-
Recent Entries
-
Links
- a girl and a boy
- A Little Pregnant
- Amalah
- Ampersand
- better now
- Breedorf
- Dad Gone Mad
- Daddy Types
- defective yeti
- Dooce
- Draw the Girl
- ejshea.com
- Finslippy
- fishsuit
- Flotsam
- From the Back Nine
- hello insomnia
- Internet Grapes
- Jonniker
- Julia
- Mom-101
- My Beloved Monster & Me
- Not Martha
- Pop Culture Junkmail
- So the Fish Said
- Splendid Sustenance
- Sprinting to Hell
- Suburban Bliss
- sweet | salty
- Swistle
- Weetabix
-
Search
Daily piffle:
Photos
| www.flickr.com |
RSS feed
Nov
20
I’ve had my Touareg for almost exactly a year now, and for the most part I am in deep, hot, inappropriate automotive love with it. It handles like a dream, has tons of storage, and has some BEEF behind the accelerator (I like to drive it kind of macho-style when I’m by myself: motor growling, music blaring, my eyes narrowed in badass concentration . . . until that deflating moment when I take a tight turn and my groceries fall over in the back with a depressingly suburban-sounding thunk, and I’m like, oh yeah, I’ve got on MOM JEANS).
The only bummer is that the car’s had an extensive, creative variety of electrical problems, all of which have thankfully been covered by the warranty but still, in twelve months I’ve taken this rig into the dealership more than I ever did with my Corolla in the ten years I owned it. Apparently the Touareg is powered by a number of tiny robots, all of which are prone to failing, or thinking they are failing and thus triggering an internal alarm on my dash. I had a TYRE FAULT a while back, where my car worriedly informed me that I should CHECK TYRE PRESSURE and finally shouted that I had a FLAT TYRE! FLAT TYRE! (I was driving on the freeway at the time and about had a damn heart attack, luckily there wasn’t actually anything wrong with the tire tyre itself). There was a wonky headlight connection, something with the brakes, and now my car is intermittently telling me I have an AIRBAG FAULT, meaning there’s something problematic with the passenger seat sensor that comes and goes. When the car decides that yup, something’s definitely wrong with that there sensor, it sounds a brief alarm before flashing the FAULT message on the dash, which causes Riley to chirp, “Beeeep! Be quiet, car!”.
It’s kind of like driving KITT, except if KITT were maybe suffering from Alzheimer’s, or Tourette’s, or something.
Electronic hijinks aside, I do love that car. It is by far the nicest vehicle I’ve ever owned, and I feel guilty that I’m not better about shoveling out the kid-related detritus on a more frequent basis. I mean, a family of sparrows could probably live for months on the leftover cracker crumbs strewn next to Riley’s carseat. And just think, soon enough there will be TWO carseats back there, one with a halo of toys and crumbs, one with a radial spray of milk-barf.
Two carseats. Two. Oh my god I just totally freaked myself out. Hoo, boy.
In other driving-related news, we are motoring to Bend tomorrow to meet up with JB’s family for Thanksgiving. We’re going to stay in the same spot we did last time, and hopefully the neutral location will alleviate any holiday-host-related-pressure so we can all just chill out and eat massive amounts of stuffing and gaze at the mountains. JB’s parents are in charge of the tricky meal items like the turkey and gravy, while I got the relatively no-brainer cranberries and potatoes. It should be fairly low key but nice, I hope.
If you’re doing the Thanksgiving thing this week, what are your holiday plans? Where are you going to be, who are you going to be with, what are you going to eat?
Comments
92 Responses to “Finding faults, giving thanks”
Leave a Reply
I love the cranberry sauce recipes in my Everyday Food magazines. They are easy to make and look fancy (let me know if you want the info — I have a couple with ginger which are great).
We are having a huge dinner at our house, but I am trying to keep it simple. I’ll make some scratch items, but my parents will bring store pies and boxed stuffing. The years I’ve tried to the do sides and the baking, I’ve almost lost it.
This is the first time we’ve had a house large enough, and since this year we’ve lost some family members — it’s going to be an emotional gathering. When I feel the tears well up, I’ll just have more pie…
Have a good trip — Central Oregon is one of my favorite parts of our state.
Staying home with the family and building an Office/Network lab in my garage.
I too have had electrical demons in my car, it’s an Audi, must be a German thing.
This Thanksgiving we are going to Chuck’s parent’s house as usual. I am going to spend my morning watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving day parade because I am cheesy like that.
Have a safe trip and wonderful Thanksgiving!
Heading all the way over to lovely Bothell (”For a day or a lifetime” their quaint city slogan) to spend the day with the in-laws and a bunch of misfits. It is usually a really low key affair with tons of food and a bit of football thrown into the mix. Much different than the more formal holidays I grew up with, which is why I think I really enjoy it.
Happy Turkey Day to all!
I’m going to my folks’ house, about 2 hours on NYC subways and trains up NY state with my boyfriend, who my mother still refers to as “your little friend.”
Despite the fact that we’ve been together over 3 years. And despite the fact that we’ve lived together for the past year and change. She also said she would get him drunk.
I’m going to make the pumpkin chocolate cheesecake too.
I sort of get two holidays - I’m going to my sister’s tomorrow to see everyone there, then I’m going to my boyfriend’s parents’ on Thursday for the real holiday deal. It should be all kinds of fun. :)
My daughter and new son-in-law are hosting. All I have to bring is mashed potatoes and extra chairs. All they have to do is finish tiling the floor. HA!
Way up here in Canada we had our Thanksgiving in October. But if I could do it again (which I totally would), I would be eating my mom’s chunky stuffing (I especially love the crispy outside bits), loaded with turkey gravy, gravy sandwiches (take a dinner roll, poke your finger through long-ways almost to the bottom, fill with gravy, enjoy - we’re very, very classy up here) and finish it off with a big slice of pumpkin pie slathered with whipped cream. Mmmmm… We do the same meal for Christmas, so I’m excited already, can you tell?
I am going to my mother-in-law’s. There will be ten of us there: Her, her brother, his two sons, my brother-in-law, my sister, her boyfriend, my husband, me, and my MIL’s pain-in-the-ass cousin. Oh, and my 9-month-old, but she doesn’t eat much.
We are eating turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, corn casserole, butternut squash, green bean casserole, salad, and pies - pumpkin, chocolate, little key lime tarts, and your apple crumble. I’m hungry already.
The pain-in-the-ass cousin has already informed us that her “arthritis” is bad and she won’t be able to help out. She will stand around and wait for the appetizers to be put out and then will tell us all about her aches and pains. Is it really Thanksgiving without one of “those” family members?
I’m eating the world’s best Thanksgiving Dinner at my mom’s house. Yum.
I’m in charge of bringing the boring vegetable.
Going to Maine to eat prodigious amounts of turkey and sweet potatoes (my brother-in-law and I are in charge of cooking)…. trying to keep my kid and her germs away from my other sister-in-law’s week-old baby… should be good times.
Happy thanksgiving!
And, I just had the power steering pump go on my Van. Eek. Thank god it’s fixed, there’s no way in hell we could get the three of us and 2 dogs and all of our crap to Maine in my husband’s Outback. That’s a compact car now.
Maybe VW should call it the “Touaret.” My 1999 Passat also has issues (electric windows randomly choose whether to get stuck in either the open/closed position) but otherwise I love my VW - the steering/turning in particular.
We’ll be heading to my stepsister’s in Edmonds for the traditional spread with lots of extended family in attendance. She apparently just bought a Wii so after dinner we’ll all be gathering in the gameroom to figure out how to play with it.
Have a great trip and happy T-Day to you and all your commenters!
My husband, son and I are going to join my sister, her husband and their daughter in our state’s capitol and have Thanksgiving at a swanky hotel. I always thought that spending Thanksgiving at a hotel buffet was so sad and lonely sounding and that I would never want to do that as long as I had two hands with which to cook and a table to sit around and argue with my sisters. Well… plans change and I am REALLY looking forward to dressing up (new dress) and going out on Thursday! Only thing is.. I’m still cooking a turkey this weekend because there won’t be any leftovers!
Have a wonderful holiday!
sorry about your VW - I once had a GTI that I fell out of love with, and fast, due to its increasingly dangerous electronic quirks. The last straw was when it just TURNED OFF while I was driving 70 on the highway - engine dead, no more power steering or power brakes. I had to coast into the breakdown lane and start breathing again, and then the car just started right back up like I had imagined it. HATE!
Thanksgiving: I am hosting for 6 - immediate family and SOs. I love to cook so I am making everything except the sweet potatoes and the rolls (had to leave SOMETHING for my mom to do). Herb-brined turkey, cornbread dressing, mashed potatoes, green beans with roasted shallots & fennel, the aformentioned sweet taters, and broccoli casserole.
OH! and cranberry-apple chutney, which is fan-fucking-tastic and easy and makes the house smell great, you should make it! It’s fancier than canned jellied shit but not strange enough that traditionalists will balk. Skip the mustard seeds, you won’t miss ‘em. http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/231003
Shrimp and grits with the folks. They’ve both been ill so we decided to skip any meal that took more than one pot or pan and save the “with all the fixings” meal for Christmas when both my sister and I will be home.
My sister and me?
Staying home and having just the four of us for dinner this year. Keeping it simple with turkey, sausage mushroom stuffing, mashed potatoes, broccoli tossed with parmesan and pureed butternut squash. My family won’t touch traditional fruit or pumpkin pies so dessert will be choc mousse pie and ice cream.
I’m going down to Chicago to stuff my fave with family friends. I’m making a pumpkin pie & a banana creme pie. Speaking of which, I’d better throw the pumpkin in the oven after work! Happy Thanksgiving all!
Hope you have a nice relaxing Thanksgiving.
We have Thanksgiving with my family this year. Which is usually a formal affair. There is always football on and the Macy’s parade but other than that you have to wear your Sundays best and sit at the table and use the proper silverware. But, this year I think it might be different. My grandmother is dying (stage 4 cancer) and this will be her last Thanksgiving with the family (if she makes it to Thursday) and I have a feeling we won’t be so formal and if she passes before Thursday, I can only imgaine the mood will be pretty somber.
I’ll be cooking up a Thanksgiving dinner for my family tomorrow - we’re doing it the day before due to travel plans. We’re actually getting a heritage turkey delivered via UPS today!
There will be 19 at my house for dinner. 8 of them are staying over at least one night. At one point, in a moment of despair last weekend, I asked my husband “where are we going to PUT all these people?” He said “We’ll stack ‘em like cord wood in the guestroom”. The visual image of all my in-laws stacked like cord wood is still making me chuckle. I love that he cracks me up when I stressing out. Have a safe drive, Sundry!
even though i had a baby 5 days ago we are doing thanksgiving at my house. i will be making
Roasted garlic mashies (with actual roasted garlic)
a rosemary herb perfect turkey
home made cranberry sauce with apple and orange essance
spicy italian sausage stuffing
vegetarian stuffing
REAL sweet potatoes (not out of a can)
french bread
corn
rosemary bread with balsamic dipping sauce
spinich dip
weenie wraps (cuz we be rednecks)
I’m hosting my best friend’s 19 year old son, fresh out of basic training. He’s 3,000 miles away from home and won’t get to go home until Christmas. I’m just happy that I’ll have someone in my house who WANTS to eat what I cook and has a substantial appetite. I mean, nothing ruins Thanksgiving like a PB&J and chicken nuggets.
I’m off to my parents’ in Florida. They’re hosting a big Thanksgiving dinner that includes grandmothers and aunts from both sides of the family. It’ll definitely be interesting!
I have no cooking responsibilities this year - at least battling the airports the day before Thanksgiving has some perks.
We are cramming 11 adults, two children, our baby, and four large dogs in our small family cabin east of Bend. We’ll do the traditional holiday fare with tons of desserts and there will be lots of walks, reading, relaxing, motorcycle riding, playing, etc. I’m making a chocolate cake because pumpkin pie and pecan pie do absolutely nothing for me. I’ll also help out with the dinner but my b-i-l does a kick-ass job of making the turkey on the BBQ and my Mom makes the best stuffing in the world so if that’s all that was made, I’d be happy. Have fun with your family in Bend, it would be fun to meet you some day when you’re down here and don’t have to meet up with a gazillion relatives. Does that sound stalker-ish? It wasn’t meant to be. :o)
Driving 6 hours to Columbus, GA with my two parents in the car. Did I mention they’re divorced? And that my mother cannot stand my father’s driving? And that THEY’RE DIVORCED??
Hell, thy name is Thanksgiving. Bring on the airplane mini-bottles…
I had a VW New Beetle for 6 years, and it was the exact same thing–everything about it was perfect, except the electrical stuff, where the wiring was always going all kaflooey and messing everything up. My car guy said VWs are known for that.
I’m going from Seattle to Chicago to be with my husband’s Serbian relatives. They are a very boisterous bunch and are quite refreshing compared to my two sides of the family (teetotaling swedes and proper new englanders). His uncle is a Serbian orthodox priests, and we usually have some Serbian seminarians singing opera for us while we eat off of serving platters. His aunt decided a few years back that the trips you needed to take with a regular dinner plate were too much, and now we eat off of plates larger than my lap. Its a great time.
I’ve never owned anything but a VW (I’m on my third, a 98 Jetta), so I’m well versed in the electronic gremlins. But the airbag thing, that must be new, because I recently started getting an intermittant red flashing AIRBAG ALERT while driving on the highway. It can’t make up its mind: airbag is broken, oh nevermind it’s OK, NOPE DEFINITELY BROKEN, just kidding abort emergency eject procedures. It really started to freak me out because I was afraid that the airbag was going to go off while I was driving, and THAT would suck — but my mechanic (aka, my father) said not to worry — it’s all a hoax to try to get you to go to the dealer. Besides, he removed that damn airbag two years ago when he had to take the steering column apart to fix the starter switch.
Ah, VWs.
Unrelated, I saw this shirt on threadless and I thought you would want to know of its existence: http://www.threadless.com/product/632/In_Case_Of_Zombies
I also have a Touareg and the fooking robots drive me crazy also! I love Love LOVE my car but everytime I turn it on it bitches me out for like 30 seconds! First it’s telling me I need to refuel (thanks to hubby leaving it EMPTY for me… AGAIN.), then it’s telling me I need to check my breakpads, then there’s the TYRE PRESSURE (I took it to Les Schwab (sp?)and they fixed the TYRE alarm thingy right away for free (it had something to do with it not detecting my tires after they were rotated or something- eh.)… But yeah. I feel ya.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
Assuming my younger daughter and I get over this DEATH COLD, we’ll be getting together with my dad’s huge family as usual this year (He’s the youngest of six, 5 of whom have grown children with kids of their own now). I love making my homemade cranberry sauce, but I was assigned green beans this year, which I HATE. Oh well, they are easy so other people have to deal with the turkey and stuffing and potatoes and such.
That electrical stuff would freak me out… I also like to drive like a bad ass when I am alone with the music up, the window rolled down and than it dawns on me that I have those shade things hanging in my back windows and you can SEE the car seat… Oh well, it makes me feel “young” as in pre kids again!
We are doing nothing besides eating like beached whales. We plan to stay at our house, make a big feast for ten even though only three 1/2 of us will be eating (okay and the dogs will probably get some food as well so that sort of makes five 1/2…) We plan to try to get some nice photos at this nifty Christmas themed place downtown for our Christmas cards and finally the ever popular decorating the house for Christmas! Holiday tradition to decorate over turkey day! I love it. It is also the start of Egg Nog season which just makes me all jittery thinking about that luscious nog :)
Have fun and happy Turkey Day!
I am in Houston celebrating the holiday with my parents. My dad is likely going to do or say something that will cause me to want to scream until I am hoarse with rage (he’s really not THAT bad) but despite this there are two things that will save my sanity. They are: copious amounts of champagne and the fact that I have escaped having to spend yet another holiday at Walrus’ mother’s house. Ahhh, bliss.
It will be just my parents, myself and the family dog and we will be dining on the following:
- turkey, obvs
- cranberry chutney
- crescent rolls
- praline sweet potato casserole
- french green beans with slivered almonds
and finally…
ASPIC. For the uninitiated, aspic is basically VEGETABLE. JELLO. BLARGH.
Happy Thanksgiving, y’all!
Hoo boy, two car seats does sound slightly… overwhelming. Though the car itself sounds overwhelming, too. If my car did that, I think I’d take a bat to it all Office Space-style, because I hate beeping.
Thanksgiving plans right now are weirdly loose - I am not sure if we’re going to my mom’s or my MIL’s, but one way or another there will be turkey and pie and stuffing and all that stuff. And hopefully it will end in naps.
We’re headed to Portland to stay with friends. I’m making my stepfathers famous sausage chestnut apricot stuffing and I’ve hyped it up so much to everyone now I’m afraid it’s going to be awful. But I’m also making the ambrosia “salad” and that’s a guaranteed winner, no matter what. Oh, and then to balance out all that, roasted brussel sprouts with pancetta and garlic. Everyone hates those but me, but it’s just not Thanksgiving without some vegetable no one likes.
Heading over to the Tri-Cities for a Turkey Day hosted by my sister where all I’ve got to bring is a box of Ritz Crackers. Whoop! That morning we are running a whopping 1-miler in a Turkey Trot, which sounds absolutely horrible and cold right now, but afterwards I’m sure it will ease the guilt of eating all the pie(s) I want.
Happy Thanksgiving.
Flying from Philly to Asheville, NC, to meet my boyfriend’s family for the first time. As the only near-veggie person there, I will be eating whatever non-meat-based items are on the menu. I know they’re doing a ham, but apparently they don’t have standard must-have foods like my family typically does.
Going to the in-laws’ in Savannah, GA, and don’t have a neutralizing mountain view… we’re staying right there IN the hosts’ house. GAH. I’m worn out already.
At least I can count on there being mashed potatoes, AND that I won’t be required to cook anything. That helps a bit. :)
We’re headed to St. Louis. I don’t know what’s on the menu, all I know is we’re bringing the wine.
We had a car (not a VW) that did the electronic-warning-for-no-reason thing all the time too. We dumped it as soon as the warranty ran out because by then, it was pretty well known to be a bad model. Interstate driving with CHECK ENGINE beeping scared the crap out of me.
The family is getting together without me because I have a virus that would be very bad for my tiny new nephew. I’ll stay home with the pets - me and the animals and probably a pizza or something, and a good book.
Visiting my dad, who lives in Mt. Vernon (the Mt. Vernon North of Seattle, not the George Washington one). Between him, my crazy stepmother, her mom, the dogs, and a lack of my very own computer (my laptop is a pile of steaming fail which weighs approximately three metric tons and I am therefore not hauling it through the many airports I must traverse in order to get from Oklahoma to Seattle)…I’m gonna go nuts. Which will happen first, my complete mental breakdown or my flight home?
I think we’re having turkey, and probably some of the weird food that my stepmother’s family considers traditional. (Seriously - I had to have many lessons about how mashed potatoes are an essential component of holiday meals.)
Enough parentheses. Enjoy your holiday - safe travels.
Oh, Linda. . . from what I hear, electrical problems come standard on Jettas, so maybe it’s a VW thing.
I’m staying home for the holidays and hosting a small crew (hubby, son & mother-in-law). The show-offy stuff: I’m making apple cider-brined turkey with herb gravy, sweet potato souffle, garlic-rosemary rolls, and cranberry-apple-walnut relish. The not-so-showoffy stuff: Pepperidge Farms is supplying the stuffing with very little help from me, I’m steaming some broccoli because my toddler son will eat it (can’t say the same for the more traditional green beans), and I’m planning to serve pumpkin ice cream with ginger snaps and whipped cream for dessert. Mmmm. . . I can’t wait!
Have a great T-day!
inlaws.
they have this tradition where they sing this puritan thanksgiving hymn while standing around in a circle in the living room. It is only borderline endearing b/c my husband loves it so much. I thought they were kidding the first time I witnessed the madness.
We are taking our first longer-than-10 minutes- car ride with the baby. He’ll be exactly 12 weeks tomorrow and we’re headed four hours way to stay with my parents. My grandparents will also be there and get to meet their great grandson for the first time!
TWO CAR SEATS OMG
Ha ha, I totally remember that. Don’t worry, soon R will be getting himself in and out of the car…
I’m having a Thanksgiving breakfast at my house with my friends and then, we are going SHOPPING! Squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! (oh, and I suppose there will be the turkey thing in the afternoon….then, SHOPPING!!!!!)
I’m going to my boyfriend’s grandparents house (though I guess they are “step” grandparents, but he’s been raised with them as if they were) at 2 pm. It tends to be very smoky, so hopefully we won’t be staying more than an hour or two. Then at 5:30- 6 pm we are supposed to go to my aunt’s house, and do it all again with my family. He will probably eat a full meal at both… I doubt I’ll eat very much at either. Oh well!
He also has an uncle (his family is divided into his mother’s side and his step-father’s side, so he normally has two events for every holiday) who I think is doing Thanksgiving too, but I am led to believe we don’t have to go to that one also. It’s always so stressful having two groups to visit on holidays! Aren’t we just supposed to eat a ton and then veg out?
I don’t think I need to make anything… if I’m supposed to, no one’s told me yet!
I’m sure we’ll eat all the standard fare at both. I’m looking forward to lots of pie!
We go to my husband’s sister’s house and its nuts. The meal is never on time, it comes in stages, too many kids and various weirdos that I do not know. But hey! All I have to bring is 7-layer salad and hubby is making sausage dressing that only he and one nephew will eat. Luckily they are in the same town, so it’s eat, be sociable for a bit, then get the hell out of there! (After waiting for 12 other people to move their cars, that is.)
Jen: your Touareg experience cracked me the hell up. My car bitches me out every time I get in it too! PUT YOUR SEATBELT ON OMG. PASSENGER AIRBAG IS OFF OMG. YOU NEED GAS OMFG. Etc.
My dream car is a Touareg. I currenly drive a Saturn. Dreams falling a bit short there.
My husband had surgery this past week and we can’t travel. So we’re having it just the two of us at our house. And I’m on Weight Watchers so I’m making WW-friendly dishes. Now that I just made you GLAD YOU AREN’T ME, let me say I am excited about not fighting holiday traffic and actually relaxing over the holiday weekend.
Hosting my parents and several of my in-laws. Luckily they are bringing most of the food! I am in charge of turkey, a vegetable dish, and managing the chaos. Wish me luck. Have a wonderful trip and holiday!
You know, you’re about the 20th person to tell me they’ve had trouble with the electrical system in their Volkswagen. I hope they get that ironed out SOON!
Thanksgiving this year, will be spent in my Grandmother’s tiny little senior community apartment. It’s very nice, but short on space. We will be stuffing my mom,stepdad,husband,son and me, all into that place! We’re having standard Thanksgiving food, for our family anyway. Turkey, gravy, stuffing, smashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie.
I usually host Thanksgiving here at my house, but this year, I have no kitchen! destruction, er, construction began 3 weeks ago. I didn’t want to try to cook OR entertain with the kitchen in it’s present naked state. Actually, I’m really looking forward to not having to worry about any of it this year. I get to show up, pig out, clean up and go home. The downside is that we won’t have turkey leftovers to live on for a month.
Have a great trip!!
Hoo boy. Well my parents decided that since they are preachers and all they should invite every damn person in the church who doesn’t have lots of family around here to come over for thanksgiving. Which is a lot of people, because nobody in Wake county grew up here, we’re all transplants. So I have to deal with not only a family get together, but also, thanks to the love of Christ, lots of religious strangers as well. The upside, we aren’t having Thanksgiving dinner at my nutso conspiracy theorist red neck uncles house with his eight poorly trained children screaming and running about like some commercial for birth control.
At least there should be plenty of good food. Probably the traditional spread: turkey, gravy, mashed taters, sweet corn casserole, sweet potato pie, cranberry sauce, etc. The only real weird thing my mom makes every year is cherry cream salad. It rocks your taste buds so hard you can feel it in your panties, I kid you not. I don’t remember what all’s in it, but I know there’s cherries, pineapple, marshmallows, sour cream, several kinds of sweetner, and shredded coconut. Mmmmm, tasty.
And besides that I’m helping my old room mates renovate their new apartment. And then we’re all heading down to the beach to visit their family. Which just so happens to be my girl friends family as well, so I get some holiday romance! I plan on stuffing my face with fresh seafood whenever I’m not making out like a porn star. I might even get to go fishin out on the ocean. That would be sweet. But if I don’t I can at least hang out in the marina and pretend like I know about fishin and/or boats.
Also, GoingLoopy!! I’m cracking up that you’ll be in Mount Vernon, Wa. It’s not big, yo, and that’s where I’ll be too! :-)
Making Thanksgiving dinner for boyfriend and friends from grad school plus someone’s brother. Not quite sure how that happened, but this is the first turkey I’ve had to make so send good turkey vibes this way. But at least I don’t have to get on a plane until Sunday evening?
My fellow exchange students and I will be gathering in my friend’s “minimalist” Tokyo apartment, sitting around the one electric stove eye, and praying we can make something more than hot sweet potatoes. That, or we’ll splurge for a “Thanksgiving Set,” sold at various stores around the city that provide a complete Thanksgiving dinner to the lucky consumer. First store we’ve found that offers this: Popeye’s Chicken.
We are driving to Nor Cal on Thursday, just the two of us. My Mom is making all the dishes and it will be just the three of us.
Friday we will go cut down Mom’s Christmas tree, and in the evening we will attend my friend’s annual Leftovers Party. Saturday we have no plans, Sunday we are having dinner at my favorite Chinese restaurant and Monday we are driving home. I think I am coming down with a cold, so I will probably lay about quite a bit. We will probably go shopping on Friday, even though I always say we won’t, we get bored easily.
There will be 30 of us at my mother in laws house on Thursday (one of my husbands brothers is nuts and has 6 children). Thank god we’re only expected to bring the
stuffing and cranberry sauce. I think we’re gonna have to make (at least) 10lbs of stuffing.
I make this great sourdough bread, parmasean cheese stuffing that also calls for marinated atichoke hearts, marinated mushrooms, and sausage. Ummm! Everyone loves it so I always get stuck having to make it.
Side note: Linda, I just love reading about your young family. It takes me back to (fond memories of) when my girls where little. My eldest was almost 5 when my second daughter was born. My girls are now 18 and 13 years old. I can tell you that it’s much easier raising babies than it is teenagers so enjoy them now before they turn rotten. HAHA!!
Janet from Northern California
that is an awesome fucking spot. I hope you feel plenty damn thankful to live somewhere so beautiful. Cause damn.
Staying home with the nuclear family for 4 days. Boston Market for dinner. That Chocolate Crusted Pumpkin Cheesecake that someone posted a recipe for that sounds DELISH. Much reading. Much napping (both pre- and post-turkey). More reading and/or napping.
I love these kinds of entries. So much fun to hear everybody’s plans - and to confirm that my family is not the only crazy one.
Our plans:
Thursday am: Turkey Bowl, where my husband and his similarly aged friends pretend they’re still in high school, and play football for several hours. I’m in charge of dispensing the advil.
Thursday pm: Thanksgiving Dinner at Crazy Aunt Charlie’s house. Everyone from my husband’s family will be there, including cousin Tara, who last year squirted breast milk directly from her boob across the room at her brother, and, according to Aunt Charlie, her own dead mother. (See where the crazy comes in?)
Friday: Drive to California to spend Thanksgiving in my sister’s tiny two bedroom with my parents (who have been visiting & sleeping in her living room for the past ten days), my sister and her husband, my hilarious three-year-old niece, and my two week old niece.
Sunday: Check out of hotel (I need my own space, sorry, sister) and drive to Disneyland for my first vacation with my husband. Two days of repeatedly riding the Pirates of the Carribean ride, and then return home.
I am already exhausted from the thoughts of all this travel…maybe I should go lie down…
Safe travels to everyone’s family!
I looked at the Toureg when I bought my last car……until a friend of mine told me several of their neighbors had them and they ALL had issues with the electrical system. Since I was dumping my old GMC Envoy because it was an electrical nightmare, I wanted to avoid another one all together.
I suggest visiting the Infinity dealer. The FX35 is a bouncin’ little whip!
I was thinking that when you talk/write about your Touareg, you should do so in a German accent. Your car most definately was made by a man that sounds like Mike Myers when he was on SNL and played Dieter.
We’re going to the inlaws. I’m sad because I won’t get to see my parents and siblings. When my folks host holidays they INVITE my inlaws. How rude of the not to do the same. My poor Dad has to go to his step-daughter’s fiancee’s mothers house for Thanksgiving. How sad.
Every second car I’ve owned has been a VW (Rabbit, Jetta, Jetta). I’ve loved them all more than should be legal, and they’ve all broken my heart. They each had horrendously annoying electrical (usually stereo-related) and leakage (as in rain, into “living space” of the car) quirks, but I just could not stop loving them.
I always go the reliable Japanese route after each VW heartbreak. I am 18 month into a rebound relationship with a very reliable, sporty, fun Toyota Matrix, but there is no spark.
I stare longingly at every VW that passes me by. Three weeks ago I came recklessly close to laying down cash for a ‘71 Beetle with non-working brakes that I found while helping my MIL car-shop. In my dreams my next car will be a Toureg, and I will lavish all of my dysfunctional love upon its sexy FLAT TYRE! alarms. Sigh.
We are having a very cozy, low-key holiday, just the three of us at home with only the food we like best. Our shopping list was nice and simple, since we are only worrying about 2.5 appetites, as opposed to 10 or 12.
We’re planning on sleeping late, fixing tons of food, and cozying up on the couch with a couple of movies and a big blanket. The temperature is supposed to drop, so it’ll be cold and windy outside: perfect cozy weather.
I’m really looking forward to it. I hope you enjoy your day too.
I was planning on cooking until my brother said he was to busy to come, he broke up with the girlfriend he was going to bring, my mom is too sick to come over, and my mother-in-law didn’t want to come because she thought it was rude that we went to a movie after dinner last year (it’s my family’s tradition). So, my husband and I rented a cabin in the mountains and are going to have turkey in a nice restaurant in the nearby town all by ourselves. Why didn’t I ever think to do this before? I’m finally looking forward to Thanksgiving!
Sure thing Sundry. I’ll get it from her tomorrow. And I’m sure she knows who you are by now. I never shut up about all my dorky internet goings on. I’ve told them a million funny anecdotes I brazenly stole directly from your blog. I’ll come back and post it here whenever I get a hold of her. Actually, now that I think of it, she can be a difficult lady to locate. But I’ll get it eventually. I see her on Thursday for sure, you know, what with our-settlers-didn’t-starve-to-death day.
We’re having dinner with my family on Thursday evening and early dinner with the in-laws on Saturday afternoon (which is fine, since my in-laws are freakishly cool). I’m bringing sweet potato casserole to both, and I’m VERY much looking forward to eating my body weight in stuffing and pumpkin pie, and also this weird cherry / cranberry salad thing that one of my uncles makes every year.
97 jetta owner here. electric problems are insanely common on vws. for the past year or so when it rains, and sometimes when it doesnt my airbag light comes on, which results in my burrowing as far as possible into the seat so it doesnt pop out in my face. i know its the silly sensor but its completely not worth replacing. HA>
to answer your question. my mom, sister and brother came to nyc to visit me while the bf is in london. we are going to do the parade thing but it starts super early and im not seeing it happen. hah. we are eating chicken and the fixings. next week my mom is doing thanksgiving in boston and we will be there for that. yay! especially after i just read that the average american gains 7 pounds from thanksgiving to christmas. lovely!
Spending the day in Laurelhurst with friends eating way too much food. Luckily we get off easy - we’re bringing wine. Though I’ll probably bring rich creamy peanut butter cup bars to offset some of the pumpkin.
And I heart the Toureg and Jetta Wagon…love our current CRV, but I so want a VW as a second car.
I’m cooking the whole deal for the family… Jay & I, his parents & sister, etc. I’ve been the Turkeyday cook since I was 23, so this is a no-brainer. I love every minute of it.
Breakfast: Homemade cranberry-Orange muffins & fresh apple butter.
Lunch: Crackers, cheese, sliced fruit, and cut veggies w/dip.
Dinner: Whole roasted turkey w/ cranberry dipping sauce, acorn squash with brown sugar & butter, candied yams, sage and onion stuffing w/ gravy, rosemary wheat rolls, cranberry jelly, greenbean casserole (of course!), sweet peas & baby onions, pumpkin pie & cranberry pie (both from scratch).
We don’t celebrate Thanksgiving but I wanted to comment anyway :) I just finished my final violin recital for my Honours degree two days ago, and I’m planning a dinner party next week which is a murder mystery one…hopefully it will be fun.
This is going to be my first Thanksgiving when I’m not with any of my family (MB aside). A friend of ours is hosting dinner and invited me, MB, and his mom over, along with another employee and her family, making it a veritable costume shop employee outreach program. Not sure what’s on the menu but I hear there’s usually marshmallows in the squash. Happy T-day to you and your family!
Gathering at my dads for the first time since my mom died 5 years ago. Then the traditional decorating for Christmas on Friday, avoiding the shopping like the plague. Have a great Thanksgiving everyone!
In Norway that car is worth the same new as a 4 bedroom house.
Electrical demons or no, I am jealous of your car. Take into consideration my 1992 Infiniti (G20?), and say a little prayer for it, my little hoopty that could. And still sort of, does.
Thanksgiving - just me and the boyfriend, at home. Brined turkey. Stuffing (combo Pepperidge Farms in a bag jiffied up with onions, celery, herbs and broth). Homemade cranberry sauce (done!). Roasted sweet potatoes. Mashed potatoes. Alton Brown’s from scratch green bean casserole. Broccoli. And dessert…roasted pears and flan.
We are two people.
Syracuse, NY. Whoo to the hoo. For less than 48 hours, which breaks my leftover-loving heart.
Happy Thanksgiving, Linda! xoxo
The wonders of owning a VW hey? Always something electrical to sort out in the first couple years. Although on the other hand my 8 year old VW bug has NEVER costed me a penny more then actual maintnence.
Challenging the casual dress code at my in-laws as part of my experiment in looking good. It doesn’t feel like Thanksgiving without at least one person wearing stockings!
Ugh…I would go batty if all those things went wrong with my new car!!! I’m so petrified when the slightest thing goes wrong or a light goes on in the car. must. get. to. the. mechanic. now. is my mantra
as for Thanksgiving? we’ll be hosting it at our house. we’ll have 7 people not including us in our teeny tiny place…so 7 plus me and hubbie and the baby and the dog who will be occupied with a rawhide and cat who will be bunkered up in her kitty condo in the corner…we’ll have a full house.
Happy Thanksgiving! hope you have a wonderful day!!!
I’m going over to a friend’s house–she’s taking care of everything, and all I’m bringing is salad and some bread. That and my two-week old son. Having a newborn is the best excuse to get out of preparing anything fancy. However, we did get some stuffing-in-a-box so I can have my day-after-Thanksgiving stuffing pigout.
my 97 jetta (which we had to finally sell in 2005) had a TON of electrical problems - including stalling whenever it rained.
headed to duck, nc for the holiday. probably crazy to drive tonight.
My husband’s working tomorrow night (oh boy!) so I’m throwing together a pseudo-Thanksgiving for just the two of us. I’m making my mom’s stuffing, sangria cranberry sauce, garlicky green beans, and spicy sweet potato balls (which I can’t stop giggling at). No bird because the stuffing contains sausage and I don’t like turkey anyway! I know, I’m a freak. Oh, and I made a pumpkin pie yesterday, so we’ll have that, too.
I am hosting a HUGE dinner at my brothers house because the guest list outgrew my home.. There is about 35 people invited. We are trying our hand at deep frying the turkeys this year, we had some a couple years back that a neighbor did and it was to die for. So hopefully, we figure it out and all goes well. There is backup ham just in case. Lots of yummy things, some crazy yam thing that my brother makes that you need insulin afterwards. I am making dressing that has sage sausage in it and is soo flavorful. No pumpkin pies allowed though, only sweet potato pies, and the rest of the usual pies. After dinner, a nice bon fire with hot apple cider and/or hot chocolate. Then off to put up and decorate the dreaded Christmas tree. I hope you enjoy your holidays!
Hi! I found your blog on accident, while I was searching for a remedy to a pop-less can of pop-cinnamon rolls that wouldn’t even pop after a good thwack against the counter. Apparently, Target brand pop-things only pop after a certain amount of stabs from a kitchen knife. Anyway, I promised myself that if I had all my fingers intact that I would come back over here and have a read while the cinnamon rolls baked. Also, I noticed that you had So the Fish Said linked, so you couldn’t be that bad, right? ;)
I’m spending the day with my very best friend in the entire world. We’re going to have turkey and mashed potatoes and green beans and pumpkin pie. We will watch too much television and it will be awesome.
My parents went to spend the holidays in LA with my dad’s side of the family (my aunt is sick and my cousin just had a baby so there’s lots of togetherness planned.) I have to work & study tomorrow (joy oh joy!) so I’m headed to spend Thanksgiving with my old roommate, her husband, in-laws, and I’m bringing Pioneer Woman cinnamon rolls. If they turn out. If not, then I’ll make back-up cookies.
I believe there will be a lot of pie. =D
Ok Sundry, here’s my moms recipe for cherry cream salad. You will need:
2 - 1lb cans of dark packed cherries
1 - 13oz. can of pineapple tidbits
3 1/2oz. flaked coconut
1 cup mini marshmallows
3/4 cup of confectioners sugar (powdered sugar)
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups of sour cream
the recipe actually calls for “dairy” sour cream, but I wasn’t aware there was any other kind. I suppose maybe up there in Seattle all the hippies have cooked up some sort of soy sour cream, or tofu sour cream, but if you choose to ever use any kind of sour cream that isn’t dairy, I suppose you know what you are getting into, and good luck with that.
Drain the fruit. She made a big ass deal about this. Apparently if you don’t drain it really well, and you just half ass slop the fruit water down the drain, you will end up with cherry cream soup and horrible things will befall you. I don’t really know. But drain the fruit. Then combine the fruit, coconut, marshmallows, sugar and salt. “Fold” (aka stir) sour cream into the mixture. Cover it and refrigerate over night.
She also added that you don’t have to have the coconut if you don’t want, because some people really hate coconut. I say it is crazy to serve it without coconut, and anyone who doesn’t like coconut can go hungry for being such a weirdo. Also, you don’t have to let it sit overnight, but the flavors really come out if you do. And I want to thank you for asking for this recipe. My mom had completely forgotten it until i called to ask her, and so I got to eat my beloved cherry cream salad like I do every year thanks to your request.
I haven’t commented in many months — been sailing through Indonesia, where if you say the word “Internet” they just cock their heads and look at you funny.
We are now in Singapore, where Thanksgiving was yesterday. We got together with another American couple and went out for pizza. It’s 95 degrees here with about 100% humidity, so the thought of standing over a stove all day was so not appealing. We let someone else reach into the roaring wood fire oven, and gave thanks.
Try putting Dog in the car to lick up those random crumbs and spills.
I learned this today, er whenever I did my Thanksgiving post, but apparently our friendly neighbors to the north celebrate Thanksgiving in October. The reason for this: their harvest is sooner due to their arctic climate. I thought it was a cool bit of info.
Okay, y’know how some people type in all caps and other smiky bastards are all like “dude, you don’t have to shout“?
I’m going to shout: SELL YOUR TAUREG RIGHT NOW! VOLKSWAGENS ARE BIG FLAMING PIECES OF SHIT AND IT NEVER EVER GETS ANY BETTER, IT ONLY GETS MORE EXPENSIVE!
If I was anymore fantical about being anti-VW I would quit my job stand on a street corner with a goddamn sign.
(Okay, I’m a SAHM, but still…)
Seriously, VWs are like the bad guy from Bret Easton Ellis’ American Psycho: Very hot, debonaire, suave, and can talk a mean chapter about Phil Collins… but he’ll still kill you and chop you up into little bits in the end.
I drive a break-up Acura, and I’ve had it four FOUR YEARS (70K miles) and have NEVER had to take it to the service center for anything but the oil change. It’s almost like the car is too good for me and I’m going to end up cheating on it or something.
Please… sell your Volkswagen before the warranty runs out.
Oops… too busy ranting to leave my name!