Turkeys and Black Friday

Tomorrow is Turkey day. We have an 18lb bird brining right now. Cory follows the "Romancing the Bird" method for cooking a turkey, and it sounds completely odd and foreign to cook a bird in about three hours, I KNOW, but it always turns out REALLY well! Check it out if you have some time....there's still time to do your bird this way. And as an added bonus, it cooks so fast you don't have to get up at dark-thirty in the morning! Then he also makes his FABULOUS squash. Butternut squash, mash it up add a little brown sugar, and some bourbon. It's great! Candied yams are a favorite of mine, but nothing beats the mashed potatoes! I don't cook. I don't cook for people I LIKE that is. However I do make Waldorf Salad. I use the classic recipe, but mix a little sugar with the mayo to sweeten it up. Apparently it's not so popular down here, but it's a staple up north. It sounds gross, I know, but you don't taste MAYO because of the sugar, it tastes like a sweet creamy dressing. I've heard of people using Cool Whip or whipped cream instead, or even plain yogurt. It's cheaper to use the mayo, and the mayonnaise is richer and creamier. Modern Waldorf Salad recipes are also all over the place out there.

I am also making Cranberry-Orange relish this year. I refuse to use frozen cranberries, and I was finally able to find fresh ones at a decent price this year. It's super simple and really yummy. I remember making this in elementary school around Thanksgiving time. It was super easy, and really inexpensive, since I grew up on Cape Cod, and cranberries abound there. The only thing the teacher had to buy was Oranges. Kind of pricey up there, but you don't need MUCH to make this...it's a CRANBERRY relish, not an orange relish.

It makes me think about the bogs though. It was always so beautiful when they harvested the cranberry bogs. The picture at left is actually a bog I used to live next to. To the right is another pic of a bog being harvested.















I miss the holidays up north. So many things I remember doing are no longer even there. Like Edaville Railroad at Christmas time. (It's pronounced eee-duh-ville). It was a wonderland from a child's point of view, really.

I always felt that Thanksgiving was forgotten down here in school. Up north, especially in Mass. of course, it's taught from preschool on up. The history, which is a bit skewed I'm sure, but still, it's a BIG deal up there. Not so much here.

After Thanksgiving is, of course, Black Friday. Now I don't generally venture out into the battle field on BF. During many years in retail, I wasn't able to shop. I had to work. It wasn't scary then. I could get there early, hide behind my counter, and be safe. Shopping on the other hand, is madness. Watch the evening news on Friday. You're sure to hear about injuries, thefts, fights, stampedes, tramplings, lawsuits, and swindlers. WHY do people put themselves through that?! It has to be an INCREDIBLE deal on something I ALREADY planned to buy to get me to venture out. And I am not talking about $3-$4 off. It has to be REALLY REALLY great. I MIGHT venture out to Wally World to get the V-Smile for $30. They will also have that cool Brewstation for $25. Those are really great prices...both about half off, as you can see from the Amazon links. IF (and that's a BIG BIG IF!) I decide to go, I might pick up a few of the movies they'll have on sale for $2-$4 for stocking stuffers as well. I still don't know if I will though. That's awefully early to wake up, and some terribly scary crowds!

I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving. Eat plenty, enjoy time with family and friends, take some time to laugh with them, and appreciate that you have them to share your holiday with. We usually say what we're thankful for. I think that's important...even if it is a little cheesy. It's a great tradition to teach your kids. If you go out on Friday, wear your body armor, be CAREFUL! Check out these tips for shopping the BF deals. If anyone is willing to go with me to Wally World at Dark Thirty in the morning Friday, call me!