Sunday, October 12, 2008

I am Woman Hear me Gobble(Gobble)...

We weren't going to do a turkey for Thanksgiving. I bought a nice big ham this week,but yesterday I felt like we really NEEDED to have a turkey dinner. I've been a little down and out this week and didn't want my gloominess to transpire into my boys' holiday celebration. I wanted the boys to know there is so much we are thankful for in our lives(I know we could have done this with a ham dinner,but I wanted to do the traditional turkey dinner). So yesterday I went with my grocery list in search of the fixings for a turkey dinner.
Have I mentioned I have never cooked a turkey dinner before??(for my next post this is my #1 random fact about myself). I've hosted a turkey dinner,but have always been blessed to have either my mom, mom-in-law, or my aunt, close by to help with(ahem...cough, cough...COOK) the cooking of the turkey dinner.
I made a couple of SOS calls from the grocery store to my mom in Ontario yesterday. (what ingredients does one need for stuffing??) Thank goodness for cell phones!!
Today I had no problems making the stuffing. I was ready to stuff the bird when I realized I didn't know if you covered the bird or let it go uncovered into the oven. I quickly did my first call to my MIL. She gave me a few guidelines and I left the conversation feeling confidant and full of Martha-Stewart-wannabe-ism.That's when I discovered the ding dong...penis...wee-wee...whatever you want to call it.
"Holy Hell!!"I laughed to myself,"this here turkey is hung!!" I then thought that is probably why there are so many turkeys around...the females are "quite fond" of the males(if you know what I mean...wink wink ;)
Then it kind of grossed me out.(I've never heard of eating a Turkey ding-dong before...and if I had, I don't want to be reminded of the fact that I had!!!)
So I phoned my MIL again.
She explained that the ding dong was in fact the turkey's neck!!LOL...I am slightly embarassed that my one track mind immediately thought that a neck could be a ding dong! I still don't get how it is a neck though? It doesn't look like any kind of neck I have seen. She then instructed me to stick my hand in the other cavity and here I found a gizzard and a lung...oh wait...liver?? Yes...it was a liver if memory serves me correctly
I stuffed the turkey and then got it into the oven. I decided to be a little prepared and peeled and cut the potatoes. It was during the cutting of the potatoes I could philosophise about my turkey cooking experience or lack thereof. It has always been nice to have other people to help me cook my dinner. Sort of like the little girl in the kitchen...the apprentice..the padawan. (you get my drift) My mom has always done the turkey dinner. That has always been the role in our family. And now it seems so much has changed. Our family dynamics are changing. Change is always good, or so I'm told, but I still feel a little 'strange' that I've made the big leap in the generational thing. I guess it all relates to time, and how we are growing older. I'm the woman of my kitchen. The head honcho...the Chef de Cuisine...mamacita. My mom's role is no longer the role of being in charge of the turkey dinners. She's put in her time in the kitchen, she can relax, and lay low.
The apron has been passed on to me.
I'm so glad that I got the ding dong thing figured out though!! I might have passed that on to future generations!
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!!
~Jenny

10 comments:

Gwen said...

oh Jenny you are priceless.

Boil that ding dong in some water to add to the gravy. Happy thanksgiving!

Anonymous said...

Jen, my Jen, Krista and Marla are also "doing" there first turkey. Marla wonders if this means the "_____ Xmas Party" becomes their responsibility. Krista says NEVER. Lots of love and happy thanksgiving.
as ever your MIL

joni said...

HAHAHAHA... Jenny you rock..

love it...great post.

Happy Thanksgiving Friend.. love yah.

Jenny said...

For Everyone's Information:
I cooked the Neck(phallic symbol) and both Scott and I couldn't stomach the thought of eating it,so we threw it out.
Oh well...besides setting a dish cloth on fire on a burner that was left on, the dinner went off without a hitch. So well that my hubby had to lay on the couch and groan,"ooooh....whyyyy....did I eat so much??" He was in bed sleeping at 8:15pm.
Hope everyone's dinner was a-ok!!
:)

Christy said...

When I was a kid, my favorite part of the turkey was the neck! Makes me sick thinking about that now! Especially since you thought it was the ding dong! haha!!

Rox said...

LOL could you imagine if it WAS the ding dong? Everyone would be chasing turkeys, and not just at Thanksgiving and Christmas!

I was missing my MIL this weekend.

Tanya said...

I too have yet to cook a turkey! I don't know why...but I'm not ready for it yet. I don't think that I could do my mom's turkey and her stuffing any justice...there's just something about "mom's" that is the best...but I know that some day I will have to...I too will have to "wear the apron".

My kids were grossed out by the neck yesterday too...they wouldn't touch it. But...Syd did try a bit of the heart...she got it down...but then had to chase it with some mashed potatoes! lol!

I'm glad that you had a good dinner with your family!

SueakaNana said...

Hi Jenny, way to go girl, Mike and I went to Tanya and Kevins for turkey dinner yesterday, it was so yummy, I want you to know that our family is the Turkey Stovetop family has been for years.. Well Tanya, got a bag of frozen stuffing and shoved it in the bird and was it ever yummy. Doesn't sound like you need any help but here is what I have been doing for years, I make all my casseroles the day before, put them in a fridge and then when the turkey has finished cooking, I put the casseroles in the oven to warm up that way you are not in the kitchen all damn day cooking.. but you still have the aroma of the turkey bird in the house, Tanya or Tash make the gravy cause I suck at it.. and i do have to say our girls are great Turkey cookers too.. oh and I love the crap in the baggie in the turkeys cavity i boil it all up and eat the liver yummy. the girls gag haha. oh and i save two cups of the potato water for the gravy... anyhoo, it is so nice to be able to talk to you on your blog cause I can't on shari's lucy's or pennys grrr. Have a great day and enjoy your leftovers oh and for what to do with your leftovers ask Tasha she has a great recipie quick and easy.. yummy... ttyl sue

SueakaNana said...

oops Jenny sorry about the book I wrote to you hahahaha Sue

Devo said...

Well I think your first attempt at the turkey wouldn't be complete with fires and dongs, no?? My first one was years ago and my element on the stove went so it took about 18 hours to cook that f-ing bird, and I was freaking out cuz I was trying so hard to be domestic and amazing and it sucked ass. Haha. Glad it all turned out so well. I now only do the cook from frozen prestuffed butterballs, the are the BOMB!!!! But I'm a bit of a rebel in my old age too. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

 
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