BeforeHappy Thanksgiving to all you turkeys out there! (Heh, heh.) SO, Thanksgiving went off without a hitch, except that for the first time in recent (or ancient for that matter) history I was finished with my portions of the meal (Turkey, Cranberries, Stuffing, Gravy and two pies) early. That, my friends, was more than a little disconcerting. Through all of my day-before prep I was silently repeating the mantra of "I can be ready on time, I can be ready on time". (Not unlike the "today is my best day yet!" mantra from freshman year - thanks to my roommate, Amy the Great). It must have worked though because I popped out of bed at six-thirty ready to pull the turkey out of the brine and stick him in the oven. The only holdup came in the form of the thirteen onions I had to cut between those roasted with the turkey and those for the stuffing. Onions are my Achilles heel in cooking. I've tried everything to get past the stinging, watery eyes - even as far as tying saran wrap around my face. Alas, it has all been to no avail. Tears run down my face as I blindly wield my knife, and every chop I make is one closer to lopping off a finger. The closest I've come to be able to survive this feat is turning the kitchen fan on high, strapping on my ski-goggles, and breathing through my mouth. It's not pretty. Tyler seems to think it's funny. I think it's necessary - you won't be seeing this girl on food network.
Lovely, I know. (I think the blur is totally appropriate for this picture - it's the way I was seeing!)
So when Mr. Turkey reached the perfect temperature to be done a full forty-five minutes earlier than I had planned for I didn't know what to do. It was like arriving early to an event that has assigned seating. Completely out of my element. I didn't know what to do. Good thing Tyler can keep a clear head in such times. He turned the oven off and cracked the door. My hero. The turkey was saved.
After :)
I put the boys to work helping me make thumbprint turkeys for the place-cards and put master-chef Tyler to work making the gravy from the pan juices. Delicious! The wonderful food everyone brought in was amazing. What a yummy day, and I didn't even need my flashcards.
8 comments:
That truly looks like a feast! And the turkey, amazing. Almost as amazing as your onion getup.
I got a big laugh out of the saran wrap comment. :) Have you ever tried cutting the onions under water? Of course it means you have to clean your sink first and then fish out all of the pieces out of water afterwards (but they float), but it's the only onion advice I've ever tried that has worked for me. Matt's immune to onion tears; I've always wondered if it's because he has contacts. And your turkey looks great, by the way!
The gravy was AMAZING, as was everything else - naturally! By the way, I was planning to savor my slice of Chocolate Mousse for days but alas, it only made it until that night! Absolutely divine!
Thanks again for letting us crash, it was a wonderful, and filling, day! ;)
Those water glasses look familiar....but i can't place them...:)
I am really so impressed. I think it makes you appreciate the meal all the more. That is one beauty of a turkey!
Two onion tips for you from a fellow onion crier.....There is a great gadget called the alligator slicer, it chops the onions in one swell chop. Also, light a candle next to where you are chopping and it burns away the onion fumes! Your table and food look beautiful! YUM
Thanks for the tips, girls! I haven't tried those yet . . . can't wait to give them a whirl!
Another tip - cut off the top of the onion and place it on top of your head, they counteract each other.
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