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Post by tracyarts on Nov 22, 2017 23:06:44 GMT
The food, at least when my extended family all come together in one huge gathering, the food is very problematic.
The "traditional" dishes are usually so heavy and made with so many processed ingredients or added sugar and fat. And there are so many of them, because several people insist on having a specific dish on the table out of nostalgia or special preference. But if you bring alternate healthier dishes or dishes that meet special dietary needs and choices, you get chided over "not being able to just enjoy the holiday" or "not being able to make an exception for just one meal".
And a lot of them can't just enjoy what they want and let others enjoy what they want without pressure and guilt. You get pressured to "try just a bite" of something you might not even want, and pressured to "eat up" since there's so much more food than necessary and nobody wants to deal with that many leftovers. And then a lot of them complain about blowing their diets and how they're going to have to rebound restrict to make up for the binge, and whine about how stuffed they are.
And then there are easily a dozen desserts. Being pushed by half a dozen cooks who get surly and butthurt if you don't eat any of their offerings.
And then you get pressured to take piles of it all home so it doesn't go to waste.
It's stressful. Forced bounty.
But much more sane and relaxing when it's only us, my parents in law, and their best friend (who's considered family). The meal is simple, low key, and relaxing.
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Deleted
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Aug 18, 2025 19:49:34 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Nov 22, 2017 23:07:37 GMT
I have weird anxiety about sitting down at a gorgeous candlelit dinner when things start out nice but always end with heated political or religious debates. UGH! and it never fails.......grandpa tries to start up a topic by asking people things they do not want to talk about... how's school going, did you find a job using your degree yet, when are you going to propose to your GF, did you hear about that natural disaster/celebrity death/political scandal, etc...etc...etc...racist comment...ugh! UGH!
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Post by refugeepea on Nov 22, 2017 23:12:51 GMT
Cooking. I refuse to do it this year. I could not care less about a big meal. Thanksgiving is my least favorite holiday. It's so boring.
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Post by deekaye on Nov 22, 2017 23:15:40 GMT
My brother-in-law.  |
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Post by **GypsyGirl** on Nov 22, 2017 23:21:36 GMT
Turkey. Several years ago I realized that no one in our immediate family really cared for it so we no longer have it. We have Honeybaked Ham instead. Much better!
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Post by Linda on Nov 23, 2017 0:02:13 GMT
That my husband says he will help, but only on his timetable; i.e., after he's done all the other stuff he wanted to do first. I started working a while ago. He has worked on his hobby, gone for a run, and had a nap. Says he will help if I'll just wait. Honey, if I wait much longer, Thanksgiving dinner will be on Friday. This!! DH wants to help by doing it all. But, got to go to bank (at least he drove; he usually walks there. Oh, wait, I've got leaves to dispose of! Wait, I've got to deliver a gift! Next it will be wait, I've got to shower! He did take some time to chop onions and celery. Luckily, there is no timetable for tomorrow, so if we eat at midnight, it will all be good. 😀 are we married to brothers? |
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Post by hop2 on Nov 23, 2017 0:38:02 GMT
I love the foods & the family but I dread the clean up. 😫
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Post by mom2rjcr on Nov 23, 2017 0:44:31 GMT
I hate:
yams with marshmallows...yuck!
cranberries
dressing/stuffing
and peeling all those potatoes!
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Post by myboysnme on Nov 23, 2017 0:49:58 GMT
I serve cranberry sauce but don't eat it. I do not like sweet potato anything. I don't serve pearl onions or greens like collards.
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Post by stampnscrap1128 on Nov 23, 2017 1:12:31 GMT
I do not like sweet potatoes, yams, oyster dressing (I have never made it but my dad loved it so my mom would make it).
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Post by Woobster on Nov 23, 2017 1:13:27 GMT
The whole thing. Other than the actual 'being thankful' part... I really wish we could just skip the whole thing.
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azredhead
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,755 
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Post by azredhead on Nov 23, 2017 1:16:56 GMT
I serve cranberry sauce but don't eat it. I do not like sweet potato anything. I don't serve pearl onions or greens like collards. Yea funny you say that! Only in my Dh's family they have to do Lingoberry which I like a tad better than the cranberry, so they usually have both. And our agreement when we do mashed potatoe Dh does the peeling.I do the rest I have tiny hands so it hurts. lol! ps I love sweet potato anything!!  |
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scrappyesq
Pearl Clutcher
You have always been a part of the heist. You're only mad now because you don't like your cut.
Posts: 4,069
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Post by scrappyesq on Nov 23, 2017 1:16:56 GMT
I hate turkey.
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StephDRebel
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,718
Location: Ohio
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Post by StephDRebel on Nov 23, 2017 1:30:23 GMT
My only dislike is praying to the food gods that we make it to my aunt's house with hot food and no spills in the car.
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Post by PolarGreen12 on Nov 23, 2017 1:43:32 GMT
I ended up not hosting this year. My Aunt and Uncle are, which is totally fine. But they’re having it at 1pm. It’s just a weird time for such a big meal. Then everyone goes home by 4pm ish and what’s left to do but a nap on the couch. It’s just kind of anti climactic. I think I’ll see if my Mom wants to go to a movie or Lights On after.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Aug 18, 2025 19:49:34 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Nov 23, 2017 1:49:19 GMT
I really dislike it when the Dallas Cowboys lose. 😊
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grammanisi
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,748
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Post by grammanisi on Nov 23, 2017 1:59:37 GMT
There are so many!
turkey...I eat one very small piece of dark meat and I'm good until the next year
stuffing...hate it, the taste, the smell, the whole thing
green bean casserole...again I can eat a spoonful and I'm done
sweet potato casserole...just no!
I do love mashed potatoes & gravy and corn casserole, though!
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Post by donna on Nov 23, 2017 2:02:22 GMT
I dislike that both of my sons have to work very early on Friday and will not be able to go to the family gathering. They want me to go and enjoy myself since they get to see me every day.
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Post by 950nancy on Nov 23, 2017 2:04:18 GMT
I truly don’t understand how anybody likes stuffing/dressing. Bread and butter toasted? Delicious! |
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Post by 950nancy on Nov 23, 2017 2:06:03 GMT
I do all of the cooking and it is just the immediate family, so the food and company are perfect. I only make what we al like, so I am not stuck smelling or eating anything gross. I think the only thing that chaps my hide is cooking for so many hours only to have it eaten in about 20 minutes... but I won't cook again until Monday.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Aug 18, 2025 19:49:34 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Nov 23, 2017 2:07:59 GMT
The cleaning up after we eat-hate it! I also dislike stuffing. The TG I remember most fondly was when I got called into work as soon as we started cleaning up. My in laws had it all done when I got back. |
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ComplicatedLady
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,182
Location: Valley of the Sun
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Post by ComplicatedLady on Nov 23, 2017 2:45:55 GMT
I’m not a fan of turkey. Add me to the list of RefuPeas that eat a small slice of dark meat.
I don’t like cooking so we order our meal from a local grocery store. We started that one year when we were busy or traveling the next day or something. I don’t even remember why we initially did it but now it’s our tradition. Minimal cooking, minimal clean up, good food. That’s my kind of holiday.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Aug 18, 2025 19:49:34 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Nov 23, 2017 2:57:16 GMT
I dislike that I spend more time worrying about the Thanksgiving meal than I do enjoying it.
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Post by crazy4scraps on Nov 23, 2017 3:04:22 GMT
I don’t like the cranberry relish or pumpkin pie. I’ll make them (and people say it’s good) but I won’t eat it. I like all the rest though, I don’t even mind cleaning up because DH does most of the cooking.
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IAmUnoriginal
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,894
Jun 25, 2014 23:27:45 GMT
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Post by IAmUnoriginal on Nov 23, 2017 3:20:39 GMT
Pumpkin pie. Blech.
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River
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,627
Jun 26, 2014 15:26:04 GMT
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Post by River on Nov 23, 2017 3:55:39 GMT
Cooking. Period!! I don't like to cook on a normal day so Thanksgiving is extra torture. Thank goodness I married a man that likes to cook and will do most of our part of the meal plus the turkey.
That said, I'm now kinda sad that this year we won't have a traditional sit down dinner at my moms. Everyone voted to just go out to eat at a restaurant when I fell ill over the weekend. I had all the details worked out so everyone would be able to be there at moms. Everyone had picked what part of the meal they would bring and things were worked out nicely. I get sick for several days and all the plans got blown up by my brother. Ugh!!! Everything changed over night and I'm still sulking about it. Then I get a text just a few minutes ago asking to change the time. Really?
Sorry, guess I needed to vent.
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Post by jemmls4 on Nov 23, 2017 4:30:13 GMT
My asshole BIL bringing his hyper dog to every gathering even when told not to. Two night ago he brings her to my MIL’s place while there were 10 people plus a baby.
Of course after baby is put down and had been crying because he was overtired, BIL riles up dog and gets her barking and running all over. He had to be told be his wife, his MIL, SIL, and finally his niece, the baby’s mom, told him if the baby wakes up you have to take care of him. LOL.
And now he wants to bring dog to Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow...at another family member’s house. Where there will be thirty people. Extended family is coming from all over because DH’s uncle has pancreatic cancer and doesn’t have a lot of time left. So we are all cooking and bringing the party to him. Last thing we need is the dog there. The kicker is my BIL lives just down the block from where we’re having Thanksgiving dinner. BIL can walk back to his house to check on his dog in three minutes.
Dont nut get me wrong, I love dogs. But BIL is an ass to everyone, treats people like dirt. At MIL’s House, comes late for food, gets pissed when his wife didn’t make his plate of food correctly, got pissed when I took the salad dressing from in front of him before he got to use it (his salad was on the plate his wife had in the kitchen while mine was in front of me and I wanted to eat it). He grabs the remote and turns the TV to Fox News even though others were watching and then bit he’d when we called him on it. Later, again when baby is sleeping like 20 feet away, he turns the volume up to over 60! Holy crap.
OK...I just had to get that out so I can get myself ready for tomorrow!
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