Can't sleep, clowns will eat me

I had a difficult time last night getting to bed. I just laid here staring at things.

Thanksgiving gets smaller here every year. With my 2 little brothers living so far away, and my grandmother and my father passing, it is just us 5 and Hooter. And then Hooter up and tells me he might be going somewhere else for Thanksgiving! It's ok though, I am glad he has some other friends besides Husband and I. (for all my new readers, Hooter and I have been good friends to the point of family status for almost 20 years.)

 But he isn't why I couldn't sleep, he was just one of many thoughts.  The 4 1/2 hour drive to go get hay (once we find a hauler) is what was keeping me up. That and the up coming butcher of mamma.  You can imagine the kind of google hits I get because of how I phrase things. I have even seen the search "How to butcher woman" come up before. I was a bit creeped out.

I digress.

Carol Anne over on on Soap boxville  mentioned a title of a book called "No one cares what you had for lunch" along with pics of her really cool goth doll collection. The title made me giggle. But as many hits as I get on my recipes, I would say some people are indeed interested in what we are eating here.Or at least canning.

So I have been planning out my Thanksgiving menu. Holidays give me a chance to only cook. I do a few basic chores in the morning, then the men in my life take over the duties so that I can have the rest of the morning to cook. We usually eat by 3 pm. Even with the 5 of us, we have lots of food, most the time I only use what we have on hand. Rarely do I run to the store to purchase items. Of course leftovers never last long. I do have 3 growing boys.

This year is a bit difficult. Hardly any veggies or fruits to choose from in my pantry. I have a few apples and pears, and several jars of peaches from last year. 1 small jar of corn, no green beans, but I do have potatoes. My pumpkin and flour guys had little for me this year, and I have no milk or butter. So I need to be very creative. How do you make a Thanksgiving meal with little on hand?

Edited: I know exactly how to make a Thanksgiving meal with little on hand. The above statement sounds a bit pompous, not at all what I had in mind.  I have had famine years before, worse than this one. I have had to barter skills for food before, as has husband. And I have gone hungry on Thanksgiving before as well.

I am still trying to figure this out.  Whatever it ends up being like, I will still be thankful.