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We've had a lot of great meals over the years, which usually go off without a hitch, relatively speaking.....although one year I tried stuffed turkey breast, which I think disappointed at least a few people--no drumsticks. After over 25 years of marriage and holidays with my family and the inlaws, I've learned to not vary too much on the basic formula and just add one or two unusual dishes at most. This year my sister-in-law hosted and tried to leave mashed potatoes off the menu. She was overruled!

Don't really have a story...just love the opportunity to show off cooking a tasty bird. This year was apple-brined and smoked. Oh. My. Goodness.

This year, after cooking for 2 days in preparation for our family feast, my son "the chef"helped me out and made dessert at his restaurant and brought it home on Wednesday eve. He made a red pear tart with shortbread pastry TO DIE FOR, and the most perfect pumpkin pie that I have ever tasted in my life. I knew he was my favorite child, LOL! Our dinner was wonderful and our dessert was divine.

I am Canadian.... But as a child I actually faked sick on The Thursday, American Thanksgiving. Don't ask me how I knew, but I knew the cartoons were on that day. I can't believe I am say this but having cartoons on a day that wasn't Saturday was a gift.
Of Course kids can see cartoons day and night but this was special for me.

On my first Thanksgiving I over cooked the turkey trying to make sure it was done. Needless to say it was very dry. Then I saw Alton Brown and his brined turkey and tried that, it was great. The next year I did it again but this time it was too salty. This year I found out why. You never brine a Butterball turkey. The self basting of the Butterball turkey is accomplished by injecting it with a salt brine. This year I slow cooked a 14 pounder for four hours at 300 degrees and it was perfect. Live and learn!!!!

Last Thanksgiving was one of my favorites, although I initially expected it to be boring and lonely. I was away at college, and due to a multitude of tests the following week, I decided to forego the trip home in favor of studying. I mentioned this fact to one my coworkers, on whom I happened to have a huge crush. Sure enough, a day later, he called me and invited me to Thanksgiving dinner at his house. All of his friends and family were out of town, so he was also going to be by himself.

I arrived at his house and was greeted with the most delicious aroma you could ever imagine. It turned out that he was an amazing cook. He made a smoked turkey with stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, a green bean dish, and pecan pie. All of it was made from scratch - I saw the dirty dishes in the sink to prove it. It was the most delicious Thanksgiving meal I had ever eaten. (My mom's not much of a cook.)

After dinner and a few glasses of wine, we were watching TV, when he pretty much out of nowhere told me that he liked me. We've been going out ever since, and today is our 1-year anniversary. It's been a tough year for the both of us, as he moved 8000 miles away shortly after we started dating. We're both happy that we've made things work.

My friends and I started the tradition of having an "orphan Thanksgiving" for all of those in our circle who can't be with their families on the day. Everyone brings their own side dish of choice, so you always end up with a wide variety of flavors....everything from squash casserole to spicy rice to grape salad. Yummy!

Going over to my uncles where his wife was trying to cook a turkey for the first time. She put it in the oven still frozen and upside-down - no turkey was to be had that night....

Back in my very early 20's.... My friend's mother was in the hospital, so she and I were going to cook Thanksgiving dinner for all the family and friends...

We did the dips & apps... the veggie side dishes.... turkey in the oven looking wonderful... things are all coming together at the right time and we are doing a great job!

Then somehow the rolls catch on fire while I am making the gravy... I think I have completely repressed the memory of how that happened??? All I remember is the fear that the curtains would catch next and the kitchen was going to go up.....

So there is this whole slapstick routine with the flaming rolls, the water, the smoke & steam and the floating ash... Finally we get back to business. I whip up some bisquick drop biscuits to fill the gap left by the rolls and we get dinner on the table...

It wasn't really until after everyone had plated up and put the gravy boat to work that we realized the skillet had been uncovered during our little diversion and a lot of ash had floated into the gravy.... mmmm mmmm mmm, creamy ash gravy.... a family favorite to this day....

One Thanksgiving I did my best mise-en-place thing, loading up my kitchen counter with all the stuff I'd need to make pumpkin pie. Unfortunately, the can of pumpkin got shoved behind my cookbook stand, and the pumpkin never got included in the pie. I thought the mixture seemed a bit light in color, but all those spices cover a multitude of sins. We discovered the problem during clean up.

my first thanksgiving away from home, i decided the day before to throw together a full feast with my two university roommates (neither of whom can cook). it had all the fixings - a 12lb turkey, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, stuffing... everything turned out amazing and the turkey lasted less than 48 hours before we had eaten every last scrap

Bob Evans once sold my brother the plastic display pie instead of a real pie-and non of us realized it until we tried to cut into it! They were very happy when he called back and returned it for a real pie-apparently the fake pies are very expensive!

the first time that I was allowed to sit at the adults table for thanksgiving with the extended family, I ended up between my great-grandpa, who couldn't hear, and my uncle, who got really loud when he had a drink or two. This ended up with my uncle trying to talk to me, and my great grandpa asking "WHAT" every time I tried to answer. I shut up after about 2 minutes.