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I am sure I am not alone in this, but each year I host the Thanksgiving dinner inviting friends and family. I provide the main dishes, the turkey, mashed potatoes and the stuffing and assign the rest of the dishes to the guests. I keep the 'assignments' relatively general: bread, salad, drinks, dessert, vegetable, cranberry relish. I find this is a lovely way to enjoy the holidays as we share in different tastes, share in the labor and are able to spend more time enjoying each others company. |
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| Posted by
CarolB on November 20, 2008 11:20 AM |
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for the past few years Shaw's supermarket has offered turkey points--spend a certain amount on a purchase and you get points to put towards a free turkey. can't remember how many points you need, but I'll do all my grocery shopping there and usually walk away with a free turkey at the end of it. |
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| Posted by
pops on November 20, 2008 12:08 PM |
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I used to labor over making my own pie dough, but have found that buying pillsbury dough is just as good. They often have buy one get one free deals and you can freeze them for up to 2 months, so I stock up before the holiday. Can't imagine that I can make my own dough for less. |
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| Posted by
anonymous
on November 20, 2008 2:37 PM |
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From what I understand, a great deal of "holiday cooking" items are loss leaders during the week before Thaknsgiving. I've heard that it is a really good time to "stock up" on items like flour, canned veggies, etc. for the year. |
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| Posted by
anonymous
on November 21, 2008 1:45 PM |
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This year I got my turkey for 29 cents per pound. The dressing will be made with bread I got when it was reduced for quick sale, homemade chicken broth, and veggies and spices. The butternut squash was part of a fall display where I get my hair done and she was throwing them out so I took all 6 and brought them home and cooked them. The cranberries I will make myself using frozen berries I bought last year after the holiday when they were on special. I will make the bread myself and it only takes 90 minutes from start to finish (great recipe). The green bean casserole items I got at Aldi's. Some of that free squash will turn into "pumpkin" pie. And I'll make a strawberry "sour cream" jello salad with berries I froze this summer, jello I got for 20 cents per package, and homemade yogurt. It's much cheaper if you try to make most of it from scratch. |
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| Posted by
anonymous
on November 21, 2008 2:54 PM |
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Go to someone elses house.
Take one or two dishes.
(Going to daughters house this year)
Go to someone out of state--can't take anything.
(have a son in Georgia)
Had thanksgiving at my house for years
now their turn. |
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| Posted by
anonymous on November 21, 2008 4:39 PM |
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I save cornbread leftovers and stale bread in the freezer all year for turkey stuffing.
Green beans are home grown and home canned. Mustard greens are home grown--and these will grow in pots or dishpans if you are limited on space. I do only one dessert--a sugar free pumpkin pie--because I am feeding diabetics. Coupon if I can get them. Red bell pepper instead of pimiento, and the leftover pepper can be frozen. |
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| Posted by
littlepitcher on November 22, 2008 9:40 AM |
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For Small Gatherings:
Since we do not have a large gathering - we are older and not many of us left!
I usually buy a turkey on sale, and have the meat man saw it in half - long ways. Then one half is wrapped and prepared for the freezer and we use the other half on Thanksgiving Day - the other half is used on Christmas Day which saves me from buying more for that holiday. |
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| Posted by
anonymous on November 22, 2008 4:08 PM |
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The local "day-old" bread store is a great place to purchase dinner rolls. Also, hotdog and hamburger buns for July 4th outings. The prices are crazy low for bread, bagels, French bread... |
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| Posted by
Chris H. on November 23, 2008 11:29 AM |
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This might sound very unsentimental, but one year, while helping my sister and nephew move into their new house on Thanksgiving Day, we were too pooped to cook. So we all piled in the car and headed to Perkins. We had a wonderful turkey dinner with all the fixings and everyone got to choose the sides and pie of their choice.
I think we paid about $7 a plate. If you think about it, that's probably less than a home-cooked Thanksgiving feast, we didn't have to cook or do the dishes. Everyone was happy. We all sat down to dinner at the same time. No one worried about whether the beans would be done in time or the rolls had burned. Granted, we didn't have leftovers, but, on the other hand, I STILL have turkey in my freezer from last year that I haven't finished.
It was nice to have the emphasis on family instead of the dinner and cooking. My feeling is, don't sweat it...it's just a meal. |
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| Posted by
Liz in Illinois on November 23, 2008 11:36 AM |
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This year we got our turkey free from Office Depot what a blessing! We got a number of sides free from various sources and went tonight to get the few remaining items and got sticker shock at the grocery store. We are sticking with the food given to us and making the most of what we have! We can stretch it and it will be enough. |
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| Posted by
J on November 23, 2008 9:57 PM |
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We too have gone out to eat on Thanksgiving Day the past few years. My grown kids generally go to their spouse's side so it doesn't pay to make a huge feast for only my husband and youngest daughter. We eat for less than what it would cost to make. Our big holiday meal is Christmas. I plan menus months ahead and then start stocking up on staples. I love to make all sorts of candy and cookies but of course our waistlines don't need it, so I divide it up into treat baskets for gifts, leaving just enough to snack on Christmas Day. I also include a loaf or two of homemade bread. Everyone loves it and feels they are getting something substantial.I get to bake and make people smile! A win-win combination! |
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| Posted by
Michelle from Iowa on November 24, 2008 8:12 PM |
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Well this year is different. My son moved to Tn., my 1 daughter is in Tx., helping her X mother-n-law, because of a death in the family, and my other daughter is going to the woods with her family for Thanksgiving. So my Hubby & I are having our own dinner at home.
So we are putting our Turkey in the electric roasting oven, the green bean casserole & potato casserole in our 6 1/2 qt. divided slow cooker, the made-a-day ahead stuffing in the oven on low. The made-a-day ahead cole slaw is in the fridge ready to eat. We will relax pretty much all day, (except for what is left to get ready for the Garage Sale we are having on "Black Friday"), and when we are good and ready, we will eat when we want to. And probably not on the good plates.
This will also save quite a bit on electric, which when you look at it, is the best savings of all. The food was pretty much bought with store coupons, so that saved too. Next year, we will probably go back to our normal lives, but this year is when the savings in needed, and will be used to it's full extent.... |
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| Posted by
snosgirl on November 25, 2008 1:31 PM |
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to save money and time I begin buying my stuff for next year after the holidays,
after the holidays I buy the foil,cooking bags and disposable pans,I find a turkey breast tenderloin on sale during the new year and put it in my deep freezer.
During the end of summer I chop up my celery,apples and green onion on sale and freeze for my stuffing.
I buy the rest of my items the week or so before thanksgiving when they are marked down..like rolls,cranberry sauce,gravy mix, boxed mashed potatoes,stuffing mix etc with coupons at walmart. I of course thou splurge on the perfect bakery pie from our local bakery or marie calenders restaurant.
This way My turkey just pops into into a cooking bag and in the baking dish,my veggies are already chopped and ready to sautee for stuffing, my potatoes are instant as is my gravy,my relish is done and ready to chill, as is my rolls and pie, add a homemade plate of veggies and olives and your really done.
all the pans are disposable,and because they were bought after the holidays they were dirt cheap. not alot of pans to wash....only for my stuffing,potatoes(often I make homemade thou) and gravy,and they all fit nicely in my dishwasher.
plus due to the size of my turkey tenderloin and sides, there are only 2-3 days of leftover turkey and sides instead of endless days of leftovers.any leftover fresh veggies are turned into an easy crock pot stew at the end of the week. |
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| Posted by
anonymous on December 31, 2008 4:37 PM |
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I go to a family members house for Thanksgiving dinner. However there are no left overs because there are so many people, so what i do is to buy a small turkey on the day after thanksgiving. It's always really cheap and I cook it up right away for left overs. I also buy extra turkeys' to cook up ASAP. I debone them right after they are cooked, and put the cooked meat in the freezer. I bought 4-6 turkeys' and saved alot of money per lb. Cooking them and debonning them right away saves alot of room in my apartment size freezer. Then, I eat them all winter long. I also use the cacuses for soup which i also freeze right away. |
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| Posted by
judy on January 21, 2009 12:03 PM |
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In the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving I start to buy the ingredients for dinner. There are always some great sales and buy one get one for things like pie crust, pumpkin, cranberries,etc. The non perishable items that can really add up.
Where I live there also great deals on turkeys. I have never paid more than $10 for a turkey and I get one that is at least 22 pounds. Most super markets will offer them cheap with say a purchase of $25 or more. The week of I buy the perishables. I also stock up on the non perishables when they are a screaming deal. You know they will last at least a year.
Always shop the stores weekly specials! But only buy what you usually use! Don't get sucked in! |
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| Posted by
anonymous
on April 09, 2009 5:28 PM |
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