Thanksgiving in the Land of Covid

[KathieB]

How will your Thanksgiving celebration this year differ from years past?

Our family usually gathers at my sister's, with our brother coming in from out of town. With nieces, grandchildren, etc., head count is generally around 10-12 folks, including one or two friends. Because the rest of the family spends time out in the World, I'm leery of interacting with them. They wear masks, wash hands, and socially distance, but still ... 

My celebration will be sadly solo but superbly scrumptious. I splurged on a duckling to roast in the Czech way (caraway seed, not orange sauce), plus potato dumplings, and red cabbage sauerkraut. The slices of Granny Smith apples placed beneath the duck as it roasts will make a tasty side dish. I'm already looking forward to leftovers! Dessert will be a mini pumpkin pie. (A recipe I found makes a dozen mini pies in muffin cups, no crust. Add some whipped cream on top and wow! the best part of the pie. The rest can stay frozen and pulled out for special treats during the holiday season. Pumpkin pie is my favorite; if I made or bought a whole pie, I'd eat it all in a couple sittings.)

Edited November 24, 2020 by KathieB

[grazhina]

We've always had just a small dinner  for 3, but this year DH went kind of nutty because of covid. A couple of months ago he started splurging on steaks bought online. Then he started buying other frozen foods online. Then he decided we needed a new upright freezer because finding things in the small chest freezer was a pain in the neck. As a result of his frozen food buying binging I have to do very little cooking this Thanksgiving   whoopie!  We're having turkey en croute, baked stuffed potatoes, cheese chive rolls (actually biscuits), and I ordered an Italian rum cake from a local bakery (we can have pumpkin pie any time). I bought a can of cranberry sauce for myself, and I have to make a couple vegetable sides and that's it, just heat the rest in the oven!

[havanaholly]

Our kids are mostly scattered, but the younger two are as paranoid about Covid contagion as we are, and we have the youngest with us.  When the eldest (whom we haven't seen since before we moved to AL nine-plus years ago) called to say he wanted to come for Thanksgiving we made reservations for four at one of our local restaurants for Thanksgiving dinner.  Since the eldest is unlikely to show up (long story, too much drama) we can bring the extra dinner home for "leftovers".  Meanwhile we had what I was originally cooking for Thanksgiving for Sunday dinner; stuffed game hen, stuffed mirlitons, roasted sweet potatoes with bacon and mince pie (it WAS good!)

[Medieval]

I'm coming to eat with you people!

[Mid-life madness]

We usually do a big extended family/ potluck Thanksgiving usually between 20-30 people depending on who is in college or deployed overseas.

This year we are staying in our nest with my 5 members and my mom and brother coming......I get to use my good china since I have enough place settings. I have only used it 2 other times. I'll be the chief cook and bottle washer as the old saying goes. Normal Thanksgiving fare....I will be making my Granny's apple cake and serve it with vanilla ice cream.

[blueirishmoon]

Nothing different this year. I'll be cooking for my parents. Herb roasted turkey, sourdough stuffing, sweet potato casserole with pecan struesel, green peas, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie.