I’m glad I don’t get Thanksgiving for the holiday splits

[Mosca]

Not because I mind cooking the turkey (it comes out great), but because my sister in law makes INCREDIBLE sides!

We get Christmas, and usually Memorial Day and Labor Day. They get the 4th of July.

[clb239]

Sounds like you come out the winner with Memorial Day and Labor Day when it comes to grilling holidays...

[Mosca]

Yep, did that one on purpose. BiL mixes 95/5 ground beef with goldfish crackers and makes burger patties from that.

[Oak Smoke]

Mosca I have to know are those burgers dry and terrible?

[Mosca]

Oak Smoke I just remind myself of what Meathead says, “It's not what's on the table that matters, it's who is in the chairs.” And anyhow SIL makes a really awesome grilled vegetable platter.

[DaveD]

For many years we were in settings where there were a lot of younger folks around who were far from home and not able to afford to travel all that much (grad students, postdocs etc), and so my lovely bride and I would host a large Thanksgiving every year, typically seating just under 25, with rented tables & folding chairs, etc. Everyone lived within 15 minutes' drive, so it was easy to do, albeit utterly exhausting! But we loved providing a warm Thanksgiving experience.

[DaveD]

No family! All friends and colleagues.

[Jim White]

Been there. But with grandkids now, we mostly do just family these days. We will have the grad students over tomorrow, though.

[DaveD]

What I failed to include is that part of the price our guests had to pay was to listen to me do Alice's Restaurant after dinner... Nobody eats for free!

[rlozinak]

We usually host all of the holidays. My sister likes it that way. I don't mine because I usually help with the cooking.

[captainlee]

Wish we could do that. We have one child and family local outside of Colorado Springs and the rest spread out across the country as their careers have taken them. The locals have an 11 year old involved in hockey and have tournaments throughout the Thanksgiving weekend. I remember those large family gatherings during my youth, lots of fun getting together with everybody.

[DogFaced PonySoldier]

But we loved providing a warm Thanksgiving experience.

OMG!
Look at that!
Either that old man shrunk to munchkin size, or that little kid in the middle's got the Captain Stubing hair!

[DaveD]

Yeah, we had Benjamin Button over that year

[Santamarina]

My wife and I took over Thanksgiving 6-7 years ago, but her parents still help. We do the turkey, prime rib, gravy, and a few sides. The in-laws bring a ham, mashed potatoes, and a few other sides. Sister-in-law brings appetizers and dessert.

Makes for a more relaxed event with everyone doing a little work.