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So somehow I think I'm in charge of Thanksgiving dinner

631 views 14 replies 12 participants last post by  St. Margaret 
#1 ·

I can't even really call this a vent because I think I did this to myself. My sister and her family decided some time ago that they would like to come out here for Thanksgiving to see the new baby. They are staying at a hotel, my sister and I are really close, my children love her children, etc. So, I have no problem with this and am looking forward to it. Dh, the kids and I usually have Thanksgiving at my mom and dad's - about 2 hours down the road. All along we've joked about just where we'll have it this year because of baby. Mom likes to cook the meal, has done it at my house before, seemed flexible about making the meal at my house. Over the past couple weeks, mom has seemed a little.....off again. She had that trouble over the summer (doctors are still conflicted over what actually happened - possibly a 4 day long seizure of some kind). And now we think that she's feeling a lot of stress (for whatever reason) about making Thanksgiving.

So, being the peacemaker and the fixer that I am, I opened my mouth and said that it would be no trouble for me to do some of it.
Why did I do this? I haven't even had my baby yet - good grief, I could BE in labor that weekend.

Anyway, I think I'll be making up our family dinner roll recipe today and freezing them and figuring whatever else I can get done.

If all else fails, there's always McDonalds right?
 
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#2 ·
oh, that sucks!
i think we are all having weird thanksgivings this year (i wonder why?
).

i'll tell you this: yes, there is always mcdonalds (if they are open on thxgvg!), but the chinese places are always open on thxgvg.
that's what we did the year my grandmother was dying and the whole extended family descended upon her for one last visit (she died a week later
). we ordered chinese for 15+ people...it was a lot of food!

hubby and i have been joking that WE will be ordering chinese food for thxgvg dinner this year...my parents have recently moved away and that alone has thrown the usual routine out of whack -- forget the new baby part!

i am choosing not to worry too much about thxgvg dinner... i have higher priorities this year (like sleeping!), and everyone needs to just understand that or get over it, ya know?
 
#3 ·
Do what you can, have turkey another day if you end up in labor.

We are having Thanksgiving here because I said we aren't going anywhere. I don't know if anyone is coming or not. I ordered a turkey and beyond that I think my husband is going to be in charge. I asked him the other day if he wanted to plan the menu and he didn't think we needed to plan a menu because it was obvious what we would have. Anyway we might work on it tomorrow.

Don't stress about it, I am sure your family will be understanding. Keep it a simple Thanksgiving dinner. They are more interested in the new baby than dinner.
 
#4 ·
Is your family the type that would freak out if you purchased some dishes ready-made? Because I think that's what I'd do-- even if I had to hide the evidence and move everything into pretty serving bowls before company showed up.


Last year I ended up doing our Thanksgiving dinner but DH is a good cook and has done it before. Not sure yet if we'll be having guests or just a quiet family day.
 
#5 ·
It sounds like your family is close - nobody is going to care if they don't have turkey on ACTUAL Thanksgiving if you're in labour or just had the baby. Just being together is the important part.

If baby comes really close to Thanksgiving and people really want turkey, you could always buy one of those turkey breast roll things - much less finicky than a full bird.
 
#6 ·
You all are exactly right - my family won't care a bit. I feel more like I should have posted this in the pregnancy brain thread. "Oh sure, I'll just whip up a gourmet dinner while going in to labor/caring for a newborn."
What was I thinking?

My only concern really is that if I'm not available for whatever reason, my mom will try to take over and get overwhelmed. But, honestly, that's just me borrowing trouble. She may be perfectly fine that day.

And the upside is, maybe if I worry about this and try to cook ahead, I'll stop dwelling on WHEN IS THIS BABY GOING TO COME????
 
#7 ·
DDCC from February- I second (third, fourth???) the idea to order some parts out. This year I'm making pie (cause I love that!) and baking the turkey. Oh, and maybe opening a bag of mixed lettuce. Everything else I'm picking up from a local place on the Wednesday before. It will be way more food than we need but I already have plans to freeze individual servings of sides to have on hand this winter.


I hope you all have a truly blessed and Happy Thanksgiving!
Easy and convenient laboring to all of you!


Jenne
 
#8 ·
ORDER IT!!!!

A lot of grocery stores you can order the entire meal---if there's ever a time to do it, now is it! That way even if you're in labor, there would be nothing for your mom to do but warm things up.

But have no fear, I told my husband I was going to invite his family AND mine (an extra 10 people total) into our 3 bedroom 1400 sf house for the weekend. Luckily he was smart enough to say no....it seemed like a great idea at the time....
 
#9 ·
There are some pretty good ideas here! We have no plans for Thanksgiving since it's only a week after my guess date. My mom will definitely be at our house but possibly no one else. I'm definitely not cooking and I don't want her or DH to stress out over making a perfect Tday meal for the 3 of us. Maybe we'll order everything from someplace. Good thing for us to look into while we're waiting for this baby to arrive!
 
#10 ·
I would think there are several dishes you could cook or partially cook ahead of time, and throw in the freezer. Potatoes won't work. But green bean casserole would. Squash would. Maybe preslice the celery and pre-cut the bread for stuffing, and throw both in the freezer. Just make a list so that you (or somebody) will remember everything!

Also - if money wasn't an issue, I would buy the whole dinner from the grocery store!!
 
#11 ·
Oh man, Ellen!

I've decided to give dh a break and go to family's for Thanksgiving this year (an hour away) provided nobody there is sick. That's unlikely, but I'm hoping. I suppose I'll be almost 3 weeks pp by that point, but still, it's a lot of work...
 
#12 ·
Some specialty butcher shops sell whole cooked Turkeys if you order ahead of time. My cousin owns a butcher shop and makes deep fried turkeys for thanksgiving, tons of people order them. Maybe go that route?

Honestly, I read your entire post thinking KFC! KFC!
(I have been craving KFC this entire pregnancy but can't give in!)
 
#13 ·
DDCC (again!
) and TOTALLY off topic:
OH.MY.GOODNESS...
FarrenSquare you need to step outside because what you just did is NOT okay.


Sigh.

KFC?

Really?

Did you have to bring that up?


The only thing worse (heh, heh, heh) is the Taco Bell Carmel Apple Empanada...take that!


I think I might have to have some extra crispy with green beans for lunch today...

Jenne
 
#14 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by Jenne View Post
DDCC (again!
) and TOTALLY off topic:
OH.MY.GOODNESS...
FarrenSquare you need to step outside because what you just did is NOT okay.


Sigh.

KFC?

Really?

Did you have to bring that up?


The only thing worse (heh, heh, heh) is the Taco Bell Carmel Apple Empanada...take that!


I think I might have to have some extra crispy with green beans for lunch today...

Jenne


I actually have the roll batter rising in the fridge right now. I'll bake them tomorrow, then freeze them. I will freeze them, I promise. Well most of them. Certainly at least half of them.....
 
#15 ·
Now, you should NOT pressure yourself, but a LOT of it can be made ahead. I'm actually starting to think of making some stuff just because it sounds yummy! Rolls, pies, stuffing, etc. And scale the heck back!

BUT here's what I'm thinking-- there's no way in heck we're doing anything for TG (my due date is the Monday before-- so either in labor, tiny new baby and I'm staying in bed, or I'm still pregnant and no way I'm subjecting myself to the ILs who live nearby all talking about how sooooooon it will be, I'm still pregnant, yada yada). So I've been reviewing my options for a while, so the family still gets something of a holiday-- First, Trader Joe's always has AWESOME sounding food but I never get it because I Make It All From Scratch darnit, even when for some reason, out of several grown women/families, me with a 7mo baby had to make TG dinner. So TJs is a good option. Also meal planning places where you go and set it up and freeze it, or they even do it for you and you freeze-- there's an organic place just up the street here, and I'm assuming they'll have some good dishes that could work. Then, Buca is open on TG! Carry out, baby. I'm Italian so it seems like just as good of a family meal as anything
I'm so looking forward to just cozing with my family, watching the parade, DD and DH cuddling during football as they always do, and eating some good food, even if it's not what we'd normally have!

You are a good sister and daughter. Take it easy, though!!!
 
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