Thanksgiving dinner

[Sleepy In Seattle]

Irish, I like mincemeat too!!!!!! 

I cook a lot - LOVE to do big meals like Thanksgiving from scratch (I start several days ahead and pace myself) - but I can't make pie crust to save my life, LOL...hard enough with regular flour, much less gluten-and-dairy-free!!! So I just buy a frozen vegan GF crust at the health food store and then fill it with homemade fillings.

I am always really tired after the meal, but it's worth it - and my family does all the cleanup. 

[Bucky]

I am always really tired after the meal, but it's worth it - and my family does all the cleanup. 

It wouldn't be so tiring for me IF I had a cleanup crew after the meal.  Now I know this isn't EVERY man, but a good majority of them, just show up to eat and then plant their backside in front of the TV for the rest of the day and leave all the cleanup to us "women folk".   

Even if they would just ASK if there is something they can HELP with . . . . okay, now I'm dreaming.  LOL

Happy Thanksgiving to you all - may you count your blessings, name them one by one, and be thankful for what you DO have.  If you are able, also share some of your blessings (financial, with food, your time, etc.) with others who are less fortunate.

Bucky

[Meld256]

I hope everyone who celebrates Thanksgiving has a lovely day tomorrow, whether you can be with loved ones or not.

We will be with my husband's family at my MIL's, and it will be quite a big and diverse crowd-which is a good description of our family!!  I won't be with any of my children, since they are out of town and can't travel this time.  We will still talk with one another and wish we were together. 

Bucky, maybe you could start delegating tasks like I have lately for helping with cooking and cleanup.  I suppose I've told this before, but my husband and I did most all of it for a few years (for the crowd.)  It was ok because the young people were, well, much younger and my MIL let them do nothing but eat and go for years. 

Now that the neices and nephews are in their twenties (and in much better health than us) we began handing out duties for everyone as in "please cut the potatoes" "will you help with the dishes?" "the green beans are all yours!"  We have their children in the mix, too.  Hey, a 6-yr.-old can sweep the kitchen, they feel a sense of accomplishment and our backs are in better shape later. 

[Meld256]

Scottie,
I just read your post and I so agree- delegate, delegate and delegate!!

Irish, your meal and buffet sounds great and I'm sure all with have a good time.  It does seem like the day is a bit more rushed than it used to be in the past. 
I suppose we are lucky.  Our family gathers at my MIL's house and we cook together, have dinner and then hang out most of the day cleaning up, watching football and just spending time with each other.

If it's warm outside, as it may in the 60's tomorrow, we'll play with MIL's great-grandchildren outdoors.  There is an old Fisher Price Cozy Coupe they dearly love...she has a big yard on a big sloping hill.  If you can imagine 4 kids ages 3-7 all hanging off this thing with the little guy inside.  They push it and ride it down the hill giggling all the way.  Maybe in the next year or two our little granddaughter can join in with her cousins, but she's only 6 months old and will have to wait just a bit. 

[irish]

I am hoping for some warmer weather on Saturday--the day we have our Thanksgiving. Today it was just gorgeous. Supposed to get colder though on Friday night. The wind is coming up already. I was so hoping that the 4 little grandsons could play out in the leaves as this is the last of the fall I would think.

Those little grandkids are just a joy to watch outside. Especially those about 2 years old. Put a heavy coat on them and watch their little legs run. Cute isn't the word for it. Diapers and all. Irish