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Mashed potatoes! And the warm homemade yeast rolls (I hear you, Traveller -- mine are not near as good as my father's!), homemade whole cranberry sauce, and pie, pie, pie.

Teachertalk, I love your idea of a secret treat for the cook -- so much so that I'm going to do it this year myself. My father used to very secretively slice off a piece of the thigh from the underside of the bird for he and I to share when no one else was in the kitchen.

My mom's oyster dressing is my favorite part of Thanksgiving. MAN, it is soooo good with gravy poured all over the top. This recipe actually was given to my mom from my paternal grandmother who passed 30 some years ago. My parents have since split, but we still get to enjoy that oyster dressing each year. Actually, there was a movement in my family to retire that recipe several years ago. My mom got remarried to a man with 4 kids. They of course have their own dressing preference. My step-dad is an awesome cook and that first Thanksgiving we all spent together, he prepared a majority of the food and we of course had "THEIR" stuffing. My brother's and sister were mortified! Where was the oyster dressing????? Well, needless to say that was the one and only Thanksgiving with out it. Now we simply have 2 different kinds. Yummy, just talking about it is making me hungry!!!

Oh I love the whole thing! It's by far my favorite meal to cook. My favorite moment is right when everyone's been served, whole family and friends all around the table, and I'm staring down a plate of turkey and beautiful sides (I do different ones every year), and cranberry sauce, and just about to dig in. The best! I also love making all the desserts and presenting them -- everyone says they're too stuffed, but then they magically finish the desserts anyway. I love it!!!!

softsecret: you may be right, I know already I'm gonna miss the left overs and the creative things you can do with them for the next week.

Great thread - missed it on the 18th, so I'm glad it turned up in "recently commented on"

@toferburl: Hi there. I live in Essex.

my name comes from a river in Vermont named the Lemonfair. No one knows how it got its name, but I prefer one of the possibilities, that it comes from "les monts verts," since we're the Green Mountain state. So this is my little way of saying I'm a Vermonter.

I just made this - and almost ate the entire bowl myself. Wow. Delicious. For me, Kristin never disappoints. I ate it in a warmed whole wheat pita pocket with parmesan cheese. Great.

My family has two great (but kind of bizarre) ham recipes:

Ham through the chopper: which is, essentially exactly what it sounds like. Cubed ham, pulsed through a blender or processor until its teensy, mixed with blended/chopped onion and green pepper, a dollop of mayo and a tangy, spicy mustard, and some pepper. Spread it on sandwiches, bagels, crackers, whatever. It's great with more mustard slathered on.

Ham and rice: again, it's exactly what it sounds like. Melt half a stick or more of butter (don't use margarine, it's just not the same!) and warm cubed ham for 5-10 mins -- the butter and ham each take each other's flavors. Mix with 2-3 cups of fluffy white rice and melt the other half of the stick of butter in to taste. I think we like it because of the salty ham mixed with the butter, but, it's nice and simple and cheap!

You could dice it and add it to split pea soup.

My favorite-ham salad. Chop up ham rather small chop, likewise with some onions, add mayo and lotsa fresh ground black pepper and a touch of mustard if you like. Stir and enjoy, or better yet, let it chill overnight and the flavors have chance to mingle.

Maille is what all the best Chefs in the world use. Dijon, stone ground, you name it - Maille wins.

A Hole in One!!!! My grandfather used to make these for me when I was a very little girl, visiting him in Lancaster, PA. He was not a golfer. He was first-generation American of Swedish descent, who had grown up in Salt Lake City, Utah.

After participating in this thread a few days ago, I came across this great website, and have already placed an order for some exotic mustards:

http://www.mustardmuseum.com/

Kosciusko Beer mustard is also wonderful.