Happy Wednesday, everyone! Today feels like a special Wednesday, doesn’t it? If you’re in school, you likely have half the day off. If you’re working, chances are they’ll let you head home early. And if you’re in the northeastern part of the country, odds are you’re home all day because of a winter storm.
All holiday plans have probably already been made, and some of you might be a bit anxious or nervous about tomorrow. So today, let’s encourage one another and try to alleviate some of that holiday stress. Tell us:
What are your most memorable holiday fails?
We all want to pull off something close to perfection (like the perfectly roasted turkey above), but sometimes, things don’t always happen as they should. And you know what? At the end of the day, that’s okay. It gives us those riveting stories that get told and re-told year after year, always as funny as ever. We can always use a bit more laughter and less stress about “perfect,” so come share your stories with us!
31 Comments
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Janie on 12.2.2014
My first Thanksgiving I was married, we were living on a Marine Corps Base in the middle of the Mojave Desert. I called my mother in Kansas to get all her recipes. She said, “If you are going to stuff the turkey, just don’t stuff it too tightly.” She did not, however, say how tight was too tight and I blew a hole in the top of it. It actually tasted just fine.
bubbysoo on 12.2.2014
I made cookies for one of the desserts that called for toasted slivered almonds. I remembered that I had a container of toasted slivered almonds in my freezer and added them to the cookies – a double batch (about 80 cookies). When they came out of the oven thank heaven I tasted one. I like to toast slivered almonds and slivered garlic to sprinkle on salads and that’s what I had in my freezer. I had about 80 garlic flavored cookies that ended up in the garbage!
beth w on 12.2.2014
We hosted Thanksgiving for my husband’s family for the first time two years ago. One of their traditions is orange jello with mandarin oranges in it. So I decided to use the mandarin orange juice from the cans and cut down on the amount of cold water called for. If I had chilled the cans (and hence the mandarin orange juice), I think it would’ve worked fine. But…the jello didn’t set, and the top of it was watery and the bottom was super hard. I have since let them know if they want jello, they can make that one themselves, since I apparently am incapable of making jello
kat-in-texas on 11.29.2014
Newlywed with new knives, I was trying to cut brownies out of a brand new stoneware pan with a rounded tip serrated bread knife. As I tried to force the knife between the brownies and new stoneware (it was like cement), my hand went down the blade and sliced into three of my fingers! (It was a bloody disaster!) Thank goodness I had already cooked the Thanksgiving meal and had taken a shower as I spent the afternoon in the ER getting sewn up. My family still teases me every Thanksgiving saying, “Don’t eat the brownies!”
Laura in Little Rock on 11.29.2014
Several years ago I decided to try Ree’s brine, carefully bought a turkey with no additives, prepared the brine, soaked the turkey. Etc. Yeah, the brine calls for apple cider. I added “apple cider vinegar.” Luckily, the turkey tasted fine, but one dear friend still teases me about the year I attempted to pickle the turkey. Whups.
Valerie Hedlund on 11.29.2014
We painted the dining room before Thanksgiving and our escaped hamster went down in the uncovered air vent. The next week we had 32 family members at this gorgeous feast, and all we could smell was dead hamster.
Alison T on 11.29.2014
My first hosting of Thanksgiving found me having cooked the turkey with the gizzards still inside in the bag.
Now I’m just famous for consistently undercooking the prime rib. My stove is easily 30 years old and I’m thinking it might not be getting as hot as it used to.
Enjoy the week end!
Lesley T on 11.29.2014
I made sausage balls on a rimless cookie sheet and caught my oven on fire . . .
VBrown on 11.28.2014
Likely new knives, then if any left, sheet pan.
cindy in ak on 11.28.2014
Years ago when I attempted to do an all out feast I forgot to put sugar in the pumpkin pie. Pie came out beautiful but did not taste very well. Since then I have done that same meal and it gets better each year. However, when I make the pumpkin pie I am checking and double checking that I have everything in it…
Judy Fox on 11.27.2014
Just today I was tossing some brussel sprouts in olive oil and lemon juice when I somehow dropped the bowl on the floor. I tried to clean them but I have cats and I didn’t want to feed my family cat hair. It’s a good thing that there were other sides. Prior to dropping that, I spilled about 2 cups of coffee concentrate all over myself. It was a stressful morning.
polymerpig on 11.27.2014
I always make a “native” pie using the three fruits known to be available at the first Thanksgiving: cranberries, blueberries and concord grapes. (Delicious!!) I made the pie, pulled it out of the oven, and it slid off the tray and smashed onto the floor – boiling hot and splattered all over. Stunned silence. The 3 dogs came running and formed a circle around it, but realized it was hot so just sat. I looked at my sister-in-law and said “I have more ingredients”. In silence I started making a new pie, my sister-in-law scooped the pie off the floor… and that was that. I’m still stunned and it was years ago.
Ohoyo Tohbi on 11.27.2014
Thanksgiving 2010, our last “BIG” holiday before my grandmother’s passing soon thereafter. So, we had her sit and rest comfortably at the table while all the “girls” (adult kids, aunts, grandkids, etc) worked across the counter in her relatively small kitchen. Too many cooks! Anyway, we eat late and it was about 11 AM that morning. My Aunt L. was in charge of the stuffing made in the iron skillet. She had forgotten the celery stalks None in the fridge and not wanting to go without them since it was “in Grandma’s recipe,” I volunteered my father and I to leave the warm little country house and drive somehow go find some. WE DROVE 4 HOURS THROUGH 5 TOWNS IN RURAL OKLAHOMA to find an open store with celery. No dice. We called back, saying we were exhausted and coming home. We were then instructed to go to my grandmother’s sister’s house, A MERE 7 MILES AWAY, to pick up two extra stalks of celery… What a trip. Thanks, Aunt L.!
Suzan on 11.27.2014
I thought everything was going fine, until I realized that my oven had kicked the bucket. So that was the year we had turkey and everything else on the grill. Thank goodness for Weber grills.
Missbit on 11.27.2014
Sometime around 1985, my Husband and I cooked Thanksgiving dinner for his Mother and her husband. We were going to serve Bourbon glazed ham. We had made it before and it was wonderful. But….somehow, this time when to bourbon went on the ham and after it was back in the oven, we heard a pouf. Turned around and the ham was on fire. So. out comes the fire extinguisher and all the food in the kitchen was covered in powder. Nothing was edible for dinner except the pies in the dining room. Not only that, but the entire kitchen had to be wiped down and cleaned. Can’t remember what we ate, except for the pies. Oh, by the way, my Mother-in-law’s husband never knew it happened.
jennywren on 11.27.2014
2005, My nephew was born the day before and my mom left the meal to me. Then part of the through cooking the oven broke. We had to finish cooking everything on the grill.
Donna H on 11.26.2014
Oh my, reading the comments I was laughing so hard, now I don’t feel so bad. I can do some stupid things, like all the time. The first time I can remember was like 40 yrs ago, still being a newlywed. My first Thanksgiving his family was having a big get together, like aunt and uncles coming from out of town and all the rest of the family. They rented a hall for this get together there was so many. Everyone had to bring food and they decided to ham and turkey. My husband then said we’ll bring a ham. He always like the can ham so that’s what I fixed. This is around the time the first microwaves came out, we had a big one with meat prone was in it. Well he said lets use the microwave to fix the ham. We mint me and I didn’t cook very well I was teaching myself how to cook. Took the ham out when it was done and put a knife in it to check to how tender it was. I’m remembering as I type after all these years, laughing so hard because the ham was like rubber. We were playing with it bouncing it on the floor. It was just like a rubber ball bouncing, I’m still laughing so hard. We lucked out because someone else brought a ham too. I guess they didn’t want to take a chance with me.
I also made different kinds of cookies at Christmas to give to the family. I have mistaken baking powder for baking soda or the other way around. I have forgotten the baking soda or the powder, or cooked them to longer and be hard as a rock, or in the middle that wasn’t done, even burned them, I’ve had some pretty sorry cookies. I know I’ve done some more things over the years. Life isn’t perfect and things do go wrong from time to time. I’m just grateful for all the people in my life, family, friends who has been there for me through the good and bad. All the laughs and tears, that’s how we make memories.
Karen on 11.26.2014
My first attempt as a newlywed at making a turkey for my new family looked very much like the one pictured above. Too bad I cooked it with the neck and bag of gizzards, heart, liver, etc. inside!
Nancy on 11.26.2014
My most memorable holiday fail would probably be Thanksgiving 1996. I had a 3 week old, and my military husband had a mission that had him gone over the holiday. Determined to make it a traditional Thanksgiving for my older two children, I set about to have all the dishes that we should. The turkey thawed in the fridge for 4 1/2 days – a full day longer than the instructions called for. Stuck the thermometer in and into the oven it went. Said thermometer read the bird was done – and the time was right; however, the internal core of the bird didn’t cook! To top it off, the big kids doing KP were messing around (nothing serious) but bumped the open door on the dishwash bending something that prevented it from properly closing. That day I declared that I would never ever do Thanksgiving without my husband – that we’d order pizza instead. I cried. The baby cried. The big kids looked like they wanted to cry.
We survived.
Throughout the next 16 1/2 years there were numerous Thanksgivings and other holidays my soldier missed out on. Sometimes we visited family or friends, and a few times we did actually have turkey (but I now buy smoked and already cooked ones).
Cathey on 11.26.2014
All time fail has to be the Christmas my son asked for Cornish hen and I decided to make a wild rice stuffing. Some how I miss read the salt, before I mixed it I was literally scooping salt off the top. I added sugar and herbs and saved the dish. To this day my son breaks my shoes about the rice stuffing. Funny, I’ve never stuffed hens again.
I have been saved by my Mother in Law several times when my big money expensive oven always decided to stop working at every holiday (see lived next store and I always had hers as a back-up). Imagine 28 guests and you oven decided to stop working. Great memories.
Lisa B on 11.26.2014
The year I cleaned my oven 2 days before Thanksgiving & it zapped the thermometer in it so when I put the pumpkin pie in the oven, the house started to fill with smoke. The temp was stuck on 500 degrees & broiled the top of the pie. Had to borrow my neighbors oven (who was out of town) for my turkey the next day. Let’s just say I updated my oven the next week & my family has a nice story to talk about now.
Patricia @ ButterYum on 11.26.2014
I just read everyone else’s comments and nearly peed myself laughing over Alissa’s story – oh my.
I forgot to mention the time the gourmet grocery store in my parent’s town was offering a “complete holiday meal”. The store sells all kinds of delicious prepared foods and the brochure was very enticing – hot turkey, buttery sides, etc, etc. I placed an order well in advance and when I arrived to pick it up, they seemed a little confused. Two employees disappeared for about 10 minutes and returned with a box of food items that were completely frozen solid. There was absolutely no mention of the food being frozen in the brochure so I’m still not convinced they didn’t give my order to someone else and then scramble to try to fix it. We were supposed to arrive at my parent’s house shortly thereafter with a hot meal – thankfully the store had an extensive Chinese buffet so we filled as many takeout containers as we could. It was a traditional thanksgiving that year, but it was tasty. Fa-ra-ra-ra-ra.
SVF on 11.26.2014
Just put what I thought was ginger into my pumpkin pie. It was ground mustard. Luckily my daughter caught me, right as the powder left the spoon. Back to the store.
Patricia @ ButterYum on 11.26.2014
Last year I prepared a beautiful pumpkin pie with a lovely decorative crust. I placed the pie on a sheet pan and as I was placing it in the oven, the pie plate slid across the sheet pan and stopped when it hit the edge of the pan. About 1/3 of the pie went overboard – all over my oven door, gasket, and hinge. The oven was hot so I didn’t dare attempt to clean it at that moment (and honestly, it was too big a mess to tackle – I just had to walk away). There was actually enough pie filling and crust left to bake so we ate a very sad, misshapen pie that night. About a week later, I had to most horrible baked on mess to clean. My husband was great – he took the door apart for me. I had to chisel all the encrusted pumpkin pie filling from nooks and crannies I didn’t know existed. What a mess. My mother’s big fail happened on Easter one year. She was so proud of herself for figuring out how to program her new oven to start cooking while she was at church. When she got home, she noticed the oven had indeed turned on, but it was empty. Oops, she left the ham on the counter. That one actually made the local newspaper.
C. L. ( Cheryl ) "Cheffie Cooks" Wiser on 11.26.2014
Many years ago as a newlywed I had the honor of hosting the family Thanksgiving dinner. Not knowing one potato from another at the time I went about peeling, rinsing, cubing up these potatoes. They of course were for creamy mashed potatoes. They were fork tender sure enough. When I drained them, added butter, milk, salt and pepper and ease the hand mixer from low to high these potatoes were like glue! Paste beyond words. To this day, I do not know what type of variety I bought but they were an absolute disaster. Luckily I scored on the other side dishes including yummy sweet potato casserole! Every time I buy potatoes I make certain they are the right ones for mashing and I always snicker to myself about that very first time I hosted Thanksgiving. I have come along way from that year!!! Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! Cheryl.
Anne Weber-Falk on 11.26.2014
I didn’t necessarily have any cooking disasters but one year we had to scramble for dinner. I had always had a very large crowd for Thanksgiving so each family was assigned a dish to bring. One year I had four families call on the day to say they were not coming. I couldn’t believe it. No salad, no potatoes, no vegetable, no pie. The kids thought we would have only turkey on the plates. I don’t shop for a couple of weeks before the holidays for food to make room for the leftovers. I was able to scrounge up some mashed potatoes (quite wrinkled but still tasted good) and some frozen corn was found in the freezer. I made a crustless pumpkin pie from a small can I didn’t know I had for dessert. It was tough! It was also the last time I had people bring something other than ice or something to drink.
Kristen on 11.26.2014
My kids still tease me about the “pie disaster” of 2012:) We had to miss Thanksgiving due to a medical emergency, and so when we got home I was determined to have a Thanksgiving dinner. I made the entire feast, including two pies. I put a beautiful banana cream pie into the fridge and then put a lemon merengue pie into the oven. A little while later someone opened the fridge and the banana cream pie came flying out (I must not have set it in securely:) and splatted all over the floor. Right about the time I had that mess cleaned up, the timer rang for the lemon pie. I had used a frozen crust that came in a foil pan and as I grabbed the sides of the pan to lift it out of the oven, the pan folded in half and the filling spilled out all over the oven door. My kids were so devastated, they actually tried to scrape the filling off the door so they would at least have a bite of pie:)
Helena Mouta on 11.26.2014
One that stands out because it was still fairly recently was from Christmas, 3 years ago. I had intended to make a yule log and made the sponge and rolled it out ahead of time. I then put it in the fridge at my mother-in-law’s (where we were spending Christmas) and went to bed. On Christmas day I went to the fridge to find my beautiful, perfectly rolled log soaking wet! My mother-in-law had put some shellfish in the fridge to thaw for us to eat as a treat, and she decided to put it in a colander, over the log… Complete and absolute disaster, it obviously went in the trash and I haven’t made another one since… There was, at least, all the beautiful shellfish (which I love) to make up for it.
Patty Paulsen on 11.26.2014
Ha, fails just make you stronger! I will never forget the year I was assigned pies. I don’t make pies. Period. And I was politely informed that frozen pies were not acceptable. So there I was, Thanksgiving Eve, trying to make pies. I made an apple tart that turned out fine, but I struggled with the pumpkin. The crust kept breaking, I had forgot to buy pumpkin pie spice and was thoroughly frustrated by the time I was ready to put the pies in the oven. Opened the hot oven, burned my hand, and dumped most of the filling from the pie into the oven. Yeah, that was a shining star in my crown…
Maureen P on 11.26.2014
A quite a few years ago my sister traveled from Chicago to CT and was bringing a fresh turkey her husband was given at work. She had little ones at the time so there wasn’t room in the car for the bird so it road in the luggage carrier on top. Well none of us thought much about it until it was time to cook and it was completely frozen from the ride. It took hours and hours to cook and we didn’t end up eating until 10:00pm. We still laugh about it.
Alissa W. on 11.26.2014
Two Thanksgivings ago our family had a turkey disaster. My grandfather had prepared the turkey the night before, put the turkey in the covered pan (that’s how our family keeps it juicy) and put it out in the garage (we live in Chicago so it was pretty cold). The next morning my mom put the turkey in the oven and thought nothing of it. What she didn’t realize was that for food hygiene reasons my grandfather had put ice packs around the turkey to keep it cold, a practice he has never done before. When it came time to take the lid off the turkey it was swimming in exploded ice pack goop!! It ended up being ok, we used the part of the turkey above the blue-gray water line and quickly ran out to get some boxed stuffing and gravy. Our guests were none the wiser!