Happy Thanksgiving for Those Who Celebrate

[shadowkat]

Watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade via NBC, it's only on NBC this year. Previously CBS or ABC did their own version. So did NY1 - which I can't get on my television due to issues that will hopefully be fixed tomorrow or I will cancel cable. I'm only really getting it for NY1, and a few other things, but I can watch everything else elsewhere, well except for The Thanksgiving Day Parade, but that's no big loss. (It really isn't. Although considering they are all performing in pouring down rain and its in the 40s and 50s in NYC today. Over two months without rain, and it's raining all day today. I'd prefer snow, personally.)

Made the corn muffins for later today. I'm thinking we'll probably eat around 3:30-4pm. It doesn't take that long to make tacos and heat up the tamales and refried beans. Also, I think the pie is pre-made and frozen, so shouldn't take that long to heat up.

I'm doing a Mexican Food Thanksgiving as a change of pace.

Co-worker: What are you doing for Thanksgiving?
Me: Mexican food, tamales (pre-made and frozen - I just have to heat up), chicken tacos. It's nice and easy.
Co-worker: There's a really good restaurant near you. I can give you the number and address -
Me: No, I'm happy with my Thanksgiving menu. I don't want to go to a restaurante or get take out.

I know I'm weird. But I don't like the typical Thanksgiving fare. I did depress myself hunting for a gluten-free pie. There are none at Met Fresh. They have sugar free pies, and regular pies in all flavors known to humans. But gluten-free? Nah.

Wales found one in her area - pumpkin. It's pre-baked. You just thaw over night, or throw in the oven quickly to heat up and it's ready. (I'd have gotten the cranberry/apple, it's better. But she prefers pumpkin and at least it's small.)

It's Raised Gluten Free Vegan Pies. There's two gluten-free orgs that sell pies in my area. One is the Maine Pie Company - their pies are uncooked, and frozen, you take them out and cook. Raised are pre-cooked, and frozen, you defrost and serve. (Or pop in the oven for fifteen minutes and serve.)

My dinner?

Blue corn tacos with grilled chicken slices, homemade quac, homemade salsa, spicy greens and shredded cheese. (I bought everything already done for the - just a lot of heating up or adding to the taco - make your own tacos.)

Refried Beans - heat up

Blue Corn Veggie Tamales - thaw and steam in microwave

Corn Bread Muffins

Chips and homemade salsa.

Desert? Pumpkin pie or Flan

Drink? Margaritas

See? Easy, and non-traditional. And fun.

Mother may out-do me, she's going a friend's family gathering in South Carolina, and they are having Sauerbraten - which is their traditional Thanksgiving dish.

Grateful for?

* Wales
* Mother
* Bro, Sisinlaw, and Niece
* an extended family that did not vote for that horrible reality star
* a well-paying job
* rain (we do need it)
* a nice apartment (if a tad overheated, I have the a/c on, the window open, and the fan on, could be worse - could be freezing like yesterday, when it was 66)
* television working at the moment (it's been off and on lately, hence the reason I have a technician coming tomorrow to fix it.)
* books
* a beautiful world (now if the annoying people would stop polluting it, that would be nice too?)

Comments

[iddewes]

I’m sure your dinner will be good! Happy Thanksgiving!

[shadowkat]

It was, thank you!! Mother's was too - she loved the Sauerbratten - stated the beef was nice and tender, and got to take some home with her, along with some turkey.

[dar_vidder]

Happy Thanksgiving! I love Mexican food so your dinner sounds yummy! I'm glad I don't have any Tr*mp voters in my immediate family either...I didn't realize that was such a rare thing but based on posts people have been making to social media, apparently it is.

[shadowkat]

Yup, it apparently is - Wale's brother and sister are Trumpers, as is sisinlaw's Scientologist cousin. I'm very grateful that my 22 + family members didn't.

And thank you. The food turned out better than expected.

[cactuswatcher]

Happy Thanksgiving!

I got my usual Thanksgiving Cornish hen out this morning to cook it for lunch, and yikes, it was much bigger then usual. I just cooked it longer than the instructions for a large one, came out perfect, but it was big enough to share. Glad I skipped most of the sides this year. No dessert till I'm not quite so stuffed.

[shadowkat]

Wow, yeah I bought one, and it was larger than remembered. After not being able to find any last year - I did find one this year. But chose not to fix it - Wales didn't want it, and I didn't feel like cooking it. Plus I'm tired of poultry (had one too many rotisseri chickens of late).

Glad it went well for you. Did you share any with Sirius? (I think that's your cat's name?)

[cactuswatcher]

Sirius doesn't get to share my food. He'd just be begging for it all the time. (He goes into full begging mode when I buy ground beef in bulk. He can smell it from anywhere in the house. When I divide it up into half pound lots for my future convenience, he gets the bits and scraps that don't make it into the freezer.) But he did get more of his favorite dry food today than normal. He usually gets both regular dry cat food and dry "indoor cat food," which is supposed to be good for him though he doesn't eat it eagerly. But I've run out of the indoor food, and I'm not going to the store till after Black Friday. I'll know tomorrow if he eats more dry food than usual for the whole day.

[shadowkat]

What's the difference between dry indoor and dry outdoor cat food? And interesting - you don't give him wet food.

My brother doesn't feed his cats from his table either - they eat either cat food or whatever they catch outside (mouses and small rodents, apparently they eat everything but the mouse's intestines and stomach, which I found interesting.). [My brother has outdoor coon cats, which are about the size of small dogs.)

[cactuswatcher]

Yes, Sirius does get wet food. But only a heaping spoonful every day. He gobbles that down, and eats his dry food at his leisure. All the vets recommend giving cats some wet food. Some people give their cats only wet food which I think is mistake. You have to feed them several times a day because they can't eat a full day's worth at once and if you leave wet food out out, it will dry out and the cat won't eat it. I feed the cat once a day. He begs for the wet, and follows me around while I put it in his dish. While he's eating that, I give him a small scoop of dry regular cat food, which he'll eat up in the course of the day, and a scoop worth of dry indoor cat food, which he will eat if he gets hungry enough. He often doesn't finish his indoor food, so I just give him enough so he'll have a complete scoop worth the next day, in case he wants it.

[cactuswatcher]

I think the indoor has more plant fiber in it than the regular. It's supposed to help prevent hairballs.

[shadowkat]

Why do they call it indoor vs. outdoor - is it because it's for indoor cats who can't eat the plants outside? Which would explain why cats want to go outside - they need the plant fibers.

[cactuswatcher]

That's my guess. It's at least one reason.

[yourlibrarian]

I watch the Rose Parade each year but never watched the Thanksgiving one as a kid. Some years back I did because of company and was amazed at how commercial it is -- it seemed every float and group and celebrity was a pitch for some company.

Sounds miserable for those poor participants ☹️

I've noticed there is less coverage for the Rose Parade now than there used to be as well. I guess parades don't seem like anything special given all the entertainment options.

[shadowkat]

I remember watching the Rose Parade as a kid as well - my mother loved the floats with all the flowers, because in that parade the rule was every float had to be made of flowers. It was the better parade.

The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade has only become more commercial. The only floats that don't advertise some commercial brand - were NYC organizations such as the NYPD, the Bronx Zoo, and that's about it - everything else was things like Wonder Bread with the Temptations. Plus a lot of marching bands.

I did feel sorry for the dancers though - they kept slipping. It was slick out there, and pouring.

I think the problem with parades now - is partly there are so many of them, and we have so many other things as well.

[ann1962]

FYI I bought gluten free frozen pie crusts from Whole Foods and they were good. Nice to see that option.

We did bagels and lox a few years back for Thanksgiving. Makes it memorable when it's a little different.