Thanksgiving 2008

Thanksgiving went without a hitch.  John had the day off before and had cleaned the house really well.  His mother was staying with us for a few days, so she took us out to dinner Wednesday, which was nice. I didn’t have to clean/cook. I woke up bright and early and started “the food preparation.”  The turkey had been brining overnight.   It was 20lbs, so cleaning the brine and getting the aromatics was challenging but it made it to the darn oven. Unfortunately, I forgot to take other pics, so all you get is a nekkid raw turkey.  Then came the stuffing, sautéed green beans with rosemary and garlic, mashed potatoes, rolls,  spiced yams and of course pie.  Everyone liked it, in fact there was almost no leftovers! The stuffing is a big hit, I added hot italian sausage, that seems to help.   My cousin arrived late and instead of using a plate, he just piled the sides on the turkey carving plate and used that.  Then Dory and her buddy got to clean the kitchen, score!

I was determined to use the turkey carcass this year.  So afterwards, I added all the leftover veggies, onions and turkey bones and made the stock.  Then into the pot and simmered for 18 hours.  It turned out fabulous!  I used the stock and tiny bit of leftover turkey in a jambalaya this weekend.  Yum.  Froze the rest.  After everyone left, I feel asleep on the couch for a few hours. It was a good Thanksgiving!