Christmas – First Turkey to be Cooked in December

December 13, 2009

I am checking in today by saying I have cooked the first turkey of the season.

I was wondering how many turkeys are going to be cooked by the time the season is over and all of us have pulled out our turkey roasters.

Rebecca has never cooked a turkey yet, so whatever number of you I predict will be cooking turkeys this season, I will subtract one for her.

One for her.

And one for vegetarian Bonnie.

I can also pretty well say that every turkey I have ever cooked has been roasted with the giblets not only still in the bag, but with the bag hidden deep in the cavity of the turkey. I was unable, yet again, to dig them out of the frozen state – even after letting the turkey thaw all day and overnight. I did get the legs out of that piece of skin that holds them together, the legs pried apart and the heart out of the bag. But the neck was frozen stiff inside as well as the bag. I just put everything back together, tied the wings and the legs tight to the turkey with some cooking twine and shoved it in the oven.

In the pan, of course.

I have a beautiful new recipe for cranberry sauce – one written down out of a People’s Magazine I was reading while eating my lunch one day:

1 piece of ginger, flattened with a knife
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
1 cup sugar
1 cup orange juice
Zest of 1 orange
Salt to taste

Boil until mixture thickens. Remove ginger.

I am not making the recipe, as I used up the entire piece of ginger root last night when make a stir fry, so we are going to be having Cranberry Sauce from a can – No Name Brand.

My recipe for the stuffing is, boil 3 cups of water and drop in 3 pkgs of Stove Top Stuff. Fluff with a fork in 5 minutes. That should work.

Anita borrowed my Bosch for the fall, but brought it back yesterday, so I should be making buns for our dinner today. However, Moiya convinced me that the tray buns at the Coop are as good as anyone can make – thus, we are dining with buns from the Coop.

I am not feeling guilty, or maybe I am feeling just a little bit guilty, for a few years ago, I heard a guest ask the hostess at a party, “Did you make this cake”, to which the hostess replied with disbelief in her voice, “Make the cake? Are you kidding? That is what the Coop is for.”

Some lines just get burned into my brain.

Doesn’t really sound like I am doing the traditional turkey dinner, but I am still calling it that, for at the very least, there is a turkey being put on the table today.

I have a back-up turkey in the freezer for later in the month.

Bon Appétit.