Turkey for Thanksgiving

I’ll be roasting a Thanksgiving turkey breast this year, rather than a full-size turkey. My family plans to spend the holiday weekend at the Oregon coast, and as there are only 4 of us I decided just a breast would be plenty. My daughter and I plan to do most of the cooking ahead of time. We can just reheat the turkey and prepare the last minute things in the kitchenette of our hotel. I think that will be fun since it’s “just us” this year!

My dad, on the other hand, is probably smoking turkeys as I write. For many years his holiday “specialty” has been smoked turkey. I think the secret is in the brine he uses… or maybe it’s a certain kind of wood chips. I really don’t know. I just know they’re always pretty tasty!

Aunt ‘Lene (Dad’s sister) was telling on her blog this morning about frying a turkey. That seems to be the way they do turkeys in Louisiana (and probably other places, too) these days.

After hearing his family talk about how delicious fried turkey was, Dad decided to try it 3 years ago. My sisters and I and our families were at my parents’ home for Thanksgiving that year. So while I fixed the vegetables and other side dishes, Dad was outside cooking the meat. He also had one in the smoker (as back-up, I guess, in case we didn’t like the fried turkey), as well as some ribs and briskets or whatever else he was cooking while he had the smoker going.

Well, he got distracted… and calamity-of-calamities!! He burned that fried turkey! At least, he thought he did. He was quite upset! “It’s just ruined!” he declared.

I offer the following picture as evidence that my sisters and I (and my daughter) disagreed with his pronouncement!
Here’s hoping your Thanksgiving turkey is delicious! And that you enjoy your blessings wherever you happen to be!

[Alicia at Confessions of a Snowflake is hosting a 100th post giveaway and she asked for us to share favorite holiday memories. This was the last holiday I was with my extended family… and it just happened to be my 40th birthday!]

10 Comments

Dori

November 22, 2008 at 1:10 am Reply

Why is it that the one sister has such pretty hair and makeup and the other two of “them” are so NOT? That was good turkey and yes, Daddy is smoking turkey this year…he’ll be bringing 2 of them to my house. One for us and one for the Coleman’s

Aliene

November 22, 2008 at 4:43 am Reply

Hey Girls, Calm down! Who cares about hair and make-up when you have fried turkey! Ashame big brother didn’t take care of that turkey. Just plan a Thanksgiving
down this way and you will always remember Uncle Silas’s fried turkeys. I’ll mess my hair up and be sure to keep off make-up and send you a picture of our fried turkey. Yummy!