My husband. He’s a funny one.
On Saturday afternoon he called wanting to know if I would make a full turkey dinner for 20-40 people and have it ready for him to take to work on Monday morning.
Seriously. He really did call and ask.
Ummm, okay.
Because really. What else am I going to say {besides, I think you have the wrong number}. It’s not like I had anything better to do what with being a housewife and all.
Most days I sleep til noon, sun myself on the back porch for an hour or two, snap some photos for my silly little blog and take the dog for long walks. That’s it. That’s my life. Day in and day out.
Phone calls requesting large amounts of food on short notice, don’t even phase me anymore. When The Girl was in high school we routinely held pasta feeds for 20-50 kids at our house.
However. If there is one thing I loathe with a deep passion it’s having to go grocery shopping {or any type of shopping for that matter} around Thanksgiving and Christmas.
People are just rude. The stores are crowded and if I can’t pop into the grocery store right when it opens at 5am, I’d pretty much rather stay away until after the holidays.
But, when you’ve got to come up with enough food for 20-40 people in less than 24 hours {and you’re getting reimbursed for it} you go to Costco. Even if it’s 4 pm on the saturday before Thanksgiving.
My biggest concern was how the heck was I suppose to cook 2-3 turkeys in my single oven. So I made a plan to buy whole turkey breasts and slice them up and just stick them in a pan with some foil over the top. {The HH has a way to reheat food at his work so that wasn’t a problem}.
But luckily, just as I was putting a couple of turkey breasts in the cart, the HH called and said someone else was going to take care of the turkeys {thank you Jesus}.
All I had to do was the sides and dessert. Let me just say this. If you don’t already have an immersion blender, you should own one. They can blend 20 pounds of sweet potatoes in a roasting pan way faster than loading your mixer 4 times. And cleanup is easier too. No bowl!
I hope I made enough. I asked the HH if he wanted me to make stuffing and he said no because not everybody likes stuffing. Clearly, I had no problem with that.
Look at Lucy’s belly. She’s starting to get her shape back. 😉
Cranberry pineapple marshmallow salad. I hope they like it.
This is what I sent him off to work with this morning:
6 dozen Costco Rolls
1 pint apricot jam, 1 pint strawberry jam, butter
20 pounds of sweet potatoes
30 pounds of mashed potatoes
1 giant tub of turkey gravy
2 tubs of cranberry sauce {whole and jellied}
10 pounds of corn
10 pounds of peas
1 Giant tub of homemade cranberry pineapple marshmallow salad
2 Costco pumpkin pies
1 Costco apple pie
1 sheet pan of brownies
The way I see it, either 40 people will be going home with full bellies or 20 people will be going home with leftovers. Whateva. I did my duty. There is a huge difference between having enough food for 20 people vs 40 people. But I think they’ll have enough.
Keep calm and mash on.
~Mavis
Jean Burke says
I am really impressed with your ingenuity in producing such a feast, and in super fast time.
Ashley says
Yes, there is a wee bit of a difference between 20 people and 40 people, haha! Looks yummy!
I’m a stay at home mom of 3 little ones, so your day of sleeping til noon sounds just like my day of watching soap operas and eating ice cream. *wink*
connie munoz says
im amazed and I so don’t know if I could say yes to all that, even though im a stay at home housewife….and I did Costco on Friday and it was a mad house, and im so with you, we are stocked and planned so no stores till after the thanksgiving weekend….whew, no to cook for our tiny bit of 4 people…and it seems just as hard as cooking for 10, why is that
glenda says
You are my hero.
Tamara says
Your HH knows you and loves you and understands he can always depend on you; after all you know where you’ve hidden the dishes! You two must be a real team! Happy Thanksgiving!
Em says
Wow, that’s at least 70 pounds of food not counting the turkey! We need an after-action report on how it worked out! You are amazing!
bobbi dougherty says
yes! I can’t wait to hear about how it all went!!!
Jennifer Jo says
So why did you do it? Because you love to cook? Because you got paid? Because your husband was in a true-blue fix? Still trying to understand….
dawn says
I just fed 20 with a week’s notice 35+ lb turkey, 4lb ham, 5 lbs corn, #10 can french cut greenbeans, 20lb mashed potatoes, 6 -20 Oz packages of chopped spinach,3 pans cornbread, 9×13 baking dish of stuffing, 5 quarts giblets gravey, 2 apple pies, sweet potato pie, German chocolate cake, pistachio bundt cake, 2 loaves pumpkin bread, 2 pkgs of celery washed and diced stuffed with cream cheese, 1 lb carrot sticks, 2 cans black olives,dozen and half eggs deviled, peanuts and mints
Mavis Butterfield says
Rockstar!
Mrs. Chow says
Oh. My. Word.
All of you are amazing!
Mavis Butterfield says
Because he asked me to. 🙂 🙂 🙂
Susan says
EXACTLY!! As simple as that 🙂
Jennifer Jo says
Wow. I am impressed. I don’t think my husband would even DARE ask!!!
Mavis Butterfield says
No he wouldn’t. However your Mr. handsome would help you cook the food and clean the dishes. So he’d get bonus points for that.
Jennifer Jo says
I was thinking that maybe you should’ve done some bartering with him, something along the lines of: I spend my Sunday cooking a feast for you and then, come the summer of 2016, you move to the East Coast with me…
Mavis Butterfield says
I like your thinking!
Alison says
Love it!
ann in E. oregon says
I agree! What more reason do you need?? 🙂 Way to BUY the pies!
sandra says
OMG ! ! ! ! !
Kori F says
You are amazing.
Linda says
Who doesn’t like stuffing? Weirdos!
I went to Costco Sunday am when they opened and there was a ton of people there. I won’t go back til after Christmas.
Mavis Butterfield says
I agree. Total weirdos.
Deborah Herman says
An amazing job, but you did send turkey didn’t? I did not see it on the list. I’ve cooked and served 350 people at 2 functions. One very formal, the others was a simple informal wedding. Both took a lot of work, but it was quite rewarding, from the “I really pulled this off” stand point.
I’m happy for you, hope HH knows what a gem he has……..
Em says
Someone else had the turkey assignment.
Mavis, Lucy is looking good! 🙂
MarinaRose says
I hope you’ll be posting the recipe for your cranberry pineapple marshmallow! My grandma has a similar recipe only it takes cottage cheese, mandarin oranges and jello.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Mavis Butterfield says
Interesting! I wonder if I could sub the whip cream for cottage cheese. My dad would love that.
Kathy says
I totally get it an understand it. I think you did a great job. I’ve done similar things before with hardly any notice. It is a challenge but when you get it done and do a good job it feels good. Tired but good. LOL
Nancy says
Awwwww ……. You LOVE him! It all looks fantastic btw.
Diana says
You are AWESOME!
Now, I’ve got this event coming up next Monday and was wondering…
😀
Jane says
This is definitely worth a patch on the sash, girl scout! This is our first Thanksgiving away from family and I have NEVER made the entire meal until this year. I was the sweet potato person, that was my only job. Haha! Your cranberry pineapple salad looks YUM!
Debbie says
Any chance of getting the recipe for the cranberry pineapple marshmallow salad?
Ashley says
Man Mavis, you killed it!! Are you going to open a short order catering business next?
Erin says
Lucy looks great! As much as I love my husband, I would be expecting some serious favors in return for that job! Of course, he knows I hate to cook, so he would never ask me in the first place!
Pam says
That looks fabulous! My husband has been known to call at 8 am and ask if I could “whip up a cookie tray” for that afternoon. And I said yes, too.
Mavis Butterfield says
Husbands are funny that way.
aruna says
Can I please get the recipe for your Cranberry Pineapple marshmellow salad? If possible, I would love to make this for Thanksgiving. Thank you!
JenWood says
Costco Rolls…what a great idea! Your meal looks very healthy and well balanced. Bravo!!
Vania says
Ah! Let us know tomorrow if the food was enough, I’m curious…
Susan S. says
You pulled off an amazing feast Mavis! Your kindness and ‘can do’ attitude are so wonderful. I really love how you and your HH support and care for one another. My husband and I are the same way — GO TEAM!!!!! May you have a beautiful and blessed Thanksgiving with your family, and I think you for brining sunshine into my days with your blog. It always seems to put a smile on my face 🙂
Mavis Butterfield says
Awww Susan. Thank you. You too.
JoAnn C says
Mavis,
Just as an FYI, Turkey Breast cooks wonderfully in the crock pot if you don’t care about crispy skin. I do it all the time.
JoAnn
Donna says
Congratulations!!!! You did an awesome job!!! I cook dinner for 40+ every five weeks. It is quiet an undertaking! The corn and peas that you prepared…were they canned or frozen and how did you season them? I typically serve canned green beans cooked on low all afternoon with peppers, opinions bacon, and Greek seasoning. The reviews on the green beans are great. I need another great way to serve another canned vegetable. (Frozen is cost prohibitive.) any suggestions?
Mavis Butterfield says
Frozen. Butter, salt and pepper. Nothing too fancy.