Thanksgiving Menu Planning

We thought we were going to be alone on Thanksgiving until my DIL in the Albany area asked me about it. She usually takes turns alternating between her sister and us for Thanksgiving. It was her turn to go to her sister’s. But because we were going to be all alone, they decided to spend Thanksgiving with us. I am truly grateful that she, my son, and granddaughter are going to come for a few days and spend it with us. We spent a few Thanksgivings alone and it just wasn’t the same.

So I want to make it wonderful for them but simple.
As I get older, it is hard to do all that work without a plan which includes doing many things in advance. 

So I made up my menu a few weeks ago and I have been slowly picking up things as I see them going on sale. 

Our menu is:

Turkey – Done
Gravy- Done
Mashed Potatoes – Done
Sausage Herb Stuffing – Done
Niblet Corn – Done
Broccoli Spears – Done
Pickles and Olives – Done
Pumpkin Pie – Done
Apple Pie – Done
Vanilla Bean Ice Cream- Done
Chocolate Milk
Ice Water – Done
Moscato Wine
Rum and Coke – Done
Beer – Done
Coffee with Flavored Syrups and Creamer – Done

As I bought the necessary items on sale, I marked them off of the list above. I purchased my almost 20 lb. turkey last Friday at Aldi’s for $ .87 a lb. 

I have everything I need in my stockpile to make the gravy and mashed potatoes. I purchased the herb seasoned stuffing cubes last week. I have plenty of butter, chicken stock, onions, celery, spices, and sausage to make the stuffing.

The broccoli and corn are in the chest freezer. The pickles and olives are in the pantry.

I purchased my pie crusts for both of the pies. I hate making my own and this is a time saver for me. I do have the apples, butter, sugars, and spices to make the apple pie. The cans of pumpkin, evaporated milk, sugar, eggs, and spices to make the pumpkin pie are all in the stockpile. The vanilla bean ice cream is to go with the pies. But it is also to make an ice cream sundae if my granddaughter desires one. I have chocolate syrup, whipped topping for the sundae and the pies, maraschino cherries, nuts, and sprinkles.

So I need to pick up the Moscato wine and milk for dinner and I am done purchasing everything. I have the beer and rum and Coke for drinks. 

I was going to have cranberry sauce but quickly figured out that no one liked it but me and I don’t eat anything that has sugar anymore. I was going to put rolls on the menu but decided that the stuffing, mashed potatoes, corn, and pies were more than enough carbs.   

I promised Alexa that I would make more cinnamon swirl bread(I brought some out on our trip and she loved it.), chocolate chip muffins and cookies for when they come too. Those things will all be made a week or so before they come and I will freeze them until we need them.

The pies will be made and baked the day before Thanksgiving. The rest I can handle on Thanksgiving day.  

I have a copy of the menu list above and will use it to mark what times I need to start things that day and cross them off the list as I do them. 

It is looking like the lowest price for turkeys in our area is going to be $ .48 a lb. at Wegman’s.  Top’s will price match that price. So I will decide whether to price match 2 at Top’s or spend $.87 a lb. for 2 more Butterball at Aldi’s. Once I have the 20 lb. one out of my freezer and in my fridge, I will make a decision and pick up at least two more turkeys. We continue to eat out of our freezer so that I have the room. I may even pick up a third one, roast it, and food saver the meat. I will never get such a low price on meat until next Thanksgiving.

In other news, with the exception of cash flowing three gift envelopes, all of my Christmas shopping is done and wrapped. I will go to the bank and get the cash for those gifts right after Thanksgiving for our family in Rochester. I took all of the gifts but one to Albany with me for that family. Alexa’s last gift arrived a few days ago, is wrapped, and ready to go home with them after Thanksgiving.  

Soon we will be hunkering down for the winter. It has been snowing all day here and we are supposed to get more tonight. The slower days of winter especially after the holidays will give me more time to blog. I will be taking some time off the blog while my family is here. I am so looking forward to that.

Starting in December, I will start telling you about our goals for 2020 and the direction the blog will take next year. I have tons of ideas.

In the meantime, I would love to know what the lowest price for turkeys are in your area. Feel free to leave a comment and share them.