I need a menu that is non-traditional for Thanksgiving. What are you having for Thanksgiving?

Do something way different and make steaks and baked potatoes or citrus cured atlantic salmon. Just make something that you both really enjoy! It is not what you eat it is how thankful you are to have it!

We're frying a turkey this year. Semi-traditional and really good...as long as you don't burn down the house.

With just two of you, you could have it catered and not spend a fortune. The grocery stores around here do that. Or you could go to a nice restaurant then to the theatre or a concert. You don't say if your daughter is an adult or a child, so that will make a difference.

You could decorate your Christmas tree or start baking Christmas cookies that day. Make Christmas lists and even make your own handmade Christmas cards. There are kits for that at Michael's and Hobby Lobby. This could be the start of a wonderful new tradition for you. You could make ornaments to give as Christmas gifts.

How about a roast? They are really easy, especially if you get one of those plastic roasting bags that Glad makes....just season it with some onion soup mix (sooo good), cut up some potatoes and carrots and stick them down around it, add some water, call it good. There's no cleaning the bird, no major defrosting hassles...no stuffing...but still something that you don' t have everyday that will fill up the house with amazing aroma.

Also, I always put together a really easy pumpkin cheesecake..I do this because I got so tired of plain pumpkin one year, and now no one will let me go back!! It's really...really good...and so easy.

Happy Thanksgiving to you, and I hope this helps!

Pumpkin Cheese Cake

2-8 oz pkg chream cheese, softened

1 1/2 c sugar

2 eggs

3/4 c plain canned pumpkin

1/4c flour

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 9 inch pie shell (pre made from the grocery store)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat cream chees, sugar and eggs together until smooth. Add pumpkin. Stir in flour, nutmeg, and cunnamon. Beat well. Pour into pie shell and bake for 60 minutes

Some people like to serve ham or an oven roasted chicken, both which can be served with a potato, veggie, hot rolls, & whatever they wish to serve. Some grocery chains, offer the public a complete Thanksgiving dinner with a choice of meat, etc. The dessert is even included. Check into that for your meal & that way, you have some great leftovers. Your daughter & you could also eat your dinner at a local restaurant that offers a wide variety of food on their menu.

My family is Italian, so we have homemade raviolis and meatballs (along with turkey and all that). You could start a new tradition with your daughter where a few days before Thanksgiving you make raviolis together, then you eat the fruits of your labor on Thanksgiving. Also, the raviolis freeze well, so you could make them a lot earlier or on a Sunday afternoon when you have time.

How about a roast? Baked ham is always good, too, with a nice glaze. Both are easy and won't keep you in front of the stove all day. You could also make a tetrazinni the night before and then pop it in the oven on Thanksgiving. One year when it was just my mom and me, she made rock cornish hens with a rice stuffing. It was delicious.

Try a dish from a different country or an Indian or Mexican theme. I know I get sick of turkey and stuffing.

If it's just you and your daughter, try to make it fun and educational at the same time. I would have loved doing something like that when I was younger. Good luck.

We make a gumbo with seafood, sausage or chicken.

Also make up a few dozen cheese encheladas & freeze them ahead of time,

then when you're tired out just pop them into the oven for 20-30 minutes

Little work, prep time, and delicious.

I say order a honey baked ham and some sides from the honey baked ham store..the best ham in the world..relax and enjoy your day..or you can get a ham pre-cooked at the store just heat and serve..this what I'm doing for Christmas.

How about Lasagne. We generally to the turkey thing on Thanksgiving but our Christmas meal is Lasagne now.