Considering this is a lapband website and this is the first Thanksgiving I've been banded, I was wondering what you all eat for Thanksgiving. We have a traditional dinner which included turkey, cornbread dressing (I'm really good at make dressing but we never stuff it in the turkey), 5 cup salad, cranberry jelly, peas, fresh vegetables (very expensive), gravy and a couple of pies. We always have pecan pie, but this year I'm going to add Sweet Potato Pie. I've never had it but people say it is good. I love, love, love Thanksgiving. I love to cook all that stuff. This year I'm introducing artichoke bottoms with mushroom stuffing that is laced with real Gruyere from Switzerland. The recipe is in my French cookbook and it's good. The Gruyere costs about $10 a slice, but it's worth it. It is really good cheese and I'm a cheese lover. I asked my students and a lot of them have pizza. I guess Mom or Dad doesn't like to cook. But I'm really stoked and can hardly wait to start cooking. The only problem is that I won't be able to eat much of my own cooking. I emailed my doc in Mexico and told him I was thinking of have an unfill to 4cc and he said to have an unfill to 3.5 cc for the holidays. I really like that man.

What has your experience been with big holiday dinners? One thing I know for sure is that I will not have champagne for New Year's Eve. I just can't take the carbonation. Maybe a nice still wine this year. Let me know.:kiss2:

I currently have good restriction, and have no plans of changing that. I have 1.75 cc.'s in now, my band holds a max of 4cc.'s. I can eat pretty much anything except dry meats. And since I have no intention of cooking a dry turkey, I guess I will be fine!!!

I intend through the upcoming holidays to continue my exercise, and to continue t drink at least 60 oz. of water a day--but I am not going to worry too much about my food choices. My band will keep me in check. I may slow my losing down, but I intend on enjoying the holidays to the fullest!

We usually have a HUGE family get together. We will have Turkey, dressing (also not stuffed in the bird), mashed potatoes, gravy--2 kinds, my MIL make giblet gravy (gag me!!!) I make plain old smooth Turkey gravy(!!!),sweet potatoes (with brown sugar and marshmallows), dinner rolls, several vegetable dishes, a relish tray, stuffed celery sticks, usually someone brings a fruit salad, as well as the one with the coolwhip and fruit. It usually takes an entire table to hold dessert as well, there are all kinds of pies, and several sugar free, as both my MIL & FIL are diabetic. Lots of cool whip. Gallons of iced tea, choice of soda pop.....it is a feast of massive proportions. And I used to eat my massive share of those massive proportions!!! This year, I will eat what I can, of what I want, and if I want more later, I can always go back and get it!

I opted to get the band as opposed to other options, so that I could live as normal of a life as possible---and for now I choose to celebrate the holidays with my family....my band will be helping keep me in check, and will be waiting for me the day after, to start working it again. Life with this band is good...I am soooo thankful!!!

Kat

ps--what's 5 cup salad?

We have the traditional dinner for our area - turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, and some sort of Jell-O salad. My mom makes rutabegas, too...I love them smothered in butter.

I am at 8cc's in my 10cc band, so I won't be eating much, but I'm okay with that. I'll have a bit of dark meat, some stuffing and rutabega. I don't eat potatoes or bread anymore, but I'll have a bit of stuffing.

I may have a small piece of pie, too, but I'll have to wait and see.

It's interesting to hear what people eat for traditions.

This will be my second thanksgiving banded. Last year I had some dark turkey with gravy, some mashed potatos, a bite of each veggie on the table and a tiny slice of pie. I also had some orange cranberry sauce (not the chunky kind). I passed on the dressing (I don't do bread well) and the dinner rolls. I also passed on the mushroom rice (I'm allergic to mushrooms) and I passed on the salad. I had a fine meal, I ate slowly and loved every bite. My advice, take your time, eat slowly and make sure to take small bites, just like you should at every meal. ~Mandy

:hungry: My mom and dad host a family reunion with my dad's 9 brothers/sisters and families every year. It is a huge ordeal, approx 75 to 125 ppl every year.

This is our 14th year for the "annual reunion". Sometimes I look forward to it.....and sometimes I dread it. This year is a dread year because I work so much. I am actually working thanksgiving, but the party goes from Thurs-Sunday morning.

Its a HUGE amt of work and prep every year. Most of the family stay at nearby hotels, but all of our houses have guests in every nook and corner, and my parents house filled to the brim with ppl all over the house/floor.

As you can imagine, we have lots of fun, but it is lots of work for my parents and me and my siblings.

Every year we have a small meal on Thursday, usually turkey...but low key.

Friday is "theme day", Italian, German, Mexican etc. Most of the aunts and uncles bring food for that, we decorate for the theme, have music, food and dancing according to the theme. (This year is Italian, mom and I are making Cannoli, wish us luck...lol)

Saturday morning is the annual tag football game, NO ONE IS ALLOW TO MISS...lol. You either play...or you cheer.

Then on Saturday afternonn is our HUGE traditional Thanksgiving dinner. Typically 5-8 turkeys. 2-4 hams and the trimmings....you get the picture.

Several years ago, my dad and uncles began frying the turkeys outside, with such large numbers, it works great, less mess/clean up and you can do several at a time. My dad or brothers will usually smoke a couple or turkeys or hams before hand also. During the 4 days, we usually have 4/5 crockpots with stews/soups. Today...my mom and sister cooked 6 pumpkin pies and 6 pecan. Tomorrow, I wll bake 2 sheet cakes and a batch of brownies. And the list goes on.

Its all very organized, my parents have everything written down/planned, what to cook, when and what day to bring it. every menu for the 4 days is planned weeks ahead. My mom and dad have 2 freezers and 3 fridges in their garage where we store ahead of time. (They entertain alot anyway).

For me, I don't think the temptation of so much food will be a problem, as usually I am too busy to eat, and I think the more food there is...the less hungry I am, or something.

As you can imagine, when Christmas rolls around, our family goes for small, intimate and low key....just immediate family on Christmas eve. Its like a blessed sigh of peace.

Whew.....get tired just typing about it. :)

ps--what's 5 cup salad?

5 cups of salad I imagine

I am the mom, so everyone comes to my house for Thanksgiving. I do most of the cooking. Roasted turkey (soaked in brine overnight), stuffing, yams, mashed potatoes, fruit salad, creamed corn, homemade yeast rolls (wish I could still eat them), and a selection of desserts. This year I am making molten chocolate cake (like they serve at Chili's), banana pudding, coconut cream pie, and I don't know what else yet.

Nothing on the table tastes as good as thin feels!!!

I love that! would make a great tattoo! And so very true. This is my first year in about 45 that i am not cooking the dinner - just making pies and bagels. We are going to a friends which maked mh Dh happy because the way i cook Thanksgiving dinner there is always enough to feed a small army and with what i can get down now we would have left overs for an eternity!

We have a hybrid "traditional" Thanksgiving and Greek. My family provides the Greek elements, and a few of the classics. Everything else is a "usual" dish that someone else brings. So our menu looks something like this:

Fried turkey (dad makes this with creole butter injection and herb rub - YUM)

Mom's "famous" vinegar potato salad

Mom's "famous" sweet potato souffle

Sstuffing

Cranberry salad

Jellied cranberries

Green bean casserole

Cheddar & broccoli rice

Pumpkin muffins

Deviled eggs

Pecan pie

Pumpkin pie

Harvest apple pie

Cider

Egg nog

Etc

And...

Marinated rotisserie leg of lamb

Spanikopita with feta brew dip

Dolmades

Moussaka

Pastitsio

Homemade lamb gyros

Baklava

Loukamades

Last year was nice. Just us & my parents. I let Honey Baked Ham take care of all the culinary needs. Aaah...

Wheetsin, what time did you say dinner starts? And what should I bring??? This year I wanna be thankful for eating at Wheetsins house.....That all sounds so yummy~Mandy

I choose what holiday means the most to me and that's Christmas. I'm working for Thanksgiving and will avoid all the feast foods that the staff bring into the hospital to celebrate but I will join in on the laughs and the celebration.

For Christmas, I have small portions of whatever I desire and that includes some dessert tasting. Surprisingly, a sliver of cheesecake really does satisfy me as much as the huge chunk I used to have.

This year it will be just DH and me. I chose to have Schwans Turkey and mashed potato dinner. I'll make a little caserole of sweet potatoes, green bean casserole. I broke down and got some hot roll mix for rolls. I had Schwan's make a pumpkin pie. I didn't want DH to not have a traditional Thanksgiving, but I didn't want to have loads and loads of food around. I can't cook for just 2! We will stay busy decorating for Christmas.

I will have "regular" food for the first time on Thanksgiving Day. It is the beginning of my fifth week. I will have very little turkey because I want some of the other things. Mostly mushies. lol I will be able to eat regular food, but want mushies. What is wrong with me. lol Actually I like sweet potatoes. My stepmother is still in the hospital after a quadruple bipass. She usually makes the sweet potato casserole. (aka candied yams). She told me how she makes it so it is up to me now. Since I haven't had a fill yet, I am hoping I can get down a little of the broccoli rice casserole. Just a little will make me happy. I like my Dad's mashed potatoes too. yummy

My choices won't be healthy, but I won't be pigging out, so I figure it is ok.

My daughters plan is

Smoked Turkey

Honey Glazed Ham

Greens

Stuffing

Mac and cheese

Mashed Potatoes

Cranberry sauce

Pumpkin Pie

Egg nog ice cream

My plan, subject to last min revision - I can't eat all of it, but I will certainly sample a bit of all except the rolls...I am serving for my mom, sister, dh and dd, and some co-workers...

smoked turkey

pepper crusted country ham

mashed potatoes

broiled green Beans with garlic

sauteed mushroom with asparagus

baked yams (still in their skins, with butter)

yeast rolls

turkey gravy

pumpkin pie

cherry pie

I can get into some trouble with egg nog. Now you mention egg nog ice cream... it's the 2nd best frozen seasonal-only treat, second only to Cinnamon ice cream. Cinnamon ice cream is one of my favorites, but you can only get it about 2 months of the year.

So I have to "make due" with Chubby Hubby.

Piercedqt - the food is good! I will stick mostly to the Greek side since it's fairly rare that we put the time/effort into making the dishes. The homemade lamb gyros takes me a good 6 hours just to make, let alone cook. I just don't make that effort for the two of us. It can take me and mom a good 4 - 6 hours for a single pan of baklava, because of all the layering/brushing.