Monday, November 24, 2008

Countdown to Thanksgiving

The neighbor who gives us catfish (filleted and ready to fry) so often blessed us with a gallon bag-full of frozen fish last week, saying he won't be going fishing again for awhile. I decided to share the bounty, so yesterday the daughter's family (some of them) came over to help us eat all that fish. Cliff's sister and my oldest grandson also helped out. I find I don't manage the coordinating of company meals all that well any more: the baked beans were done early, and the scalloped potatoes took longer than expected, delaying the actual fish-fry by a half-hour. Cliff was looking forward to corn bread, but in the last-minute rush of frying fish, no corn bread was made. And I'm doing the Thanksgiving dinner Thursday? Lord help us!

The son-in-law is making sweet potato casserole, and I'll have the sister-in-law next door do the broccoli and rice casserole; she's the one who originally introduced the dish to the family. In fact, we call it "Rena's Green Rice", although you can find it online at
Campbell's Kitchen, Cooks.com, and other websites in various forms, without Rena's name attached. Now that I think of it, it's going to be handy having Rena next door with her fancy new oven. I may put her in charge of ham or turkey!

I'll make "Mother's noodles", which recipe I have never found online with the exact ingredients my mom used. Thanksgiving dinner without noodles and mashed potatoes (and home-made rolls) would be a complete disappointment.

I look forward to having turkey and ham leftovers. I can't wait for the turkey frame soup Cliff and I love so well, and I always freeze some of the ham in small amounts to be metered out in soups and casseroles later on. The ham bone, of course, will season either a "big ole pot of beans" or some split pea soup, later on. Cliff's younger sister and her husband will be here for three days, so I'll no doubt use some of those leftovers while they're here. Which reminds me, it's time to wash the sheets and get their bed ready! Anybody and everybody has been using their bed lately. (I added that for Charlene's benefit, but she knows who's been sleeping in her bed.)

Wish me luck. I certainly hope I coordinate things better than I did yesterday!

4 comments:

  1. Anonymous3:21 PM

    I've made your turkey frame soup before. I love home made soup. My mother always thought it was a crime to throw out the bones!

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  2. Those noodles are like the noodles my mother and her mother made, sans the food coloring. Love them! Anne

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  3. I am so grateful that I do not have be in charge of the big Thanksgiving feast for the family. My son's wife's mother is doing the major cooking and I only have to bring a Strawberry-Banana Jello Salad dish that everyone devoures.
    I did buy a big old turkey to cook too though. I will make turkey frame soup too. I just couldn't think of Thankgiving passing completely without my home being filled with the aroma of cooking a turkey.
    Your day sounds like it will be a regular food fest. I am going to check out the noodle recipe you posted.

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  4. I've been having the same trouble coordinating things. sometimes the "kitchen karma" is strong, and others, we're lucky I remember to turn the oven on ;-)

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