Thursday, November 22, 2007

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hey all you turkeys! My bird's in the oven and I'm jumping online a few minutes before the cooking begins.

I remembered to take out both plastic bags this time. I always double check since I left one in but that's not too big of a Thanksgiving blunder.

One of my most memorable Thanksgivings was the first one I ever cooked. My grandmother, my mother's mother, passed away on Thanksgiving morning and Robin and I fixed the whole dinner. I guess it turned out well. Everyone said it did and we were both so proud of ourselves. We were about 13 (Robin) & 15 (me) years old.

Robin passed away two years ago on Nov 25, which was Thanksgiving Day, too. Today I'm especially thankful I had 50 great years with her.

The first Thanksgiving dinner I cooked when I got married was from a turkey that my husband's family had shot in the woods along with all the other granola-fied trimmings a hippie girl could whip up.

Of all the cooking mishaps I've had I've never botched a turkey somehow. Mother once showed me a sure-fire way to cook one where you put it in the oven before going to bed and cook it for one hour on 450, I think it is, and then turn off the heat and don't open the oven door!. After 8 hours or so the bird is totally cooked. As long as you didn't open the oven door all night long. Really conserves heat this way and when you wake up on Thanksgiving morning the turkey is done. (Now why didn't I do this last night?)

My Mother in law has a smoker and smokes her turkey sometimes and sometimes she bakes it in a big brown paper bag with flour packed all around it. I bet a fried turkey is good. I've never had one.

Any turkey mishaps or recipes or blessings you want to share?

4 comments:

Julie said...

We have turkey at Christmas and mum always cooks it. I have no turkey wisdom to impart, but I like the 'leave it overnight' method.

Dr. Monkey Von Monkerstein said...

That wild turkey cooked with all the hippie fixin's sounded good.

HDMac said...

My mom always told the true story of having Thanksgiving at my Aunt's home in the 40s. As my Aunt Betty carried the bird to the table, she tripped and the bird fell on the floor. Aunt Betty picked up the board and turned around and went back into the kitchen without a word. She returned 15 minutes later with a bird in hand and exclaimed, "It's a good think I cooked 2 turkeys!" ***grin!

Sudeaux Lux said...

Thanks for all the feedback! Julie: We usually have a ham at Christmas. Massive amounts of meat seem to be the order of the holidays!

Dr: I think that's probably my favorite Thanksgiving. It was me as a young wife with all my friends that year.

Mac: Aunt Betty was surely prepared! Nice story. Thank you!