So, what about this year?
We are having 25-30 family folks over, all vaxxed to the maxxed. Mostly outside, though this year it might actually be really nice out. Again, sorry to those elsewhere, or to my gathering last year where the high was in the low 60’s, brrrr!
Might be as high as 75 degrees this year.
Still telling people 1PM so as to eat at 2PM, then it’s not completely dark when they leave (everyone lives at least 25 miles from us).
Anywho, everyone contributes pot luck (or “covered dish” in some parts of America), two turkeys (we only make one), ham, tons of fixin’s, craft beer, estate wines, pies. No football game, as the pool takes up a lot of the backyard, and there is a sloping hill for the rest of it.
Fire pit will be on, so there’s that.
Now, I’m reading up on turkey roasting, and some have the idea to use a flat baking sheet, with low sides? I’m thinking, “um, drippings”? The roasting pan we use has a rack that is pretty high up so that the bottom of the turkey still gets the heat.
Now, I like science as much as the next guy, so, maybe when we have a smaller gathering at Christmas (only 19). And spatchcocking has several benefits, so maybe that at Christmas as well.
Was guilted into joining one family, 9 people, all vaccinated. Historically we’ve visited both families on Thursday/Friday, but due to COVID and one family being devoutly anti-vax we have absolutely refused. Still dreading Christmas where we got guilted into seeing the anti-vax family. They still don’t believe there was really a pandemic, it was just a bad flu or something.
We were going to get my partner in for the flu and COVID booster shots but they contracted a cold on one of our rare outings, so we decided just to wait until after Thanksgiving. Definitely getting both before the in-laws
We had a small get together with the surviving members of my family when Thanksgiving rolled around last month.
(Yes, I’m in the US. But I convinced my family some time ago that it made more sense to do Thanksgiving on a Canadian schedule, because of how nasty travel tends to get for the November date.)
We are having a gathering of 11. I know that at least 9 are vaxxed but most of us not boostered. My sis has an in-law and step son coming and I don’t know their vax status. We’ll be indoors.
Staying at home, just 5 of us. The oldest will be working this holiday. It will be the oldest son’s birthday on Thanksgiving, so he gets to choose dinner. I think it’s beef stew this year. We never do turkey and such because the kids hate it. (No, I don’t know what’s wrong with them.) Probably a trip through the park to see the lights, maybe we’ll sit near the multimedia dazzling light display that’s up every year and hear it once. Or, maybe we won’t because 3,000 vehicles will be trying to get in there, too.
No shopping the day after or into the weekend. I think we’re pretty much done with Christmas shopping, anything else we need to get we can find whenever.
14 at my house this year. All vaxxed except my niece and her kids. They have all had and recovered from Covid though which I know isn’t as good as a vaccine but with everyone else vaxxed and no one at high risk, I don’t worry much about it.
SO splits the food prep with me so it’s a light duty year for me.
Not sure yet. We have a new placement and he might get to spend the day with his dad.
Having a small dinner with immediate family (either 4 or 5 depending on how above pans out). Might drop by a sibling thanksgiving after that for dessert and awkward family venting.
My larger family is having a meal on Friday or Saturday. We had originally been disinvited because my grandparents weren’t comfortable being around my not-fully-vaxxed kids, but now they aren’t going, so we might. All TBD.
One daughter is flying in from far away.
One sister is driving in from not as far away.
Other than that, it’ll just be my wife and me.
If I’m making the turkey, and I am, this is how I’m doing it.
