Louisa Cornell, ladydawgfan, KateS and Kelly Ryan are the winners of Fun Contest Saturday!
Lori Austin's (aka Lori Handeland) An Outlaw in Wonderland has been named one of Publisher Weekly's Best Summer Books of 2013!!
A big CONGRATULATIONS to Goddesses Lori Austin (Lori Handeland) and Sabrina Jeffries for being named as RITA finalists for their historical romances BEAUTY AND THE BOUNTY HUNTER and A LADY NEVER SURRENDERS!
Sign up for our newsletter by filling out the JOIN OUR NEWSLETTER form in the right column of this page!
Every year, the holidays stress me out, but not for the reasons you probably think. I’m not traveling anywhere, I don’t have that many gifts to buy. What stresses me out is the food. I am a champ at eating, but I suck at making it.
First stressor is Thanksgiving. We like a formal dinner with table cloths and crystal, fine foods and wine. I have to bring something, and I always bring the booze. I don’t want to be the one who brings the booze, but someone has to do it, I am always assigned it, because there is absolutely no confidence from any quarter that I can bring a dish worthy of our Thanksgiving table. I mean a dish with fancy edible food in it. I want to bring a dish, I want to be that person. But I’m not yet.
Then comes the Christmas parties. Once again, everyone brings gourmet holiday delights, usually in the form of divinity, or Christmas tree cheesecakes, and I bring the booze. “Yeah!” says everyone when I show up with my bottles of wine. “Anh,” I think when I offer them up. I want to bring the cakes shaped like Santa. I want to be the one to whip up the meat stewed in beer and spooned into artisan bread with a dollop of cheese on top. But I don’t, because I don’t know how to stew meat in beer, and I definitely do not know where to buy artisan bread. If it’s not in plastic, it’s nowhere on my radar.
And finally, there is Christmas. This the meal where we have all the family favorites, dishes handed down for generations. Some are good. Some are really just not. Some of it is out of a can (cranberry sauce) because we didn’t know it came any other way. If you guessed that I bring the booze, you’d be right. I would really like to be the one to bring a healthy alternative to the jello mold, or the garlic-cheese mashed potatoes, or the English pea salad swimming in mayo. But I am pretty sure no one wants the bland potatoes I make at home (steamed), so I somehow soldier through the garlic-cheese mashed potatoes. I choke down the pies and cakes and cherry pudding. I take a deep breath and swallow chunks of my mom’s homemade rolls.
I am already stressing about Thanksgiving, trying to think of something, anything, that I could manage. I know many of you will offer recipes, but I think I should warn you–one of the reasons I am no good at the food thing is because I have no patience for it, and no equipment to make it. I don’t know where my pans are, and I’m not sure what all the buttons on my oven are for. If the ingredient list is more than five items, forget it–I develop a mad case of ADD. I said I want to be that person who brings the good food. But I didn’t say I want to make it 
.
What stresses you out about the holiday season? What is your family gathering forte? Do you bring food or booze, do you host or do you attend, and what are you looking forward to most this year?
85 Comments on “And the Stress Begins”
You can track this conversation through its atom feed.
I used to do the whole she-bang–from soup to nuts, although we never have soup or nuts. Now DD#2 has the honors using recipes passed down from her great grandmothers. I’ll help with my gravy because I’m the only one who likes giblet gravy, and stirring the pudding for the butterscotch pie, but she does everything else. She seems to enjoy doing it. The thing that stresses me out the most for the holidays is knowing what to buy for the girls. They’re the only ones I have to shop for besides Leia the Grand, but getting a list from them is difficult.
~Donna
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 6:44 am.
Gift giving is hard these days as everyone has everything they want, right?
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 9:58 am.
The holiday season stresses me because I have become the go-to person for having everything. As my house is extremely small, I’m not sure how this happened.
Luckily everyone brings something and I only have to make the main course. I am a whiz at turkey, and I can buy steak and tell IV to grille it like no one’s business.
When I attend gatherings I am usually told to bring a vegetable tray. I have a feeling they don’t want me dragging hanks of meat through the door.
Right now I’m looking forward to Thanksgiving mostly because I haven’t seen youngest son since he walked out the door for college in August.
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 7:41 am.
Ah, the homecoming! That’s always fun to see relatives. I have a niece I don’t get to see much, and she’ll be there. She’s a gourmet cook, too, so that works out for all of us
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 9:59 am.
I’m so glad in Canada, we have Thanksgiving in Oct, so there is plenty of time between.
I’m not a big party person, so really the big ones are our annual Christmas Eve family get-together and big Christmas dinner on the day. pretty much the same people for both do’s.
I like being the hostess, but my apt is much too small to hold the 16 or so family members. So when it is my sis’s turn to host the party(we alternate between 3 homes), I get to get fancy( with her money too!hahaha).
we have tourtierre (french Canadian meat pie) that our late mom always made. I was taught the method for yrs before I could take it over. I always make a cheesecake dessert, and cookies. I bring out my special recipes for checkerboard cookies-chocolate and vanilla shortbread stacked and sliced before baking so it lolls like a mini chekerboard -and other family favs.
I stay at my sis’s for Christmas (even tho I live only 15 mins away) and Deb and I cook two turkeys, a 10lb bag of potatoes to mash, a 5lb bag of carrots to cook, a few turnips…you get the idea. a TON of food! She does the turkeys, I do everything else and then we die when everyone goes home and just keep shoving stuff in the dishwasher till it’s all clean.
When I go home on Boxing Day, I sleep for 3 days.
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 8:17 am.
Yuuum Kathy!
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 10:00 am.
This year we are driving 2 days down to my parent’s house. That’s a bit of a stressor with 2 young kids.
I am the one who brings homemade desserts to Thanksgiving. I love to bake but I worry that it’ll turn out right and that it’ll taste good. It almost always does turn out fine and even when it doesn’t it still tastes good. Thankfully it’s just close family, no distant relatives or anything, so I get a pass if it’s a mess but tasty. This year I’m to bring a pie. I can’t make pie crusts to save my life – they’re either soggy or so hard you can barely chew them – so I am thankful for Pillsbury refrigerated pie crusts, too. I’m really good at the filling though.
I am looking forward to being with my side of the family, all together for the first time in 10 years. We’ve done holidays with the in-laws for the last few years and by ourselves before that. Mom is trying to re-create the Christmases that I remember from my youth and give that Christmas magic to all of us. It’s going to be amazingly fun and my mom and I turn into 13 year olds every time we talk about it, squealing and giggling about how close it’s getting.
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 8:46 am.
Liz, apparently a secret for a good pie crust is to have your hands cooler than room temp and the humidity needs to be just right otherwise it really stuffs it up.
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 8:56 am.
If I had to drive two days with two little kids, I would be totally stressed out. And looking for a school bus to rent.
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 10:02 am.
We bought a portable DVD player that stays charged for 2 movies. That’ll help some. It’s two eight hour days though. Car bingo and the radio playing Disney songs and the quiet game should help, too.
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 11:10 am.
Julia, do you mean that there is a time that people can actually not be stressed?! I am stressed at the moment and have been for the last couple of months because of bills, dealing with the family not liking New Guy and bagging him out to me (thank God that that part has been resolved), wanting to move, working out what to get for the two birthdays this month (first birthday is now done only my nephew’s to go) and I haven’t even really begun to think about Christmas yet other than to confirm that yes, it is going to be at my place this year – I’m going to have to steal a table from a family member – and who I am buying for since we do a secret santa thing (I got New Guy as my giftee and I still have to buy the other present for him since partners also give presents to partners). Our Secret Santa thing is done in two parts, we give a gag gift which (in theory) is no more than $5 and then there is the main gift which shouldn’t cost more than $25. New Guy wants a game and a bread recipe book which I just might get him. For food this year it is going to be mostly seafood and salads but with a roast chicken, a turkey hindquarter (yum!), probably a pavlova, icecream, maybe a ham and enough stuff to make you as sick as a dog. The cats and possibly the family’s dogs (a miniature maltese terrier, 2 Shitzus and a Shitzu-Maltese cross and all small but feel like 200 dogs at times) are all going to be stuffed since they will most likely be begging for scraps – especially Acheron who is a world class mooch when it comes to food.
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 8:54 am.
We do our gift giving in a similar way. It’s a lot of fun!
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 10:03 am.
My stress began yesterday when I received a text from my mom stating they would be here Sunday. They are making the six hundred fifty mile hike to visit. This visit was supposed to be in September but various things have kept them at bay. Until now. This is my fault because I told them I was heading to Savannah for Thanksgiving. I thought I was going to get out of all cooking, but now I can see the whole dang thing happening, but a week early. How did this happen? I would love it if you would come visit me with that wine!
My forte happens to be the handed down through the generations stuffing. I don’t know how it happened, it just did. My parents always hosted major holiday functions. Then my brother moved hundreds of miles away. Then I moved close to him. So his family and I used to rotate holidays. Now that he is gone holidays kind of suck and I like to get away. Hence the trip to Savannah, which I am looking so forward to! (Don’t get me wrong, I am looking forward to the visit from my parents as well. Just not the cooking!)
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 9:08 am.
Kelly, that could be my new thing – show up with wine at complete stranger’s houses when it is needed, LOL.
BTW, you were duped!
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 10:05 am.
The kids & grandkids come to our house for Thanksgiving. We do the turkey and potatoes and the DIL’s bring the rest of the food. For Christmas we alternate between the kids homes and all DH & I bring are presents and cookies. Store bought cookies. I don’t cook or bake, so we just stop in Walmart and get cookies.
We are very informal with both Thanksgiving and Christmas. We do all sit at the table to eat and give thanks to God for all the blessings we have received throughout the year.
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 9:08 am.
i wish our Thanksgiving was more informal. Yoga pants are more fitting for that occasion than nice clothing, haha
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 10:08 am.
Getting the presents purchased, wrapped and ready to go. The planning and execution of a Yule Event for the group I belong to.
But it’s all countered by being with family and friends.
I do Thanksgiving and Christmas at the Bonbshells.
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 9:21 am.
wrapping! Ah, thanks for the reminder. I hate wrapping.
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 10:09 am.
Love gift bags, although they’re a cop out, they come in handy.
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 11:36 am.
The drama stresses me out. Luckily, there isn’t much of that this year. In the past, I was the one with the pies. I used every piece of equipment, every inch of my counter space, and every button on all three of my ovens. I figured out how to get leaves on the pumpkin pie (cookie cutters and then bake them separately, place them on finished pie) different cookie cutters to have striped cherry pie, and then there was the year I made a gooseberry pie (never again! those are the most cantankerous of any berries!) I’m kind of going to miss that, but really 10 pies in a day got to be a little much.
This year, we’re going down to my mom’s for T-day. I’ll end up cooking as I have become the turkey expert, as well. Mom’s the ham expert at Easter. Which is fine, but I’m looking forward to a quite holiday.
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 9:24 am.
My mother is getting up there, but she still wants us all to come home, and she still wants to be the primary cook. Crazy old lady.
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 10:10 am.
We love holiday cooking and there is no stress involved. Because we moved from Wisconsin many moons ago our Thanksgiving is just the four of us. Staging is the key in our house. Wednesday we make the pumpkin pies (from the pumpkins in the garden), the cranberry jello mold and any other cold things. Then on Thanksgiving day we only deal with the oven/stove stuff. There is music and laughter and four of us all cooking in the kitchen together. Until football starts…
I think being the wine bearer should be exalted! As Galileo so elegantly said it “wine is sunlight, held together by water.” You are bringing the light to the party!!
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 10:14 am.
Thank you, Kez! That’s a great way to look at the Bearer of Booze. Your holiday sounds like a holiday movie. It really does.
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 11:47 am.
I love the holidays, but the decorating stuff takes too much time, and I hate wrapping gifts. Hate it!
Bringing the wine is a honorable job. Enjoy it!
I have been bringing/making healthy foods as my contributions. One of my sons is vegan, and that helps provide a reason.
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 10:19 am.
The decorating stuff is one of my favorite parts! The decorating season starts on September 15th or so with fall decorations and goes until New Years Day when we take down the tree. Love it! I have 2 kids though so they sing off-key songs and help decorate and make things in school and at home to put up and giggle a lot and give many compliments on the finished house. It’s delightful.
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 11:16 am.
Well if you have any great vegan recipes that have some protein in them, I would love to see them. I think I could talk my sister into making it.
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 11:48 am.
I don’t usually host Christmas or Thanksgiving, so I don’t really get stressed out about it. The few times I have had the in-laws for Christmas dinner was stressful, so I am more then willing to just show up. I would rather be the one to clean up after, then to cook.
When I need to bring a dish, it is always dessert or a veggie tray. Usually something nice and easy.
I get stressed when it comes to buying gifts for family. I suck at it. I am not someone that can shop around to find the perfect gift. I lose patience and end up buying giftcards.
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 10:21 am.
Amy, I tend to do that, too when push comes to shove. It’s really hard buying for people who have everything they could ever want.
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 11:49 am.
You outrank me. I bring diet soda.
I developed the philosophy long ago that the holidays were for enjoying, for joy, for bliss— and so anything that gets in the way of joy, like over-decorating, over-cleaning, and over-cooking gets dumped.
I’m probably the worst guest/hostess in the world, but at least I’m joyful!
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 10:26 am.
Claudia, you crack me up!
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 10:41 am.
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 1:48 pm.
No. No, Claudia, I am. I don’t even have serving dishes! Top that!
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 11:50 am.
I have the most beautiful serving dishes, lovingly acquired. They are forever empty of food.
Am I winning?
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 1:48 pm.
You know, it might be a draw. No serving dishes vs. Empty serving dishes seems like splitting hairs to me
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 4:33 pm.
I’ve adopted that same philosophy. In-laws/family drive me crazy with their mental illness – we don’t celebrate with them. DD wants to eat just rolls – ok by me. Don’t want to get dressed – great!
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 3:29 pm.
That’s my kind of holiday, Janae. Live and let live. Pass the bottle.
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 4:34 pm.
Julia!!!! You are soo funny.
I can do all the things like cook, clean, decorate, set a beautiful table, blah, blah, blah. What stresses me out is spending the day with people I can’t stand aka my in laws. What helps me get through it is the booze! So, you are offering a very valuable service whether or not you realize it. I started drinking wine about 5 years ago on Thanksgiving, and “poof” the annoying people just faded into the background. Now I always have a bottle on hand just in case I feel my blood pressure rising. 
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 10:44 am.
That is precisely how wine became a staple at our family gatherings. It began one very cold and icy night in Dallas many many many years ago….we were all iced in. Most of us staggered out the next day, bleary-eyed, a little bruised and a whole lot fatter.
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 11:51 am.
You can bring booze to my gatherings any time, Julia. Is there anything more heartwarming than a bottle of something or other presented with a smile? I think not.
The holidays. I LOVE them! I love the decorating, the wrapping, the cooking, the parties, the quiet nights sitting in the dark watching the twinkle lights sparkly on Christmas ornaments.
I also love to pick new dishes to make and setting the table with festive things.
My family has become really small, so unless my brother can make it to the holiday celebrations, the cooking is not much different than every day right now. I look forward to hosting parties and things again.
Oh! The thing that DOES stress me out about the holidays is the shopping. I have been a catalog shopping since before the internet so I won’t have to deal with the stupidity of the malls around the holidays.
This year will be interesting as the house is in the process of being packed. But I am decorating for Christmas anyway… I may drape the stacks of boxes with twinkle lights to give them a sense of occasion. heh
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 10:53 am.
Sheridan, I can imagine that your house is very festive no matter what the occasion.
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 11:52 am.
I try! You are welcome to pop in any time – and you know booze is always welcome in my house.
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 12:59 pm.
Being the single one in the family I don’t stress about shopping or food.
What is stressing me out is the fact that I don’t have a job and only unemployment for money so no shopping this year I don’t even know if I will send out christmas cards.
I am in a church choir so I sing a lot of my stress out.
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 11:24 am.
I am hoping & praying that my sister, JoAnne, does Thanksgiving this year, so then my husband & I can go to her house. Our mom, who really has a great heart but can be extremely difficult, moved in with Jo and her family a few months ago. Jo and I had some issues, but we’ve reconciled and we now have a relationship that’s better than it’s ever been. I am truly thankful for that, so it would be wonderful to spend the day with her and her family to celebrate!
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 11:26 am.
Oh, I hope she does too, then, Maria! I am really glad you have reconciled. I’d be lost without my sister.
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 11:53 am.
I have one word to solve your problem: COSTCO
Go there and buy something to bring. Take it out of its store packaging and put it in a nice bowl or dish. Here is a thought–bring a selection of appetizer finger food for people to nibble. Or a selection of muffins and breads. Or a dessert, like a cheesecake. Costco does most of this better than most of us anyway.
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 11:35 am.
Good idea, Madeline. Step one: Locate Costco. Step two: Get Costco card.
My attention is already starting to wobble.
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 11:54 am.
I love their cream puffs! Pull them out of the freezer and sprinkle with powdered sugar – yummy!
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 12:57 pm.
Oh, no kidding!! Those cream puffs are divine!
Also like their chicken salad with the grapes…yum!
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 4:16 pm.
LMAO as usual, Julia! Whoever brings the booze to my gatherings gets a place of honor at the table!
This year the kids are coming home from school to take care of the pets the same day the hubby and I fly out to Reno to spend Thanksgiving with my family.
I suppose I should be stressed that my kids are old enough to buy booze and they’ll have the house to themselves but really I’m mostly jealous.
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 12:35 pm.
I know…I don’t know at one point it happens, but it does – you suddenly wish you were one of them.
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 1:14 pm.
The list of stress-inducing holiday things is long because it seems the alloted time is getting shorter and shorter. When the kids were young, cookies were made by the gross (that is no exaggeration) because my mom doesn’t bake, we needed lots of cookies for the Cookie Tree and our Bring your Leftovers party, and then, of course, desserts. Now the kids are older, the party a thing of the past, and there is just less of a need, believe it or not, trying to do things in smaller quantities stresses me out. It’s so not normal in my world! I still do the nut rings, the raspberry/cream cheese wreaths, the various pies and cinnamon rolls, but it’s not the same. And, since I must do all the driving these days, even the booze can’t help. Still, I love the holidays. My decorating will begin shortly—once we get past the incoming Nor’easter. Whatever the holidays bring, I hope yours are happy.
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 12:52 pm.
I guess it kind of goes without saying that I am not much of a decorator, either.
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 1:17 pm.
Shopping stresses me out the most. I have so many people to buy for and I always find myself out at the last minute. Not to mention the wrapping. I used to wrap the presents all fancy with ribbons and bows, but now your lucky if you get tissue paper in the bag. I love those bags! I actually look forward to the day after Christmas. It’s the day my family doesn’t have to run around and visit anyone so it’s become pajama day.
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 1:00 pm.
Oh, I love bags too! How did the world of holidays exist before those bags?
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 1:18 pm.
Thanksgiving is at my house! I usually do all/most of the cooking (out of town guests) and this year I don’t yet know if we’ll be 8 or 18. Hope to get that nailed down soon. I make all the foods that my family made, the same thing every year. Not particularly fancy, but always tasty…as long as you like dry turkey. Can never get that right. Last year it was actually moist (or people claimed it was) but I figure they were all just being nice because I was hobbling around with a broken leg.
As for cranberry sauce, yes, we pop that little purple log right out of the can and serve it in a pretty china dish. Because that’s how it’s always been done. I refuse to think there is another, better kind because it would probably require more work, yes? And my bro brings the booze, bless his heart.
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 1:39 pm.
Ooh, that would be a huge stress maker for me, Christie. The difference between 8 and 18 would necessitate me buying some new plates. Maybe some forks, too. gotta get the basics right.
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 2:03 pm.
Julia, I swear that you and I are sisters. Thanksgiving is AT MY HOUSE, and I bring…the sodas. At the last minute, if someone isn’t able to come, I might be tasked with baking the biscuits — the ones that come in the tin thing you smash on the counter.
It doesn’t seem right to spend two or three hours making up a scrumptious meal that’s gone in 15 minutes. I don’t mind eating it, mind you. Just cooking it. *g*
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 1:41 pm.
See, I live juuuuuust far enough away that no one wants to come to my house if they have to do the cooking, too. And on the few occasions they’ve done it, someone is always miffed that I don’t have a “mixer” or “potholders” or “roasting pans.” So yeah, my house is better for birthday bashes.
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 2:04 pm.
I like to keep the holidays simple. Life’s easier that way. I do enjoy cooking – just not a ton of stuff on one day. I’ll start making stuff beforehand and freezing it. However, this year I’m not sure what we’re doing. I’m already thinking about how to make life easier if we’re staying home, which I think we are. As for Christmas – minimal decorating, dinner on Christmas Eve (something that reheats well because that’s what we’re eating on Christmas), easy breakfast, and in our pajamas all day.
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 3:50 pm.
Love pajamas day!
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 4:29 pm.
Most stress = long distance travel, so that will be Christmas this year.. 11 hrs in the car with a not quite 2 yr old. I love cooking and baking so I usually bring food. I’m looking forward to the time with family once I’ve rested from the trip to get there. Booze bringers are greatly appreciated by those of us crazy enough to cook. We love the relaxation a nice glass of whatever brings
.
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 3:50 pm.
Miranda, you are going to need it after 11 hours in the car with a not quite 2 year old. Oh my lord, I am stressed just thinking about it.
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 4:30 pm.
Oh Julia, I almost chocked on my apple. Not much stresses me out in regards to cooking at the holidays, as yes I can cook. We get together at my mom’s (who lives 7 minutes away) and everyone brings something to the table. For Thanksgiving, I’ve volunteered to bring the turkey, which I have never cooked, but there’s a first for everything. I will buy a Butterball and read the directions, shouldn’t be too hard for me. And I will probably do it the weekend before as I have to work the few days prior to. Also, I don’t plan to get a huge turkey as I’ve so on cook shows, they advise to get 2 smaller ones to deal with. As for you wanting to bring something other thaqn booze, which is never a negative in my book, do what Sandra Lee does. Pick something up at the deli, store, HoneyBake, wherever, and make it yours my putting in a pretty dish, adding a little something to it and you are good to go. As long as you bring it, you are good to go in my book.
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 4:27 pm.
Thanks Ginger! It’s nice to know that even though I would not be fooling anybody with a honeybake or a Costco run, it would be appreciated nonetheless.
My ex MIL asked me to bring deviled eggs once. I asked her (jokingly) if you could actually make them, that I thought they came like that. She was flabbergasted. I laughed so hard. But I could have bought some and put them on a plate! If only, if only!
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 4:32 pm.
Shopping is the stressor for me. I live 1000 miles from family, so I have to get my shopping done early. I have to buy, decorate, pack, and send early enough that everyone on the list gets it on time.
I do all the cooking in my house. I cook according to my family’s tradition except a few things – since I don’t have as many mouthes to feed. I have an ugly secret – I can not, nor have I ever baked a turkey – in my family holidays are celebrated with homemade pasta and meatballs with sausage. On Christmas Eve I make homemade pizza and fried bread dough (not cooking all the 7 dishes of the sea). I also make 10 different types of desserts (yes, major sweet tooth).
When I have parties to go to – I bring booze and flowers. I think the Hostess should have her hard work and meal highlighted.
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 4:43 pm.
Way to go, Carla! I am going to add flowers to my holiday list.
I share your ugly secret. Except mine isn’t much of a secret. haha
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 4:54 pm.
My stress is usually the gift process, just making sure that I didn’t forget one of the many little nieces and nephews.
I may be the crazy on the block, but I actually LIKE to wrap presents. The hub thinks I’m crazy too, but I think it’s fun and I blast the Christmas music when I’m wrapping away. 
I also love to cook. We have done the whole shebang at Thanksgiving a couple of times…turkey, cornbread dressing, cranberry sauce (is there anything besides the can??–LOL), mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, chicken & dumplings, mac & cheese, pinto beans, rolls, broccoli & rice casserole and desserts (pecan pie, dewberry pie and brownies). I loved it–the hardest thing for me was keeping it all hot until we were ready to eat.
We are having a get together at my niece and her hubby’s house in a week or so, and we are doing a mexican theme, so I’m bringing my white queso (cream cheese, hot breakfast sausage and ro-tel tomatoes) and a bottle of wine. I’m so looking forward to it!!
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 5:14 pm.
Julie, I am thinking that you live close enough that if I had a wrapping emergency…
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 9:07 pm.
Bring it on, girl!
Posted on November 8, 2012 at 9:56 am.
I do love to bake and do a lot of it at the holidays, but what people love for me to bring during work potlucks is the Tomato Caprese. It’s a healthier alternative, even though there is cheese. All I have to do is alternate slices of soft mozarella and tomato, top it with drizzled olive oil, sea salt, pepper and sliced thin basil. Add a side of store bought pesto and we are good. My husband and I actually found a good pesto recipe, but haven’t made it in a couple of years, since it’s sooooo easy to just buy it-lol. And Sams now sells pre-sliced mozzarella logs. I don’t even put it together until I get to work, anymore.
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 5:26 pm.
Amy, that is something I make myself a lot. That’s something I can handle – slicing a tomato, then putting pre-sliced mozarella on it. Yes, even I can do that. Delicious!
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 9:08 pm.
We used to have these HUGE family gatherings, mostly at Grandma & Grandpa’s house, especially after he bought the school and turned it into a community center for the town. We could camp out in the gym and eat in the cafeteria. We had everything turkey, ham, roast beef, pies, cakes,cookies,salads of every kind. Now that our family is growing smaller we usually gather at our house with a much diminished menu. I do the turkey and stuffing at oh god thirty in the morning so it can roast slowly, love my electric roaster because it frees the oven for other things. My sister makes the pies, chocolate pecan being my favorite. If mom is in Oregon she makes her coleslaw, it is the best. My DIL Mahni makes the best green beans and bacon in the world. My son does lasagna from scratch. We have to start deciding where and when for this year so we can make proper arrangements.
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 6:54 pm.
I haven’t had lasagna in AGES. Mouth is watering.
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 9:09 pm.
We gather for Thanksgiving. I usually cook everything but the turkey, which my mother loves to do. We also make my sister’s favorite dish – five bean crock pot beans, which was my grandmother’s recipe before that.
I think I may decide to become the ‘I bring the booze’ lady. You know everyone will like it, people always like what you ‘make,’ and there’s no real clean up afterward. Yeah … I could get behind that.
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 9:18 pm.
We are making the Kahlua this week, got the vodka and are about to sterilize all the bottles. A friend is bringing a gallon bag of blackberries for brandy.
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 9:26 pm.
Evlqn, mmmmmm!
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 10:02 pm.
I will warn you that some hostesses expect really good booze and are not shy to tell you. Just an FYI if you do become the booze lady. I have been known to skimp on white wine because I don’t care for it and spend big on the red. Not everyone was on board, amazingly.
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 10:01 pm.
I’m a perennial guest, not a hostess so my stress comes from forgetting to buy gifts for folks who give me gifts, or trying to find thoughtful gifts for people who usually wind up giving me thoughtless gifts.
Hope you have the Thanksgiving you want. I’ve convinced my family to do our thanksgiving this year in my folks new house in FL. Looking forward to that.
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 9:19 pm.
I think you guys will enjoy a break from the east coast storms! Bring plenty of booze
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 10:03 pm.
You said it. I’m stunned by how much snow attacked me on my miserable commute home. My view of NYC is obliterated by the conditions.
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 11:29 pm.
For the first time in seven years I will be having Thanksgiving dinner with my family. Running a bakery at Walmart, I have always had to work on Thanksgiving Day and on Black Friday. As I live 80 or so miles from my Mom’s the trip has been impossible for me to make. This year I am actually off on Thanksgiving and don’t have to return to work until 11 AM on Black Friday! Rather than getting leftovers delivered by my Mom the Sunday after Thanksgiving I will be able to eat freshly made from scratch chicken and dumplings, dressing that melts in your mouth and a sweet potato casserole than has been known to provoke wrestling matches for the last spoonful! I am not a great cook so I won’t have to bring anything, but as I AM a baker I will probably take a cake or some great rolls. Best of all, I get to spend the day with my Mom and my family. And if my youngest brother goes for the last helping of chicken and dumplings he is so getting a fork in his hand!
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 10:03 pm.
Congratulations, Louisa! That is very good news. Warms my heart
(so does the mention of that sweet potato casserole)
Posted on November 7, 2012 at 11:16 pm.
Louisa, I’m so happy you get to finally enjoy the day with your family! Working retail this time of year can be a real pain….
Posted on November 8, 2012 at 9:59 am.
I love it. There are a lot of us, so we all just pitch in & everyone brings something. NO stress, just fun.
Posted on November 8, 2012 at 3:57 am.
We moved away from home a long time ago so I’ve always been the maker of turkey (and ham), stuffing (crockpot), combiner of family heritages (Mom’s carrots, Eunice’s marshmallow goo, Grandma’s green jello)and DH always helps with the turkey and gravy. As the kids grew older, and we moved out into the country, our oldest daughter provides the venue, middle son helps me cook. For Thanksgivivng this year our youngest daughter asked what she could bring and brought cheesecake and homemade bread. Yay! Even the gifts for Christmas aren’t too bad, as DH loves to shop. I’m mainly the list keeper and wrapper. The only thing that stresses me out is that grandparents send cash to me and we have to shop for everybody, good in one way because we can combine it and get a bigger item, but still a lot of shopping.
Posted on November 8, 2012 at 6:34 pm.