Thanksgiving

Smoked with apple chips is the way to go!
Since it has to be hot smoked, I use electric smoker for this. I guess, you could do it in oven too, but fire alarm may go off. lol

 

I might pony-up to the counter at Denny's this year. Sit with all the orher lonely old dudes. But I'm VERY thankful!

I sure miss thanksgiving when I was a kid. My parents worked their butts off, and put out quite a spread for the family.

 

watching football and avoiding 'small talk' and politics. not a foodie, i eat what is put infant of me, and thanks be to God.

 

I usually eat turkey all year 'round. So on Thanksgiving, I always went and got a big pizza. It would last me through 4 days of football. Then I feel guilty, so I find the nearest homeless person(s) and buy their meal.

And with the holidays coming, how sad to find yourself homeless because of fire! Reports say a lot of those people are living in the Walmart parking lot. It's heartbreaking.

 

Infant of me.

Good Freudian slip.

 

Hey Das, been a while.

This family is going to try something different and go to a restaurant that is serving a turkey dinner. Have to admit though the prime rib that is also on the menu is looking mighty tempting.

I am thankful for family and Jesus redeeming me!

 

3-day brine session then it goes into the smoker. Probably hickory, maybe apple. I was planning this method before Sam & Ella RSVP'd but now I may be counting on it to prevent dryness with a little extra temperature to be safe.

I did a test last month with a turkey breast to work out timing and stuff. That went well, but this is still going to be an effort.

With any luck, today's project will make everyone's turkey taste better next week.

 

The whole shooting match. Family and friends over. Me in the kitchen all day prepping, cooking small eats before and the main meal, serving, then clean-up afterwards. Drinking, playing, talking, laughing, shouting, thanking, and eventual leaving.

 

Do not emulate my mother and defrost your turkey on Thanksgiving using a propane torch and a winch. (mother cooked with a propane torch at least 30 years before I ever saw a chef on TV use one)

For a large bird, it should be in the fridge thawing now.

My wife occasionally asks about how momma used to make my 'comfort food', but since the answer often involved Velveeta, she is learning not to.

I think she is buying sweet potatoes, and green bean casserole from the ladies at church this year. She was in Puerto Rico from the 1st to 11th, then Jacksonville Florida from the 13th to 15th. I think she spends next week in Greenwood, but travels the week after Thanksgiving. She likes to cook, but does not get to, much.

San Juan Customs House - Arts | EnciclopediaPR
United States Custom House (Mayagüez, Puerto Rico) - Wikipedia

https://govtribe.com/vendors/the-johnson-mcadams-firm-dot-p-dot-a-dot-johnson-mcadams-0duj8 Near middle of that page is her Federal Contract history. And her ID/IQ contract is expiring soon and she went to Jacksonville to renew it.

IDIQ - Wikipedia

Johnson McAdams Firm has over 1200 projects for DOD and Federal Agencies

 

Family gatherings? Great. Wonderful! Enjoyed those holidays when I was growing up. Will always be grateful.

Single old guy? Now just treat it like any other day. Otherwise, I get get caught up in past memories, missing family, and it becomes sad. The best therapy is to get out of the house, take a long brisk walk at the beach, and go find somebody in need to help.

Thank you God for all your blessings. I am thankful every day.

 

What snow???

What cold?

I'm out here in shorts and a T-shirt. You can't beat it.

 

doesn't look too bad considering the fires

 

Here’s a shot out my garage door this morning:



You can definitely see the ash floating in the air.

But rain is due in Wednesday, so hoping the forecasters are greater than 50% correct this time .

 

Frying my turkey!!! It is amazing!!!

 

I sure hope so. Hope you get a good rain.

Just a tiny bit of ash in the air, here. It's on my car. This weather is nice, but crazy too. I would like to actually see some Winter weather, occasionally. The last "real" Winter I recall, was way back in 1973/1974, when I was at an Air Force base In Rantoul, Illinois. This California boy was.... freezing!

 

Tis just a modest proposal.

If they are like the forecasters did this week here, you'll get more rain than needed.

 

Coach, that sure sounds GOOD! Louisiana fried turkey! You guys (or gals) that cook should post pics of your big spread.

 

Jennie-O Turkey Store Sales, LLC Recalls Raw Ground Turkey Products due to Possible Salmonella Reading Contamination

With some of the offending product line in our freezer, I had to check date and production codes last night. Fortunately, our items predated the recalled batches by several months. And spouse's usual cooking practices easily meet the safe temperature guidelines.

Baked in a bag, unstuffed. Much quicker, with far less salmonella risk. 'Stuffing' made separately, very much apart from the turkey.

I sure hope so.

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After spending three weeks traveling in the Holy Lands, far away from commercialized domestic holiday traditions, it is a bit of a shock to get suddenly re-immersed in American-style holiday fluff. But I'm also still recovering from ten timezones of jet lag too.

We just missed the severe and tragic weather and flash floods over there, but only barely. Skipped one site near the Dead Sea to get out ahead of potential (and repeat) flash flooding, left the Golan Heights before its snow and Jerusalem before its floods, changed routes and skipped another site because of road washouts, and saw Petra just as it was starting to dry out. And went no-where near the outbreak of violence around Gaza. So our only first-hand experience with major travel issues was domestically, making a flight connection in the midst of the Nor'easter storm causing severe delays. So we were actually running through a terminal (older folks will remember the OJ Simpson TV commercials) to beat an 'on-time' door closing, only to sit on the tarmac for many hours of ground delays and multiple de-icings.

Now to catch up on the domestic news ...