What's weird about where you are staying - Thanksgiving 2025 Edition

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is anyone staying at a place where the tv is on at all times and at full volume? I feel I am being absolutely inundated with fake-nice daytime talk show banter and commercials for personal injury lawyers.

Grandpa went to turn on the tv to show us something off YouTube and the volume was literally at 100. All us kids immediately flipped out and wrenched the remote away. We all agreed we couldn’t stand listening to the tv all day.

He needs hearing aids to preserve his remaining cognitive function

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DH and I are in a bedroom at my mother's where the full sized bed can only fit up against a wall. One of us will have our nose to said wall all night, or will take up most of the bed. He's 6'4" and heavy. I'm in my 50s and get up through the night to pee. This oughtta be a blast!

No. Just no.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My uncle is constantly spoiling for a fight. I’m not staying at his house, but we’ll be at the same gathering.

He honestly has fought with me and his DIL over Jiffy corn pudding. We were discussing how much we loved it, and he starts in with “YOU don’t even KNOW where JIFFY MIX is FROM,” all indignant. And we both said at the same time, “It must be from Michigan.” Because he lived there for like 5 years, and anywhere or anything that is even loosely tied to him is the best thing that ever was or ever will be. And then he got mad that we “just guessed when we didn’t even KNOW it was from MICHIGAN.”

I have Jiffy cornbread mix for Thanksgiving muffins. But corn pudding sounds wonderful. How do you make it?

Google to make sure, but I think it is:
1 box Jiffy
1 egg (maybe 2 eggs?)
1/2 a cup or so of sour cream
1 melted stick of butter
1 can creamed corn
1 can kernel corn (I prefer the white kernel corn)

Mix, pour into a casserole dish and bake for about 45 minutes.

350 degree oven.

1 can of creamed corn, ~11 oz., no regular corn.
2-3 eggs, I do 2
1 cup sour cream
1 stick butter
1 Jiffy mix

My 30 year old index card from my family’s 60 year old “recipe” is most certainly taken from a free Jiffy promotional recipe book and I think you can play fast and loose with it. I think the above PP’s recipe compensates for less sour cream by adding more corn and probably tastes better than mine.

Put the stick of butter in the casserole dish and in the oven to melt. Then mix everything else together and pour into the dish right on top of the melted butter. Check it at 20-25 minutes. 45 minutes will be too long.

Mine:

CORN PUDDING

2 15 3/4oz cans cream style corn, NOT drained
1 box Jiffy Cornbread mix
2 eggs (you could use egg beaters)
2/3 C milk (use skim/no fat)
1/2 C cooking oil
1 dash garlic salt

Mix together and pour in to a greased 9X12 baking pan and bake at 350 for 45 minutes (my note: it can take an hour).

[Anonymous]

All of my childhood Thanksgiving memories involve wearing tank tops or tshirts and asking to eat outside because my Grandma's house was an oven. Don't do that to your family! In the DMV you likely dont need any heat on at all, its warm enough from cooking and having people in the house. Definitely don't need anything in the 70s!

[Anonymous]

Ok, more updates on the Divorce Thanksgiving disaster. Workout BIL finally returned--was supposed to get the turkey going, and discovered a part to the fryer was missing. Deciding he was going to the hardware store and was NOT dissuaded by the certainty that said store was not going to be open. So, turkey went in the oven. No brine, no marinade. MIL came back, DH came back. FIL has been puttering around outside of the house, and left to 'run errands'. Evidently, this was not a surprise to him, he already knew. Who knows how he really feels, hasn't made any objections to MIL moving.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are hosting. Thermostat has to be set at 72 for the grandparents, plus the fireplace has to be on. Unfortunately, the fireplace is in the small seating area in the kitchen, and I am simultaneously cooking tonight's dinner and also baking a pie for Thanksgiving. Between the thermostat, fireplace, and the oven and stove, I am roasting.

Update- last night before bed I low-key turned the thermostat from 72-70. I just couldn't take if anymore. The house was getting so hot between the heat, the fireplace, and the oven and stove. This was a total gamechanger and my quality of life improved 1000 percent. The grandparents are oblivious.

[Anonymous]

Interjecting some levity with a weird conversation:

My sister asks me early this morning, “Remember how Grandma used to keep a small alligator in her bathtub?”

Wait, what?! Grandma died when we were in our teens and only one cousin is still alive who might be able to shed some light on this. So texted him and he does think she did have an alligator or possibly just a large lizard. This must have been when we were very young. We have no clue how this came to be or what happened to it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Interjecting some levity with a weird conversation:

My sister asks me early this morning, “Remember how Grandma used to keep a small alligator in her bathtub?”

Wait, what?! Grandma died when we were in our teens and only one cousin is still alive who might be able to shed some light on this. So texted him and he does think she did have an alligator or possibly just a large lizard. This must have been when we were very young. We have no clue how this came to be or what happened to it.

Possibly an iguana?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My uncle is constantly spoiling for a fight. I’m not staying at his house, but we’ll be at the same gathering.

He honestly has fought with me and his DIL over Jiffy corn pudding. We were discussing how much we loved it, and he starts in with “YOU don’t even KNOW where JIFFY MIX is FROM,” all indignant. And we both said at the same time, “It must be from Michigan.” Because he lived there for like 5 years, and anywhere or anything that is even loosely tied to him is the best thing that ever was or ever will be. And then he got mad that we “just guessed when we didn’t even KNOW it was from MICHIGAN.”

I have Jiffy cornbread mix for Thanksgiving muffins. But corn pudding sounds wonderful. How do you make it?

Google to make sure, but I think it is:
1 box Jiffy
1 egg (maybe 2 eggs?)
1/2 a cup or so of sour cream
1 melted stick of butter
1 can creamed corn
1 can kernel corn (I prefer the white kernel corn)

Mix, pour into a casserole dish and bake for about 45 minutes.

350 degree oven.

1 can of creamed corn, ~11 oz., no regular corn.
2-3 eggs, I do 2
1 cup sour cream
1 stick butter
1 Jiffy mix

My 30 year old index card from my family’s 60 year old “recipe” is most certainly taken from a free Jiffy promotional recipe book and I think you can play fast and loose with it. I think the above PP’s recipe compensates for less sour cream by adding more corn and probably tastes better than mine.

Put the stick of butter in the casserole dish and in the oven to melt. Then mix everything else together and pour into the dish right on top of the melted butter. Check it at 20-25 minutes. 45 minutes will be too long.

Mine:

CORN PUDDING

2 15 3/4oz cans cream style corn, NOT drained
1 box Jiffy Cornbread mix
2 eggs (you could use egg beaters)
2/3 C milk (use skim/no fat)
1/2 C cooking oil
1 dash garlic salt

Mix together and pour in to a greased 9X12 baking pan and bake at 350 for 45 minutes (my note: it can take an hour).

2 cans of creamed corn would definitely up the baking time to 45 minutes. Yours sounds like it makes a lot more volume and more pudding-y than ours.

I love seeing these variations. I’m glad I didn’t marry into another corn pudding family, though, because I like not having to adapt to anyone else’s version!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In place of grace before the meal, MIL read out the theme words from today’s NYT Strands puzzle. “Thankful,” “friends,” “health,” etc. I think this was intended as a gesture of acceptance for the atheists (DH and me) at the table? Um?

that sounds nice

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m at friends’ for my first divorced Thanksgiving and we are getting the table prepped for dinner. There is an extra chair. DC asked who the extra chair is for.

Apparently it’s for the dog. But don’t worry, she’ll only be joining us for dessert.

Because she has other obligations? Doesn’t like Thanksgiving food?

This is funny

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Interjecting some levity with a weird conversation:

My sister asks me early this morning, “Remember how Grandma used to keep a small alligator in her bathtub?”

Wait, what?! Grandma died when we were in our teens and only one cousin is still alive who might be able to shed some light on this. So texted him and he does think she did have an alligator or possibly just a large lizard. This must have been when we were very young. We have no clue how this came to be or what happened to it.

Possibly an iguana?

My dad had a pet alligator as a kid in the 1950s.

[Anonymous]

Plot twist. Movie and game day grandma and grandpa has changed to tour retirement villages! grandparents say they, “might like to move when they get older-maybe another 20 years from now, but would be nice to see today.” Good they are planning, but grandkids disappointed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Plot twist. Movie and game day with grandma and grandpa has changed to tour retirement villages! grandparents say they, “might like to move when they get older-maybe another 20 years from now, but would be nice to see today.” Good they are planning, but grandkids disappointed.

dropped the “with” and added it above. guess didn’t need to but posting has me look busy to not get caught up in other house drama!

[Anonymous]

Holiday day after. At future in-laws big house. Every single person is in own room with door closed. Totally silent in their own rooms. Seemed weird at first, but now realizing maybe best option if not in a Hallmark movie family!