What do you typically do for Thanksgiving (if anything at all)? Do you have any traditions (who you eat with, what you make, what you do…)?
I have to let you in on a little secret – Thanksgiving is not my favorite holiday! All the focus on a huge meal makes me feel a bit anxious. I try to follow a vegan diet and it makes me feel like an arse to attend anyone else’s Thanksgiving and have them stress over what I will eat and will not eat. So I selfishly try to host Thanksgiving as often as I can, or go to a someone’s home where I feel comfortable being a picky vegan (because I want to eat mashed potatoes and dressing too!).
We’ve had a lot of fun at Thanksgiving in the past few years, hosting our friends, and one time my sister and her fiancé. This year, we do not have big plans for Thanksgiving day (just a 5K for me and dessert at a close friend’s house later in the day), but Gina and her family are coming the day after Thanksgiving and we’re going to make our huge meal on Sunday! I can’t wait!
One funny tradition we seemed to have when I was growing up was to forget the cranberries (in a can) and bring them out late. So I try to do that each year. Ha ha.
We always have a very traditional thanksgiving. Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet mashed potatoes, rolls, etc. We always have pickles and olives and creamed herring. Its my polish side of the family that brought that. Whenever we go to my in laws for thanksgiving I miss those things my family usually has.
We always have pickles and olives out too!
We used to go downtown after dinner to look at the holiday windows at Marshall Field’s. Since Macy’s took over, it’s gotten lamer every year. Now that my parents are in a new home, I don’t think we’ll do it this year. Instead, the goal is to wear pajamas all day and eat, eat, eat.
Are we still going to attempt to sneak in our own Turkey Trot? Tee hee hee.
I can’t believe you willingly slaughtered those potatoes!!! They had a family!!!
Heh heh.
Katie and I usually host thanksgiving at our place because its actually a very easy meal to do with proper planning.
Your table looks so pretty with all that wonderful Thanksgiving FOOOOOOD! I really can’t wait for our Fanksgiving. What’s the dress requirement…pajamas? Cool! : )
HA! Sure! If that is what you want! No flower PJs though. Them’s the rulez.
When I was a kid we always went to my grandmother’s house. Since she passed (in 1999) I always just go to my parent’s house. Most years there aren’t many people there. One year it was just me, my mom, and my dad. My brother often ends up at his in-laws for Thanksgiving day and arrives at my parents the next day. This year it will be Joey and I with my parents. This will actually be the first time Joey and I spend Thanksgiving together. I know that sounds weird but we always just did separate holidays while we were not married.
I would love to do a meal like that with my parents and spouse! How fun!
The past few years I’ve made thanksgiving dinner- for just my boyfriend and I (cb too) with the exception of last year when we went to my moms in TN.
When I’m by myself (L travels for work a lot to countries that don’t celebrate turkey day- the horror!) I make vegetarian meal. I love the “celebration roast” by the field roast grain company. (I’m not a huge fan of meat) so I like veggie alternatives. Im planning on getting one this year 🙂 my other tradition is to make sweet potatoes roasted in the oven with butter and brown sugar. Yum.
I really don’t like the holidays much- but it’s a good excuse to cook 5 sides and a chocolate puddin pie 🙂
Where do you get your Celebration Roast? We want to try one and haven’t yet. We did try a Tofurkey last year and LOVED it.
I like chocolate pudding pie too!!!!
Over the last few years, my thanksgiving tradition is to spend it with friends. I often bring some kind of festive pecan-inspired dessert, but since the host is deathly allergic to tree nuts, I’m improvising. And probably buying a massive pecan pie bar from Whole Foods for myself the next day. 😉
Ooo! I can’t wait to see what you make!
Isn’t Thanksgiving with friends fab?
I go to my cousins in elmhurst every year 🙂 We run a turkey trot, drink bloody marys, and then cook and watch football all day. Since it’s family, i have no problem being picky about the food, although they are used to it by now. And it helps that we usually have about 40 people, so no one even notices if i fill up on pie and vegetarian stuffing and skip everything else 🙂
Wow! That is a big group! Fun! What is the 5K you do?
My mom used to forget the cranberry sauce too. Ha. I don’t think we have any traditions outside of going around and saying what we are thankful for before we eat. And having ice cream pie. We are hosting this year (yay! first time in 2 years we’re not racing back to the East Coast). I’m excited.
Ooo! Hosting at the new home! Exciting! What are your decoration plans? I was going to try to figure out Pinterest and get creative for Thanksgiving but just picked up some cute stuff at the Target Dollar Spot instead.
My parents are divorced so I usually celebrate at least 3 Thanksgivings. One at my mom’s, one at my dad’s, and then one at my boyfriend’s mom’s house. It’s exhausting ha. The only thing that changes year to year is where I go when although I usually do Thanksgiving at my mom’s on Friday or Saturday after some of the initial food hangover has worn off!
My brother and I usually go my Dad’s. The only enjoyable part of the day is the turkey trot. Other than that, it is pretty miserable. So this year we decided that since we are real grown-ups, we are not going. I am cooking instead and a little nervous about making the whole meal myself!
Good for you for doing what you really want to do!
We are staying put this year for the 3rd year in a row. Last year we were invited to a friend’s house, which was nice since I’d just had surgery. This year it’s just going to be the 3 of us and I’m going to cook. I’m excited to spend the day with my family, though nervous about cooking such a big meal!
That will be great to stay at home! I bet you will make a fabulous meal!
gimmie those taters NOW!
i used to go home for t-giving but now I stay here, max’s dad comes up and I cook thanksgiving dinner for 593045 people when it’s really just the 3 of us. then we go to the movies post-food. this year little tiny emily is coming over too 🙂
Aww! How cool that Emily is going!
We knew friends who had the movie tradition and I think that is very cool. Who gets to decide the movie? Keyboard cat?
The only tradition we have is to draw names among my siblings and our spouses as to who is buying Christmas gifts for who. We always do that at Thanksgiving.
This year will be weird because it’s the first time in awhile it will be somewhere other than at my parents’. There’d better be (good) mashed potatoes and pie! Everything else I can live without.
Ooo! Thanks for the reminder. I need my fam to draw names at their Thanksgiving and tell me who I get.
YES! Mashed potatoes are a MUST! And dressing for me 🙂
Thanksgiving is actually my favorite holiday! Probably because I love cooking and eating so much 🙂 This is actually the first year since I moved away from home that I haven’t hosted a Thanksgiving dinner. I’m a little bummed about it, but also looking forward to just resting and relaxing with my day off.
Before I met my husband and had a family out here, my parents and brother would come in for Thanksgiving dinner in my crappy little apartment. Like, I didn’t even have a table for us to eat off! Over the years we’ve hosted a friends Thanksgiving, dinners with both families, and attended Thanksgiving at friends’ houses since we don’t always celebrate holidays on the right day (sometimes I’m out of town, and Bob’s brother works a lot of holidays). Though I love cooking pretty much the entire meal, my favorites are stuffing (surprise, my recipe is full of meat!) and pumpkin soup.
Aww man, I would love to hear about all of your Thanksgiving pasts! They all sound fun!
So you guys are just chilling this year?
I did fill a small apartment with smoke one year, but that was a one-time thing. They’ve all been pretty fun though 🙂
Bob’s brother and his girlfriend offered to host this year – I’m so worn out from all the wedding festivities that I couldn’t say no to that 🙂
I was a vegetarian last year, and that was easy as it was me and my mom doing all the cooking. This year is gonna be much harder as I’ve since eliminated dairy and we’re going to my husband’s family’s this year, where I won’t be in charge of the kitchen. I guess I’ll end up making my own stuff and taking it with me because I KNOW there wouldn’t be a single thing there I could eat otherwise.
Good luck! It is mind blowing to some people I know to think to put soymilk in to the potatoes instead of real milk. And vegan margarine instead of butter.
When we do Thanksgiving with my brother and his family, too, we have some traditional family recipes and new favorites that we always make. But this year they’re going to be away so my mom, M. Hubby, and me are going to go out to eat and then come back to our place for dessert and kittens!
That sounds perfect!
What 5K are you doing!?
The one in Long Grove. Are you doing one?
I’m doing North Shore! I was thisclose to doing Long Grove again but didn’t! 🙁
Bummer! 🙁
Ever since Adam and I have been together we go to Pittsburgh to celebrate Thanksgiving with his family there. Usually we fly there, but this year airfare was ridiculously high so we are driving! It’s an 8-hour trip and I don’t do well with long car trips so we’ll see how this goes. =)
Love the picture of you with the giant platter of mashed potatoes!!! Too cute!!!
Ugh! Airfare is always so high for Thanksgiving – yet another reason to stay close to home! I hope you guys have a great drive!
I don’t think it’s selfish of you to host Thanksgiving at ALL. I think it’s really great that you are up to the challenge of making a vegan Thanksgiving meal!
It’s not my favorite holiday either, but that’s mostly because I’m not crazy about most of the dishes….
I say good on you for hosting! We have the same cranberry tradition! Forgotten, canned and all!
I really like the can marks on the jellied cranberry. It makes me feel a little like a real american.
I missed Thanksgiving so much when I was abroad, I’m so grateful to be back in the US this year and enjoy every moment of it.
In years past, we always went to my wife’s sisters for Thanksgiving. She would cook a big turkey and all of the fixins’ – mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes (or yams) and everything. Always nice.
I would normally bring a spinach and artichoke dip with chips and bread to snack on before the meal. I make it from scratch (mostly.. i buy the ingredients in cans and packages and cook it all up in a crock pot)