As you are all very much aware, I am sure, that a few major holidays are quickly coming upon us AND during a pandemic. So, what are you all planning or trying to do for these holidays?

For me, it will be working at my job in Food Retail when I am scheduled and with Christmas Day off for EVERYONE; trying to see if I can use the Gift Card my employer gives us annually in November that can be used between November and February for a 10 - 14 pound Jennie - O Turkey can be used to buy groceries since that is way too much turkey for just two people that don't really eat that much because sometimes the corporate office forgets to on their end fix the Gift Cards to only allow the purchase of a turkey and I have been able to purchase some groceries with it; try to come up with some meal plans for two people that won't get me in trouble with my Sleeve or anything.

Well, whatever your plans may be for the rest of 2020 I hope that you remember to Vote on November 3, 2020 and have a very safe and Happy Holidays.

Edited October 31, 20205 yr by HLMaciejeski06172047

My first Holiday Season as a Chef was as confusing as you seem to be. Here is what I did

We had very large groups of family for Turkey day and x mas so we could have handled a 20 pound turkey, This year is different with covid and none of the parents want to intermingle with my college kids. I do not blame them

so our plan this year is simple High end expensive foods but just a little I usually drop around 500 dollars each day on food for the huge groups so we decided to do this

Thanksgiving - King Grab/clams and mussels and oysters with Smashed fried potatoes. will grab 4 slices of turkey from the deli so we have turkey. Simple boil they can devour and I can just pick it over a few hours

X mas - Small Prime Rib with scallops and Mexican street corn salad - The side is wrong but my college kids love it so why fight tradition.

We have decided to make Luxury big baller dinners vs mass quantity for family groups

Of course a high end Vodka for the white russian!

My step-daughter usually does the full big dinner. This year I plan to skip going over there as my sister and her kids (14 & 12) are coming to stay with us for a few days. She and I talked and we are planning non-traditional...probably take out ??. My husband doesn’t like turkey and the kids will be having the full feast with their dad’s family on Friday. Or maybe we will bbq some steak and I can sear some scallops. We will figure it out. My mom and step-dad will be out of town, and my dad traditionally goes to some friends’ house and does not want to change plans. I honestly could care less about what we eat. I just want to hang with some of my favorite peeps. And zero pressure on me to prepare a big traditional feast when I won’t be eating most of the foods prepared. Winning!

Last year my kids came to our house for Christmas. Other than FaceTime I haven't seen them since. My husband and I will be home alone for Christmas and Thanksgiving. This is the year we normally would have gone to Chicago to see our older son for Christmas, but Covid put an end to that. Since I'm having my VSG on Monday, I won't be eating much anyway. Does gravy count as a full liquid? Asking for a friend.

For Thanksgiving we often have 8-12 people over. This year we are having dinner with one other couple. They get tested weekly for work and we recently got tested too. We formed a "vacation bubble" this summer because we are all about equally cautious. I will miss seeing all my friends.

I'm Jewish so I rarely do much around Christmas, but normally my husband and I would take a nice, long vacation somewhere warm, which I will miss. We also usually have Chinese food with the same family on Christmas, but we won't be eating inside at a restaurant. Not sure is they will be up for getting together for takeout or not.

No thanksgiving here but it will be a quiet/low key Christmas this year. Just my sister, her family and myself. Our mother passed away recently and other family will not be travelling here this year due to travel restrictions.

Since our gourmet cook sister won't be here this year, we will be buying an already cooked bbq chicken and just roasting some veges, and for the two vegetarians making a nut roast.

Usually there are lots of pre-Christmas dinners and drinks with friends and family as well as a work Christmas party. All this will be low key this year too. Very much a good thing as I am still not doing well with meals out and about (I need to remember small bites, lots of chews and wait awhile between bites).