I get to eat all I want to this week and nobody hollers at me. This is a perfect week for me to be on vacation, professionally, because it precedes the end of the year rush and the new year execution of all the new "Initiatives." Here's a shot from my back porch.
We're kicking off the week with a dinner this evening. I'm roasting a turkey, twenty pounder. Look at that cracklin skin!
Our friend Shelby, is moving today. All the boys and Mrs. Frog are over there finishing up and will be here with prodigious appetites about 7PM.
One of our traditions is to have a "friends" Thanksgiving today so all the kid's, and our friends can get together, as most of them spend time with their own families on T-day, as we do. Some of the parents come too but I am OK with a house full especially when I am the host, cook, and chief bottle washer. I can find good excuses to terminate any conversation I want to. hehe
In solidarity with our friends up in the Great White North, I grabbed a case of Labatt Blue(tm) and I'm drinkin it, by god.
I hope all of you that hang around here have some good friends to gather together with and have a great meal.
Peace/ Out
Posts
Dale,
ReplyDeleteYou got a lot more snow than I did. All that we got south of Pittsburgh was enough to screw up the streets and bring everyone's driving to a crawl. The kids in my neighborhood were excited though. There were multiple groups out building snowmen on Friday night.
Happy Turkey Day, Froggie, to you and your family!
ReplyDeleteUp here in the Great White North (Toronto) we seem to have far less snow. Our Thanksgiving is history, but I like the idea of the "friends" thanksgiving and will give that a run next year. Thanks for the idea.
ReplyDeleteHappy Turkey Day.
Dale, thank you so much for that first photo!!! I miss snow !!
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful Thanksgiving !!!!
I'd say happy turkey day too, but we don't celebrate thanksgiving and I've never tried turkey.
ReplyDeletePlus, I've only seen snow twice in my life, and both times I was on holiday down further south and at significantly higher altitude.
Currently I am marinating in my own juices here, so be glad it's cold where you guys are. [Wipes sweat off brow]
Dale,
ReplyDeleteLooks downright idyllic. I can almost smell that Butterball. Do you have a favorite stuffing?
This turkey was pardoned but it's a shame what W. made him do for his freedom.
We had this year's first snow two days ago, but it's melting as it's not cold enough yet. Most years we'll not have any staying snow until after Christmas.
ReplyDeleteThe weather sucks, I have to find a new job, I stopped smoking and my coffee machine is broken. Agh!
Felix wrote Most years we'll not have any staying snow until after Christmas.
ReplyDeleteThe weather sucks, I have to find a new job, I stopped smoking and my coffee machine is broken. Agh!
That is so amazingly close to my own situation, it makes me wonder if Nonmagic's "strange coincidence" is catching...
Taks, All,
ReplyDeleteFelix,
Quit smoking, WHILE coffe machine is broke.
That is a bit like shit happening WHILE all Hell is breaking loose!
Quasar,
ReplyDeleteDo they have turkey avaiable there?
It's a good way to serve a lot of people fairly inexpensively and it is complimented well by sweet and savory side dishes like stuffing, cranberry sauce and sauces made from the pan drippings.
Craig,
The stuffing I made yesterday is one of my faves. Cornbread and sausage with chestnuts, celery and butter.
Froggie -
ReplyDeleteCooking your turkey this early? Or is the the warm-up meal (to stretch your stomach)?
Except for the Labatt, which is substituted with Leinenkugel in our neck of the woods - sounds similar to my upcoming T-Day.
Happy turkey day to everyone.
ReplyDeleteMy gf lives across the lake from Chicago in Michigan and she said they have a lot of snow already. I am spending Christmas with her so it will be my first white Christmas in a long time.
Might I add everyone should have a deep fried turkey, yes I do love that I live in the south for food purposes only.
Beam,
ReplyDeleteI buy completely natural turkey and brine it overnight.
I will put it up against a deep fried bird any time. One thing I find funny is the number of decks and garages people are buring down every year trying to deep fry a whole turkey. They have no concept of what a little water can do in that much oil or the intensity of the fire that ensues when said oil boils over onto the open flame.
Be careful and keep it away from flammable materials!
Have a good one!
Now, that souther BBQ and trimmings! Yum!
Laof,
ReplyDelete"Cooking your turkey this early? Or is the the warm-up meal (to stretch your stomach)?"
A little bit of both.
I explained in the post that we have a "friends" Thansgiving on the Sunday before and Thursday we go north to spend the day with family.
What could be better than two Thanksgivings in one week?
Okay you brine it. That is extremely good too.
ReplyDeleteYes, I too find it funny people trying to deep fry a turkey who have no clue how to do it. Don't get me started on Bar-b-que. My work gave us a thanksgiving dinner last week and it was bar-b-que from a local place in town. If they had brought stuffing it might have trumped a traditional thanksgiving dinner.
I went looking for one of my favorite episodes of Time Warp, but they don't appear to have posted the slow-mo Fried Turkey Fire video yet.
ReplyDeleteCareful out there - gotta keep those blogging fingers unsinged...
Froggie:
ReplyDelete"A little bit of both.
I explained in the post that we have a "friends" Thansgiving on the Sunday before and Thursday we go north to spend the day with family."
Oh, sorry. don't know how I missed that.
Two thanksgiving dinners? Now THAT'S something I would be thankful for... Hopefully last night's was enjoyed by all, and enjoy your next one as well.
Rockie - in Wis. we've just got our first measurable snowfall and it should be sticking around for the holiday.
I would like to know (at least from the U.S. people) what your most 'traditional' dish is (besides turkey) for Thanksgiving? Perhaps exclude pumpkin pie as well.
An informal poll.
I think our's would be
a.) green-bean cassarole
or
b.) 'Watergate' salad
Anyone?
Stuffing is the only food worth eating this time of the year.
ReplyDeleteBeamstalk -
ReplyDeleteWhat kind of stuffing?
-Oyster?
-Sausage (and what kind of sausage)?
-Plain Sage dressing/stuffing?
LAOF commented Two thanksgiving dinners? Now THAT'S something I would be thankful for
ReplyDeleteMy friends and I have had a tradition for the last decade: some time between Thanksgiving and New Years, we have Thanksgiving 2.0. It gives us a chance to party with friends, and make sure we got enough of the usual stuff (turkey, gravy, potaters, etc).
I would like to know (at least from the U.S. people) what your most 'traditional' dish is (besides turkey) for Thanksgiving? Perhaps exclude pumpkin pie as well.
An informal poll.
Tradition is a tricky thing. We have members from both sides of the family, and they like to do things differently. So, I'm going to give you what my immediate family enjoys the most:
Pecan pie. None of that adulterated "Bourbon-" or "Maple Syrup-" stuff. Just a plain old pecan pie with a home made crust, and fresh whipped cream.
Can't beat it.
As a close second, my Mom's been making a favorite that everyone loves: baked stuffed broccoli. Steam the vegetable, and then cover it very lightly with a cream sauce, and a crumb topping made up of croutons and walnuts. Bake accordingly.
Can't let the cream sauce be too goopy, however, as the broccoli is the featured item. The trick is in making it a vegetable dish, rather than a pile of good with veggies floating around in it.
---
I'm hungry now -_-
*goop
ReplyDeleteAnd by the way: cornbread stuffing with sausage, dried cherries and walnuts (and onion, celery and sage).
Damn, I'm really hungry now
WeM -
ReplyDelete1. Pecan Pie
2. baked stuffed broccoli
3.cornbread stuffing with sausage, dried cherries and walnuts
Yeah, baby! Sounds like one present favorite and two future favorites of mine.
Watergate salad - neat. I'd never heard of it before today.
ReplyDeleteAt first I thought you were referring to Waldorf Salad.
WeM - Nope, although I love Waldorf Salad as well (just not a tradition at Thanksgiving).
ReplyDeleteHere's the most popular recipe - it's practically tooth decay in a bowl:
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Watergate-Salad/Detail.aspx
Cornbread stuffing like WEM said.
ReplyDeleteTend to use turkey instead of sausage in it, ya know like it is supposed to be done.
ReplyDeleteBeamStalk said:
ReplyDelete"Tend to use turkey instead of sausage in it, ya know like it is supposed to be done."
Yeah, I hear ya, although I like the sausage.
What is it with the oysters though? Is that a New England thing?
I'm not sure. I've heard of it before, of course, but I don't think I've ever had oyster stuffing - I've been living in MA for a long time now...
ReplyDeleteIt's possible it's more of a border tradition; Mexico being huge on seafood in general. I remember going to Turkey Day some years back at a friend's family's house - they were hispanic, and the stuffing had crab, lobster, etc.
But that's only a guess
Oyster stuffing can be very good. My problem is that we usually end up eating all the oysters before we get around to making the stuffing, plus, some people have a fear or distate for oysters oysters so I don't kake it anymore.
ReplyDeleteIf it wasn't for the dressing I could go without the turkey. I like your cornbread stuffing, Dale. I usually throw in some dried fruits and fennel. Mashed taters (Yukon Golds), green bean cassarole, pickled herring, a slice or two of firm, tender breast, Pecan pie ala mode, a walk and a nap. Someone always brings candied yams. No one eats them.
ReplyDeletecraig,
ReplyDelete"I like your cornbread stuffing, Dale. I usually throw in some dried fruits and fennel. "
Yes indeed! I shall incorporate the use of fennel( yummy)
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Craig,
ReplyDeleteYou do have some salient feelients.
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"You do have some salient feelients."
ReplyDeleteFroggie,
I'll bite, is this good or bad?
Yes, fennel. I'm feeling that.
ReplyDeleteAnd some dried fruit. I had never thought of that but I think it would be a geat touch.
Thanks!
With the (U.S.) holiday of TurkeyDay upon us (tomorrow), I hope that all involved in this venture (to be further referred to by myself as the 'RatReactors') enjoy lots of food, lots of turkey (to be more specific), lots of libations of their choosing, and a lot of good times&fellowship with their close friends and families.
ReplyDelete-LivingAsOneFreed
Cheers LAOF :)
ReplyDeleteAs a quick followup to the food thing, here's something that's become a recent tradition. It's a bit filling, but extremely easy and a crowd pleaser.
Whateverman:
ReplyDeleteI normally don't agree to ruining a good Brie by baking it in a pastry, but this does look very good. And yes, filling.
I'll have to try this sometime. Thanx.