Share? Share a memorable Thanksgiving

CDC funded page

Not a CDC funded Page

I am an emigrant and raised primarily by my aunt/uncle on a huge farm that fed us. If we didn't raise it? We didn't eat it. We're from Sweden where there wereb't any turkeys or Thanksgiving for that matter. Yet we studied Thanksgiving in school and always the centerpiece of discussion was turkey. We didn't have turkeys on our farm which meant we always had several chickens for Thanksgiving dinner. Never turkey. Each Thanksgiving I was so disappointed, I'd never tasted turkey and always felt disappointed every single Thanksgiving - with chicken. I confided in my older male cousin my disappointment. That Thanksgiving he went hunting and shot a wild turkey on the plains of Kansas. I was 10 years old when I saw the large, wonderful smelling turkey set on the table instead of chicken. I don't think it was the turkey that made me feel cuddly and loved. It was the fact that my cousin cared enough about me to satisfy a need, dream that I'd had. An American turkey. It's one of my treasured Thanksgiving memories. Does anyone else have a treasured Thanksgiving memory to share? I'd love to hear it. Gretchen

Comments

Re: Re: Share? Share a memorable Thanksgiving

Submitted by txrhb1 on Wed, 2005-11-23 - 23:24

Oh Spiz, you do my heart good !! What a fun memory, and thanks so much for sharing the laughter !! ((( hugs ))), Barbie *************************************** Never doubt that a small, group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. - Margaret Mead

Re: Re: Re: Share? Share a memorable Thanksgiving

Submitted by gretchen1 on Thu, 2005-11-24 - 00:21

(LOVE your quotes Barbie - thank you.) Oh Spiz my sweetie. Knowing how very conscientious and precise you are about everything (when was the last time YOU made a typo?) that must have been devastating. And just think? You get to live that experience through other's memories EVERY year! I swear I'm so glad I put up this thread and hope other's add to it because these stories are lightening a very down mood I'm in. You've both driven me to tears of love for you. I have to share Spiz. My first husb's family were cooks. His mother was a professional cook. This is a large family and so is mine. We rotated having holiday dinners and at the tender age of 23? It was MY first turn (gulp) but not really - I had a false sense of arrogance. My first holiday dinner. My house was decorated beautifully. I had a wonderful menu and others were bringing even more (thankfully). I read and I read recipes for turkeys and found one to cut up the turkey, dip it in pancake junk, and deep fat fry it. Now I PRACTICED before the big day and yummy. Tender, succulent, I coulnd't go wrong! Well I went wrong because I had a mob in my little house, a lot of crawling, nose dripping, need to have their diaper changes kids crawling around hot grease, tons of cooks in the kitchen, and I guess my mind got off the task (THE "excuse"). The WORST thing is - I bragged and oh did I brag about my special, no one else had ever done it, deep fat fried crusty succulent turkey (moan). Oh yes, I learned, to brag is to set one up. We all sat down to this wonderful, bragged about deep fat fried turkey - that was VERY bloody. PUKE. Need I say more? My wonderful mother in law who I'm still close with saved the day as always. She acted like it was no big deal, popped all pieces, of two large turkeys back into the hot fat and cooked them some more as if that is how it's always done. But yes, every Thanksgiving after that everyone asked the current cook - "it's not bloody is it" wink wink (cringe). And I had to play along with an insincere smile. Weeeelllll. How else do we learn? I've learned the thing to do with hard rolls is? When someone comments or is having a hard time sawing it open? Look at them like - whatza matter? Make it THEIR problem. See? I'm tricky. :) Gretchen OKAY LET'S HERE SOME MORE

Re: Re: Re: Re: Share? Share a memorable Thanksgiving

Submitted by spiz on Thu, 2005-11-24 - 00:33

Gretchen, Well....the least I can do since you're turkey had a bad hair day too is add this. Who knew the turkey had neat little 'pockets' to stick the legs in and the twine was to strap the wings? Talk about serving a turkey that looked like it had taken a free fall from outer space......snickers! -Spiz