ljgeoff | prepping for a feast

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I'm having all of Carl's family, so there'll be 4 adults and 8 kids. We'll have turkey, and a ham steak for Zary, who doesn't like turkey. Our tradition is a very carb-heavy feast, with our family's special rice pilaf, mashed potatoes and stuffing with gravy, and this year honeynut squash, steamed broccoli, homemade cranberry sauce, waldorf salad, jello-fruit ring, and pumpkin pie.

That will do! When Mike gets home, we'll do a bit of shopping. I'm working tomorrow but just from noon to 7pm, so when I get home, I'll make the jello. Mike will make the pies. It'll be lovely!

Other Americans! What are your plans?

Crossposts: https://ljgeoff.livejournal.com/895090.html

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From:

pameladean

I guess we are having turkey for them as eats it and salmon for those as don't (this includes me). David always makes herby bread stuffing with onions and chestnuts, though I haven't heard yet whether chestnuts are available at the moment. Lydy has bought some random vegetables including daikon radish, butternut squash, red potatoes, and leeks, to roast together. She is making an apple pie. I am making a mince pie for David, for whom it would not even be a holiday without it, and a vegan pumpkin pie for me and Cam. I'm also variously considering roasting the Brussels sprouts I got for dinners later in the week, so as to have a greener vegetable choice, or else embracing the starch for the nonce and making mashed potatoes and/or roasted kabocha squash.

We'll see. We are having a short warm spell here, and I was initially grumpy because today, the warmest day of this week and probably for some time to come, would be taken up with a dentist's appointment. However, they called this morning to cancel and reschedule because my hygienist had had a household emergency (apparently the water heater exploded? Yikes). So I planted twelve of the remaining species tulip bulbs, watered them in and watered the ones I planted last week, and also cleared a bunch of Japanese knotweed away from the sidewalk on the south side of the house. I might arguable be better employed tomorrow planting the final twelve bulbs and beating down the knotweed a bit more, not to mention watering more things, since it's been very dry here.

Not sure we should do without mashed potatoes just because we will have some roasted ones, though.

P.

From:

ljgeoff

I love potatoes in all it's many ways, but mashed with a good gravy is my favorite.

Knotweed is the worst! My sympathies on your infestation.

I didn't see any chestnuts at my usual grocery, but I didn't search for them at any other store. I got very interested in them several years ago and chestnut is high on our list of trees to plant once we get our land up north.

The thought of chestnuts makes me wonder if they made it off the farm, if the farmer got paid, or if they're rotting on a dock somewhere.

From:

boxofdelights

My husband and son are coming over. We're going to make this baked feta with tomatoes and chickpeas: https://smittenkitchen.com/2021/02/baked-feta-with-tomatoes-and-chickpeas/. I bough feta and fresh basil today, and I'll get to use up one of the bags of tomatoes in my freezer.

I'm hosting book group on Sunday. Potato-leek soup and bread, and roasted broccoli, brussels sprouts, and Jerusalem artichokes. Cheese, crackers, olives, and nuts for starters. Pumpkin muffins and pumpkin cheesecake for dessert. Only the cheese and the cheesecake have dairy. Only the bread and muffins have gluten.

I don't know how many people are coming! I got five yesses and three noes, but two people still haven't responded. Six people (including me) can sit at my table. Seven will make it awkward. Eight is impossible: I'll have to rearrange the living room, move my computer desk out, bring chairs and side tables in. I would like to know already whether I'm going to have to do that!

From:

ljgeoff

You'll have to let us know how Sunday worked out! It sounds like fun and I am grinning at the wealth of good people you have around you.

From:

bibliofile

I am invited elsewhere but will likely decline because I'm not boosted and there's an unvaccinated person and I'm paranoid. Instead, I'll probably make a pumpkin pie, because I like them and forget to make them at other times of the year.

Everyone's else's feasts sound wonderful!

From:

ljgeoff

Pumpkin pie is my absolute favorite and I also don't make them at any time but Thanksgiving and Christmas. We made two this year and they came out fantastic.