Wishing everybody a happy and safe holiday weekend. Remember the true purpose of the holiday...to stuff yourself silly, drink beer and watch football.

I'll be leaving this afternoon to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area to spend the holiday with in'laws and outlaws, as well as my parents. I'll have to get back a little early because my oldest son is scheduled to take his test for his driver's license.

I echo that sentiment

echo....echo....echo....

I hope everyone here enjoys the holiday surrounded by family, friends and loved ones.

(I'm going to my sister's house. She uses her smoke detector as a cooking timer. )

There was one Thansgiving when I was in law school when I was unable to go home for the holiday. There were 6 classmates, who were also spending the holiday in Boston, as well and one of the girls invited us to her apartment where she was going to make a turkey dinner.

I arrived with a pumpkin pie, and soon after, the others got there around 2 pm. When the last guest arrrived, she said, "Good. I'll cook the turkey now." When we told her that it takes several hours to cook a turkey, she said she had to check the directions, and it was then that she pulled the frozen 18 pound bird from the freezer. Obviously, we didn't have turkey that Thanksgiving.

Hey, my sister can ALMOST top that (but not quite ).

It must've been around 1984 or so, and I and my then girlfriend drove out to my sister's for the big meal. We got out to her house about 1:00 p.m. and were planning on eating about 4:00. Well, 4:00 comes and goes and the turkey is clearly not ready. 5:00 passes and is soon joined by 6:00 and still no turkey.

It turns out my sister's oven was broken and the top heating element wasn't working at all. Thank God a Chinese restaurant was open.

That reminds me of my brother's Thanksgiving story, Klyd. He was teaching in the South Bronx. Most of the families couldn't afford a Thanksgiving dinner, so he decided to make the kids a turkey and bring it to school the day before Thanksgiving. He told his wife not to worry, he was taking care of everything. He brought home a frozen turkey after work on Tuesday night. I think he ended up staying up cooking the damn thing until about 4 in the morning!!! God knows what it tasted like.

I'm hosting Thanksgiving this year. I enjoy doing it, because I don't have to think about what to cook - every year the menu is pretty much the same - turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes with marshmallows and a green vegetable. Because we're so many, we're making both a turkey and a turkey breast, though.

This year, in deference to my brother's complaints that we eliminated my mother's lasagna a few years ago, I'm making 3 lbs. of penne, and setting up a pasta station with the cheese and crackers. My mom's making marinara sauce, I'm making vodka sauce, and Mr. Babe is making a gorgonzola sauce. He's also making his very popular turkey pate`.

Then we'll have the usual pies and cakes, including my daughter's home-made carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. My SIL also makes turkey cookies. While she's not the best cook (she may have gone to the same cooking school as SC's sister), it wouldn't be Thanksgiving without them.

Edit: I have a family to share the holiday with, I have a home to host it in, and I have plenty of food to share. I am so thankful and am trying to remember that there are so many out there that are not as fortunate.

And SB is on Plate Patrol to make sure that none of the foods touch other foods on the dishes.

Perfect! My in-laws tend to overcook meat. They have this phobia about trichinosis and similar bacteria things....and they skeeve. So I load up on everything but turkey. OR - I could go to SBs house. That sounds like a festa.

Hey Klyd, see you in the Valley. Stop into Carmen's Florist on Wyoming Ave in Exeter. I might be passed out in the carnations.

Thanks to everyone.

Umm... dare I ask??

Dare. Dare!

All I know is, chocolate chip cookies are cookies containing chocolate chips. Oatmeal cookies have oatmeal in them. I do NOT want to hear that someone makes cookies with turkey in them!

They are SHAPED like turkeys, you turkey!! MC, the welcome mat is out. Come on by!

SC, I could care less what happens to the other people's plates, as long as mine is appropriate.

How can you tell that an Italian cooked Thanksgiving dinner?...The turkey's neck is tied off with piano wire and both legs have been broken!
Happy Thanksgiving to one and all! May you be blessed with good friends, great family and delicious food!

Hope that everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving and enjoys the time that they are spending with their loved ones.

This is my favorite holiday because it has not been commercialized and is still a holiday that is centered around spending the day enjoying family and friends.

(not to mention all the food and 3 games of football!!!!)

And of course the Giants will KICK ASS!

Don't forget to cheer for Villanova on Saturday in the true college playoff - the FCS. Go 'Cats!

Happy Thanksgiving to everybody!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Don't eat too much.

Happy Thanksgiving, and Happy Tofurkey Day to the vegetarians here. Do they add tryptophan to tofurkey so vegetarians can feel sleepy after they eat like the rest of us?

Don't get me started -- WTF, they want to PRETEND to eat meat with tofu hot dogs and hamburgers... why pretend to eat what you "despise"??? But anyway, yeah, sauseege his own and give thanks for whatever it is you appreciate. Even tofu.

Thank YOU, GBB members!

What's not to love about Thanksgiving?...Football, Family, Feasting - hey, that sounds like any Sunday at an Italian household! Enjoy the day and God Bless all!

So you're Italian Mark?

Absolutely!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

I ate too much.

As did I

Not me. Crunchy lasagna has a natural way of suppressing one's appetite.

I ate waaayyy too much. Santino, how did the meal prep go?

Happy Thanksgiving to all my American pals. Hope you all did what you are supposed to, eat,drink and watch football

We ate and ate and then ate some more. I don't even have that many leftovers.

I had two thanksgivings, one with my girlfriends family on thanksgiving day, and then another a day after with all my family including my brothers visiting from out of state. It was really nice, but I have an upset stomach from eating too much. It sure was good though!!

Hope you all had a great day..