Anybody that knows me knows that I have been cooking Thanksgiving since I was 15, and I haven't missed one, since. Every year the family gathers at our house, and I spend the day joyously cooking for more than 20 people. Now that's not saying much, since eight of those people already live with me, it really just sounds like I'm only doubling what I normally make-- But not really.

This is a FEAST. This is a feast that is meant to last for days, even if everybody doesn't stay for that long. I make sure there is enough food for dinner itself, second and third helpings, breakfast lunch and dinner for the next day for everyone in the house (which still includes almost all the guests), take-home boxes, and at least one pie per car to take with.
​
We don't do Thanksgiving at my house on Thanksgiving, anymore. With kids and family members expanding our family to include significant others/in-laws and grandparents, I found it to be too selfish of me to insist that they come to my house instead of anywhere else, on Thanksgiving. So we instead do it on Saturday after. This not only gives me a couple of days extra to prepare food/desserts, but it also allows me some down time-- after we of course, “prep” the one or two turkeys we have been raising for the table.

When I first started cooking Thanksgiving dinner (at 15), I used to get up at three or 4 o'clock in the morning, and dinner would not be ready until at least 4 o'clock in the afternoon. I grew up in a household where both parents were immigrants, and so Thanksgiving was not a tradition we celebrated. When I moved out (at 15), I took it upon myself to cook the meal for my family, for my first Thanksgiving. Back then, my very first meal was a cheat-- we bought one of those Albertson's boxed Thanksgiving dinners, that I had to do was heat most of it up. But I did add extra dishes, some that I still continue to this day to make-- such as the brown sugared golden sweet potatoes, that I list as part of the meal, but is really good enough to be considered a desert.

Over the last 22 years, I have not only perfected my methods and recipes, but I have shaved that 12 hour time in one day, to just barely 4 (maybe five) hours on the day itself. Which means if I actually did Thanksgiving dinner on Thanksgiving Day like the rest of the country, you would find me sleeping in until roughly 8 o'clock, and dinner would be done no later than 1 PM.

I've included a couple of Printables in this lesson. One is a copy of what our Thanksgiving menu has grown to look like… It is split into three sections: parts of the MEAL, DESSERTS, and where I COOK everything. And YES, this is really what our menu looks like. Of course, a couple of my kids have often joked and said that when I die and they take over cooking the Thanksgiving meal, it will consist only of ham, stuffing, mashed potatoes, potato salad, and Green Bean Casserole. To make up for the other dishes, they will just buy Chinese take-out. But like I tell them, I don't cook the meal just for them. We have an eclectic family group, an extended family, and friends that are family… so I cook to appease everyone, even for some who have passed on from this life into the next.

Okay, as you can see from the picture of what my menu looks like... I'm probably crazy.

LOL
​
Or not.

This year we will still have two turkeys (one homegrown/one store bought) & two different hams(as usual). I've decided to do the pot roast instead of corned beef and cabbage. Traditionally, mom normally makes it, but I'll have her make that for Christmas, this year, instead. The potato salad I usually make is a white potato salad, so when you see the ingredients you'll notice there's no mustard. Not that I don't love yellow potato salad, but I came up with the white one on accident many years ago, and my daughter that loves potatoes-- loves this potato salad. I enjoy candied yams and mashed yams, some years I make both… this year is one of them. You'll also see Green Bean Casserole and green beans on this list, I have no other explanation other than I have people in our clan that like one or the other, some who like both. The cream cheese/garlicky crescent rolls are a must, that my sister insists I make dozens of. They are simply refrigerated crescent rolls with chunks of cream cheese rolled into them, brushed with garlicky butter, and baked until golden… But oh, so good!

​On the dessert side, the first thing you see is s'mores. Now before I tell you why it's there, let me just tell you that it's only been the past eight years or so that I've begun to let others join me in the kitchen/help me in any way, shape, or form. 
It all started when my youngest daughter was maybe six, and I was cooking Thanksgiving dinner as usual, and she desperately wanted to help make something. The only thing was, I didn't have anything for a six-year-old to make. But I thought quickly (like I usually do), and realized I had a cookie sheet, 10 to 15 minutes of free oven time, some left over graham crackers that were not ground-up, chocolate chips and extra marshmallows. So I taught her to make s'mores-- in the oven. Now, every year since it has been a tradition that she makes at least one cookie sheet of s'mores, right around the time everybody starts getting restless and hungry. Of course, we joke now than when she finally brings home a potential mate, that that individual might find it humorous that her contribution,
​is s'mores.

Moving on…

You will see a lot of pies on this list. We love pie, some love cheesecake, and no one likes the same thing… Plus like I said earlier, I have to make sure there is enough that each carload, at least, gets to take home one whole pie. You'll probably also notice there are two different kinds of apple pie in two different kinds of pumpkin pie on the list. The difference between the apple pies, is one has cinnamon rolls on it, the other doesn't. And the pumpkin pies, are either bake or no bake. I will be including recipes for most of these, shortly after I have this post up (within a day or two). I am still currently working on getting everything typed up/caught up.

The last thing you see in the Desserts column is Libby's-type Desserts. These are whatever assortment I can find when I go shopping, that I pick up, for all of the other children that will be at my house, wanting to help.

The last section, is all about where I cook everything.

So where do I cook everything?

Well, in my kitchen, of course!

Or, I should say kitchens…

One of the selling points when we bought our house, was that one of the prior owners added an extension, which included a large kitchen, but chose to keep the original smaller kitchen. Which meant I automatically had two stove tops, two spaces for refrigerators, two ovens, and one sink... and somehow to this day, still not enough counterspace or cupboards--
​which is just funny, because it's more than I have ever had.

A few years back we ended up upgrading all the appliances so my two ovens became three. My two four-burner stoves became one 4-burner and one 5-burner. But it still is not enough appliances to cook the full meal.

Each one of the “methods” in the “Cook Where” section, has a code next to it, such as Roaster #1—code-(R1). In the next picture of the same menu, there are codes written on each line next to each menu item. Which by the way, I do just like my Pre-make List(Lesson #3)
​and stick inside of a sheet protector, that I then hang on my refrigerator with magnets.  

Click to get your FREE Thanksgiving Menu PRINTABLE either the already filled version or the Blank version. Or both!

This is where I make my list for groceries, for this epic meal.
Just like I do for Meal Prepping, I go through each item on my menu and write down what each dish requires for ingredients.
​ As you can see from the two pictures below, I first do a run through of every item/ingredient I can think of, regardless if I have it or not,
keeping in mind how much of each one I might need.*
*Making sure I forget something, so my husband has a convenient reason (or three) to get out of the house! (Kidding!!--not really)

*I do however, do one small thing differently with my Thanksgiving Shopping List/Rough Draft.

I grab all of my colored highlighters, divide the groceries into (7) different aisles/sections
(6 colored markers + 1 non-colored/misc. category), and then highlight away. 

​P.S. I'm sorry the yellow doesn't show up that well! :(

Then I do the fun part… Fill in the blanks!

​BTW, my picture of the list looks slightly different than the PRINTABLE, just FYI.

And also, I told you--I need to get new toner!

Now, you may notice on the PRINTABLE as well as on my copy, I divided further.
​That's because I noticed I could divide the Miscellaneous section down by adding another section for the 'Bread Aisle.'

And... well...

Besides the recipes, that's it for this Lesson.

Recipes I will post, tomorrow and Monday:

Turkey
Ham #1
Ham #2
Stuffing
Mashed Potatoes
Green Bean Casserole
Cream Cheese/Garlicky Crescent Rolls
Apple Pie (or Berry, or any other kind of fruit)
S'mores
Cinnamon Puff Apple Pie
"Healthy" Cheesecake (That tastes too good!)

If there is anything on the "Menu" that you'd like a recipe for, please Contact me.

Also, I did promise in an earlier Lesson, that I'd show you (briefly) how to budget a Grocery List.
Unfortunately, that is not gonna happen this week.
I do sincerely apologize for any inconvenience, but I did not forget & will post it soon!

If you don't stop back by this week for the recipes-- Have a Happy & Safe Thanksgiving!

YOU are one of my blessings I am Thankful for! <3

#5 Picture boards for your story, either physical or on Pinterest. I've always been in to making visual boards of things that I want, desire, etc. So it was only natural, that when I started dreaming up my stories, that I would take little clips of pictures, of people I thought my characters should look like/scenes of locations where my story might take place… and paste them on to countless sheets of posterboard. But my goodness that takes up a lot of room! Then when I found Pinterest last year, it was only natural that I thought 'hey, maybe I should do some of my storyboard building on here'… Then, I saw that other writers were already doing that! In fact, the first one that I saw was from this lady that has even been nice enough to do a whole article on it. Her name is Laura, and she is the Ginger behind Ginger & Books. Click here to find out more about using Pinterest to help your story along.
​To see my Character Pinterest Board, click here.

#4 Read something/anything in your genre, and then read some more! You're not doing this to copy them, but for two main, but different reasons…First, you need to know what has already been done. You don't want to end up repeating it. When looking into my story ideas, I came across the "Worth of Souls" and the "Station" series… Both were close to my two separate ideas, but thankfully, not the same. Whew! But, reading them, also gave me the distinct impression of what I was already reading/seeing everywhere else – I need to write in 1st person POV. At least if it's for a YA/heroine story... Second reason, it's a good idea to see how other writers write. That's why you should read a few books, not just one. And not just from one author. Of course, if you like the way a certain writer writes, and would like to style yourself after them, then obviously you want to read their work, to get a feel for their technique, so you can further develop yours. But, what if that writer doesn't write how readers of your particular genre expect or like? Not that you should change for anyone, but if popularity is important to you, then it's kind of a good idea to know these things… Hence, it goes to say that you should also read reviews written about books that you have read, whether you like them or not. This way you can see what other people think… what they liked, what they didn't like, get a feel for the audience that you are attempting to write for.
(**And yes, Reviews for both Series (Souls & Station)will soon follow)

#3 Read Plot/Structure books and/or Blog posts – here's just a few suggestions…

#2 Find (or Create) Worksheets/Printables. I absolutely LOVE fill in the blanks. There is a satisfying nature to filling in a worksheet, that appeals to the logical side of my brain. Most days I have hundreds of conflicting thoughts, stories, ideas... running through my brain – EVERY SECOND, of EVERY DAY. It gets loud and confusing, AND overwhelming. Worksheet/dittos more than help me out. I loved math in school. I loved the very act of doing math. The base principle, that if you know and understand the formula and process of solving it, then the numbers are irrelevant. You could, in theory, plug in whatever numbers, and work on solving the equation. Granted, some may not compute or will create a nonexistent answer – but isn't that the same as plugging in your answers to a story worksheet and ending up with a Mad Lib, instead of an epic saga/instant classic? I Have worksheets for everything. When I say everything – I mean – EVERYTHING. Like, you could call me the Worksheet Queen. It's how I organize it all – Budgeting, Meal Planning/Prepping, Homesteading (all aspects), Christmas Planning, Blogging, Story Ideas, Story Outline/Characters etc., School Lessons, Recipes, Animal Records, Diet and Weight Loss Tracking… And all of these have their own organized binders, as well, with at least 20 to 30 different (work)sheets for each "subject." I've spent countless hours looking online for dittos that would meet my purposes, and I found a few that have come close… But usually, as with everything else, I end up taking an idea, elaborating on it, changing it, improving it, until at last it has become mine and no longer represents the page/thing that first inspired it. Usually, I'll find several ideas that I like, and find a way to incorporate the bits and pieces to make something new, that fits all of my needs. In my "former life," I held different office positions, where the use of spreadsheets (like Excel), were my specialty. This has most definitely carried over into my current, Precariously Balanced life... So much so, that I am constantly being asked for ideas on organizing, budgeting, tracking etc... In fact, I think I might eventually gather these (my collection of Worksheets)into their own blog page, sometime in the near future. First however, I need to get better at making actual Printables, like Pretty Ones that people would want… As a quick side note, this week, I'll be talking about the way I Meal-Prep, and I'll be giving away two more Printables to go with that topic, this month! If you missed my first one, see my World Building – Law/Rules Printable here)

#1 Ask What are the Mysteries that are presented/Questions that need to be answered? This is my own addition, that I haven't seen anywhere, so far. When outlining my Book #1 of my Hollow Mists Series, I started making a list of any question that a reader might have, no matter how small/trivial, from the very beginning of my story. As an example, why would this character hate this person? Or why does this person live here as opposed to there? Then I decided I should also keep track of when those questions will be answered. Especially since my Book #1 is part of a series (hopefully seven), I needed to know when, and if, these questions would ever be answered. Which that reminds me of a pin I saw on Pinterest that was labeled 20 things about your character, that your reader will never know, that I found useful. Of course, that is about Characterization, which I will cover in another post, later on.

Speaking of other posts... While writing this, I discovered that I have (probably) enough that I have learned/gathered from fabulously awesome Bloggers/Writers etc. regarding the structure and awesomeness that is, Harry Potter.... So, look forward to that soon, as well!!

Hopefully I've given you some useful Brain Fodder, especially with Nanowrimo right around the corner... BTW, are you going to participate? I think I've decided I will... I want to try again, and I'm going to use 'The Breeding Program' as my story to work on, since I've only gotten two chapters done, and I need the push to get it moving... 1st draft only, of course! Wish me luck!

Lastly, the above text contains links to other websites and links to the products mentioned (on Amazon),
​none of which are affiliate links.

However, Clicking below might financially benefit me if your click becomes a purchase. Just FYI.

I'm going to make this as short and sweet as I possibly can – buy these hoses – ONLY!

Why?

Only two reasons are necessary:

#1 Lifetime Replacement Guarantee. If ever the hose fails on you (breaks, cracks, etc.), simply chop off the ends of the hose, mail the two pieces to the manufacturer, and they'll replace your hose – for FREE. Every time. Forever. No questions asked. No product registration… No B. S. (Just make sure you have some sort of proof of purchase, which if you buy from Amazon, you will always have that proof via your orders/invoices)

#2 They are the only ones I use. They are kept out – year 'round. When I say they, I mean we have hoses stretched from one side of 7 acres across and around and snaked over to the other side, of 7 acres. The hoses are not put away. They are kept out in the scorching 115° to 120° heat of the Nevada Desert Sun, and still they survive the 14° winters – with no problems. No cracking, no bubbles, no leaks.

The hoses run on the pricier side, but considering it is the last hose you will EVER BUY – – again, I'll say it-- 
it is the last hose you will EVER BUY...
so the price is well worth it.

​You can see this review, as well as my many others by checking out my Profile on Amazon.

For more information, visit the product page by either clicking on the (Non-Affiliated) Link, above...
or by clicking MY Affiliate Link** below.
(**Clicking below might financially benefit me if your click becomes a purchase. Just FYI.)

So... yeah, pretty busy! I look forward to working hard & playing hard! Hope this month is also awesome for you!

Below are Affiliate links to the Books I will be Reviewing. If your click results in a purchase, I might get paid. 
No, not BY the Author, but by Amazon. Just FYI.