MarthaMFI:

Brandy, do they have  bogo sales on stuffing? 

I have no idea. Before we moved, I was getting the boxes of stuffing at the salvage store for .89 or less before we moved but I'll finding out what is normal here.

Check the day-old bread stores and make one pan of cornbread and crumble both.  Mix both, add beef bouillon in water, a dash of soy, onions, margarine, herbs and celery, plus oysters, pecans, and/or chopped boiled eggs if you like them. Bake it an hour or so at 325. Cheaper than mix, and not as salty.

I do home-canned green beans, sweet tater souffle with bananas and vanilla, whipped Irish taters, mac and cheese (this bunch loves bland comfort food), deviled eggs since I get to eat them only twice a year 'cause of the cholesterol, cloverleaf rolls bought on sale and frozen till used, home-grown greens seasoned with ham, and the bird with a pan of dressing on the side, made half with onions and half without.  Cranberry sauce for everyone else, spiked with red jalapenos or habaneros for me.  If you don't have home-canned, buy the beans in a can, pour the stinking water off, add a dash of tap water and a few slices of bacon, and cook on very low heat for at least an hour.  I have to do the mac and cheese from scratch and am required to have it but no-one eats it except Cuz.

The secret to frugal Christmas is to purchase the dinner goodies on sale after Thanksgiving.  I do ham for Christmas but with the other sides the same. No cakes or pies because my dear diabetic cousin would go wild.  

Yes, somehow, holidays dinners do end up in politcal conversations a lot!  We have different political beliefs than a lot of our family and some are VERY strong in their opinions and love to start a good debate/argument.  Whenever the slightest hint of politics come up though, someone like my mom or grandma quickly shuts it down with a firm "No politics at the dinner table!" which usually cuts it off.  I'm glad . . . there are a few people in my family that once the conversation gets started, won't let up until they feel like they have convinced you they're right-which means they never let up!

Tracy, from your post, I assume that your extended family is not vegetarian?  Mine either.  In fact, my family is fairly hard core meat and potatoes eaters.  Dh has only recently become 100% vegetarian-he used to eat veggie at home (because I don't cook or buy meat) and when out or at a family function, he would sometimes eat meat.  He has recently (about 6 mos ago) converted to being 100% vegetarian (and I'm glad-I feel like we are more unified as a family now.  Took a long time for him to get to this point but it has been really great.)  Anyway, I digress . . . sometimes these extended family meals can be a bit challenging in that there is often a lot of meat or my very traditional Southern cooking grandmothers make things and say it's vegetarian but it was sauteed in bacon grease or made with chicken stock.  My mom finally does understand that we won't eat it and tries to think about that and of course, I do bring plenty of food for us to eat (things that the rest of the family will enjoy too).  It is a challenge too especially as the kids get older as we have always said that the kids will be raised vegetarian but that we will not make it a big issue for them if they want to eat meat as it is a choice for every person to make.  (However, if they decide to be meat eaters, it won't be at my house.)  Anyway, this statement means that lots of my family love to try and get the kids to eat meat and if they do, the LOVE telling me "Oh, your DS ate turkey and he loved it!" and stuff like that.  It's a bit frustrating.  My parents do for the most part respect our choices, and I have been this way since I was a child so it's no surprise to them.  Anyway, much as I love these family get togethers, and I really do, the vegetarian thing can be a bit tricky . . . and I always cringe when they start hacking into the turkey with an electric knife.  Goes right through me.

we made the big Thanksgiving board .. we are deciding the menu ..

so far the only thing on the list that written in stone is the Dressing my family loves its  

and I roast the the turkey it always the best ..

Jane,

Keep us posted on your progress with your family and the Thanksgiving meal. I have been thinking of you and would appreciate knowing.

There is a great article about planning holiday meals in this weeks Dollar Stretcher:

" Plan Ahead for Holiday Meals"

http://www.stretcher.com/stories/08/08oct20d.cfm

I am going to wait until the very last minute to by the bird, (I learned here I will get a better deal).  Very simple, low stress menu - Here is my menu.

Turkey
Stuffing
Mash Pots
Gravy (in a can, already in pantry), sorry, but mine is awful
Olives (already in pantry)
Cranberry sauce (Gramma brings)
Deviled eggs (gramma Brings)
Green Veggie (Probably asparagus)
Desert

Sparkling CranApple Juice

And I think I might just bake a cake for desert this year.

We don't have but 4 of us, so it is always a lot of food and everyone has left overs.