Getting Ready For Thanksgiving

This has been a really different kind of year for us.  Lots of doctor appointments, calls to EMS and health issues for my husband.  He had a stroke September of 2023 and life has not been the same for either of us since.  Add in a few extenuating circumstances of life and it’s actually been a very difficult year for us both. 

But we’re thankful for so much. I have made it a habit to count my blessings frequently through the week and to offer up praise to the Lord daily. He has not been silent in all of this, He has spoken through His Word, His people and our circumstances.  

We had Thanksgiving last year but looking back I feel like I was walking through that holiday and Christmas in my sleep. This year is better, I’m more with-it, more present. 

Today I am getting things ready for Thanksgiving Day. We have our bunch coming and 4 extras. 18 in total which is not the biggest Thanksgiving meal I’ve prepared but it’s plenty big enough.

Two of my sons are getting a table and extra chairs from the place I used to work today. I’ll put the chairs and table in the hallway til Thursday. My house is LITTLE y’all but we usually make it work.

I have the turkeys defrosting. I didn’t realize how good that cooler is. They’ve been in it with some ice since Wednesday, it’s now Saturday and they’re still frozen!  So I’ll work on getting them thawed so I can brine them starting Monday.

Yesterday I washed and prepped all the vegetables that I’ll be using for Thursday’s meal. I usually chop the onions and celery too at the same time but I just washed and trimmed everything. I’ll chop them Tuesday.  I use the food processor for that.

I also cooked some collard greens yesterday. We ate some last night and some for lunch today. They are so very good!  The rest will go in the freezer til Thursday. I’ll reheat them while the gravy is making.

Another thing I do ahead is boil eggs for stuffed eggs. That’s “deviled eggs” for most of you. I don’t mind calling them deviled eggs. Deviling is simply a cooking term for mixing things up really well. But my sweet mother-in-law called them stuffed eggs and I guess it stuck with me.  Anyway I will boil the eggs and separate the whites from the yolks, make the stuffing and put it all in the fridge unassembled. I’ll assemble them Thursday.

I use the Traditional Turkey Brine most years, this year as well. If you make it ahead of time, you can heat the water to dissolve the salt better and the brine has time to cool off. You don’t want to put hot brine on your turkey.

I’ve made dressing today and corn casserole for one of my daughters. She has a company Thanksgiving this Sunday she’s taking food to.  We had some chia seed pudding for lunch. I made it yesterday and we added some frozen fruit to it.

To make the pudding I used 1/2 cup almond milk and 2 1/2 tablespoons of chia seeds, 1 teaspoon of maple syrup and put it all in small jars. I shook it like crazy and refrigerated it. After a couple of hours I shook it again. It was really tasty with the frozen mixed fruit.

I’ll start cooking our meal in earnest come Tuesday. I’ll bake pies,  bake sweet potatoes, chop veggies and put together the dressing to refrigerate til Thursday.

On Wednesday I’ll smoke two small turkeys and roast the big one. After they’re done I’ll carve them up and put them in broth in big pans in the fridge. They’ll reheat nicely on Thursday while I’m baking the casseroles.

That’s my coming week. I hope you’re having a pleasant time getting ready for your Thanksgiving. I’d love to hear from you so please feel free to leave a comment for me.

Let all that you do be done in love. 1 Corinthians 16:4

Do all things without grumbling or disputing Philippians 2:14

Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men,  knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve. Colossians 3:23-24