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Hey Guys,

Need your help!

What's the deal with a Thanksgiving dinner?

We've been invited to friends, one of whom has lived in USA. Is there any 'traditional' format?

Are guests supposed to take a) food, b) present/s, c) booze, d) other?

Should we dress a) casual, b) smart, c) fancy, d) wear a hat?

Are we supposed to a) read the constitution, b) learn all the American presidents, c) remember what we were doing when Kennedy was shot?


Anyway, you get the drift. Our do we simply turn up and enjoy?

Thanks for your patience with your cultural history.

If your host hasn't specifically asked you to bring a dish, then you'd probably be safe just bringing a bottle of wine. Give them a call and see what they say (that never hurts.) You should dress casual, but I wouldn't recommend jeans and a t-shirt. Not hat's necessary and wear a belt with extra holes in it, because your gut will definitely need the expansion room. Can you get a good turkey in New Zealand?
T.

Thanks Toner.

Wasn't sure if anything out of the ordinary was called for.

Wine/beer (well, it is summer here!) goes without saying.

Turkey is available, although it is expensive and you have to order in plenty if time!



Maybe if anyone has a classic Yankee pecan pie recipe then the boss (a cooking teacher) could make one for dessert?

Any offers?

Here's one I just found on Google... You could also search for others....


Abigail Van Buren's Pecan Pie Recipe

Ingredients:
1 cup white corn syrup
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup butter or margarine -- melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs -- slightly beaten
1 pie shell (9 inch size)
1 cup whole pecans -- shelled

Directions:

Combine corn syrup, brown sugar, salt, butter or margarine (melted), and vanilla.

Mix well. Add slightly beaten eggs. Pour into unbaked 9-in. pie shell.

Sprinkle shelled whole pecans over all.

Bake in preheated 350F oven for approximately 45 minutes.

This recipe for Abigail Van Buren's Pecan Pie serves/makes 12

You baking that Toner?

If so, mind if I come over Thursday Morning?

I loooove pecan pie

No, Michael, I'm not much of a baker... Hope you find your pie on Thanksgiving day!
T.

NZPOM,
Thanksgiving is the day we are supposed to show how thankful we are for what we have. We simply express that by getting as much family together as possible having a traditional meal of turkey and dressing, green bean casserole, yams, corn and various other items that the Pilgrims might have eaten on that first Thanksgiving. Pecan pie seems to be a staple as well as sweet potatoe pie...or is that pumpkin pie? Not certain..Anyway, go and eat and give them a hearty hug and a thank you. Taking something to drink would be appropriate.

This will be the first Thanksgiving that I can remember that I won't be having the pecan pie. No sugar for me anymore!

Two thumbs up for Abigail's peacan pie. My daughter makes them using that recipe. They're the best.
'course, a scoop of french vanilla goes with it quite well.

RB

Michael

There is also the debate about which wine is best with the Thanksgiving meal, because it has so many different tastes due to the variety of foods being served.

Oh, and in the U.S. it is traditional to over-eat, slump on the sofa with an (American) football game on the TV, and fall asleep. Don't snore too loudly.

yessir, we can always blame it on the triptophan.

triptophan

Yeah, I tripped over a fan once at Thanksgiving. There were at least a dozen or so laying around in the floor, clapping like crazy. I was NOT ungrateful!
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I'll just go back to the couch now.
"My Mother?"...."Yes, she loved me very much." "Why do you ask?"

You're not gettin' the whole story.

Yeah, T-day: thankful for our good fortune; commemorate the founders' struggles and successes; food, football, family - feel good!

Has anyone explained the etiquette of the Thanksgiving burp? Fart?

How about ice cream on your Pecan Pie...yes? no? gross?

Who do the dishes? Who picks the game to watch?

You will be asked, but they don't want you picking Ice Capades!

Exercise extreme caution. And have fun!

You have missed my two childhood favorite T'day foods.

Cranberries....YYYYUUUUMMMMM. And I mean the whole berries, not that gelatinous lump from a can.

And Pumpkin pie - OMG!!!! All pumpkin pies come in single serving size for me.

And now that I married a good southern (US) girl I can add corn bread stuffing.

Traditions vary by families but as has been stated, two constants - family and overeating! No wine at ours. Too many preachers in the family!

My favorite food is usually the evening leftovers. Big 'ole turkey sandwiches! Yum yum! (Sounds like a Hee Haw episode! )

I second the cranberries and pumpkin pie. Pumpkin pie yes over pecan any day. And I'll probably have seconds on turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy ... Unless the parental units go all healthy and skip those fat laden traditions. Oh well ... that's what I get for freeloading at home.

And Mom does the most spectacular cranberry salad dish the world has ever known. Once a year and it's to die for! Hopefully I get sent home with a leftover care package too.

Thanksgiving is basically a fall harvest feast ... tied in with being thankful pilgrims saved from starving all winter by the generosity of the soon to be exploited native Americans. Enough of that, in modern times it's a celebration of friends and family. When we were in the military we always invited some of the enlisted crew who weren't able to go home over for some home cooked dinner. No one was ever expected to bring anything, just sit and eat and share our good fortune. It's always been one of my favorite holidays for the wholesome feeling of family togetherness (without any commercial exploitation which always seems to sour Christmas). Assuming that is, my brother doesn't get drunk and loud and embarass everyone again ...

darcym wrote:Assuming that is, my brother doesn't get drunk and loud and embarrass everyone again ...

You got one of them obnoxious brothers, too? My brother's not even invited to Thanksgiving anymore because he can't control his drinking or his mouth and my sisters don't want him around their kids. He's been given so many chances it's ridiculous.
T.

When we were in the military we always invited some of the enlisted crew who weren't able to go home over for some home cooked dinner.

Funny you should say that. This is our first Thanksgiving with my son in the Army and he can't come home for the holiday. It will be a strange feeling. He doesn't know what he will be doing but some of the holdovers staying with him are eating together somewhere, perhaps at someones house that is permanently stationed there.

At least we can talk to him on the cell phone!

Oh well, they're not really family unless they embarass you or themselves at some gathering ...

wnc - I hope your son and friends get the chance to have T-day meal at a house of a generous friend. I've had to do the dinner at a restaurant once, and even though the food was good and there was no clean-up involved, it just wasn't the same. Never again.

Sitting down at a table, even a folding table with a plastic table cover, having friends around and passing the plate for seconds -- even when some of the traditional family dishes are strange and/or unrecognizable or even inedible by all but the family (my ex hated mom's cranberry, I could only take small doses of his family's red cabbage) .... that's what it's all about.


PS: Happy Thanksgiving to ALL! Ride safe!