[senior citizen]

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[2BNTV]

Originally Posted by senior citizen

Speaking of Thanksgiving, who remembers the celebrations of old at their grandmother's homes????????? Back then it was a true feast, with course after course.........rather than just plopped on the table family style.

I'm recalling my dad's Italian side of the family.........everyone went to Grandma's house which was NOT big.....her kitchen was teeny tiny, but somehow they created magic in that little kitchen.

The dining room table was set with plates on top of plates on top of plates, etc. As each course was served and finished, that top plate would be removed back to the kitchen.......( oh, and NO dishwasher )

It wasn't just turkey..........and the "sides" that go with the bird, like stuffing or dressing (whatever you prefer to call it).......but the Italians served antipasto and then lasagna before the bird.......and salad last.
But lots of veggies too. I do not remember pies.........but I do remember lots of rich pastries...........but this was the 1950's.

Anyone remember that era???????????

I used to have a funny comical Italian "menu" of exactly what was consumed at an Italian's family table for the holidays, from soup to nuts and everything in between.......polished off with that yellow liquor, whose name escapes me right now.

I still don't know how they did it in those modest tiny kitchens with hardly any countertops....and certainly not granite or stainless steel décor.

But it was all done with LOVE.....by all the daughters and aunts, etc.

I fondly remember it well and sadly, it won't happen again. After my mother and aunt could no do the cooking, the subsequent generation didn't have the skills necessary to accomplish the magic they made. The seven course dnners were a tradition in my family as well as yours.

I loved the pasta before the turkey as well as roasted chestnuts.

Ahhhhh.... the good old days!!!!

[DonH57]

The yellow liquor you are thinking of is lemoncello maybe.

[Peachie]

Originally Posted by senior citizen

Speaking of Thanksgiving, who remembers the celebrations of old at their grandmother's homes????????? Back then it was a true feast, with course after course.........rather than just plopped on the table family style.

I'm recalling my dad's Italian side of the family.........everyone went to Grandma's house which was NOT big.....her kitchen was teeny tiny, but somehow they created magic in that little kitchen.

The dining room table was set with plates on top of plates on top of plates, etc. As each course was served and finished, that top plate would be removed back to the kitchen.......( oh, and NO dishwasher )

It wasn't just turkey..........and the "sides" that go with the bird, like stuffing or dressing (whatever you prefer to call it).......but the Italians served antipasto and then lasagna before the bird.......and salad last.
But lots of veggies too. I do not remember pies.........but I do remember lots of rich pastries...........but this was the 1950's.

Anyone remember that era???????????

I used to have a funny comical Italian "menu" of exactly what was consumed at an Italian's family table for the holidays, from soup to nuts and everything in between.......polished off with that yellow liquor, whose name escapes me right now.

I still don't know how they did it in those modest tiny kitchens with hardly any countertops....and certainly not granite or stainless steel décor.

But it was all done with LOVE.....by all the daughters and aunts, etc.

Senior, I remember Thanksgiving dinner at Grandma's house but it was far more memorable when my mother took over hosting Thanksgiving for our family.

It's a shame not many of the younger generation step up to host this wonderful day for their families. I remember all the baking and preparation the day before and as a young girl being able to help with the simpler tasks such as vacuuming, dusting and then setting the table with the fine china, crystal and carefully fold napkins.

We would awaken in our beds in the early morning hours and smell the wonder aroma of roasting turkey and dressing. The meal to follow was sumptuous and leftovers would slowly disappear over the next 3 days; then we were back to our everyday conservative meals.

The Thanksgiving Day menu always included: turkey, dressing (with raisins), gravy, hot rolls with real butter, mashed potatoes, baked sweet potato casserole, two of our very favorite salads, cranberries, pumpkin pie and home made whip cream. Oh, I almost forgot the relish tray (remember those) that included creamed herring. Nothing on the menu was out of the ordinary but it was all made from scratch including bread diced and dried early for the dressing.

There was fresh whole milk on the table straight from the milk cooler in the milk-house attached to the barn and you had to shake the pitcher before pouring a glass. The shaking was to mix in the thick layer of cream on the top of the milk and our attempt at homogenization.

It was a wonderfully pure family day with no fanatical planning to dash out to buy more stuff for ourselves or our family that night or early the next morning which we didn't need, simply because the glutted Christmas holiday season was being kicked off early.

[senior citizen]

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[senior citizen]

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[senior citizen]

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[swrinfla]

When I was a pre-teen (a really long time ago, you may be assured), my family often went to the country home of our previous suburban neighbors.

The hostess cooked everything herself, or if she had help no-one knew of it. The dinner table literally groaned with a turkey, a ham and roast beef! Mashed white and sweet potatoes (often two kinds). Mashed parsnips (ugh!). Green beans with bacon. Sweet peas with petite onions. Two kinds of squash. Separate dishes of olives, carrot sticks, celery, and every imagineable crudite.

Followed, of course, by apple pie with cheese and/or ice cream, pumpkin pie with fresh-whipped cream, or mince pie, ditto.

After dinner, the ladies cleaned up and washed all the dishes. The guys went into the host's study and listened to the Army-Navy game on the radio. Or, at least the first few minutes of it. Because most of us quickly fell asleep from our over-eating (and, for the adults, undoubtedly from their over-drinking)!

Those were the Thanksgivings I remember with great fondness. Today, I am very happy to let the chef on my cruise ship do his thing! I don't eat anywhere near as much [I won't discuss the drinking, thank you very much!] but enjoy every minute just as much!

SWR

[Blessed2BNTV]

Oh the wondeful memories of growing up Italian in Brookyn!

Thank you all for a stroll down memory lane.

[njbchbum]

you mean to say that no one here cooks a thanksgiving/holiday meal from scratch to include the roasted turkey and gravy from the drippings, homemade herbed stuffing, mashed white potatoes, candied sweet potatoes, cheese cauliflower, geen beans almondine, butternut squash, a cranberry/walnut jello salad and creamed white onions?

mercy! i cook those dinners for just the two of us three times a year [easter we switch to lamb or ham with the same sides xcept for stuffing]. learning to trim the recipes from 15 to 2 took quite a while - but the lefovers are great! and i am glad that we have a great orchard nearby where we can buy the traditional pies for dessert!

[Peachie]

Originally Posted by njbchbum

you mean to say that no one here cooks a thanksgiving/holiday meal from scratch to include the roasted turkey and gravy from the drippings, homemade herbed stuffing, mashed white potatoes, candied sweet potatoes, cheese cauliflower, geen beans almondine, butternut squash, a cranberry/walnut jello salad and creamed white onions?

mercy! i cook those dinners for just the two of us three times a year [easter we switch to lamb or ham with the same sides xcept for stuffing]. learning to trim the recipes from 15 to 2 took quite a while - but the lefovers are great! and i am glad that we have a great orchard nearby where we can buy the traditional pies for dessert!

Your husband had better keep a close eye on you, you're the type of cook men dream about.

[SoccerCoach]

Originally Posted by njbchbum

you mean to say that no one here cooks a thanksgiving/holiday meal from scratch to include the roasted turkey and gravy from the drippings, homemade herbed stuffing, mashed white potatoes, candied sweet potatoes, cheese cauliflower, geen beans almondine, butternut squash, a cranberry/walnut jello salad and creamed white onions?

mercy! i cook those dinners for just the two of us three times a year [easter we switch to lamb or ham with the same sides xcept for stuffing]. learning to trim the recipes from 15 to 2 took quite a while - but the lefovers are great! and i am glad that we have a great orchard nearby where we can buy the traditional pies for dessert!

I prepare just what you state in your 1st paragraph, but included a crown roast of pork with a cranberry/blueberry/walnut dressing in the center. You know the roast with the little white hats on the ribs. Seems like it is now a chore to keep traditions alive, serving 30, preserving memories.

[njbchbum]

Originally Posted by Peachie

Your husband had better keep a close eye on you, you're the type of cook men dream about.

ain't that the truth!

[senior citizen]

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[njbchbum]

Originally Posted by senior citizen

Actually looking forward to the restaurants.......

I just did a "test run" for our upcoming Thanksgiving with our kids and grandkids coming home..........but a simplified version....roasted a turkey on Saturday and we've been enjoying a "TRYPTOPHAN" COMA every afternoon since.........turkey does put you to sleep for a long winter's nap and it isn't even winter yet. I also did the "basic sides" but will make them all on Thanksgiving........

It's really nice to have all of these "leftovers" around the kitchen......
He did a great job of carving........

sr - i feel like we are/have been travelling thru life in the same circle [cause i am pretty sure we are not related ]!

i just cooked a turkey breast yesterday with those 'basic' sides but no dessert - hubs most disappointed! orchard is closed today - so a pumpkin custard pie [with an assist from libby and carnation] is in the oven as i type! am thinking about starting dinner with dessert tonite!

for the past few years we have been going up to our maine house and going to a lovely restaurant in north conway, nh [the white mountain hotel] for t-giving with extended family. a nice occasion, but moreso because it is with cousins. but restaurants are nothing like home cooking...so since we are there for the week what do i do? yep! cook a t-giving dinner on sunday before turkey day! saves me the disappointment of the restaurant turkey and i can order something else from their menu! heretical? maybe - but i have my leftovers for that turkey and cranberry sauce sandwich for the evening! last year was extra special 'cause on the drive back to the house we had sirius christmas music on the radio and a light snow to add to the effect!