Thanksgiving 2025

We use turbinado all the time in our Oscar Fox Trots. It adds a nice deepness to the hug.

Could I please impose on you for the recipe for the cranberry-walnut loaf? It sounds exactly like what I want to make right now. Thank you.

Sure! I’ve only made this particular sandwich loaf in the bread machine (incorporating the relatively large quantity of add-ins by hand). Link to my write-up is here. I incorporated some whole wheat flour and sourdough discard as a matter of preference.

I see here I also made a King Arthur recipe which is similar. I see in my notes elsewhere, I preferred the KAF recipe.

A few years ago I discovered the fat separator for making gravy. Last Christmas, a part melted off; I’d only used it about 4 times, always hand washed.

I just bought this top rated one:

https://www.amazon.com/Cuisipro-4-Cup-Fat-Separator/dp/B008N86YLK/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2Z87PPFLA1HJS&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.gtNN3FAmV4YNko05sQJB92Pg1aFsAgfwQjPUn2MWdxM2dW05bU1uFAZByIrNDOuwcVfRbxzFgKR3CksTEeUpwkUyEPRKp4VOigthV4Ti9ogMXHl41BxmtSu-sTugNnEuzltahuEgiXOglfksZntK16Ua6JEfsVy8p0R_gFZkDhahXH2VM52hAiqzlzzRQpL-eAlNDbETMm0r0z-Rn4a4YLAxOo_Z0YAEZSg_tkeZMYAu1SGk5euQ5yTFbBHcDRRlXDBeVhnf5xwyo4m93Kpkn5NaQu9Dn_qEEXKHhBntp5M.8TYf8izoKgutHWpCyps4hHUwc6HfaZC32spXOPHK1NM&dib_tag=se&keywords=cuisipro+fat+separator&qid=1760895224&sprefix=cuisip%2Caps%2C203&sr=8-1

I bought a tempered glass fat separator 2 years ago, at Xmas, but have not taken it out of the box yet .

we have been using a plastic one for decades. I let the pan juices cool a little , before pouring then into the separator. One smaller separator had plastic that went a little weird after a decade or more of use.
I handwash it with Palmolive

I like this style because you just press a button and the good stuff empties out of the hole in the bottom. Yes, I guess I should have waited a bit before pouring everything in.

I’m struggling with the what to do this year. My brother wanted to have everyone over (SIL’s fam and our side) at their place but we all opted out cause travel time (5 hour one way road trip). We are going to my parents’ for Christmas, and we decided back when our girls were born we would only travel for Thanksgiving or Christmas, not both. (Mr Autumm and I grew up where holidays were driving to relatives all over the place, and we wanted our kids to have memories of holidays in their home.)

So my mom wants us to come down to their place for Thanksgiving. “we just want to see you” etc. Which I understand and all that. But. . .

She is a food is fuel cook. The menu will be slightly overcooked turkey mashed potatos with jarred gravy, stove top stuffing, microwaved frozen peas (plain) and grocery store pies. She does make home made cranberry sauce. If I offer to bring anything or help she will be extremely offended.

We probably will not travel but invite them to join us citing our holiday travel policy. Add to awkward is we don’t eat with my husband’s family as MIL has on multiple times served my peanut allergic child peanut containing items after specifically being asked about presence of peanuts/tree nuts. Who then got mad at us because not having them would spoil the look of her cookie tray. So holidays are complicated

Just needed to vent a bit.

Thanks for feeling you could vent to us. I so respect your efforts to let the next generations build holiday memories in their own homes. We were forced metaphorically at gunpoint to drive four hours to the in laws for pretty much every holiday. So our children have that memory. She wasn’t necessarily a bad cook, but mother in law liked to cook things that were sort of stereotypical, unhealthy, etc. In addition to turkey there was that broccoli casserole with cream of something soup, green bean casserole with more cream of something soup and Durkee onion rings, lots and lots of rolls, dressing, frozen sweet potato patties with marshmallows on them, canned cranberry jelly, and a vast selection of very sweet desserts.

We committed early on not to do that to our children. They are always welcome, but it’s not a command performance. I vented a year ago about my issue, which pales in comparison to yours. I have a small kitchen and a well honed menu. As I am up to my clavicle in cooking, the brother in law and his offspring dump boxes, boxes, and boxes of surplus food on the counter, making it impossible to keep cooking without first moving that stuff out, there being no good place to store it. It is generous and lovely, and I feel like a total grinch, but hey, I gotta feed people!

Any good buffets between you and them? Meeting halfway might be the only solution, other than maybe sending them a nice premade dinner.

You’re not alone. We all have family.

Preach!

Wow, that all sounds hard.

Also, the peanut thing is infuriating. I’m so angry on your behalf! The LOOK OFTHE COOKIE TRAY. I’m obsessed with cookie trays but this is beyond the beyond.

I like a cookie tray that exudes bounteousness, several sleeves of Oreos.