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This thursday is the American day of Thanksgiving. I have learned this year its uniquely American because of this forum. I am happy to have met people from across the globe. If memory serves in Canada its much earlier in the year and actually coincides with the harvest. So I am curious about the rest of the world,,,Is there a day of Thanksgiving?
There are only three of us in my house this year, Thanksgivings of the past have hosted upwards of 20ppl in a family reuinion sort of way. Growing up we always woke up to watch the Macys parade. Usually in the past the display of food and eating feat leaving in its wake, stuffed and sleepy friends and family taking the late afternoon nap.
This year I am not going to go "crazy" with the food that is the centerpiece of this day. But there are certain things I have to have to preserve the tradition for me. Having worked professionally as a chef for 15 years I feel I have refined my family recipes to the point of near perfection. I am going to roast a small turkey eventhough none in my family like white meat. But, white meat turkey n dumplings or turkey pot pie as leftover meals in the days to follow cant be beat- imo. As for my dream, I would love to be able to afford duck or goose one year. I like dressing not stuffing, and I like it with cornbread, pecans and sage. I have to have orange cranberry relish, like my mom makes.
Heres the recipe- 1 bag of cranberries, 1 whole orange, 1 cup of sugar and a food processor....Assemble by running the orange through first to break it down, add the rest and chop till tiny. let set and voila.....the sweet/tart flavor explosion is wonderful.
Yes, its weird, the orange isnt peeled or deseeded, I know, I know but I love it.
I dont do cranberry sauce, that canned abomination! We will have collard greens and squash cassarole for the side dishes even though we have that year round its what we like. No green bean cassarole thats a mom in law thing that Ive boycotted with the divorce. lol.
Now for the dessert, I make a homemade bourbon pecan chocolate pie. I love everything about it.
I hope those of you who live in communities where there isnt plenty arent offended, I had second thoughts about this post in deference to the knowledge that the rest of the world sometimes doesnt have as much. But I wanted to share what Thanksgiving is like for me.
Oh, and for the Thanks part....I am thankful for my family who has made sure I am ok after my divorce, my kids who still like me even though I dont see them everyday. I am thankful for this site and the acceptance of its members who chat with me and share their lives. I am thankful for my Violin which I never would've been able to buy, passed down through the family over many years to find its way for no reason to me. Curious.
"Please play some wrong notes, so that we know that you are human" - said to Jascha Heifetz.
We have started doing a lot of cooking pies and prep work here. So far we made a spice pumpkin pie, a plain pumpkin pie, Bourbon pecan pie with a pecan crust, pumpkin cheese cake, 2 blueberry pies and today will be apple pies and blueberry buckle. Wednesday we will put together the apple crisp and brine the turkey in Apple cider. Thanksgiving day will be the turkey wrapped in bacon and stuffed with cornbread stuffing with honey, nuts, sausage and cognac. We also roast ducks stuffed with wild rice stuffing and have all sort of vegetables, rutabaga, asparagus, beans, carrots, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, cabbage.
Usually everyone brings lots of containers to bring food home.
Happy Thanks Giving Day to everyone.
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When I go into the grocery store, I sure can guess that it is about harvest time. Prices seem to be down on a lot of stuff. Anybody else notice that?
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No such day in the Uk. But I'm loving the recipes above! How many containers for food would be considered rude Kevin?
I am amazed at how old people of my age are.....
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Sweden has a thanksgiving day, in mid-October, but it's not widely celebrated. Properly religious people go to church, but for most people it just passes by unnoticed.
Robert and Kevin, your menus make me drool. Especially the chocolate pecan pies! 
And the orange cranberry thing sounds cool. It reminds me of a sauce my mum makes with oranges (just the outer peel) and blackcurrant jelly. It's often eaten with venison.
~ Once you've ruled out the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be true. ~
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Thanksgiving as a kid usually ended up at my auntie's house with anywhere from 20 to 50 people. The uncles were usually out in the backyard with the beer cooler cooking whatever game they had handy for the occasion - usually some deer, some sort of fish, and maybe some sort of fowl. Mom and the aunties were in the large kitchen cooking as to their abilities. One auntie always made a lovingly arranged salad with vegetables she sometimes chopped herself if there weren't any kids around to do the chopping for her. Another auntie was in charge of baking the Mrs. Smith's pies. The rest of them actually knew how to cook, and it took two tables to hold the feast, with kids dashing through to see what they could sneak before the actual meal.
Now, it is just my household. This year will be turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes (with marshmallows - I heard about it the year I tried to make them "healthy"), green bean casserole (never ate it before I met my husband but a must-have for him), mashed potatoes and gravy, and pumpkin pie.
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Thanksgiving Day is a multi-meal occasion for us. Mr. Scratchy and I prepare our own turkey -- fresh from a local turkey farm -- with gravy, stuffing and homemade whole-berry cranberry sauce made with Massachusetts cranberries, of course.
(Note: if you ever find yourself in Massachusetts, be sure to visit Plimoth Plantation in Plymouth, Mass. and enjoy an authentic Thanksgiving meal, which is a little different than what we have today.)
Since it's just the two of us and because we'll be joining family later in the day for dinner, we have just a little bit of everything for lunch, then head down to RI to make the rounds of family gatherings. Our turkey is essentially intended for leftovers and sandwiches in the days following the holiday.
Our family gatherings are small compared to some folks; Mr. Scratchy's family is a bit larger than mine, which is tiny.
Traditional fare is enjoyed, of course: turkey, stuffing, potatoes, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, salad, and assorted pies for dessert.
As always, in addition to enjoying the good food, we will be thankful for the time spent with family on Thanksgiving Day and throughout the year. Having lost a couple of loved ones in the past month, we will miss them and be even more grateful for the time we have with those who are still with us.
Thanks for starting this thread, Rob. It's nice to hear about everyone's traditions.
When the work's all done and the sun's settin' low,
I pull out my fiddle and I rosin up the bow.
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I don't think we have something like Thanksgiving in Norway. Not a suprice, we don't have much holidays here. Just christmas, easter, 17. may and the birthday of the king and queen. Maybe some more, but I can't remember anyone else. Unless you are very religious, then you got "plenty."
'Armed with theory, practice becomes meaningful. Through practice, theory becomes fulfilled.' - Egon von Neindorff.
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