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I think Thanksgiving is the only yearly holiday where everything is from scratch on my side of the family. (But there are so many of us!) My MIL though, I think buys frozen beans for the green bean casserole. Sure alittle different, but not bad. Also, she sometimes buys cakes and pies from the store. Which are always good. But hard to compare to my Aunt Michele’s homemade apple and pumpkin pies.

There will be the usual 25 to 30 again this year. Since my husband and I are nearly 78 years old, the women guests will be furnishing some of the side dishes to help me out. The only thing that I can think of that will not be from scratch is the pumpkin (canned will be used) for the pumpkin pie. The potatoes, sweet potatoes, turnips, English peas, carrots, onions, beans, both green and waxed, are all from our garden. The cooked and sieved fresh cranberries for a salad  (recipe is from the 1950 Betty Crocker cookbook)  has become traditional for  over 50 years for all holiday meals. The meats will be the traditional turkey which I cook in my large, old electric roaster, boneless leg of lamb and a ham baked in a brown paper bag. The dressing will be from scratch, I've already baked and dried the bread, cooked the extra chicken, hearts and gizzards.  6 pie crusts are made for real grated and squeezed lemon pie, pumpkin, 2 apple, cherry, pecan. There will be a large from scratch New York style cheese cake, an fresh apple bundt cake and assorted cookies as well as 7 layer salad, homemade rolls, and whatever else the "girls" decide to bring.  The single men will be taking care of a variety of beverages. To buy ready made or boxed products for so many people would be cost prohibitive even if my conscience would allow me to give my guests a meal that I hadn't put my very best effort into.

I want to come to your house it sounds like a Happy Day.  great food.

We asked this to the Facebook Fans this question and here were some of their responses:

This is my favorite scratch cranberry recipe.

Cranberry-Orange Sauce

Prep Time: 30 Minutes

Start to Finish: 1 Hour 30 Minutes

1 bag (12 oz) fresh cranberries

1 1/3 cups sugar

1 tablespoon finely shredded orange peel

1/4 cup water

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/4 cup orange-flavored liqueur or orange juice

1.   In nonreactive 4-quart saucepan, mix cranberries, sugar, orange peel, water and lemon juice. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until juices start to flow and sugar is dissolved.

2.   Increase heat to medium; simmer 6 to 8 minutes longer, stirring occasionally, until cranberries pop. Stir in liqueur. Refrigerate about 1 hour or until completely cooled.

8 servings (1/4 cup each)  

Hi everyone and Happy Thanksgiving,. My Mom is 84 and untill about 15 yrs. ago she always fixed everything for  Thanksgiving dinner for 17 + extended family and friends. Everything was from scratch, even the cranberry sauce. Plus cookies, cakes, & pies. Then I started fixing the dinners and everything but cranberry sauce & sweet potatoes was from scratch, No box stuff. I'am 64, I still like to fix Thanksgiving & Christmas dinners that way, but we've gotten smaller, My brother passed away, my 2 sisters live in other towns and have their own families and our two sons & families are going to their in-laws,:-(. so it will just be My D.H. & me. I will bake a turkey, love those left overs, but other then that, don't know this year. granna2

 Hi CateC.  My dinner is from scratch with two exceptions.  I purchase frozen yeast rolls or cresent rolls and I use the refigerated pie crust in a roll (NOT Frozen). 

Andria, your relish recipe sounds like one I use, but I grind up an apple and an orange in it and add a box of cherry jello. Fresh relish is wonderful.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL

Our dinner is a combination of scratch and convenience foods.  We cook a turkey, make real mashed potatoes, and sweet potatoes.  I make all the pie filling, but use refrigerated pie crusts 'cause mine don't always turn out very well.  We don't like cranberry sauce, so don't use it.  I take Stove Top stuffing, and modify it so it tastes like it was made from scratch.  I make the relish plate and a delicious dip or two for the veggies.  I make dinner rolls if I get the time.  If not, we do without!  Always have real butter for the potatoes and rolls as well.  I can hardly wait for Thursday!