Do You Cook or Eat Out For Thanksgiving?

[focusondisney]

I kind of wish I liked turkey breast, I might cook at home then. I'm more a leg kind of girl - dark meat is my preference. I find white meat a bit dry for my taste.

Lol, I prefer dark meat too. I sometimes grab a turkey thigh & throw it in for myself. But if not, I’ll drizzle some of the pan drippings onto mine to keep it juicy. Just have a little turkey & fill up on dressing & sides. And of course, save room for pie!

 

[mrodgers]

Eat at someone's house who invited me or sit at home and eat a PB&J. I won't go out on major family holidays and be one of the people who are the reason other families can not get together for the holiday.

I'm ready for all those offended as I know there will be. I won't patronize a facility that is open on a major holiday. I find it repulsive for a non-essential to steal from the pandemic crap, business to not allow their employees to be with their families on Thanksgiving.

 

[Skywalker3]

half the time we're traveling at Thanksgiving (usually Disney or Universal, etc), but when home, in-laws host, and we cook several sides, and either cook 1 of the meats here, or assist w cooking it at the in-laws' house. Thanksgiving makes me sad, and I'd just rather be elsewhere, on vacation. We're here this year for a variety of reasons. If it were up to me, I'd just order some prepared meal from a grocery store or restaurant, and not fool with all of the cooking and stress.

 

[BayouQueen]

Ironically, since I said I hate to cook on the other thread, I'm cooking for a dozen adults and a bunch of kids for Thanksgiving. Will be doing Xmas Eve and Xmas as well. Maybe that's why I hate to cook lol. But seriously, I love feeding the troops during the holidays.

 

[focusondisney]

I won't go out on major family holidays and be one of the people who are the reason other families can not get together for the holiday.

I kind of agree. Many years ago, when our kids were small, we went out for Easter dinner one time. The place was a mad house & wasn’t necessarily a relaxing dinner. About 10 years ago, my DH & I went to well known area fine dining restaurant for NY Eve a few times. The atmosphere was fine, but the food was not as good as it normally would be. They had a limited prix fixe menu for the night & the food seemed like it was just mass produced. So we stopped doing that. Now I started thinking like you do, those workers could be home with their own families. I’m a retired RN & worked major holidays for my whole career. No reason for me to cause others to be away from their families for nonessential reasons.

 

[tvguy]

I guess we could do both. We haven't done Thanksgiving on Thanksgiving in 30+ years. Thanksgiving Day was a normal work day for my wife and I, so we shifted our Thanksgiving to the Saturday afterwards. But it worked well as it allowed friends and family to have their Thanksgiving on Thanksgiving, then join us on Saturday. 30 years ago we had 9 for dinner. Due to the passing of many family members, and the limited mobility of friends, we we just have my wife and I and our daughter this year on Saturday. Even though we are retired and could do Thanksgiving on Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving is normal work day for our daughter, so the tradition continues.
So we could go out on Thanksgiving and cook on Saturday, but most of the restaurants that are open have been booked for months for Thanksgiving.

 

[luvnwdwgal]

It’s just going to be the 2 of us so I’ll be doing everything as usual. Have to make my mother-in-law’s homemade dressing that takes 2-3 days to make. Heaven forbid I use store bought croutons. I’m sure my husband will be enjoying himself out in the garage with a couple beers while I’m in the house cooking everything and then he’ll eat and fall asleep while I wash all the dishes. Can’t wait

 

[CdnCarrie]

Siblings and I rotate who hosts . If I’m not hosting I take a dish.

 

[Disneylover99]

I cook.

 

[disneydreamer1980]

I cook (for a ton of people) and then we leave the following morning for Disney every year. So while I’m dealing with thanksgiving I’m also dealing with last minute things for our trip. Super stressful.

 

[VandVsmama]

I cook because I make one of the best Thanksgiving turkeys around. It beats any restaurant turkey any day of the week.

 

[_19disnA]

Third choice would be 'eat at a relative's house'. Our family rotates the various Holidays so one person isn't left doing all of the work. That means some years everyone comes to our house, while other years somewhere else. If traveling/on vacation we would eat out. Restaurants typically serve a buffet/brunch on a holiday which usually means they need fewer workers. I would imagine they rotate who works, which is fine by me. Restaurants only make money when they are open, so I am not offended based on what they decide works for their business.

Some of our relatives also work in jobs the have to remain open on a holiday (such as a hospital) so it isn't as simple as saying no one should work that day. Other obvious jobs like first responders or law enforcement also never close due to the nature of their work.

 

[Colleen27]

My MIL cooks, which works nicely because she's really the only one who has room to host the whole extended family.

 

[bcla]

I kind of agree. Many years ago, when our kids were small, we went out for Easter dinner one time. The place was a mad house & wasn’t necessarily a relaxing dinner. About 10 years ago, my DH & I went to well known area fine dining restaurant for NY Eve a few times. The atmosphere was fine, but the food was not as good as it normally would be. They had a limited prix fixe menu for the night & the food seemed like it was just mass produced. So we stopped doing that. Now I started thinking like you do, those workers could be home with their own families. I’m a retired RN & worked major holidays for my whole career. No reason for me to cause others to be away from their families for nonessential reasons.

I spent one Thanksgiving at Disneyland. But we got there same day on a flight where we took public transportation to get to the airport, airlines/airports had lots of workers, we got lunch at a fast food place before going to Disneyland, and obviously thousands of CMs were working that day. People make these choices. I remember a HS friend who used to talk about his supermarket job where he would get triple pay on major holidays. I don’t know if anyone can really see that as unfair to people who work on holidays. I do remember we were headed for San Diego and decided to get Thanksgiving dinner at Disneyland since our options would have been limited on the way over. And finally we had to check in to our hotel in San Diego.

I’ve talked to people in service jobs, and there’s an implicit understanding that often that means working on holidays. It’s not that I have no compassion, but people make choices in life. I have seen some interesting situations, such as when I checked into a moderately-priced hotel on Thanksgiving where the manager ended up checking us in because he gave his staff the night off.

 

[Lumpy1106]

I always cook (yes, me, not DW). DFiL helps when they arrive.

 

[Lumpy1106]

Eat at someone's house who invited me or sit at home and eat a PB&J. I won't go out on major family holidays and be one of the people who are the reason other families can not get together for the holiday.

I'm ready for all those offended as I know there will be. I won't patronize a facility that is open on a major holiday. I find it repulsive for a non-essential to steal from the pandemic crap, business to not allow their employees to be with their families on Thanksgiving.

I worked in restaurants to get myself through college. I actually liked working the major Holidays (Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas, New Years Eve, sometimes 4th of July). It was always crowded, we had a special menu, people were always in a great mood and appreciative (both in attitude and yes, tips). Don't feel bad about going out on those days - just be generous to the wait staff.

OTOH, I learned to hate my birthday because I almost always had to work that day. Nobody cared - it really took the air out of it for me - to this day even. Valentines day is the other day I learned to hate. Too many couples would come in feeling entitled - like this was their exclusive special day. Yeah right - you and the 2 hours worth of walk-ins waiting for a table in the bar. DW knows this - we go out before or after, but never on V-Day.

 

[Lumpy1106]

I cook because I make one of the best Thanksgiving turkeys around. It beats any restaurant turkey any day of the week.

I make a mean apple pie - key lime too. What time should I come over?

 

[Lumpy1106]

This story gets better every year. Getting dusty in here...
https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/26/entertainment/teen-grandma-thanksgiving-text/index.html

 

[Alicefan]

I always cook. We ate out one year; will never do it again because there were no delicious leftovers the next day.

Right??? I've been the old spinster sister for so many years now, and always the one to have to travel to someone elses house but, there have been a few years where I just want to stay home and watch the parade so I have made my own little Thanksgiving just so I could have leftovers, and 2, so my house would smell like Thanksgiving all day! Even the idea of going out to eat makes me cringe. I can eat out any day of the year. Thanksgiving is the one meal that should be home cooked with all of the favorite casseroles and stuff! I'm getting hungry lol. I'm so excited to have a family of my own this year to cook for! I just got married in May and have been looking forward to NOT being the one that has to travel to someone else's house for the first time in probably 16 years! Wooo hooo!

 

[LoveSpringsteen]

I cook because I make one of the best Thanksgiving turkeys around. It beats any restaurant turkey any day of the week.

Would you share how you fix your turkey? Thanks!