Tag Archives: Thanksgiving menu

Thanksgiving planning

Posted in California, cooking, Uncategorized by

I have my menu planned and most of the food bought.

I decided on a turkey breast bone in. Then another main dish is the vegetarian nut loaf that has been our standard on Thanksgiving. It’s the recipe from Tassajara cooking and I’ve used it for the last 25 years, maybe more.

I’ll make our standard whipped mashed potatoes, vegetarian gravy, green beans, fresh cranberry sauce, and stuffing and some Hawaiin rolls. I keep the menu quite simple as it’s just too much to do all kinds of sides and salads.

It’s only the four of us as my brother generally goes to his buddies house on Thanksgiving.  I usually make cinnamon rolls for breakfast and then we eat our meal around 2pm. No football here. But we will go for a nice walk in the park. I’m not sure what the weather is doing next week so we’ll see.

I make the nut loaf usually on Tuesday and refrigerate. Then I make the mashed potatoes on Wednesday so they just need reheating on Thursday. I try and do all my prepping Wednesday like cutting vegetables ie: onions, celery etc for the stuffing.

I used to make pies but most of the time we don’t wouldn’t finish them so now I just buy a Costco pie and I freeze it then only serve a portion.

The key is just to keep it simple with foods you like. Over the years we have considered going out to eat or just having tacos but in the end, I like the tradition of Thanksgiving food.

I’m thinking tough of the fire victims who have lost everything. Thanksgiving will certainly be different for them and quite sad. All those houses are gone and the death toll keeps going up. I am grateful to our amazing firefighters for all the hard work they have done and are continuing to do. I read on the local Facebook page many evacuees are camped in parking lots all around Chico. Plus the air quality is so bad that Chico State and Sacramento State universities have canceled classes.

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On a separate note, here are a few pictures of after doing the bathroom zone. I’m totally into using these eucalyptus branches. When the shower is going I squeeze them and it smells like eucalyptus in the bathroom.

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Five things Friday

Posted in Political things, simple foods, Uncategorized by
  1.  Political things:

The election is over and I’m happy with the results overall. At least Democrats got the house back and can put some pressure on Trump to be more accountable.

I was very upset when I saw the treatment of Jim Acosta. I happened to be watching that news conference on Youtube just when that happened. He did not touch her in any way inappropriately and even says’excuse me, ma’am’.  Why the lies form Sanders and Trump?? Whose the enemy of the people?? It’s a government that’s bent on Nationalism and populist views and actions. Not the press which is just trying to ask questions albeit ones Trump doesn’t want to hear.

2.  We had the Santa Fe fixed at the tune of $1600 as it was a computer item where the key is synched to the car and then they said his brakes were shot. It does have 90,000 miles so I guess that’s probably realistic.  We’re still not sure what we’ll do about cars and specifically a work car for B since the Santa Fe comes off the program in January.  That gives us at least 3 months to figure it out. I don’t think I’d do anything before February.

3. I caught a cold from my daughter. After her trip to Salt Lake City she came down with a cold and I got it yesterday. So my head is 3x bigger( that’s the way it feels) and my sinuses are plugged.  Hers went very quickly so I hope mine does too. I have my labs on Monday and when you’re sick your white blood count goes down fighting the infection. So I guess I’ll have to hope by Monday I’m back to normal.

4. I made a menu for Thanksgiving and it’s simple. Just the traditional stuff not a ton of sides.  So far I have

Turkey (either a Trader Joes kosher turkey breast or an organic turkey)

Nutloaf/gravy homemade using tamari

mashed potatoes/green beans

stuffing/ cranberry sauce homemade

rolls/butter/ olive tray

 

I learned a number of years ago to not go overboard as we just don’t eat it.  We tend to eat simply and never overeat.  I also haven’t decided to get a turkey breast or an organic turkey. I refuse to buy the commercial deals of turkeys for .47lb. How are those poor turkeys raised in miserable conditions? At least the organic ones have had a little better life. ( I hope).

5. I’m still doing the Minimalist game and have another bag of over 30 items to go to the thrift store. Some of it is just small junk but at least it’s out.

Well, I’m off to lay on the couch and try and breathe!!!

Thanksgiving menu

Posted in cooking, Uncategorized by

I thought I wanted to do something wildly different for Thanksgiving but our little tradition won out. We don’t have any family to speak of really. My sister and her family are in Connecticut and although my brother lives locally he always goes to his buddy’s house for Thanksgiving.

Over the years I’ve tried to create our own traditions with my small family.  Originally, when it was just B and me and we were both vegetarians, I’d do a lasagna or something like that. Later, and a number of years later when my daughter came along and then 9 years later my son, we started with the more ‘traditional’ Thanksgiving of a turkey, a vegetarian main dish and then all the sides.  We’d use the silver and nice dishes( i’ve always loved dish sets as I’ve written about.  So in spite of wanting to do something ‘wild’ and ‘crazy’, it’s traditional that has won out. Plus, really, I like to do it and for me it’s fun.

So this year, I’m not doing a whole turkey

  • but a bone- in turkey breast,
  • nut and cheese loaf,
  • stuffing,
  • homemade cranberry sauce,
  • mashed potatoes,
  • green bean casserole,
  • gravy( a vegetarian gravy as no one likes turkey gravy)
  • rolls.
  • I will make a homemade pumpkin pie.

I’ll probably cook some stuff Wednesday and then the rest Thursday. I’m going to do a dry brine on the turkey.  I think. We usually eat our dinner around 2 pm. So it’s kinda late lunch early dinner.

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Tonight, I’m going to roast some new potatoes and grill some tofu and use some of the frozen corn from this summer.

I finished the bedroom zone except maybe a little more in the closet/pantry.

I decluttered some baskets(8) from the bathroom as I did a mini makeover with new white ones(4). I think it looks better and brighter.