Kids Dish

Holy crap, how did Thanksgiving get to be two weeks away? This year it looks like the crowd’s going to be significantly smaller than years past. Right now it looks like we’ll have just about a dozen people, though my brother-in-law and his wife (and baby) usually arrive late and have already eaten Thanksgiving dinner earlier in the day. Not that it stops them from eating more, but they don’t eat as much as everyone else. My mother-in-law is working this year and I’m not sure if my sister-in-law and her fiance will eat with us or her fiance’s parents. The smaller numbers means I pre-ordered an enormous turkey when a large turkey would have sufficed. *problem solved! I called and changed the order and the farm was accommodating*

Aside from the turkey which I already know will be brined, stuffed and roasted, it’s time to start planning the menu. I’d like to keep the menu as local as possible, using vegetables bought from local farms. The potatoes and sweet potatoes should be easy. Pumpkins or other winter squash and apples are also easy. I slacked on preserving green beans, eating them instead, so I don’t have any of those and I know from last year that my family doesn’t love Brussels sprouts. Broccoli should still be available, so that’s an option for a green veggie. Everything else is up for grabs. Cranberries should be around and I know I’ll have no trouble getting local bread for stuffing.

Based on previous years I know there’s no point in trying any new, interesting recipes. No one in my husband’s family cares too much about the sides as long as they are warm, sweet or salty and filling. Last year I tried a few new vegetable recipes and they were practically untouched, so I’ll keep it simple this year. I’m still missing my chest freezer. I don’t know how I’m going to manage cooking in advance with no place to keep everything.

Frugal Mania is trying to feed a family of five for $30 this Thanksgiving. I have a feeling my expenditures will easily quadruple that. It’s a good thing my dad’s bringing the wine!