being on.

I'll try to stay sober-ish.