Giusi wrote:

> Thanksgiving is a feast of excesses. Too much food, too much fat,
> too many calories, and depending on the part of the country you are
> in, there are all kinds of senseless additions that reflect some
> tradition you and no one else can recall.
>
> The base meal is foods of autumn where autumn is cold. Turkey is the
> center, but these days some include a ham, although this is weeks
> ahead of pork killing and months before a ham would be cured and it
> really belongs at Easter. With the turket, in or next to it, is
> stuffing. Families have divided and neighborhood wars begun over
> what should be in that. Even what would seem the innocent gravy
> engenders arguments-- chopped giblets in it? chopped hard cooked
> rggs? browned flour thickening? corn starch? potato starch? Is it
> made from stock one makes from the neck and innards? Oe is it
> stirred up from the brown bits left in the pan? Liquored up or not?
>
> If you have survived all this it means that all your near and dear
> are from the same area or maybe even the same family in some zones.
> And that means you can decide which autumn vegetables are served.
> Cranberry sauce made in at least 1 of 10 different ways are a
> necessary choice. Even if no one in the house likes it, you serve
> it. Mashed potatoes will be missed if they are not there. Sweet
> potatoes are often considered necessary, but they are also made
> inedible with syrups, sugars and marshmallows. Feed that to the pigs
> so they'll be good and fat next month.
>
> Onions are autumnal, and so are turnips, swedes, beets, carrots,
> cabbage and broccoli, so surprisingly many choose these days to
> prepare an overcooked casserole of green (french) beans which are
> totally out of season. Their lack of freshness is concealed in
> condensed mushroom soup topped by vacuum tinned fried onions. Only
> baked macaroni and cheese seems stranger to me than this slimy
> casserole, and in the South macaroni and cheese is common.
>
> There must be bread in the form of rolls, even if it would be
> suicidal to eat one. A relish tray harks back to the 19th century
> with celery sticks, pickles and stuffed olives. Some feel this must
> also include stuffed eggs, as if the proteins of the rest of the meal
> may not be adequate.
>
> It's a matter of interest which wine the counselors are counseling
> this year. Given enough Bourbon before the meal whatever is chosen
> will be fine with you.
>
> At last you have consumed the requisite 5 pounds of fatty and spiced
> foods and you are allowed to retire to the kitchen to scrape plates
> and wash dishes. Leftovers may be carefully parceled out for guests
> to take some home, or they may be resigned to the fridge because you
> have to feed these people sandwiches later made with all that they
> ate for lunch.
>
> Ahhhh... but no, it's not over. There was once pumpkin pie yet to
> eat after a brief respite, but nowadays the picky few who don't like
> it have begged choices and you now are presented with pumpkin pie,
> pumpkin chiffon pie, pumpkin cheesecake, apple pie, pecan pie and any
> other pie that is the favorirte of any family member. Occasionally
> someone throws in brownies. God help you if you fail to eat a bit of
> everything, because the one who made, it as well as his children,
> spouse and dogs will hate you forever. The only exception is pumpkin
> pie for some reason... you are allowed to hate that, but if you are
> not on record as hating it, eat some because all of the above applies
> in spades for you.
>
> Now you can rest and watch or avoid football while cracking nuts and
> drinking baking soda concoctions. This lasts a few hours until
> sandwich time. White bread with turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes,
> cranberry sauce, lettuce and mayonnaise. Take that, furriner!
>
> It's our favorite holiday. It's the one we all celebrate and it
> causes the busiest travel days of the year as people scurry to get
> over the river and through the woods to grandmother's house. God
> help us all.

Giusi posted the above to uk.food+drink.misc

Do any of you have any comments on Thanksgiving after reading that?

** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **

"Pete" > wrote

> Giusi posted the above to uk.food+drink.misc
>
> Do any of you have any comments on Thanksgiving after reading that?


Yeah. I'm still full from the feast I had about noonish.

Happy Thanksgiving to all.

TFM®

Pete wrote:
> Giusi wrote:
>
>> Thanksgiving is a feast of excesses. Too much food, too much fat,
>> too many calories, and depending on the part of the country you are
>> in, there are all kinds of senseless additions that reflect some
>> tradition you and no one else can recall.
>>
>> The base meal is foods of autumn where autumn is cold. Turkey is the
>> center, but these days some include a ham, although this is weeks
>> ahead of pork killing and months before a ham would be cured and it
>> really belongs at Easter. With the turket, in or next to it, is
>> stuffing. Families have divided and neighborhood wars begun over
>> what should be in that. Even what would seem the innocent gravy
>> engenders arguments-- chopped giblets in it? chopped hard cooked
>> rggs? browned flour thickening? corn starch? potato starch? Is it
>> made from stock one makes from the neck and innards? Oe is it
>> stirred up from the brown bits left in the pan? Liquored up or not?
>>
>> If you have survived all this it means that all your near and dear
>> are from the same area or maybe even the same family in some zones.
>> And that means you can decide which autumn vegetables are served.
>> Cranberry sauce made in at least 1 of 10 different ways are a
>> necessary choice. Even if no one in the house likes it, you serve
>> it. Mashed potatoes will be missed if they are not there. Sweet
>> potatoes are often considered necessary, but they are also made
>> inedible with syrups, sugars and marshmallows. Feed that to the pigs
>> so they'll be good and fat next month.
>>
>> Onions are autumnal, and so are turnips, swedes, beets, carrots,
>> cabbage and broccoli, so surprisingly many choose these days to
>> prepare an overcooked casserole of green (french) beans which are
>> totally out of season. Their lack of freshness is concealed in
>> condensed mushroom soup topped by vacuum tinned fried onions. Only
>> baked macaroni and cheese seems stranger to me than this slimy
>> casserole, and in the South macaroni and cheese is common.
>>
>> There must be bread in the form of rolls, even if it would be
>> suicidal to eat one. A relish tray harks back to the 19th century
>> with celery sticks, pickles and stuffed olives. Some feel this must
>> also include stuffed eggs, as if the proteins of the rest of the meal
>> may not be adequate.
>>
>> It's a matter of interest which wine the counselors are counseling
>> this year. Given enough Bourbon before the meal whatever is chosen
>> will be fine with you.
>>
>> At last you have consumed the requisite 5 pounds of fatty and spiced
>> foods and you are allowed to retire to the kitchen to scrape plates
>> and wash dishes. Leftovers may be carefully parceled out for guests
>> to take some home, or they may be resigned to the fridge because you
>> have to feed these people sandwiches later made with all that they
>> ate for lunch.
>>
>> Ahhhh... but no, it's not over. There was once pumpkin pie yet to
>> eat after a brief respite, but nowadays the picky few who don't like
>> it have begged choices and you now are presented with pumpkin pie,
>> pumpkin chiffon pie, pumpkin cheesecake, apple pie, pecan pie and any
>> other pie that is the favorirte of any family member. Occasionally
>> someone throws in brownies. God help you if you fail to eat a bit of
>> everything, because the one who made, it as well as his children,
>> spouse and dogs will hate you forever. The only exception is pumpkin
>> pie for some reason... you are allowed to hate that, but if you are
>> not on record as hating it, eat some because all of the above applies
>> in spades for you.
>>
>> Now you can rest and watch or avoid football while cracking nuts and
>> drinking baking soda concoctions. This lasts a few hours until
>> sandwich time. White bread with turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes,
>> cranberry sauce, lettuce and mayonnaise. Take that, furriner!
>>
>> It's our favorite holiday. It's the one we all celebrate and it
>> causes the busiest travel days of the year as people scurry to get
>> over the river and through the woods to grandmother's house. God
>> help us all.
>
> Giusi posted the above to uk.food+drink.misc
>
> Do any of you have any comments on Thanksgiving after reading that?


Yeah....Thanksgiving is a great time for families to gather and have a
great feast together. I would disagree about it being a tradition that
no one can recall. While the North American culture has changed a lot
over the last half century thanks to widened immigration, when I was a
kid it was a celebration of the harvest, and many Canadians like myself
have English and American (Loyalist) roots and trace it back to the
Massachusetts colony, which incidentally, included my wife's ancestors,
as well as Barak Obama's.

Dave Smith > wrote:

> Yeah....Thanksgiving is a great time for families to gather and have a
> great feast together. I would disagree about it being a tradition that
> no one can recall. While the North American culture has changed a lot
> over the last half century thanks to widened immigration, when I was a
> kid it was a celebration of the harvest, and many Canadians like myself
> have English and American (Loyalist) roots and trace it back to the
> Massachusetts colony, which incidentally, included my wife's ancestors,
> as well as Barak Obama's.

Exact that Thangiving was born in Texas, not in Massachusetts.

-sw (from Framingham, MA)

In article >,
"Pete" > wrote:

> Giusi wrote:
>
> > Thanksgiving is a feast of excesses. Too much food, too much fat,
> > too many calories, and depending on the part of the country you are
> > in, there are all kinds of senseless additions that reflect some
> > tradition you and no one else can recall.

[big snip]

> > It's our favorite holiday. It's the one we all celebrate and it
> > causes the busiest travel days of the year as people scurry to get
> > over the river and through the woods to grandmother's house. God
> > help us all.
>
> Giusi posted the above to uk.food+drink.misc
>
> Do any of you have any comments on Thanksgiving after reading that?

Sounds like she's homesick to me. Hope you had a good one, Giusi!

--
Dan Abel
Petaluma, California USA

"Pete" > wrote:
>
> Do any of you have any comments on Thanksgiving after reading that?
>

Very nicely written, and full of astute observations. The best part, though,
for me, was the irony of an Italian expounding upon silly traditions. God
love them.


** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **

Sqwertz wrote:
> Dave Smith > wrote:
>
>> Yeah....Thanksgiving is a great time for families to gather and have a
>> great feast together. I would disagree about it being a tradition that
>> no one can recall. While the North American culture has changed a lot
>> over the last half century thanks to widened immigration, when I was a
>> kid it was a celebration of the harvest, and many Canadians like myself
>> have English and American (Loyalist) roots and trace it back to the
>> Massachusetts colony, which incidentally, included my wife's ancestors,
>> as well as Barak Obama's.
>
> Exact that Thangiving was born in Texas, not in Massachusetts.
>
> -sw (from Framingham, MA)


HUH? Have you never been to Plymoutn Rock? Plimoth Plantation?
Thanksgiving was being celebrated there while Texas was nothing but
armadillos.

gloria p
(from Fairhaven, MA)

cyber**** wrote:

>> Do any of you have any comments on Thanksgiving after reading that?
>>
>
> Very nicely written, and full of astute observations. The best part,
> though, for me, was the irony of an Italian expounding upon silly
> traditions. God love them.

The funniest part of this thread was when cyber**** wrote about Giusi as if
Giusi had been born and raised in Italy, oblivious to the facts of the
matter.

Bob

On Thu 27 Nov 2008 09:10:27p, Gloria P told us...

> Sqwertz wrote:
>> Dave Smith > wrote:
>>
>>> Yeah....Thanksgiving is a great time for families to gather and have a
>>> great feast together. I would disagree about it being a tradition that
>>> no one can recall. While the North American culture has changed a lot
>>> over the last half century thanks to widened immigration, when I was a
>>> kid it was a celebration of the harvest, and many Canadians like myself
>>> have English and American (Loyalist) roots and trace it back to the
>>> Massachusetts colony, which incidentally, included my wife's ancestors,
>>> as well as Barak Obama's.
>>
>> Exact that Thangiving was born in Texas, not in Massachusetts.
>>
>> -sw (from Framingham, MA)
>
>
> HUH? Have you never been to Plymoutn Rock? Plimoth Plantation?
> Thanksgiving was being celebrated there while Texas was nothing but
> armadillos.
>
> gloria p
> (from Fairhaven, MA)
>

Steve is either an idiot or an ass, or maybe an idiotic ass. He’s getting as
bad as Sheldon with his inaccuracies.

Wasn’t Texas actually part of Mexico at the time of the first Thanksgiving?

--
Wayne Boatwright
(correct the spelling of "geemail" to reply)
************************************************** **********************
Date: Thursday, 11(XI)/27(XXVII)/08(MMVIII)
************************************************** **********************
Today is: Thanksgiving Day (U.S.)
************************************************** **********************
Be nice to other people, they outnumber you 5.5 billion to 1.
************************************************** **********************

Gloria P > wrote:

> Sqwertz wrote:
>
> Thanksgiving was born in Texas, not in Massachusetts.
>>
>> -sw (from Framingham, MA)
>
> HUH? Have you never been to Plymoutn Rock? Plimoth Plantation?
> Thanksgiving was being celebrated there while Texas was nothing but
> armadillos.

Heh. That was a good one :-)

I've been to every famous rock in the United States. And Plymouth
Rock was the most disappointing rock I've ever seen.

But the fact reminds that TX celebrated Thanksgiving, as Americans,
a full 20 years earlier than anyone in MA.

-sw

On Thu 27 Nov 2008 09:23:22p, Bob Terwilliger told us...

> cyber**** wrote:
>
>>> Do any of you have any comments on Thanksgiving after reading that?
>>>
>>
>> Very nicely written, and full of astute observations. The best part,
>> though, for me, was the irony of an Italian expounding upon silly
>> traditions. God love them.
>
> The funniest part of this thread was when cyber**** wrote about Giusi as
if
> Giusi had been born and raised in Italy, oblivious to the facts of the
> matter.
>
> Bob

I was always under the impression that cybercat was oblivious to life in
general, and anything factual specifically. <g>


--
Wayne Boatwright
(correct the spelling of "geemail" to reply)
************************************************** **********************
Date: Thursday, 11(XI)/27(XXVII)/08(MMVIII)
************************************************** **********************
Today is: Thanksgiving Day (U.S.)
************************************************** **********************
All probabilities are 50%. Either a thing will happen or it won't.
This is especially true when dealing with someone you're attracted to.
************************************************** **********************

Wayne Boatwright > wrote:

> Wasn’t Texas actually part of Mexico at the time of the first Thanksgiving?

<chuckle>

And you think Massachusetts was in the United States at
that time? Mexico didn't even exist back then, either.

Duh.

http://hnn.us/articles/406.html

And just for TFM, I'm rooting for Florida, too:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanksgiving#United_States

-sw

On Thu, 27 Nov 2008 21:10:27 -0700, Gloria P >
wrote:


>HUH? Have you never been to Plymoutn Rock? Plimoth Plantation?
>Thanksgiving was being celebrated there while Texas was nothing but
>armadillos.
>
>gloria p
>(from Fairhaven, MA)

And we down south of you in Virginia, had it even before you all...

Christine, smirking

"Pete"
> Giusi wrote:
>
>> Thanksgiving is a feast of excesses. Too much food, too much fat,>> too
>> many calories, and depending on the part of the country you are>> in,
>> there are all kinds of senseless additions that reflect some>> tradition
>> you and no one else can recall.

> Giusi posted the above to uk.food+drink.misc
>
> Do any of you have any comments on Thanksgiving after reading that?

Now Pete, you know I dislike crossposting except in the most unusual
circumstances. This wouldn't be one.

It happens I am from New England and my family has been celebrating the
harvest since 1620. I am allowed to gently poke fun at us for this most
personal and familiar feast of our year. You may certainly try as well.

Wayne Boatwright wrote:

> On Thu 27 Nov 2008 09:23:22p, Bob Terwilliger told us...
>
> > cyber**** wrote:
> >
> >>> Do any of you have any comments on Thanksgiving after reading that?
> >>>
> >>
> >> Very nicely written, and full of astute observations. The best part,
> >> though, for me, was the irony of an Italian expounding upon silly
> >> traditions. God love them.
> >
> > The funniest part of this thread was when cyber**** wrote about Giusi as
> if
> > Giusi had been born and raised in Italy, oblivious to the facts of the
> > matter.
> >
> > Bob
>
> I was always under the impression that cybercat was oblivious to life in
> general, and anything factual specifically. <g>


Heehee...and then there is her "cooking", Wayne...

--
--
Best
Greg

" I find Greg Morrow lowbrow, witless, and obnoxious. For him to claim that
we are some
kind of comedy team turns my stomach."
- "cybercat" to me on rec.food.cooking

On Thu, 27 Nov 2008 22:33:27 -0600, Sqwertz >
wrote:

>Gloria P > wrote:
>
>> Sqwertz wrote:
>>
>> Thanksgiving was born in Texas, not in Massachusetts.
>>>
>>> -sw (from Framingham, MA)
>>
>> HUH? Have you never been to Plymoutn Rock? Plimoth Plantation?
>> Thanksgiving was being celebrated there while Texas was nothing but
>> armadillos.
>
>Heh. That was a good one :-)
>
>I've been to every famous rock in the United States.

Been here?

http://www.starvedrockstatepark.org/

Lou

Wayne Boatwright wrote:
> On Thu 27 Nov 2008 09:10:27p, Gloria P told us...
>
>> Sqwertz wrote:
>>> Dave Smith > wrote:
>>>
>>>> Yeah....Thanksgiving is a great time for families to gather and have a
>>>> great feast together. I would disagree about it being a tradition that
>>>> no one can recall. While the North American culture has changed a lot
>>>> over the last half century thanks to widened immigration, when I was a
>>>> kid it was a celebration of the harvest, and many Canadians like myself
>>>> have English and American (Loyalist) roots and trace it back to the
>>>> Massachusetts colony, which incidentally, included my wife's ancestors,
>>>> as well as Barak Obama's.
>>> Exact that Thangiving was born in Texas, not in Massachusetts.
>>>
>>> -sw (from Framingham, MA)
>>
>> HUH? Have you never been to Plymoutn Rock? Plimoth Plantation?
>> Thanksgiving was being celebrated there while Texas was nothing but
>> armadillos.
>>
>> gloria p
>> (from Fairhaven, MA)
>>
>
> Steve is either an idiot or an ass, or maybe an idiotic ass. He’s getting as
> bad as Sheldon with his inaccuracies.
>
> Wasn’t Texas actually part of Mexico at the time of the first Thanksgiving?

Dang I hate it when people rely on facts to confuse fools.
It was indeed part of Mexico until they made the mistake of allowing
American settlers in, who then revolted and formed their own republic,
unlike the general belief that Mexico invaded.

Christine Dabney wrote:
> On Thu, 27 Nov 2008 21:10:27 -0700, Gloria P >
> wrote:
>
>
>> HUH? Have you never been to Plymoutn Rock? Plimoth Plantation?
>> Thanksgiving was being celebrated there while Texas was nothing but
>> armadillos.
>>
>> gloria p
>> (from Fairhaven, MA)
>
> And we down south of you in Virginia, had it even before you all...

FWIW... Virginia originally extended form North Carolina all the way to
Maine, so the Pilgrims celebrated their Thanksgiving in Virginia.

Dave Smith > wrote:

>>> HUH? Have you never been to Plymoutn Rock? Plimoth Plantation?
>>> Thanksgiving was being celebrated there while Texas was nothing but
>>> armadillos.
>>>
>>> gloria p
>>> (from Fairhaven, MA)
>>>
>>
>> Steve is either an idiot or an ass, or maybe an idiotic ass. He¢s getting as
>> bad as Sheldon with his inaccuracies.
>>
>> Wasn¢t Texas actually part of Mexico at the time of the first Thanksgiving?
>
> Dang I hate it when people rely on facts to confuse fools.

And another idiot who thinks there was a Texas, Mexico, and a United
States at the time of the first Thanksgiving(s).

Duh.

Dude - this is like 4th and 5th grade American (and Mexican) History
we're talking about here.

-sw

My big beef is that the hostess usually serves the meal family
style. Some start passing clockwise, some start counter, and the
whole thing becomes frustration on wheels. Someone invariably ends up
with cold food and is STILL trying to get the pepper passed his way.

I like the stuff set out buffet style, every person passes, grabs what
he wants and goes and sits down. The table isn't so crowded and
everyone seems pleased. As my hostess said yesterday, it's easy to
cook it all, but getting it served is another thing. I mumbled
something about buffets and let it pass.

She planned well, tho - not a lot of leftovers, so the cleanup was a
dream and her fridge isn't crammed. She was smart - kept the sides to
a decent amount ( maybe 6 choices) and the turkey was done nicely.

My pie was fairly successful - ( did make the apple with raisins) no
one surreptitiously dumped it, that I saw anyway, and some remarked
that it was good. The out of the box crusts weren't bad - glad I
found out about those.

Now - the real insanity starts. Be glad when Dec 26th arrives.

val189 wrote:
> My big beef is that the hostess usually serves the meal family
> style. Some start passing clockwise, some start counter, and the
> whole thing becomes frustration on wheels. Someone invariably ends up
> with cold food and is STILL trying to get the pepper passed his way.
>

The hostess could always start everything at her end and start passing
or just ask everyone "please help yourself and pass to your right" which
would provide some direction.
And to be honest, yesterday at my brother's house the passing issues
contributed to part of the general merriment and provided a few laughs
and jokes.

On Fri, 28 Nov 2008 14:11:22 -0800 (PST), val189
> wrote:

>I like the stuff set out buffet style, every person passes, grabs what
>he wants and goes and sits down. The table isn't so crowded and
>everyone seems pleased.

Ditto!


--
I never worry about diets. The only carrots that
interest me are the number of carats in a diamond.

Mae West

In article >,
"cybercat" > wrote:

> "Pete" > wrote:
> >
> > Do any of you have any comments on Thanksgiving after reading that?
> >
>
> Very nicely written, and full of astute observations. The best part, though,
> for me, was the irony of an Italian expounding upon silly traditions. God
> love them.

I'm pretty sure Judith is an American who lives in Italy.
God love what? The silly traditions?

--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://web.mac.com/barbschaller - raspberry pie, 11/26/2008

Goomba wrote:
> val189 wrote:
>> My big beef is that the hostess usually serves the meal family
>> style. Some start passing clockwise, some start counter, and the
>> whole thing becomes frustration on wheels. Someone invariably ends up
>> with cold food and is STILL trying to get the pepper passed his way.
>>
>
> The hostess could always start everything at her end and start passing
> or just ask everyone "please help yourself and pass to your right" which
> would provide some direction.
> And to be honest, yesterday at my brother's house the passing issues
> contributed to part of the general merriment and provided a few laughs
> and jokes.

It is not the fault of the hostess if her guests can't get it together
enough to pass things in the same direction. While it might help to get
things started in the right direction I don't see a major problem with
some things being passed in the opposite direction. There is always
going to be someone at the table who passes something on without taking
any, and others who will take extra time while they get picky and take a
long time. No matter which way you pass there is going to be a backlog
somewhere.

sf wrote:
> On Fri, 28 Nov 2008 14:11:22 -0800 (PST), val189
> > wrote:
>
>> I like the stuff set out buffet style, every person passes, grabs what
>> he wants and goes and sits down. The table isn't so crowded and
>> everyone seems pleased.
>
> Ditto!

I can't do that in our dining room because of the layout of the room. We
have a long dining room table and there won't be room for people to get
around the ends.

"Melba's Jammin'" > wrote in message
...
> In article >,
> "cybercat" > wrote:
>
>> "Pete" > wrote:
>> >
>> > Do any of you have any comments on Thanksgiving after reading that?
>> >
>>
>> Very nicely written, and full of astute observations. The best part,
>> though,
>> for me, was the irony of an Italian expounding upon silly traditions.
>> God
>> love them.
>
> I'm pretty sure Judith is an American who lives in Italy.

Really? Then she must have a naturally Italian mindset.

> God love what? The silly traditions?
>

Italians. They're my favorite Europeans. Oodles of fun.

On Fri, 28 Nov 2008 18:10:01 -0500, Dave Smith
> wrote:

>sf wrote:
>> On Fri, 28 Nov 2008 14:11:22 -0800 (PST), val189
>> > wrote:
>>
>>> I like the stuff set out buffet style, every person passes, grabs what
>>> he wants and goes and sits down. The table isn't so crowded and
>>> everyone seems pleased.
>>
>> Ditto!
>
>I can't do that in our dining room because of the layout of the room. We
>have a long dining room table and there won't be room for people to get
>around the ends.

My dining room isn't big enough either, so I use the kitchen table and
peninsula. It works for me.


--
I never worry about diets. The only carrots that
interest me are the number of carats in a diamond.

Mae West

"val189" > wrote in message
...
>
> My pie was fairly successful - ( did make the apple with raisins) no
> one surreptitiously dumped it, that I saw anyway, and some remarked
> that it was good. The out of the box crusts weren't bad - glad I
> found out about those.
>
Glad your pie was a success! That's such a good feeling. )

My family always does buffet style. My parents have a huge dining room
table, but it's so much easier to load up your plate before sitting down.

> Now - the real insanity starts. Be glad when Dec 26th arrives.

Same here.

Dave Smith wrote:
> It is not the fault of the hostess if her guests can't get it together
> enough to pass things in the same direction. While it might help to
> get things started in the right direction I don't see a major problem
> with some things being passed in the opposite direction. There is
> always going to be someone at the table who passes something on
> without taking any, and others who will take extra time while they
> get picky and take a long time. No matter which way you pass there is
> going to be a backlog somewhere.

I can see why sf hates to serve her meals 'family style' I hadn't thought
of a huge dish which has to be passed to everyone.

If I have a lot of people at table, I serve similar items along the table.
ie roast potatoes in dish big enough for 4 people ... along the table.
Having said that, I rarely have big dinners any more, so family style is
just fine

Melba's Jammin' wrote:
> I'm pretty sure Judith is an American who lives in Italy.

Yes, Barb, she is.

> God love what? The silly traditions?

Some folk cannot bear what which they don't celebrate themselves.

I rejoice in the differences, although I am somewhat stunned by the amount
of food you make for Thanksgiving)

"Ophelia" > wrote in message
...
> Melba's Jammin' wrote:
>> I'm pretty sure Judith is an American who lives in Italy.
>
> Yes, Barb, she is.
>
>> God love what? The silly traditions?
>
> Some folk cannot bear what which they don't celebrate themselves.
>
> I rejoice in the differences, although I am somewhat stunned by the amount
> of food you make for Thanksgiving)

More stunning still is the fact that almost all of it gets eaten, albeit
over the entire weekend.

"Ophelia" > wrote :
>
> If I have a lot of people at table, I serve similar items along the table.
> ie roast potatoes in dish big enough for 4 people ... along the table.
> Having said that, I rarely have big dinners any more, so family style is
> just fine
>

Yep, that's the issue. We haven't put the leaf in our dining table for five
years or so, meaning that we've had maybe six adults, then four children at
the kitchen table. It's easy enough to serve the children from the kitchen
and put the serving dishes on the dining table with six people. When we had
larger parties of extended family and friends early on we used the sideboard
and the kitchen counters, with ten at the table and everyone else fending
for themselves in the living room, family room, etc. Buffet style. At large
gatherings that are privately supplied, I cannot imagine everything being
hot that is supposed to be hot at the same time. Hell, caterers rarely
achieve that in private homes.

cybercat wrote:
> "Ophelia" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Melba's Jammin' wrote:
>>> I'm pretty sure Judith is an American who lives in Italy.
>>
>> Yes, Barb, she is.
>>
>>> God love what? The silly traditions?
>>
>> Some folk cannot bear what which they don't celebrate themselves.
>>
>> I rejoice in the differences, although I am somewhat stunned by the
>> amount of food you make for Thanksgiving)
>
> More stunning still is the fact that almost all of it gets eaten,
> albeit over the entire weekend.

Ah! Is this same menu prepared for Christmas lunch?

cybercat wrote:
> "Ophelia" > wrote :
>>
>> If I have a lot of people at table, I serve similar items along the
>> table. ie roast potatoes in dish big enough for 4 people ... along
>> the table. Having said that, I rarely have big dinners any more, so
>> family style is just fine
>>
>
> Yep, that's the issue. We haven't put the leaf in our dining table
> for five years or so, meaning that we've had maybe six adults, then four
> children at the kitchen table. It's easy enough to serve the
> children from the kitchen and put the serving dishes on the dining
> table with six people. When we had larger parties of extended family
> and friends early on we used the sideboard and the kitchen counters,
> with ten at the table and everyone else fending for themselves in the
> living room, family room, etc. Buffet style. At large gatherings that
> are privately supplied, I cannot imagine everything being hot that is
> supposed to be hot at the same time. Hell, caterers rarely achieve
> that in private homes.

I understand, thank you. Apologies to sf!

Ophelia wrote:

>>> I rejoice in the differences, although I am somewhat stunned by the
>>> amount of food you make for Thanksgiving)
>> More stunning still is the fact that almost all of it gets eaten,
>> albeit over the entire weekend.
>
> Ah! Is this same menu prepared for Christmas lunch?
>
>
Definitely NOT in my house! While Thanksgiving to me means "fall bounty"
and all those classic foods or dishes which are very traditional to me.
Yet Christmas dinner is always totally different. Perhaps more elegant
and/or more indulgent,perhaps more relaxed? Or an all Italian meal, or
perhaps a fabulous joint of beef and Yorkshire pudding type meal... lots
of options but *never* the same meal as we just ate at Thanksgiving.

In article >,
"Ophelia" > wrote:

> Some folk cannot bear what which they don't celebrate themselves.

Now, now.

> I rejoice in the differences, although I am somewhat stunned by the amount
> of food you make for Thanksgiving)

Excess is the hallmark of American living, O, and it seems that
Thanksgiving, more than other American-style holiday celebrations, is
marked by excess. We prefer to have too much so we can throw it away
because we'll never eat that much or because it won't keep or because
someone doesn't eat leftovers. (Who, me? Cynical?)

According to something I read or heard somewhere (how's that for
vague?), it's *the* big family get-together ‹ more than Christmas or
Easter. And frequently there is food on the table for the sole purpose
of satisfying one or two individuals' desire. "If you don't have
-FITB- at Thanksgiving, well, it's just not Thanksgiving!" And
sometimes it's a dish that is impractical to make for only one person so
it gets included in the menu because there just might be more takers.
:-) As families grow there become more desires to satisfy. There may
even be successful "new" foods that are deemed worthy of the meal but
not at the expense of removing another‹so both are made! It grows like
Topsy.

When our son moved to Tucson, after the first three years or so he and
other friends who weren't "going home" for Thanksgiving gathered to
celebrate the day together and over time have developed their own
traditions. The instruction early on was to bring the dish that, for
that person, "makes it Thanksgiving." Sometimes it was a food that was
eaten only at Thanksgiving dinner. For one, it was cornbread dressing.
For someone else, it was pecan pie. For someone else it was the
infamous green bean casserole. They are less interested in a gourmet
meal and more interested in being together to create and to recreate a
memory while having fun doing so. This was the menu for Thanksgiving
2008. When I read the menu, the headcount was at 18 people and one dog.
Chris roasts the birdy (a 20# turkey) at the host home and makes the
dressing and turkey gravy; others provide the rest of the menu.

It appears that certain vegetables are the "must haves". :-)

Appetizers
----------
Chips & Dip
other chips
Crackers
Veggies & Dip

Main Course
-----------
Turkey
Something Veg (poss. baked ziti)

Sides
-----
Dressing (aka Stuffing)
(note: both veg and non-veg versions will be made)
Mashed Potatoes
Gravy
-Non-Veg
-Veg
Cranberry Sauce
Sweet Potatoes (probably mashed)
Cauliflower au gratin
Potato/Cheese casserole
Corn
Green Bean casserole
Bread Rolls

Dessert
-------
Apple Pie
Pumpkin Pie
Pecan Pie
Pound Cake
Other suggestions: brownies, cookies, ice cream, etc.

Drinks
------
Soda
Beer (homebrew)
Wine 4 bottles
other

At Becky's table on Thursday, we ate: turkey, bread dressing (with and
without raisins included), gravy, mashed potatoes, sweet-sour red
cabbage, cabbage salad, homemade cooked cranberry sauce, broccoli, ham,
fruit salad, wild rice, pickles & olives, rolls and butter, pumpkin ice
cream dessert, and four different kinds of pie. There were supposed to
be two pies, there were four; an example of excess. At least half of
one was thrown away.

Pumpkin Ice Cream Dessert
Base:
1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup melted butter

Filling:
1 can pumpkin (16 oz.)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 quart vanilla ice cream, softened
Whipped cream
Chopped pecans

For base, mix crumbs with sugar and butter. Press into bottom of 9²
square pan. For filling, combine pumpkin with sugar, salt and spices.
Fold in ice cream (mixture is quite soupy). Pour into pan. Cover and
freeze until firm. Cut into squares about 20 minutes before serving. Top
with whipped cream and pecans, if desired.
--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://web.mac.com/barbschaller - raspberry pie, parte dos, 11/27/2008

Goomba wrote:
> Ophelia wrote:
>
>>>> I rejoice in the differences, although I am somewhat stunned by the
>>>> amount of food you make for Thanksgiving)
>>> More stunning still is the fact that almost all of it gets eaten,
>>> albeit over the entire weekend.
>>
>> Ah! Is this same menu prepared for Christmas lunch?
>>
>>
> Definitely NOT in my house! While Thanksgiving to me means "fall
> bounty" and all those classic foods or dishes which are very
> traditional to me. Yet Christmas dinner is always totally different.
> Perhaps more elegant and/or more indulgent,perhaps more relaxed? Or
> an all Italian meal, or perhaps a fabulous joint of beef and
> Yorkshire pudding type meal... lots of options but *never* the same
> meal as we just ate at Thanksgiving.

I bet that is a relief Now, is this the same for everyone?

Melba's Jammin' wrote:

> Excess is the hallmark of American living, O, and it seems that
> Thanksgiving, more than other American-style holiday celebrations, is
> marked by excess.

I prefer to think of it as a glorious celebration of our fall harvest
bounties, rather than obscene excess.


> We prefer to have too much so we can throw it away
> because we'll never eat that much or because it won't keep or because
> someone doesn't eat leftovers. (Who, me? Cynical?)

Leftovers at TG take on their own import. Why toss 'em out wastefully?
Too many things to be done with them!

> According to something I read or heard somewhere (how's that for
> vague?), it's *the* big family get-together ‹ more than Christmas or
> Easter. And frequently there is food on the table for the sole purpose
> of satisfying one or two individuals' desire. "If you don't have
> -FITB- at Thanksgiving, well, it's just not Thanksgiving!"

Creamed pearl onions for my brother, just like my mother made every year.

Melba's Jammin' wrote:
> Excess is the hallmark of American living, O, and it seems that
> Thanksgiving, more than other American-style holiday celebrations, is
> marked by excess. We prefer to have too much so we can throw it away
> because we'll never eat that much or because it won't keep or because
> someone doesn't eat leftovers. (Who, me? Cynical?)

Oh dear. What a huge amount of waste Could some of it not be given to..
I dunno.. the poor.. you know what I mean?

> According to something I read or heard somewhere (how's that for
> vague?), it's *the* big family get-together < more than Christmas or
> Easter. And frequently there is food on the table for the sole
> purpose of satisfying one or two individuals' desire. "If you don't
> have -FITB-

FITB?

at Thanksgiving, well, it's just not Thanksgiving!" And
> sometimes it's a dish that is impractical to make for only one person
> so it gets included in the menu because there just might be more
> takers. :-)

But it is not just one dish!!! It is loads of dishes.

As families grow there become more desires to satisfy.
> There may even be successful "new" foods that are deemed worthy of
> the meal but not at the expense of removing another > Topsy.

LOL


> When our son moved to Tucson, after the first three years or so he and
> other friends who weren't "going home" for Thanksgiving gathered to
> celebrate the day together and over time have developed their own
> traditions. The instruction early on was to bring the dish that, for
> that person, "makes it Thanksgiving." Sometimes it was a food that
> was eaten only at Thanksgiving dinner. For one, it was cornbread
> dressing. For someone else, it was pecan pie. For someone else it
> was the infamous green bean casserole. They are less interested in
> a gourmet meal and more interested in being together to create and to
> recreate a memory while having fun doing so.

Right. This I can understand

This was the menu for
> Thanksgiving 2008. When I read the menu, the headcount was at 18
> people and one dog. Chris roasts the birdy (a 20# turkey) at the host
> home and makes the dressing and turkey gravy; others provide the rest
> of the menu.
>
> It appears that certain vegetables are the "must haves". :-)
>
> Appetizers
> ----------
> Chips & Dip
> other chips
> Crackers
> Veggies & Dip
>
> Main Course
> -----------
> Turkey
> Something Veg (poss. baked ziti)
>
> Sides
> -----
> Dressing (aka Stuffing)
> (note: both veg and non-veg versions will be made)
> Mashed Potatoes
> Gravy
> -Non-Veg
> -Veg
> Cranberry Sauce
> Sweet Potatoes (probably mashed)
> Cauliflower au gratin
> Potato/Cheese casserole
> Corn
> Green Bean casserole
> Bread Rolls
>
> Dessert
> -------
> Apple Pie
> Pumpkin Pie
> Pecan Pie
> Pound Cake
> Other suggestions: brownies, cookies, ice cream, etc.
>
> Drinks
> ------
> Soda
> Beer (homebrew)
> Wine 4 bottles
> other

Good Grief, Charlie Brown!!!!!!


>
> At Becky's table on Thursday, we ate: turkey, bread dressing (with and
> without raisins included), gravy, mashed potatoes, sweet-sour red
> cabbage, cabbage salad, homemade cooked cranberry sauce, broccoli,
> ham, fruit salad, wild rice, pickles & olives, rolls and butter,
> pumpkin ice cream dessert, and four different kinds of pie. There
> were supposed to be two pies, there were four; an example of excess.
> At least half of one was thrown away.

Glory Be!!! er.... no beets then? <g>


> Pumpkin Ice Cream Dessert
> Base:
> 1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
> 1/4 cup sugar
> 1/4 cup melted butter
>
> Filling:
> 1 can pumpkin (16 oz.)
> 1/2 cup brown sugar
> 1/2 teaspoon salt
> 1 teaspoon cinnamon
> 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
> 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
> 1 quart vanilla ice cream, softened
> Whipped cream
> Chopped pecans
>
> For base, mix crumbs with sugar and butter. Press into bottom of 9²
> square pan. For filling, combine pumpkin with sugar, salt and spices.
> Fold in ice cream (mixture is quite soupy). Pour into pan. Cover and
> freeze until firm. Cut into squares about 20 minutes before serving.
> Top with whipped cream and pecans, if desired.

Thank you Barb.. I think) xxx

Goomba wrote:
> Melba's Jammin' wrote:
>
>> Excess is the hallmark of American living, O, and it seems that
>> Thanksgiving, more than other American-style holiday celebrations, is
>> marked by excess.
>
> I prefer to think of it as a glorious celebration of our fall harvest
> bounties, rather than obscene excess.

Well, if you don't mind me asking, where does marshmallow fit into your
harvest?


>> We prefer to have too much so we can throw it away
>> because we'll never eat that much or because it won't keep or because
>> someone doesn't eat leftovers. (Who, me? Cynical?)
>
> Leftovers at TG take on their own import. Why toss 'em out wastefully?
> Too many things to be done with them!
>
>> According to something I read or heard somewhere (how's that for
>> vague?), it's *the* big family get-together ‹ more than Christmas or
>> Easter. And frequently there is food on the table for the sole
>> purpose of satisfying one or two individuals' desire. "If you
>> don't have -FITB- at Thanksgiving, well, it's just not Thanksgiving!"
>
> Creamed pearl onions for my brother, just like my mother made every
> year.

OH dear))