It was a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. As the hostess, I was happy with the way the meal turned out. Every guest contributed which made the day a success. I updated the prep and menu list below so that I can refer to it next year if I host again. The day was highlighted by good cheer, delicious foods, fun games, and treasured camaraderie. It was also awesome that we could all sit at the same table.
I'll use these recipes this year for the Thanksgiving dinner
- cooking the Turkey in the cast iron pan, make gravy (I'll incorporate this recipe too)
- mashed potatoes
- stuffing - 45-60 minutes at 350, then warm
- sweet potatoes
- butternut squash - roast, mash day before - heat in crockpot for holiday
- green beans - saute almond slices in butter, add beans saute, place in serving dish, keep warm in oven
Tentative Schedule
Days before
- house cleaning
- table setting
- serving dishes, prep
- grocery shopping
- make pumpkin breads?
Day before
- prepare squash - roast squash, save in refrigerator, then heat in crock pot next day.
- prepare good quality bakery bread for stuffing
- more cleaning
- last minute shopping
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| Mashed potato ingredients |
Thanksgiving Day
- 6 a.m. - 11 a.m. take turkey out of fridge, let sit one hour, prepare then place in oven at 7 a.m., plug in crockpot with squash. Place meat thermometer in turkey- take out when breasts register 165, cut off legs/wings, place back in oven until they register 180. Cover breasts w/tin foil, let sit. Cut and place turkey with juices on an oven-ready tray, place in fridge, then heat up in oven one hour prior to dinner. (This saves a lot of time and mess during the dinner prep) - cook one extra turkey, iv possible, for show and to use later for left overs or if you run out of turkey. This year I had 2 20 pounders for 14 people with some young, healthy eaters, and I ran out of turkey for leftovers). Make gravy.
- 8 a.m. prepare white and sweet potatoes, stuffing, Ina Garten gravy base for later cooking.
- 11 a.m. prepare table with cranberry, salt/pepper, crockpots. . . . .
- 12 p.m. put stuffing in oven at 360 - begin cooking
12:30 p.m. put sweet potatoes in oven
My daughter-in-law made this
beautiful appetizer platter.- 1:00 p.m. lower oven to warm, put out appetizers, welcome guests, place guests' dishes in warm oven, place desserts in bedroom for serving later.
- 1:00 make mashed potatoes, green beans almondine, boiled onions, set table with turkey, sides including butternut squash, sweet potatoes, plain stuffing, veggie stuffing, brussels sprouts, green bean almondine, farro veggie caserole, bread, butter, cranberry, wine, water
- 2:00 p.m. guests arrive, enjoy appetizers
- 3:30-4:00 toast, eat dinner
- 5:00ish clean-up, set up dessert buffet
- 6:00 pm dessert including ice cream and time for games and fun.
Toast
Thank you for joining us to celebrate Thanksgiving 2022
I want to start by giving thanks for those we loved who have passed
especially Mom and Joseph who we lost this year
So much of what we have and do is because of the love, care, inspiration and examples
of those friends and family members
Thank you also for all the good times we've shared with each other over the years and
Thank you for the good times, camaraderie, and care to come.
We have much to be grateful for.
Enjoy! Happy Thanksgiving!!!
I respect the fact that we all vary with regard to our religious beliefs, but for those who would like, I invite you to say grace with me - this is the prayer we said at our table growing up.
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| People had fun playing Code Games after dinner. |