#cranberry sauce? i've never tried it...

[wreckitremy]

You're not gonna see the poll that triggered this post for a few days bc my queue is backed up af right now, but it reminded me of something, that reminded me of the post talking about disagreeing that saying the phrase "I love you" so much, waters it down

I vehemently disagreed with that post but could never put it into words why. I don't think I necessarily have the words now, but I feel I'm close enough to try.

The "sign of mental illness besides 'old soul' or 'pleasure to have in class' in childhood" that I had that nobody picked up on, was

Being labeled a crybaby.

I know now that they were meltdowns due to overstimulation and the stress that developed my complex ptsd and dissociative disorder.

I knew they weren't normal, but I didn't know what to do about them. All I knew is that nobody believed that they were genuine.

They didn't think this bc they thought I was lying. They didn't think this bc they thought I was faking.

They thought this bc I cried too much for what they considered normal.

Of course instead of coming to the conclusion that I needed actual help, they just decided I should be ignored, which was also shitty of them, but the point is that

My emotion happened too much for them to believe it was genuine. To believe that it meant something serious, anymore.

Now that was a shitty thing to do to a child, but the grain of truth to their instincts was that love bombing is a thing, where too much emotion is used as a manipulation tactic.

I am unfortunately very familar with love bombing as well bc of the other reasons I developed complex ptsd and a dissociative disorder.

Ironically the dissociative disorder allows me to do the thing of holding two truths at once like this.

An emotion you express can be very real to you, but it doesn't mean the same thing to the person you are expressing it to bc of what is normal to them.

In a meeting of peers, it's not really anyone's fault when these things are genuine. It's just a different sort of incompatible access needs situation.

Bc in those kinds of situations, you're not going to be hearing each other. You may be speaking the same language, but the way you each perceive normal, changes the meaning of almost every word in subtle ways that you don't notice, bc its like the shifting of continents.

It's a hard thing to realize, but I am thankful that I know this. It makes it easier to tell when to stop wasting my energy on an argument.

I didn't want to be thankful for anything during this time of year out of spite for all of the things wrong with the usamerican holidays.

It's bittersweet.

Like I imagine cranberry sauce is, bc I've never tried it, and if that seems really abnormal to you, then that's a good sign to not waste your energy on an argument here.

[bonesandthebees]

YES PLS DOOO

Gimme ur opinion on all the thanksgiving meals, I personally hate turkey DHFJGKFK I love ham tho omnomnomnom

It's so funny being Canadian and celebrating a good month ahead of Americans, it always gets so confusing for the first five seconds before I remember, makes me feel like I've time traveled lmfao 😭😭😭

just told spruce what dishes I'm gonna be making so I will tell you my opinions on thanksgiving meals!!

(also that's so funny I always forget canadians have thanksgiving way earlier. do you guys do it the same way we do or is it more casual than in america?)

the traditional thanksgiving food I like: turkey, mashed potatoes, cornbread (is cornbread a traditional thanksgiving food? I like to think so), bread rolls (who doesn't like bread?), pies (pecan and pumpkin both slap but I like making pecan more), candied yams (we never have them at our thanksgiving table but I've tried them before and they're good! not my fav but I'll enjoy them if they're there), gravy

now what I don't like: cranberry sauce (I am just not a cranberry person in generally making it into a sauce does not improve it for me), stuffing (it's not bad per se but I don't see the point), green bean casserole (again not bad I guess but not something I like enough to make on my own), collared greens (ngl I've never actually had them before and I'm sure they're fine, but I'm putting them in the dislike section bc I'd much rather just bake my favs asparagus and broccoli)

also you're so based ham is so good (although I love turkey more) but my mom doesn't eat beef or pork so that's not an option for our family. also because of that I actually barely know how to cook with pork. oops.

if i missed a thanksgiving dish you're particularly curious about my opinion on throw it my way

[homoqueerjewhobbit]

I love everything about this thread but I'm a heathen and I've never had canned cranberry sauce. My mom has been making this every year for as long as I can remember and it really is amazing.

Last year my dad started turning the leftovers into ice cream.

And they look out so hard for the well being of the spiders AND the dolphins

[tim-official]

How do you make a good salad? I been trying to eat healthier and this could help!

ive gotten so good at this oh you have no idea.. my bf is a master chef of salad

a salad is a bowl of texture with a sauce that makes the texture taste good

put as many things as you can in there. just nothing soft. doesn't have to have much lettuce. possibilities: cucumber, cherry tomatoes, zucchini (raw), red onion, green onion, carrots, bell peppers, broccoli, broccoli stem, kohlrabi, cauliflower, cooked root vegetables (raw or pickled beets are really good if you cut them very thin). You don't even need lettuce or any leafy green (their main purpose is to be rough and ragged and hold a lot of dressing compared to, like, a cucumber slice)! Just make a bowl of texture!

fruit is good too, for tartness and sweetness. apple slices, dried cranberries, raisins. my secret weapon: dried figs. not too expensive and you only need a few. slice them up. if you can find fresh herbs for not-crazy expensive, those are flavor bombs. throw a sprig of dill in there. or basil.

protein in the form of meat or tofu if you want it. not required

invest in a big thing of nuts (walnuts work well, relatively cheap) and some kind of crumbly cheese (feta is ideal bc cheap, blue if you like stinky). get them at costco if you can. sprinkle just a little of both on top. if you have tortilla chips / potato chips lying around sprinkle some on too. it makes a difference. you get occasionally nutty or cheesy bites. variety. it's exciting and dynamic

the dressing: make your own if you can. make a big batch and keep it in the fridge. a decent "house" dressing is: one part honey, one part red wine vinegar, one part white wine vinegar, one part olive oil. add peanut butter OR tahini (my favorite, seriously, it's magic - not a lot, just a little) for a nice creaminess. other good dressings, search them, there's many recipes: white miso dressing (my personal favorite out of all i've tried), greek yogurt dressing, various takes on "dragon bowl dressing" (based around nutritional yeast and tahini), roasted red pepper dressing (grinding up canned roasted red peppers into a paste) or a really simple balsamic vinegar dressing (balsamic + olive oil + mustard + some source of sweetness). ranch also exists

final life hack: toss the salad before you make it, with the dressing. then move it into the bowl you'll eat it from. when you pour it like this, the smallest bits (crunchy stuff) that was on the bottom of the first bowl after being tossed end up on the top of the salad. i take this very seriously.

tim this seems expensive

it can be, especially upfront. the condiments i have available to me are like 5 types of vinegar, nice olive oil, miso, mirin, tahini, peanut butter, nuts, cheese, nutritional yeast. all those together, most bought from costco, probably cost about 175 bucks but last for many months. thing about a good salad is that you need a great many items but only a tiny amount of each of them.

as for fresh veggies. i get mine from a farm co-op. i go pick them up once a week for 33 bucks, they're fresh-picked and i swear it's like 60 dollars worth of veggies if i got them at the store because i live in quebec and veggies have always been fucking expensive up here. (only problem, if you're a picky eater or have dietary constraints, is you can't always choose what you get). i eat them every meal and still struggle to finish them by the time the next week rolls around. a lot of places have excess produce programs that are similar.

so for me, now, it's cost-effective because i'm eating salads like every day and i have a huge variety so I never get bored. but I had to commit. I only go grocery shopping for, like, condiments, chips, eggs, milk, cream, rice. and I don't eat a ton of meat.

obviously this is not accessible to everyone, because Hell World and food deserts and subsidies for grain only. i didn't even mention the labor of cleaning + chopping all these things. but hopefully this gives you an idea of what you could do with what you have. (you do not, as i do, need to own five types of vinegar.)

[grogu-explains-it-all]

Hi Grogu!

I've started cooking for the holidays and making all kinds of yummy treats. It made me think of you and how I'm sure you would like them. One thing I made was cranberry sauce. Here's a picture for you.

Are you excited to celebrate Thanksgiving with Mama Hazel? Are there any foods you are excited to try? I hope you have a wonderful holiday!

Love,

Wiggles 💕

Hi Wiggles!

That looks good, I helped make cranberry sauce too!!! Mama Hazel has been away and was traveling on Thursday, so I will tell you all about Thanksgiving at Jupiter Cottage!

Remember what I said about Earth and food and special days??

Yeah well, this day about NOTHING but food!! And being Grateful for it.

Well, you said that there are some “problematic issues” around it. BUT if we focus on gratitude for food and not the “Thanksgiving myth” we’d be all right. And you muttered about Colonialism, Pilgrims and no dry turkey on your watch, thank you very much.

I am always focusing on food, ma'am.

See before Dad, I was given food that keeped me alive. And That. Is. It. Then when Dad saved me, we were in the Crest for a loooonnnggg time, guess what? Bone Broth and Ration Bars. BLECH! You know how I feel about drinking bones for crying out loud and Ration Bars are not much of an improvement, people!! But it was better with Dad cuz I knew he was trying, cuz he ate and drank the same stuff.

With Dad, I always ate first.

Here on Earth, we are not running away from bad guys all the time so we get to relax about it, and finding favorite food is like a game for me and Dad! Like you, we LOVE “Big Breakfast”. With the Pancakes, and the maple tree syrups and everything…

ANYWAYS, for Thanksgiving, we did what you said, ignored the Dumb Pilgrim Story and Focused on The Food.

Yesterday you and Dad cut up lots of firewoods for the Big Black Stove. Then you woke up super early to start The Preparation.  This seemed like a very big and important deal, so Dad and Me said we will help you, and you said something about too many cooks. WHAT? And shooed us out of the kitchen!! I was shocked by this!! THIS IS WHERE THE FOOD IS! You had never shoo me or Dad anywhere before! Me and Dad did not know WHAT to do about this. Dad told me it is okay and we’d be allowed in the kitchen again. I held his face, WHICH IS NOT COVERED BY A HELMET ANYMORE! But that is another story... 

ANYWAYS I asked, Are you sure Father? He did his chuckle and said yes, he was sure.

I think you could hear us being nervous about the status of the kitchen so you came out and said you’d need help in a bit, and me and Dad did a sigh of relief, I tell you ! Then you laughed and asked us to take care of the chickens, and that made me feel much better about this whole situation!

The chickens were SO glad to see me. BUT they were a little nervous about Dad, he is so big in their little house! They made big chicken sounds and Dad made himself small and they calmed down a little. I came over to each one and held their little chicken faces and told them Dad will not hurt them at all. I do not think Eva believed me.

ANYWAYS we gave them their water and their food bits, and then Dad opened their little door, so they can stretch their legs. I do not know why Dad wants everyone to stretch their legs so much. But the hens ran out and started peck pecking at the ground but Dad seemed satisfied. I did not see anyone stretching their legs AT ALL. 

After me and Dad came back, everything smelled sooo good! Warm and cozy, good.You said it was the sage and onion. I tried to sneak the pumpkin pie you made yesterday,  but you said, I got your number bub. Which means I did not get pie. I did a Dad sigh of sadness and resignment. THEN you told me to look on the table and I found the yummy circles you call munchkings.  

Yummy! So I ate those things and got hummy!

Okay so, once you got the Turkey-that-is-not-a-chicken-at-all in the oven, I got to help! You brought me over to the oven, and gave me a big bag of red berries. I got to pour them to the pot, then the sweet sandy stuff! Then you poured in the orange juice. This was hard work and made me thirsty for some of that orange juice. So you gave me a cup and put me in my seat at the table…since I was there I thought I’d have more munchkings.

Then, Dad helped you make bread. You showed how to punch the dough. Which Dad is good at, then, You and Dad got dusty with the flours and laughed a lot.

You know, things changed after Tricks or Treats, your auras got snuggly with each other. There are still bursts and glowing bright, but not zappy shocks and your auras turn green where they touch.

ANYWAYS, you cooked and cooked, we helped and helped. And then finally we got to eat it all!!

Smooshed potatoes AND sweet potatoes! I liked them A LOT!  It turns out that there is a lot of butter involved in Thanksgiving. Which is right!

The turkey was not dry, thank you very much, just like you said and I ate a whole leg!! Plus Also we had your favorite, which is your great grandma’s stuffing, I guess this is apparently what made her so great, cuz yummy!!

After I ate lots and lots of bread and meat and many kinds of potato you said have at least one string bean, for GOODNESS SAKE, so I did. And it was pretty good because cheese was there, so I ate two. But I wanted more potato food. And the bread.

Dad was eating  and he made lots of yummy sounds and you told him his bread was wonderful and he said it was but because of you… okay, you two. Pass the butter, Father, if you please!

Soon, we stopped eating because we were so full of food we could hardly move. I did not know this was a thing that happens! So you turned on your records playing thing for music. And we all just laid around on the floor and we listen to a guy sing about  a lady named Alice and her restaurant and he telled a story about Thanksgiving and improper garbage disposal.

FINALLY, I got to eat the pumpkin pie as soon as I could feel a little spot in my tummy it could fit! It was very good!

And that is the story of how we had a Thanksgiving dinner that could not be beat, just like that singing guy said. But we did not dump a half a ton of garbage anywhere! Because WHO DOES THAT?

[surveysand]

twenty-one.

[Doughnuts]

Where do you prefer to get your doughnuts from? dunkin' donuts. i love the blueberry glazed donut from there.

Do you spell it doughnut or donut? donut.

How many can you eat in a sitting? it depends on a lot of things, but no more than two in a typical setting.

Do you like cream or jelly filled ones? If so, what flavor? not a big fan of either.

Have you ever had / seen the ones with gummy worms on them? no, i probably wouldn't enjoy them.

[Birds]

Has a bird ever pooped on you, or someone you know? i've been pooped on by one once. the only other person i know is my mom, who's had been pooped on by one twice, lmfao.

Would you ever want to have a bird for a pet? no, i get headaches a lot and don't think i could have an animal that makes a lot of noise.

Do birds scare you, or do you know anyone that is afraid of birds? i'm not scared of them, but one of my old friends used to be really scared of them.

What do you considered your favorite bird? swans.

Have you ever heard of a blue-footed booby? no.

[Swimming]

Do you prefer swimming during the daytime, afternoon, or evening? daytime.

What sort of a bathing suit do you prefer to wear? bikinis, but only if they're high-waisted bottoms.

Have you ever swam in the nude? no.

Do you have to plug your nose to swim under water? no.

Have you ever swam during a thunderstorm? no.

[Salad]

What is your preferred dressing? ranch.

Do you like croutons in your salad? yes.

What about dried fruits, like cranberries or raisins? no, only fresh fruit if i'm eating a salad that would call for it.

Have you ever tried salad with no dressing at all? yes.

What all do you like to have in a salad? i'm a chef's salad lover, but remove the tomatoes.

[Mice]

Have you ever had a pet mouse? no.

What about a mouse infestation in your home? no, i get one once or twice a year in my apartment, but have never had a full-on manifestation.

If a mouse crawled across your feet right now, how would you react? i would flip the fuck out.

What color computer mouse do you use? i don't use one with my macbook (what i'm using now), but for my old laptop that i use to play games, i use a black one.

Did you ever think that the plural of mouse was meese? no.

[Cheese]

What kind of cheese do you like on a deli sandwich? provolone or swiss.

Do you put parmesan cheese on your pasta? yes, all the time!

Do you like mozzarella sticks? of course, they're probably my favorite of the appetizers.

When eating string cheese, do you just bite into it or do you actually peel it & eat it like string? i peel it. i feel like it tastes better and is more enjoyable than just biting it.

How much cheese do you like on your pizza? a good amount. i prefer more cheese than sauce.

[beatrice-otter]

No, but see, the whole point of Thanksgiving is you have to have a whole turkey. There's a whole visual component to it! A lot of families will actually bring the turkey out to the table and carve it up there. Here's Norman Rockwell's vision of an American Thanksgiving:

Problem is, a lot of people can't cook for shit, and turkey actually isn't a very flavorful meat. If you roast it and don't know what you're doing, it is really easy to get a dry, gross bird. And if you deep fry it, it's a lot less likely to get dried out. And (I've never tried it, but I presume) it's no more likely to have over/undercooked issues than roasting it whole. It's the same basic problem: a big bird.

Now, if you roast it right you actually get a very tender, moist bird that's fine. (I still don't like it as much as chicken or ham or beef, but it's fine with gravy or cranberry sauce, and I love the stuffing.) The secret is to cook it in a bag. Yes, there are oven-safe plastic bags, and they keep the turkey nice and moist while still letting it get a crisp skin. (It also makes cleanup easier.)