Survival Plans for Thanksgiving 2022

 

Last night John told his brother, who had asked if they might come for Thanksgiving, that he'd love to have him here.  He then said he'd let us know if they decided to come. So, we are up in the air with plans, but we are committed to being home now regardless of what they decide.   

 I've made plans to follow this year and make things easier on myself.

I've been thinking of the menu.  

I'm not going to make a turkey and a chicken, stuffing and dressing, three types of potatoes, two other casserole vegetables, three different cranberry sauce items, pumpkin pie and four other requested desserts.  Every year for as long as I can remember Mama has insisted on having those extras thrown in reminding me that she doesn't like this or that and every single year she eats everything, including the things she says she doesn't like and takes home a plate of things she 'doesn't like'.  I figure this year she'll survive just fine if I make what John wants.  

John likes turkey, stuffing, canned cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie.  Our compromise item is sweet potatoes. I like the crunchy top and he likes marshmallows.  I do a pan of them half and half.  That works well for us.  I've noted that when we have people join us, they are pretty equally divided on which topping they prefer.  He'd probably like to have mashed potatoes too, but I think Sweet Potatoes will be enough.  Green Bean Casserole will be included.  If someone feels they simply must have something more, I'll let them know they are welcome to bring it.  

I have a turkey breast in the freezer that I bought last Easter.   Since I'm not sure who will be here or how many I'm feeding, I'm just going to plan for the turkey breast to be the turkey, unless I know in time that it won't be enough.  Kroger's preview ad shows that the store brand turkey will be 49c a pound with digital coupon and loyalty card this coming week.  I'll get one to put in the freezer and if we need a bigger turkey, I'll at least have it on hand.  It never hurts to have turkey in the freezer, does it?  I pretty much have all else we need on hand right now to prepare my holiday menu items as stated above.

Frankly, I'm glad I have all the foods we'll need on hand already because November so far has been busy and expensive for us as well.  Using what I have will keep our budget intact.

I'll buy disposable pans for oven baked items.  I'll double up or set them up in baking pans if I have to in order to get the sturdiness I require, but I am trying to eliminate as much washing up after dinner as I can.    

Last year's cleaning up after dinner was hard, especially after cooking for hours and having to go get Mama and bring her here as well.   This year, I'll have to do the same trip times two, as well as cook and clean.  So, I'm going to use disposables for all the items I possibly can.

I'm going to buy a set of food storage pieces so I can store what leftover foods we have in reasonable portions for two and not pack them in my casseroles.  I was short of containers last year and things got frozen in huge amounts.  I had to thaw big portions of food and then figure out how to use them once they were thawed. If there are any leftovers this year to be frozen, I want them in portions suitable for two, not ten.  I can buy some disposable or even a proper set of storage containers reasonably enough.

My ultimate aim is to not have so very many leftovers.  I'll just add here though that it will be John who complains of too few leftovers.  I'm quite serious.  He likes the leftovers as much as he does the meal.  That's why I'll probably be buying another turkey or two while we're in the season.

 Jd's kids complained they were hungry late that evening.  In our family it's always been tradition that we eat leftovers of the big meal, and I'd encouraged them to eat from those around 6pm. They acted like I'd suggested they go eat dog food from a dirty bowl.  

Well one of them went whining to Jd about 8pm and John got rather snippy with me about not making them a whole new meal.  I was still cleaning up at that point. Last year, everyone left, sat and talked, etc. and I was left cleaning up dishes for hours after a day that had been too long already.   I suggested he make peanut butter sandwiches for them. We had words over it later that night, too.  Honestly John is a thoughtful person for the most part, but I do a whole lot he never notices.  He quietly went into the kitchen after each meal the next two days though and washed dishes and wiped off counters.  I deeply appreciated his help and said so. 

 But I am not planning a repeat of that whole scene.  It was a stupid way to have the day end and I resented the heck out of it at the time.  Not harboring ill feelings over it now but I am aware that if we have a houseful of guests come (and who knows?!  No one ever says...) this is a potential for a repeat of last year.  Disposables will eliminate a lot of that work.  Planning ahead to NOT have leftovers for supper will help too.  

I will get some sandwich meat, sliced bread because they don't eat homemade, chips, etc.  Everyone is old enough to manage to make their own sandwiches.   Hopefully it will ease stresses and strains.

My kitchen rules remain pretty hard and fast, however.  I think 8pm is a late hour to eat dinner and the children will just have to adjust their minds to that fact and eat a bit earlier.  They can all clean up behind themselves as well.  It's easy enough to throw away a paper plate and put your cup in the sink.

There's not much I can do about that super casual open-ended yes/no attitude.  It's one that runs on that side of the family and I'm not likely to break any of them of the habit.  I haven't in 30 years.  It is what it is and while I personally prefer fewer open 'plans' I'm odd woman out on that score.  

I want more than anything to be gracious to any who choose to come but I do feel it's my option to state a time limit on visits.  John's brother will be traveling a very long distance if they come and is older than John.  I know they often have long stays with others.  While I wouldn't want them to rush over and then turn around and rush back, I don't think it's unreasonable to suggest that a week-long visit is quite enough.   

Jd lives in state and is just a few hours away.  I'd love to spend time with him and the kids, but it would be quite a struggle to juggle multiples of guests over a long weekend and that's the truth.  Not to mention the strain of preparing food for an extra 8 people.   Because if Jd and kids are here it's inevitable that the children from across the field will be here as well and then the in-laws, too.

All that to say that just because others have no set times for arrival or departure, I will help plan the departures in as nice a way as possible.  I think it only fair that I be allowed to set a few limits.

And last but not least, I am just going to chill.  I would like very much to KNOW who will be here for Thanksgiving and who has other plans but so far everyone seems satisfied to know that we are to be home to host if they might choose to come.  I'd like to KNOW who plans to stay and for how long instead of it being an open ended, "Might stay a few days after,".  These are not answers that are forth coming.  So I'll just wait and see what develops and try to take it all on the chin.

Those are my holiday 2022 plans...How are you faring?