Thank Grog It’s Firday!
Wow! So…what a Thanksgiving! Right??
So many new ways to celebrate, without actually celebrating, unless you did celebrate by ignoring common sense, which may or may not have been an actual edict in your hometown, or was just a guideline…which we all know means “do what you want, we have warned you!”
You may think I am talking about Covid regulations. I am not.
I am talking about the vast number of ways people celebrate a holiday which has one of the shakiest origin stories ever…in ways that may or may not actually be putting their lives in immediate danger.
And more to the point…In Which Thanksgiving Traditions do YOU partake, that could be considered “Outside the Norm,” (especially since Norm was not invited this year)?
First of all, you should know that we didn’t celebrate TG on TG…due to a lot of family challenges, which you will all be thankful that I am not going to recount here. We had TG in California…which was planned a long time ago…and was actually adhering well to the “small group mandate” that was in place, because it was just my wife and I, our daughter and her husband. We have all been tested…and re-tested. All clear.
So, after an 8-hour car ride, we had Thanksgiving, the day after Thanksgiving. But, we were plenty thankful.
But, the car trip down did create the first question I am going to ask:
Why does California stop you at the border, at the height of a pandemic, and only ask if you “Have and Produce” in the car?
I know the basic answer…and the fact is, my wife told a minor “white lie,” as she did have some carrots and potatoes in the car that she was bringing for the dinner. But, she reasoned that they were likely GROWN in Cali in the first place…so she was in fact, “just bringing them home.” I love the way this woman thinks.
Then there is the age old question, “Why do they pack the neck inside the bird, along with the giblets? Does anyone actually eat a turkey neck???
The neck(s) pictured above actually came out of a bird that my daughter was preparing. It had TWO necks…and the little “it’s done” button was on the bottom of the bird. I told her it was the height of GMO engineering. Two headed turkeys that walk upside down are a new delicacy among Gen-Xers.
And speaking of “Bird Prep…” Does anyone do the traditional “stuff the bird, sow it up, and cook it” routine anymore? My wife, who makes the best turkeys ever, does not. She makes the “stuffing” on the side. But, If you don’t STUFF it, can you still call it stuffing?
Here is a picture of what my sister attempted, because she didn’t have thread and a needle. I hope those pins were sterilized. It looks like a health hazard waiting to happen, or something they would serve for Thanksgiving at a punk rock show.
And…according to the National Fire Fighter’s Institute, there has been a 34% increase in Thanksgiving Day House Fires due to the number of horrendous “deep fried turkey” accidents. DO YOU DEEP FRY YOUR BIRDS?
And finally…Did You Have a Traditional Turkey meal, or are you part of the new trend in health/animal conscious folks that are eating “meat substitute meals?” 
For me…if you are going to PRETEND to eat meat…I think you should have to kill and prepare your own plants. I mean…what do they put in this stuff anyway???
TOFURKY Ingredients:
ROAST: Water, vital wheat gluten, organic tofu (filtered water, organic whole soybeans, magnesium chloride, calcium chloride), expeller pressed non-genetically engineered canola oil, natural vegetarian flavors, shoyu soy sauce (water, non-genetically engineered soybeans, wheat, salt, culture), non-genetically engineered corn starch, white bean flour, garbanzo bean flour, lemon juice from concentrate, onion, carrots, celery, salt, calcium lactate from beets.
MMMMMM! Nothing says “yummy” like lactating beets!!
So…finally…after all of that, Can You Hear A Soy Bean Scream When You Put It In The Blender??
OK… that’s enough. Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Pass the Turkey Neck!
Tofurky does need to step up their game. Feels like they haven’t changed their roast since the 90s 😆 We opted for the Whole Foods Veggie Roast this time, tho it’s been fun trying a new roast ever year as more options become available. Lisa and Jessi Grass would luv it 😋
Maybe they need to try “Grass Fed” Tofurky!
😎Thx for another new funky Friday fave…
Very enjoyable stuffing shenanigans there, along w/fun facts & worthy replies👌
The Southpark take on T-Giving is quite a swell bit if solid satire that also fits well here…
Guard the stuffing mines⚠️
🌈For your viewing pleasure🎬:
https://youtu.be/vBqtTZOStm4
🌈⚠️Yikes⚠️🤓
https://i.imgur.com/JwP6Kah.gifv
…😏Homer likely had the proper method👌:
https://i.imgur.com/eAsgTEj.gifv
We don’t celebrate Thanksgiving where I live… yet. But considering how we embrace Halloween, Black Friday and what not, I’m sure we’ll be soon honoring the arrival of our puritan forefathers.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Rr8ljRgcJNM
Hope you had a great day 😉
🌈🤘😎
Do you think there is a chance to get the singing stones (pagan stones that make a chime sound) anytime soon?
Very hard to say…they are from a pretty controversial event. They might show up in a holiday yearbook.
Turkey frying is okay if you have an outdoor fire pit or somewhere else safe to do it, I guess, but a bunch of people in my town lost their homes this Thanksgiving when one person had a turkey frying accident that set his home, and several adjacent homes, on fire (and sent the guy to the hospital). (Firefighters and ER staff HATE that turkey cooking method.) I’m sure deep-fried turkey is tasty, and it looks lovely, but not worth the risk, IMO. Besides, if you deep fry your turkey, there aren’t any turkey drippings to make gravy with, right?
Well…you know that Alissa is a “wild one!” I have to admit, the final result of her bird is pretty amazing!
Lactating beets !!! That’s genius ! I genuinely laughed out loud, as my patients were walking past, thinking what the heck is wrong with that guy.
Hi everybody…yes I’m still alive and kicking. Well…alive, anyway😁
Just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving, and I hope you’re all still feeling well and staying safe. It’s been a rocky year…lost my mom in October and my dad had a heart attack the same month and is pretty much gone now due to the dementia. My sister and I are safe and well…still in Savannah, but not going into the city very much. Hopefully, once the vaccine is out and available, we can all get back to a little normalcy.
Patric, if you still have my email, please contact me. I’d like to help with providing vaccines to the kids over yonder and my mom left me a little money. Can’t think of a better use for it. 👍😊
Haven’t checked in on the game for months and months…maybe a fun Christmas event will pique my interest…you never know! 🤷♀️
Oh my! Sounds like you have “had a year!” Very similar here.
Will look for your email- but please reach out to me at tstopatric@gmail.com
So wonderful to see your name in the comments again!
Hey, ebron — Sorry to hear about your troubles this year….let’s just say, I can relate. 😔 2020 was hands down the suckiest year ever!! Here’s hoping for a much better 2021 for both of us (and for everyone else, too)!
Thanks Sandra…looking forward to lots more upbeat stories in the next year…have a great Holiday Season! ❄️🎄❄️
☯️🎋Hey neighboreena, ditto on the fellow sentimental replies & warm regards for the holidays & New Year🎋☯️
You stew the neck and giblets (that stuff in the bag) in water and spices to create a stock for gravy and such. I pick the neck meat off and put it in the gravy.
If the stuffing is outside the bird it’s Dressing
So much good meat. That sounds like a lot of work for a small return.
Cooking is work. A career for some. If too hard there’s always fast food
Absolutely True! And I have found that there is a “tipping point” regarding “how long it takes to create something,” before the “how long it takes to consume it,” comes into play.
My husband makes the best turkey soup with the neck and carcass…he adds Bisquick dumplings to it, too. 😋 He puts giblet in the gravy he makes though, not the soup. Some years (although, unfortunately, not this one) he buys extra giblets for the gravy, too. Offal is anything but awful! 🙃
It was the perfect year to try new things! We fried our turkey for the first time…came out delicious! No one was injured and nothing blew up, win!
@Alissa Your Turkey (looks Delicious) reminds me of seeing shapes in clouds lol. I see a cooked turkey with two eyes and a mouth, praying haha Or is just me?
My non meat eating sister said the same thing
Hey Patric! Happy Thanksgiving!
I had a small party group feast with one of my sister’s, her fiancé, and their duplex neighbor/friends…we all hang out constantly so no covid danger there…
The friends did a turkey and ham traditional style, however, most of us like white meat so my sister’s fiancé buys just turkey beast instead of a full bird. He smoked the breasts and a spiral cut ham in his traeger and both were amazing!
It was such a great evening with friends and family!
Sounds amazing!