No news to report around here, so I'll bore you with our Thanksgiving plans. The Pony will be coming out to join us for the holiday meal. He's fortunate to have two days off in a row, since his usual day off is Wednesday. As The Pony says, the Friday after Thanksgiving will be Not-Heaven. But he will be fresh from two days off, and a hearty meal, plus leftovers to take home for a quick supper on Friday.
Hick once again has requested ham for Thanksgiving. I prefer turkey, but The Pony doesn't care. So ham it is. Also, I like a "fresh ham," as my mom called it. Not a smoked ham. And I like the bone-in version. But Hick doesn't want the bone. He says you're paying for the bone. I think he's not so much a cheapskate as he doesn't like carving around the bone, even with a spiral ham.
Anyhoo... I got two kinds of ham. They're portions lopped off a regular bone-in ham, not one of those "cheap" hams like stores give away for certain promotions. The kind that's an oval of smoked pressed meat. Not appetizing to me. I got a smoked version, and also a honey-baked version. I'm pretty sure Hick and The Pony will snatch up the honey-baked version first, despite Hick's alleged preferences.
Hick and The Pony said I could prepare fewer dishes, to make it easier on me. About the only thing I'm leaving out are green bean bundles (very time-intensive), and hash brown casserole (not even that hard to prepare). Our tentative menu is:
Ham
Stuffing (Stove-Top brand, as preferred by The Pony)
7 Layer Salad (because I want it, even though it takes time to make)
Vegetables (potatoes, carrots, onions) roasted with bacon on top
Sister Schubert's Rolls
Cheese variety for sandwiches
Store-bought desserts
I am vacillating on making deviled eggs. The Pony and Hick love them. I will be boiling eggs anyway for the 7 Layer Salad. The Pony will be picked up by Hick on Thursday morning, to come out and help me with last-minute preparations. So with him fetching me the ingredients, it won't be too much of a hardship to make the deviled eggs. I can sit and peel eggs and stir up the filling. I have not yet floated this plan to The Pony, but I'm sure it's worth the fetching effort to feast on deviled eggs, and have some to take home.
Most of my prep can be done on Wednesday. I'll make sure Hick slices the ham portions, so they only have to be warmed in the oven while the rolls bake on Thursday. The vegetables will be baked on Wednesday morning, so they will only need warming, and the bacon can be used to top the 7 Layer Salad. The salad will be constructed on Wednesday evening. So there should be a couple hours on Thursday for The Pony and me to make the deviled eggs. I'd like to bake The Pony an Oreo cake, but that will be for Christmas, when Genius is here. The older I get, the less I feel like standing and cooking and cleaning up.
I was going to ask if Genius is coming but I see he is coming for Christmas! I love ham too, we have had a hard time finding the bone in hams these last couple of years. We're not a turkey family outside of Canadian Thanksgiving or American Thanksgiving. Your menu looks delicious!
ReplyDeleteIt's a long drive for Genius to get here from Pittsburgh. He usually has several Thanksgiving dinners, hosted by his assorted friend group there.
DeleteLast year I think we had a spiral ham, and it was great. Hick acts like it's such a hardship to slice a ham around the bone, when he should be doing cartwheels considering he doesn't have to lift a finger for anything else, except to EAT when I have everything done.
I like turkey, both the dark and white meat. I like making a turkey pot pie with the leftovers, which Hick certainly seems to enjoy. Now I won't even have a ham bone to make some beans.
After our Thanksgiving dinner, I'll show pictures of the food. I'm pretty sure they will look identical to the other pictures of our Thanksgiving meals, since we always have the same thing!
Judy feels the same as you. 'Course, she's older but she says after cooking for 70+ years, she's lost the thrill. But she still gets fired up for the holidays - Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter - and has her traditional recipes. We've had roast pork loin for T-day for as long as I remember, as well as ham for Christmas. I still love both and don't really miss the turkey anymore. She doesn't care for it and I don't make any demands for it so there you are. A turkey has been saved from the chopping block!
ReplyDeleteGenius made roast pork loin one year for Thanksgiving. Not sure what he's making this year. He's always loved cooking.
DeleteI like making the foods my family loves. It's easier now that I'm retired, but harder now to stand for long in the kitchen. After about an hour, I'm clinging to counters and the cutting block. Then the next day, I'm all crippled-up. At least I'll have The Pony to fetch things for me, and by doing some of it the day before, I can give my knees rest periods.
The Christmas Chex Mix is going to take a toll on me!
I only want the turkey breast. But, if someone cooks, I could eat ham or pork loin.
ReplyDeleteIt will have taken two weeks to get this all done. I cling to the counters immediately! I don't have to work up to excruciating pain in my back. We will have enough dishes for Thanksgiving. We are not leaving off things we love-turkey breast, gravy dressing, rolls, homemade cranberry sauce and jelled cranberry sauce, pies, green bean casserole, deviled eggs, and anything else I can cook.
Yes, if someone else cooked it, I would try almost anything. Except oysters. Sounds like you will have a delicious feast.
DeleteAll that work is one reason I'm glad we don't do Thanksgiving. Christmas is bad enough, though I don't do anything for that either. My kids do the shopping and cooking and all I do is bring along my appetite. And any gifts I've bought.
ReplyDeleteChristmas is definitely harder for me, because of a tight schedule when Genius can be here. I'm stuck in the kitchen while Hick chats in the living room. I can hear them, but I'm too busy to join in.
DeleteIt's good that you live close enough to your kids that you can see them more than a couple times a year.