So what is your menu? This is our 3rd year hosting, 7 total guests which is also the most we've ever had. pretty pathetic but such is life the last few years with this China Flu nonsense.

Here is the menu for this year:

Appetizer: Antipasto platter from Bonta in Lincolnshire

Breads: a few fancy loaves from some fancy bread company I forgot the name of. Getting a multigrain as well as one with apples that's really good.

Salad: no idea, wife does that part.

Turkey: Roasted with lots of herb butter under the skin.

Gravy: made with the pan drippings from the bird

Stuffing: Bought a second turkey just to cook the stuffing in the bird since all stuffing outside the bird is garbage

Special family recipe sweet potato ring. Never seen it anywhere else and it's really good. made by my niece this year

Mashed potatos brought by mom

Grilled veggies

My world famous Bacon Mac n Cheese

Dessert:

wife makes Chocolate pie and pecan pie

I'll be making my award winning Chocolate chip cookies

Brother is stopping at Norse Nook in Wisconsin and picking up some pies


I think that's it. Not sure if my mom is bringing any desserts.

EDIT: forgot the cranberry sauce, wife is making that.

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AKA "Panera".

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And TM topping it off with a good dolphin level mastery of the quote function

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Appetizers: In a different thread

Dinner:
Salad

Cheese filled Tortellini with home-made gravy

Home-made bread
Turkey/Gravy
Italian Sausage
Mashed Potatoes
Corn
Steamed Broccoli
Home-made stuffing
Sweet Potato Crunch
Jello product of some type

Desserts
Twix/Apple Salad
Pumpkin Pie
Lemon Lush
Cheesecake
Cookies

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An unjust law is no law at all--St. Augustine of Hippo

Cause tried and true
I see the light in you
Oh, can you dig in my soul?
Could you smell my whole...
life?--Gener and Deaner

Shots?

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You know...that's not a bad idea with who is coming over. A trip to Armanetti's may be in order as well.

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An unjust law is no law at all--St. Augustine of Hippo

Cause tried and true
I see the light in you
Oh, can you dig in my soul?
Could you smell my whole...
life?--Gener and Deaner

I'm an idea guy...

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AKA "Panera".[/quote]


Great Harvest Bread Company

https://www.greatharvest.com/

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Let me know how they are up by you, the one in Naperville is inconsistent and it's frustrating. Hewn is suppose to be excellent and Bennisons has nice stuff - you are lucky to have a few really great options nearby.

Making the following this yr.. will see how it works out:

3 Ingredient Trader Joe's Chimichurri Stew- https://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe- ... pe=1447564
Mediterranean Couscous Salad - https://www.jessicagavin.com/mediterran ... ous-salad/
Turkey - No Recipe (Ad Hoc)
Orange / Cranberry Relish - https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/f ... sauce.html
Mash Potatoes - Store Bought
Gravy- Store Bought
Raspberry Tiramisu - https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/gia ... pe-1915822

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"You know 'that look' women get when they want sex? Me neither" ~Steve Martin

they've always been fine by us. We've been getting bread for T-giving from them for many years in a row now, always been good.

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i've asked before but the market has changed, what are your thoughts on pre mixed drinks? It seems like every hard alcohol brand has them now and I think the quality has gotten better.

I'm not making specialty drinks for each person when I'm hosting and its nice to offer something other than beer, seltzers or jack and coke

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

Bottle proof and on the rocks are good brands. High west is a nice brand for bourbon and whiskey but I haven't seen the pre mixed yet. I'd like to try Drnxmyth but they are $$. Nutrl vodka sodas are nice. Truly the juice people which I love has some out but is approaching wine cooler territory. You can always do sparkling wine with a lemonade or juice and add vodka or make a bourbon batch cocktail. Old Forrester has some nice bitters if you can find them.

I have no use for mixed drinks. That being said, if everyone is drinking some concoction that's been made, I will usually fall in line.

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Be well

GO BEARS!!!

The wife is in the process of making dressing, Mac and cheese and greens. I'll be smoking a small turkey and likely grabbing a large order of Chinese food as always. The wife always puts chopped giblets (which I hate) so I'll largely be limited to the mac and cheese.

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There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.

Going to attempt to smoke a brisket. We were going to order BBQ in but the prices are outrageous and I had one frozen in the back of the fridge. We are hosting my wife's son tomorrow so I'll get the meat out on the smoker early morning. The place we were going to order from wanted $22 a pound for jalapeno and cheddar kielbasa, that's when I knew I'd be cooking my own stuff. Didn't even need to start looking into the other meats.

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

Depending on which smoker you are using...it's not that bad. I use a smokey mountain so it's a big more difficult to control than a Traeger or something with a fixed temp control.

the biggest thing is to allow plenty of time. If it gets done earlier than you expect, it's more than fine sitting wrapped in a cooler for a few hours. I know this is blasphemy for many, but I prefer wrapping in foil over butcher paper. My side by side comparison showed the foil kept it more juicy and the butcher paper held the smoke taste a little better. I'll take the juice.

I wrap anywhere between 165-170 and finish from there. Size of the brisket matters as well as the amount you trim. I find myself now trimming as little as possible. This makes it shred apart as opposed to the more firm slices you cut, but again...it's got more juice this way. If you trim too much it gets drier.

I usually plan for a 22-24 hour total time. If it gets done early and it's wrapped in a cooler for 3-4 hours...that's no problem. You want it wrapped in a cooler for AT LEAST one hour.

Good luck! The results are worth it!

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Assorted appetizers

Turkey
Italian Sausage
carrot casserole
rutabaga
glazed carrots
green bean casserole
fresh green veg
scalloped corn
rolls 2-3 kinds
canned cranberry
cranberry sauce
pasta
sweet potato
hawaiian salad thing
mashed potatoes
stuffing
7 layer salad
green salad

Dessert
?cookies? brownies?
?layer bars? assorted things?
carrot cake
possible pumpkin and fruit pie
pots de creme or mousse cake and lemon trifle maybe something else

I have a Traeger and I’ve made a few in the past but it hasn’t been great. The brisket is about ten pounds. I’m going to throw it on around 4am. For whatever reason my smoker just cooks really quickly. I’ll definitely not hesitate to wrap it in towels and put in the cooler for a while, just hard to plan anything when I don’t know if it will get done at noon or 5pm. I’m sure it will work out fine. Was going to order in so that I could take the unknown out of the equation.

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

Going to smoke a turkey on the Traeger (have a backup in the oven). Any recommendations on rub? I've seen a few Texas-style recipes where it's predominantly black pepper and I'm not sure about that.

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This is worse than Sandra Lee's Kwanzaa cake

I actually thought the finished product looked good. I'd try it.

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General Jim wears Fort Bragg down... to get it!

You needed to read the replies, then. I think this is what July feels like when she says I can't. I got the skeevies.



What's everybody's day before thanksgiving meal? I think we are going to order BBQ.

I'd eat the chef rather than her food

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

Beer

Maybe pizza.

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the menu is turkey

are you fucking stupid ?

I am a little confused about the Black Thanksgiving meal. I always knew there were different sides for sure. Most famously classic mac-n-cheese and some greens or something. But I always assumed that was aside a bird still. So is there really no turkey at all?

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Elections have consequences.

fried chicken

No clue this year, Piglet flew out to the beach this morning so I am solo.

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2018
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