Thanksgiving Take Out

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ChristmasPir8

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Hi ladies. The last few years we went to my moks for Thanksgiving she insisted on having it. We have made it work with out schedules. This year D'S 18 will be working at Target so driving 1 1/2 hrs away to spend the day at mom's won't be happening. We may host I am sure her day will be based on her parents. I have never really done a huge traditional meal somes like everything you would fix onky 2 if the 5 will eat it. Ugh.
DH keeps saying this year we get Cracker Barrel (heat and eat) Thanksgiving. It's not a bad deal. Anyone ever do something like this before?
 

luludou

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Shannon I agree with your dh. You are both so busy, the important thing is being together and having fun. if you're running around you won't be enjoying your family time.
 

Ahorsesoul

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I vote for hitting up Cracker Barrel. Before I went gluten free I loved to eat there.

Next year if you decide to cook yourself, just cook things you and the family really like. It does not have to be a Traditional menu. Tacos if you want or pizza.

When we lived in North Carolina we took the boys to Country Kitchen for Thanksgiving. It was a wonderful cafeteria type restaurant. Everyone got exactly what they wanted, people carried our trays to white linen-ed tables and kept our drinks filled. No dishes or cooking. It was wonderful.
 

ChristmasPir8

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Diedra we have done something similar for Easter dinner before (however it was get it your self buffet)

I guess my struggle is I have so many memories of the traditional meals growing up with family. However my family doesn't have that (we are spread out) add on my kids not eating half of those food. I need to conisider our own version of Thanksgiving meals that we all like!
 

Ahorsesoul

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When I lived with my mom (I had a strange early life, traveling around to three different family members houses to live), she served pizza for Christmas Eve dinner because that was our favorite meal. My aunt (when I lived with her) had to have a traditional Turkey dinner for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. This was my least favorite. When I lived with my Dad, we went out to eat for the Holidays. lol
 

ChristmasPir8

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Diedra, well sounds like you had a lot of variety! As I get older and so do the boys I am reminded that they are not me and it's now our story. There is an importanct of traditions but we can make our own traditions as well.
 

ChristmasPir8

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Lucy- the funny thing is we really are not that busy. They kids are not involved in any activities so we jsut have our job. DH is driving Uber because work is really slow so this brings i more cash for Christmas.
 

missjane

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Shannon, I think that's a great idea! As Lucie said, it's about the being together, not about what you eat. I changed our complete tradition of what we eat at Christmas after I started doing it at our house because DS and DDIL eat the "traditional" meal at least 4 times during the holidays and are sick of eating it. On Christmas Eve, we have junkie finger foods along with gumbo or etouffee. Go with what works best for you.
 

tanya

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I think you need to do what is right for you at the time. This year it might be takeout. Next year something else.Something I have learnt as a single parent with no extended family- is that we keep the traditions that suit us, we let go of those that dont work for us and we try new things if we fancy them.
I used to serve plum pudding every Christmas- because it was a thing that my Mum did. Luke refused to eat it. I did not like it much either. I realised that it was my parents who loved plum pudding at Christmas- not us. So we changed to chocolate mousse- which we both love. Its not traditional but its our tradition now.
 
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sweetpumkinpye

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Shannon, I have struggled over the years with Tradition and thinking that we have to have things a certain way because it has always been like that. As my kids have grown older we have changed things so that they suit us. Although there are parts of Christmas for us that will never change we have new traditions too.
If you think that a take out Thanksgiving dinner is what will work for you then I say go right ahead and enjoy!!!
 

Holiday_Mom

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We've ordered the traditional Thanksgiving and Christmas meals through our supermarket two different years. One year it was because dh was in the hospital and another year it was because I had surgery that I was recovering from at home. We just had to pick up the food the day ahead and then heat it up in the oven a few hours before eating.
 

housewife2

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well i may be bias bc i work at cracker barrel but the take out thanksgiving is great. we sell a lot of food for thanksgiving take out good luck
 

goodpace

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I see nothing wrong with it! You do what you gotta do to make it work. We went to my MIL one year her oven broke and wound up ordering everything from the grocery store everyone had a good meal and we even helped put up the tree early for her before we left. It's the sharing of time together and it doesn't have to always be done that day. In the early part of our marriage we would spend Thanksgiving (Thurs) with one family and Friday or Saturday with the other. Luckily they lived in the same little town. As we added kids sometimes we would alternate Thanksgiving and Christmas. Now our families have shrunk and children grow up and have families of their own we just see people when we are able maybe once a year-sometimes less. You go with the flow.
 

Cindylouwho

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A couple years back I decided I was tired of being a slave to the turkey all day. I wanted to spend more time just hanging with my kids. And besides, I grew up on my Dad's smoked turkey. To date, nothing measure's up to that turkey. While I loved my previous oven baked turkey recipe, I decided to order the Whole Foods smoked turkey and it was great! I still make all the sides (because we are a gluten-free family) but having that turkey handled is a huge time-saver and it is so much less stress. Some day when the kids are older and can help more with the meal prep maybe we'll go buy a smoker and the kids can help with the sides. :) Never been to Cracker Barrel but if its good I say go for it -- or order some items for your local grocery store to cut down on some of the work.
 

jampss

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I hope your Thanksgiving was nice!

One year, we went to Cracker Barrel for Thanksgiving! We were having the floors redone and they went a week longer than expected so ... I wasn't cooking in the kitchen. It was so nice to be served! Although, I felt bad for those who had to work.

The older I've gotten, the easier I want things to be and sometimes, I have let go of a tradition I did growing up because it just didn't fit us any more. And it was freeing. :)
 

MinnieCo

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Shannon I have to admit....when I see your dinners on Facebook they make me smile. It just seems like a fun adventure...and I'm always saying to myself look at them. Just out owning it! It's cool..and I agree..it's YOUR tradition.