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Monday, November 23, 2020

Outdoor Thanksgiving Looks Like It's a Go!



The weather forecast looks like it should be dry for my town on Thanksgiving day, greatly simplifying our plans to get together with our son and daughter-in-law. The daytime high is only expected to be 46 degrees F, so we'll cookout midday over our fire pit on the patio. We should be able to remain entirely outdoors for the whole visit.  The sunset is around 4:25 this time of year, so I expect we'll not linger much beyond then.

The Menu (no turkey!)
bratwurst cooked over the fire
buns
sauerkraut, cheese, mustards
green bean casserole
praline sweet potato casserole
corn souffle
mashed potatoes and gravy
pickled beets
relish tray of carrot sticks, olives, homemade pickles
apple & cranberry crumb pie
pumpkin pie
hot spiced apple cider

I can put most of this together on Tuesday and Wednesday. Without a turkey to roast and time, the cooking should be simpler and more predictable. I'm using a lot of canned foods, including the sauerkraut, green beans (and soup for casserole), sweet potatoes, corn, beets, olives, home-canned pickles, cranberry sauce, pumpkin puree, and apple juice. The end result should be easy cooking for me. I even opted for pre-made buns and instant potatoes for this occasion. I'll be busy, but not so much that I feel exhausted.

One of the bonuses to having an outdoor Thanksgiving is that the house doesn't have to be completely clean. I'll be making the outdoor area as festive as I can, however. My decor plan for our patio is to pull together as much of the autumn pieces that I have around the house and porches (faux and real pumpkins/squash, artificial autumn flowers, baskets, lantern, cushions, blankets) and group them together, with this sort of look. (Cover Victoria Magazine 2014)



This shouldn't take me more than about 20-30 minutes to assemble -- simply put it all into place on the patio tables and chairs. My version may not be as well color-coordinated as the magazine cover, but I think it will be homey.

Wishing you all a good Thanksgiving week!



8 comments:

  1. Yay! No rain. Wishing you a great day with lots of layers.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Live and Learn. I hope that your Thanksgiving plans go well, too. We'll be bundled, that's for sure.

      Delete
  2. Hooray for no rain! I'm glad you have found a workable solution for you and your family members. Who knows, this could become your new Thanksgiving tradition!

    Pictures from Victoria magazine are always so pretty. If you have the time and energy, maybe you could share a few photos of your decorations sometime. I'm guessing that the blankets will serve as more than just decor. ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Kris,
      I think we'll be moving further south if we want to do this every year!
      I love the photos from Victoria magazine. I'll share photos of how it works out for my house. Like I said, it'll be homey, maybe not so color-coordinated. I've got the throw/blankets in the wash right now. They will definitely be more than just "show". When we did our trial run, we all agreed that the sides of us facing the fire were warm, but our backs and shoulders were chilled.

      Have a great day, Kris!

      Delete
  3. It sounds as though it will be yummy and lovely. Have a blessed Thanksgiving!
    Jo Ann

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Jo Ann. Wishing you a lovely Thanksgiving, as well!

      Delete
  4. Sounds like a very fun and relaxing evening!! I have never experienced eating in the cold outdoors, but will foods sitting in cool temperatures loose heat faster and drop to below room temperature?

    We are not planning any celebration this year since our usual tradition for the past 4 years was casual inexpensive dining at a restaurant, and unfortunately with Covid19 that is not possible. Since we're busy with home improvement projects (still trying to expand accommodations for our grandson), we're not going to roast a turkey for ourselves. Our energy is zapped at the end of the day, and we haven't eaten dinners for about a year, just breakfast and lunch, so a turkey dinner would not fit with our needs. I'm practical, so breaking tradition is not a big deal. I think living the meaning of Thanksgiving is important, which is gratitude, service to others, and care for the less fortunate.

    Happy Thanksgiving!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Laura,
      This will be a change from our usual, that's for sure. And yes, I'm sure the foods will cool off somewhat quickly. My plan is to bring out the hot side dishes just after we roast the bratwurst, so at least we'll start out eating a hot meal. We can access the microwave easily, if anyone needs to heat something up.

      I agree that Thanksgiving is about a lot more than the meal. I hope you and your husband have an enjoyable day tomorrow, Laura.

      Delete

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