A post about all the things my mama taught me would take forever!
This morning I broke some eggs into a bowl to scramble, and before I took the fork to them I spied a little piece of eggshell. Tried (though I know it was foolish) to fish it out with a fingertip...then used one of broken, empty shells to capture it. I remember my mama teaching me that. How do people learn that except from mom at home?
The other big thing I learned from mama was: Roast your Thanksgiving turkey in a Reynolds Oven Bag. No basting, and it never dries out (if you follow the directions!)
Here's the Ken and Mary Beth's House procedure for Thanksgiving:
* I baked a Red Wheel braid left to thaw and rise overnight. It had ... spread out quite a bit. Good thing it was on a jellyroll pan, not a cookie sheet! Once baked it looked rather like an armadillo, not a happy one. Fortunately it's delicious. I brought Ken breakfast in bed. He pronounced the braid, along with scrambled eggs and bacon, "perfect."
What's next?
* Look at the instructions from the Oven Bag box to determine how long the roasting will take for the 13 lb free range turkey currently in the fridge. Hmm...I'll put it in at 10, generously rubbed inside and out with that Mount Enterprise BBQ rub. MMM, good.
* Take the Mama Stamberg Cranberry Relish (of annual NPR fame) out of the freezer to thaw. Have never made this before but have always been amused and intrigued by the story. I polled 3 people with the recipe ("does this sound good?"). Of the three, two said YUCK! and one said YUM! Since the latter is the one having dinner with me today, I decided to try it. (Of course, I did invite the other two...maybe this is why they declined!?)
* Don't worry; I have a can of cranberry sauce, too. Just in case.
* Ken is giving the dogs a bath.
* Set the table with Gramma Beth's silver and Grandma Bessie's china. Sweep (our dogs are leaf magnets these days!)
* Put that turkey on
* Peel and boil potatoes to mash
* Chop lots of celery and onion for the bread dressing
* Sister Sarah and nephew Marshall will arrive at 1:00 with pecan pie & That GreenBean Casserole with the Soup.
You know what happens next.
Happy Thanksgiving to you all! I am grateful for family who live close and will come to my house; family who live far away but are in touch by FB and other means; my parents and their lovely and welcoming home, where I'll go tomorrow. For hope. For you.
