"jay" > wrote in message news
> On 10/30/18 6:42 PM, Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>> For both Thanksgiving and Christms I always print out the following
>> and put in a ring binder. Having that in front of me allows for
>> additions, deletions, and miscellaneous other notes. The printouts
>> include:
>>
>> Menu
>>
>> List of every recipe, or instructions for making something that
>> doesn't actually have a recipe.
>>
>> List of ingredients for each recipe. Shopping list included.
>>
>> Timetable for everything that has to be made, whether it's on a prior
>> day or time of day that anything has to be cooked.
>>
>> I've been doing this for years, and it has saved me from many an
>> issue when putting everything together. The best part of it is that
>> I don't havae to think about it. It's all there in front of me.
>>
>> I wonder if any of this would work for anyone else?
>>
> You are very organized. Me not so much. Do you cook separate TG meals for
> the two of you? May try a prepared take out turkey dinner from the local
> cafeteria chain. Feeling kinda lazy about it all.

We got a Boston Market meal one year. It was good but we would have liked
more food.

I mail ordered a meal one year. Was upset because it came with a whole
turkey and it was only supposed to be the breast. The meat was cooked but it
needed a reheat in the oven. I had no pan large enough. Bought a foil
roasting pan that turned out to be too flimsy. To make matters worse, I
pierced the pan with a knife when trying to slice it. I had a juicy mess in
the oven, all over the top of the stove, the floor.

The turkey tasted fine. There was just far too much of it. None of us are
big turkey lovers. One meal and perhaps leftovers for another are fine.

But the sides and the dessert? Not appealing. The potatoes had weird stuff
in them like egg whites and soy bean oil. I wound up tossing all of the
sides out as nobody ate any beyond the first bite. So... I paid a ton of
money for this meal and we all went hungry.

This year I'm going to do what I've done in years past. Get some cheap boxed
stuffing, then make it up with additional onion, carrot and celery to lessen
the carbs. I'll get some good quality sliced turkey breast with no nitrates.
Then roll the stuffing up in the slices of meat, smother in gravy and bake.
I can even assemble this the night before. I can then buy or make whatever
sides I choose. Last year I did a cheese platter. We all love cheese so that
went over well. And for whatever reason, everyone else loves crescent rolls.
I can live without those. I have also done a baked pumpkin dish that was
like a pie without a crust. I usually make two. One with pecans on top and
one without. Need to look at recipes and see if I can make this without egg.

There will likely only be four of us and we are casual diners so it will not
be a big deal.