Prudy
11-10-2009, 01:20 PM
A Cheap Turkey Is Still A Good Bird
Thanksgiving is almost here. Time to take that turkey by the horns and get this menu planned. But how the heck are you supposed to save money on Thanksgiving dinner? It is one of the “biggies” when it comes to family gatherings!! Goodness knows we can’t go cheap when your perfect sister and/or your cousin twice removed on your spouse’s side will be standing in judgment of the quality of every little thing from the name brand of the bird to whether or not you buy or bake the pies yourself. Personally, I’m ‘gonna’ trick them all, go cheap and still come out looking very “Martha-esque” with my table plentiful and gorgeous and only spend a fraction of the cost of most hostesses. How? I’m going to get everyone else to do it for me!
You really don’t have to do it all yourself. Anything you don’t have to buy and spend time making will save both your wallet and your sanity from flying out the window. Simply ask for one thing from everyone coming and don’t limit yourself to just food. You can ask your guests to contribute everything from plates or fresh flowers for the center piece to ice and even a turkey serving platter if you don’t have one. And it’s VERY wise to tell everyone it’s BYOB {bring your own beverage} so that you don’t have to purchase 6 different types of beer, 3 flavored coffees, and that special type of water for your weight obsessed niece who would just die if you got the wrong kind.
People really do want to feel more a part of the experience and it gives you a lot more time to be thankful! Even cranky, old cousin Eugena will be happy as she gloats that you asked her to bring her wonderful homemade cranberry sauce and it just wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without your Mother-In-Law’s homemade noodles (seriously folks, my mother-in-law's noodles ARE killer!!) Not only does this reduce stress because you have saved a ton of money and time, but if one of the “brought” dishes didn’t turn out just right, it is not on you!
Oh! And if your perfect sister gets snotty about the brand of bird? Don’t worry about it. You can still purchase a cheap bird, toss anything with the name of the distributer before she sees it, and then brine* the bird before you roast it. You will be shocked what a difference it will make. It will be so good she’ll never know it’s not a “high-end” bird. And if she does find out and say something simply smile and say “Don’t you just love any Thanksgiving turkey... It's the only way to guarantee that we see natural breasts at our family gatherings when you attend." She won’t say another word!
*Search Turkey Brines or start here for brining tips and info (http://bbq.about.com/cs/turkey/a/aa110103a.htm).
Click Here for more Tips of the Day (http://www.yourgoodbuygirl.com/forumdisplay.php?f=2)
Thanksgiving is almost here. Time to take that turkey by the horns and get this menu planned. But how the heck are you supposed to save money on Thanksgiving dinner? It is one of the “biggies” when it comes to family gatherings!! Goodness knows we can’t go cheap when your perfect sister and/or your cousin twice removed on your spouse’s side will be standing in judgment of the quality of every little thing from the name brand of the bird to whether or not you buy or bake the pies yourself. Personally, I’m ‘gonna’ trick them all, go cheap and still come out looking very “Martha-esque” with my table plentiful and gorgeous and only spend a fraction of the cost of most hostesses. How? I’m going to get everyone else to do it for me!
You really don’t have to do it all yourself. Anything you don’t have to buy and spend time making will save both your wallet and your sanity from flying out the window. Simply ask for one thing from everyone coming and don’t limit yourself to just food. You can ask your guests to contribute everything from plates or fresh flowers for the center piece to ice and even a turkey serving platter if you don’t have one. And it’s VERY wise to tell everyone it’s BYOB {bring your own beverage} so that you don’t have to purchase 6 different types of beer, 3 flavored coffees, and that special type of water for your weight obsessed niece who would just die if you got the wrong kind.
People really do want to feel more a part of the experience and it gives you a lot more time to be thankful! Even cranky, old cousin Eugena will be happy as she gloats that you asked her to bring her wonderful homemade cranberry sauce and it just wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without your Mother-In-Law’s homemade noodles (seriously folks, my mother-in-law's noodles ARE killer!!) Not only does this reduce stress because you have saved a ton of money and time, but if one of the “brought” dishes didn’t turn out just right, it is not on you!
Oh! And if your perfect sister gets snotty about the brand of bird? Don’t worry about it. You can still purchase a cheap bird, toss anything with the name of the distributer before she sees it, and then brine* the bird before you roast it. You will be shocked what a difference it will make. It will be so good she’ll never know it’s not a “high-end” bird. And if she does find out and say something simply smile and say “Don’t you just love any Thanksgiving turkey... It's the only way to guarantee that we see natural breasts at our family gatherings when you attend." She won’t say another word!
*Search Turkey Brines or start here for brining tips and info (http://bbq.about.com/cs/turkey/a/aa110103a.htm).
Click Here for more Tips of the Day (http://www.yourgoodbuygirl.com/forumdisplay.php?f=2)