Jim’s brother’s are grilling a turkey which means “Delicious turkey but no drippings”. I made stock out of a smoked turkey wing and turkey necks so we can have decent gravy. (They were going to use the gravy in the package inside the turkey. The horror!)
I’ve got to go bake pie now. Happy Thanksgiving everyone.
Happy Thanksgiving, Lucia, and to all those who stop by.
We have much to be thankful for, although the world is far from ideal. We sometimes overlook our current blessings, among which I count this blog. So thank you, Lucia, and those from whom I learn here.
Well said, HaroldW.
Happy thanksgiving, Lucia et al.
Package gravy? A horror indeed! 🙂
I continue to be thankful that we can count package gravy among our many first-world problems. Here in the U.S. we generally have little appreciation for how well off we are as a society, much less as individuals. As I indulge today in an abundant feast shared with friends and family I hope to keep this appreciation uppermost in my thoughts.
Thank you Lucia for sharing with us your thoughts and notions of what you find interesting. I lurk a lot but don’t post very frequently. That’s probably just as well as I have a tendency towards sarcasm that doesn’t carry well on the web. Anyhoo, I wish for everyone a safe, contenting and uneventful holiday burdened many more dilemmas such as packaged vs. fresh cranberry relish. 🙂
Salud!
Earl–
Packaged gravy is fine used on turkey sandwiches for left-overs. But Robert and David decided they want to cook. They are going to the trouble of brining the turkey– with maple syrup, spices and so forth. It is a total waste not to make special gravy! They are using some sort of chips to add smokey flavor. Jim made this before– it is excellent. Using the gravy that comes with the turkey would practically be a sacrilege! I brooked no objections. I am making and bringing gravy.
Robert’s beer-making friend/coworker Greg was present when I put my foot down and insisted I am making gravy. Greg (who is also brinining and smoking his turkey) tsk-tskd Robert when Robert suggested packaged gravy was just fine. This forced Robert– who when he gets determined can be rather stubborn– to give in and grant permission for me to bring the gravy.
(I did not get permission to bring mashed potatoes nor to make the stuffing. Robert and David want to show their ‘independence’ from their mother and lucia’s T-Day fixings. Never mind that their mother and lucia always let other people bring dishes. It’s the only sane thing to do. You think I’m going to make sweet potato souffle? And pie? And green beans? And… when other people will bring some of these things? Heck no!)
So, I spent $2.00 maybe $3.00 to get a nice smoked turkey broth. The gravy will be delicious, smokey etc.
Have a great Holiday Lucia and those celebrating it today; and to everyone else, well, have a bodacious, fine day.
Lucia and posters here in the US have a Happy Thanksgiving.
My wife and I have had this ongoing difference of opinion on gravy with her an advocate big time and me rather indifferent. We usually have the extended family for Thanksgiving and this year is no different. There have been Thanksgivings where I thought I had not scheduled time for the gravy making session, but SWMBO made gravy anyway and we merely delayed the meal. Thanks, Lucia, for the reminder about gravy as I need to pencil that into the schedule. Actually the schedule is my head and sometimes it is different than the one my wife has and result has sometimes become entertainment for the family.
Kenneth
When my mom and sister would come, I had to create a Gant chart. This was especially important for my mom who “just needs a tiny bit of space in the oven at just a particular point in time and she just needs to turn the temperature down to low for this little delicate thingie”.
Of course, it always is something nice and delightful. But if the pie just happens to be in the oven, you really can’t turn the temperature down to low because something else needs low heat.
My Mom respects “The Gant Chart” if it is posted. It’s a necessary control item if you get too many people trying to use the same oven in a “U” shaped kitchen that is really designed for 1 person cooking (but with just enough space for someone else to “squeeze” in. Eg. The oven door and dishwasher cannot both be open at the same time. But if the dishwasher is closed one person can use the range while another chops. So… sort of enough room for 1 1/2 cooks. 🙂
Happy Thanksgiving to Lucia, posters and lurkers. I wish I would have thought of a pumpkin soufle before now just have to settle for my yams and pumpkin pie, homemade gravy is to easy and much too tasty not to do. 😎
“When my mom and sister would come, I had to create a Gant chart.”
Lucia, your mention of a Gant Chart brought back memories of my work days in another life and I had to chuckle because your accounts of working with others in a kitchen on holidays sounded quite familiar. We had 3 dishes that had to be warmed up in the oven today but we lucked out with the timing with the turkey the oven temperatures required.
Last Easter I prepared the meal for the extended family pretty much by myself and if I had my druthers it would be that way all the time. I admire those families that can work together in the kitchen to fix a big meal. Some even seem to do it with no one person seemingly in charge. I think it has to do with attitude and not worrying about meeting any time schedules or even loose ones. With my wife and me, it is made worse in our kitchen togetherness that neither of us is good at taking orders and that does not get better with age or retirement. Our work habits are entirely different as I have to clean as I go and she piles the dishes in the sink and the counter for one grand finale. I think this holiday meal is our 10th straight one where we agreed it was time to hang it up and let the younger generation have a go at.
It was Subway’s for the Fergusons on the road in Oz. Happy Thanksgiving, all.
Grilled turkey? Did they butterfly it ala Julia Childs? I can’t imagine grilling without butterflying — I’ve made very good turkey stock for gravy with the bones left over from the butterflying process. Or did you mean smoking it?
Hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving — at least you had proper gravy!
Derek–
I mean BBQ. So, the turkey is whole– but roasted on the BBQ grill. They also put in some sort of chips.
Everything went great.
Hope y’all had a Happy Thanksgiving!
Being Canadian, I had my turkey a few weeks ago. Initially, I thought our holiday was due to an earlier end of the harvest season, but then I wikied it. Turns out that we used to have TG in early November, but then along came Armiscist/Veterans/Remembance Day and TG got bumped to the second Monday in October. Who knew?
Packaged gravy inside a turkey? That’s carrying GM too far even for me!