Well the company has gone home! Number One son returned home . O Wise One put him on a plane Thursday with his cooler of frozen venison freezer ready. So I am now on to the next occasion. Thanksgiving...... Our Thanksgiving table will be full with Fred and her husband, Mr. Fred, Gracie and Baby Hank. There will be O Wise One and Baby O and of course the Canned Quilter. Also this year we will have Fred's childhood friend Valerie and her husband Adam from St. Louis and a new face at our table from Fred's work. One of her coworkers is unable to travel home to be with her family and Fred has extended an invitation to have Thanksgiving dinner with our family. So we will not be lacking for hungry mouths as the count is now at 9!
CLEANING
So this weekend will be spent cleaning house and washing sheets and preparing the guest room for Val and Adam who will be staying there.
SHOPPING
I have some last minute shopping to do but the bulk of the dinner will be coming from my pantry and freezer. My turkey is in the freezer and I will be making pumpkin cheesecake dessert with my home canned pumpkin, pecan pie with my Hickery Holler pecans, duck dressing with the ducks they killed last week. Of course there will be mashed potatoes and gravy. Fred is making a sweet potato casserole and Val is making a green bean casserole. I will have to decide on rolls or bread. So the menu planning is done. I will make up my dressing ahead of time and refrigerate until ready to use. My pumpkin dessert can also be made ahead. I have a wonderful recipe for make ahead mashed potatoes also. I will have as much of the food prepared ahead as possible. I find that doing so makes for a much more relaxed holiday and less stress on me.
I will have to decide on linens, dishes and serving pieces to make sure they are clean and ready to go.
How about everyone else's Holiday preparations? I would love to hear about them. What are you having and how do you prepare for these gatherings?
Blessings from The Holler
The Canned Quilter
I'm doing as little as possible. Holidays are just yet another day of cooking and laundry. LOL
ReplyDeleteGoing to visit family for some turkey this year. May you and your family have a blessed Thanksgiving!
ReplyDeleteMake that ten...if I leave now, maybe there will be some of that pie left!!
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you have the gift of hospitality (among many other gifts:))! The joy of your serving is so evident! So glad your family is so close and your table is open to all the extras~ there are so many blessings in both. Our holidays start with the Blaze Orange Holiday~ hunting opener with some of my big brothers and all the extras coming for lunch after team hunting. We have had the rebel tradition of celebrating Thanksgiving on Wednesday night with friends and a few family members for a mean game of Spoons and fun, then the traditional day on Thursday with more family and friends. Many schedules have conflicted this year so we will be pretty slim with only a Thursday celebration and less people. We take the easy route now-a-days and use paper plates and cook as much ahead as possible too:)) Happy Thanksgiving!
ReplyDeleteOoops! Forgot to say in all my ramblings how much I always enjoy your pictures:)) You'll have to give us the scoop on that little white building.... so much inspiration and cuteness in that pic!!
ReplyDeleteHam, Turkey and all the trimmings, topped off with family and friends...
ReplyDeleteSitting around the table sharing stories of old times. Thinking of the loved ones who have passed before us, and remembering our military soldiers as many are not able to be at home with their families.
Many Blessings,
Mel
Sounds wonderful. Mmmm! : D
ReplyDeleteIt's just the two of us. I made a nice pot of chili. Although non-traditional, it hit the spot and felt especially warming on this cold rainy day.
Blessings to you and yours!