Every Thanksgiving, I cook dinner with my husband. We tend to divide the different foods between us. He likes to cook the bird (with a little special help from me), gravy and potatoes. I do the side dishes such as sweet potatoes, vegies, rolls, dressing and desserts.
I do have one teeny tiny quirk at Thanksgiving. I like to do some extra curricular activities with bird.
For instance, several years ago my mother in law had our family to Thanksgiving dinner for one of her fabulous holiday meals. My mother in law is a wonderful cook and would tease me frequently about my less than stellar cooking. This particular year I asked what I could bring to dinner and she said, "Oh, you just come to dinner". Well that is my clue to do some special cooking. That year I walked in with a tray and announced to everyone that "I made the turkey!"
This is my contribution to the dinner. A special, burned, cornish game hen garnished with lettuce. Isn't it beautiful?
My mother in law kept this bird frozen and would pull it out every year for about 10 years and decorate her Thanksgiving table with it. Looking at this turkey would just make me warm and tingly. I was so proud of that bird!
Once we started doing our own Thanksgiving dinner, I decided, "let the bird fun begin".
One year just a few years ago I decided our turkey needed a special effect. I cooked the turkey in a bikini. You do this by putting foil on it's torso to make it look like it is wearing a bikini.
This turkey arrived at our Thanksgiving table on a platter wearing a bikini. Oh that was festive and fun! The turkey boosies looked especially realistic and voluptuous. (I think some of my girls were secretly jealous of this turkeys tatters).
Last year our turkey gave birth. I pulled the turkey out of the oven and ceremoniously placed it in front of my husband for him to carve. (He was in on this turkey trickery with me). He started carving, paused and said, "Oh my gosh! No way!!!! All eyes at the table were glued to him. He pulled from the turkey's nether regions a small, identical bird. He exclaimed, "This turkey was pregnant! Look, here's the baby and at that moment he delivered a small baby turkey" (It was a cornish game hen that I cooked inside the turkey where the stuffin goes.)
Scariest thing was the reactions of my kids. One of my children exclaimed, "No way!" Another said, "Oh that makes me sad!" There were even a few more comments! May I say that the youngest person at the table was 15. I, of course, have this on video for anyone in my family who denies it.
If any of you are thinking "Well that IS sad" or you are thinking "that is amazing!" then I will pray for you this holiday season!
I promise I have taught my kids that turkeys lay eggs.
I could use an idea for this year if any of you have Turkey trickery up your sleeve.
If not, then I'm off to buy a bird and come up with something real special!
Happy Thanksgiving to you all!
Shari, you did it again. Wherever did you come up with your talent for writing??? Keep it up. I love it.
ReplyDelete