Click for SuzzieQ's Turkey Recipe

      

 

 
 

This is what I do.........

First, read directions!!! I spread olive oil on the outside. Be sure to take the
giblets, etc from the front and rear openings. Rinse out well. Put all kinds of veggies in the cavity--onions, celery tops, pieces of carrots. Sprinkle salt, pepper, a bit of garlic powder in and out. I add approx 1/4 inch of water to the roasting pan. Cover Turkey with foil after it begins to brown.

SuzzieQ

 

Come to the Garden Party!.....

 

You'll find the almost rich, almost famous and absolutely gorgeous people there....We're dishing it out, telling you all the latest gossip and the best news about the prominent people of #news_garden...We're only the best and the brightest on dalnet....

First of all, I'd like to wish each and everyone of you a VERY Happy Thanksgiving...I will be thinking about all of you as I eat my Thanksgiving meal and be thankful for the many friendships I've made with some of you over the past years....

I've had a great time reading all the memories you've sent in...Some are poignant, some bittersweet, some are VERY funny and I have enjoyed reading EACH and every one of them...It gives us "Norman Rockefeller" vignettes of what each of us do on what we call in America, "Thanksgiving Day"...

This being our second Thanksgiving post 9/11 and the threat of a war with Iraq looms very large over this great nation, we still have many things to be thankful for...I'm sure that will be in the back of many of minds as we give thanks as we break bread with friends, family and loved one on November 28th...

Here are YOUR memories and I applaud and thank all who contributed to this....This is "our" Garden Party Thanksgiving memories...Bon Appetite!

Our imagi is a usually a man of few words...I've known imagi for years not only from the News Garden, but also when we were in our former home, "CNN"...Imagi our resident "jokester" offered these two jokes for us...No memories, but a couple of cute, quick laughs...Enjoy!

A lady was picking through the frozen turkeys at the grocery store, but couldn't find one big enough for her family. She asked a stock boy, "Do these turkeys get any bigger?" The stock boy replied, "No ma'am, they're dead."

A family is sitting around the table for Thanksgiving dinner. Just before the father starts carving the bird he announces, "If it makes you feel any better, this turkey committed suicide."

Hoopie also had rather humorous memory...He gave us a glimpse into his "Hoopie World" which was his first Thanksgiving at his mother-in-law's house...He whispered to me that his mother-in-law served Stove Top Stuffing and he thought "what the @#$&!"...Hoopie also mentioned the year Suzzanne Somers came to the house, but gave NO explanation...Now I'm not sure if that was real time OR in "Hoopie World"...Maybe we can get Hoopie to give a further explanation for the Christmas column...Even I'm rather intrigued...

In the PlagueRat household, Rat tells us that they eat the insultation off of the wires...Now I don't know if that's with cranberry sauce or not...We all know Rat is a man of "few words" unless its some long and extensive scientific combo of theories and facts...Ask him about Quantum Physics and he can go on page after page...Ask him anything else and you might get one line...But this is our fearless leader, Rat and we adore him for he's done for the News Garden...We wish him a Happy Insulation Day....

Michy with be celebrating with her family this year (including her "Dude" and the Bean)...Michy said her BEST memory of Thanksgiving is the one that her brother did not attend....Sounds like some heavy sibling rivalry goes on between those two...Michy has even called him a %#@$!*& on occasion....I think I'll just leave THAT one alone...She also mentioned that her grandmother makes mince meat pie and other traditional Thanksgiving deserts...I for one, would like to see mince meat pie and Christmas fruit cake find another home, but some folks still hold to old traditions...Pass the pumpkin pie, please....

It seems our trybe and Smorgas_of_Borg share a very nice tradition on Thanksgiving Day...They not only share a meal, but do a name drawing for Christmas (and Hanukah) gifts...

Trybe is one of 11 surviving siblings in her family and instead of giving a gift to everyone at Christmas, a name is drawn and that person gets a nice gift...Smorgas didn't share how many in his family, but it seems they follow that tradition also...Trybe's husband (she's not the cook in the family, he is) cooks the traditional dinner when it is their turn at their home to host the Thanksgiving feast...Smorgas, who is our resident Chef says he doesn't cook anymore, "too many offers of a Free Meal", instead...

Our Maggijo in the Land Down Under tells us that they don't celebrate Thanksgiving Day in Oz...That they do celebrate Christmas, but at temps of around 100 degrees it is very different then America...For those who don't know our Maggiejo as we do, she has at times lived here in America...I won't go into what Christmas is like in Oz, but will give you the whole lowdown next month for our Christmas column...

Sman_42 says he's never had a Thanksgiving he didn't like!...He loves gathering with family for a wonderfully traditional Thanksgiving, BUT the only part he DOESN'T like is the...TRAFFIC!...As we all are well aware, the day before Thanksgiving is THE worst for traffic...We've all been there, done that at sometime and some of us may well encounter that yet again this year...Be safe Sman and enjoy your Thanksgiving...

Snuz gave us a little peek into a "secret" recipe for her Thanksgiving turkey....She pours Cold Duck over her turkey to make it crispy!...I'm not sure if this does crisp the turkey, but I'm sure the turkey doesn't give a darn after a nice, quick "drink"....<wink>

Aleister gave us quite a glimpse into "Thanksgivings" past...He comes from a very "rich" heritage of having members of the DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) on BOTH sides of his family...The one memory that stood out most in his mind was the Thanksgiving right after President Kennedy's assassination which was Nov 22th, 1963...He was just shy of his 7th birthday, November 28th, 1963 was Thanksgiving that year...

His grandmother prepared her version of a traditional Thanksgiving meal, including the only sweet potato dish that Aleister ever really liked...She also made a wonderful corn bread stuffing (with some kind of added ingredient that made it oh so wonderful)...She would also served giblets with white gravy, lima beans, mashed potatoes and Brussels sprouts....A very tradtional menu she followed every year...

Aleister's grandmother lived nearby he and his parents until Aleister's parents moved to Fla for both to take teaching jobs...Thanksgiving was "grandma!"

His grandmother had a real flair for decorating and he can still picture her elegant dining room....With its dark woodwork (where she'd always remind them to "Watch the woodwork!"), a small crystal chandelier, nice glass cabinets with antique glassware that they held for display....There were also plush Persian rugs...She was quite a wonderfully, gentile Southern lady, who had a Bachelor's degree in Liberal Arts...She also enjoyed collecting Asian "things" and flower arranging....She sounded wonderful, Aleister....Thank you for that "glimpse" into your wonderful sounding memories....

This one is pretty funny, alphabuck's WORST Thanksgiving ...This Thanksgiving was the one where a 3rd string Quarter Back from Dallas threw a 400 yard pass against the Patriots in 1995 and WON the game!...Alphabuck said he pretty near needed a "shrink" after that one....Ahahaha, ever the football fan, alphabuck said that otherwise "it was Thanksgiving as usual"...

Tresec's most memorable Thanksgiving was of all things, a food fight!...Literally!...Its seems her uncle started it and her grandmother ended it (with some smacks "upside" everyone's head!)...Poor tresec had to clean it all up...I guess that gives new meaning to "pass the potatoes, please"...

Spinmeister's BEST Thanksgiving was shared with his brother and sister (both who are much older then he), his parents and grandmother...Both grandfathers had passed on...They watched football games and he can remember it was sunny and warm that Thanksgiving...He also tells me that his mother's stuffing was the BEST in the world (how many of us have said the same exact thing?)...Spinmeister, thanks for sharing a very fond memory with us....

Sheba, Smorgas_of_Borg's spouse, sent in
The Worst Thanksgiving Ever

It was my first Thanksgiving as a single mother. I had no family in Minnesota other than my three boys, Tim, then thirteen years old, Ian ten, and Bret nine. We would do something different for Thanksgiving, I thought, savoring the unfamiliar taste of freedom. I would not spend hours in the kitchen stuffing a turkey, rolling out piecrust, whipping potatoes, making cream sauce. We would go out to dinner. We would have a nice, civilized holiday meal together, with pleasant conversation between three well dressed, courteous sons and their gracious, unfrazzled mother. We would be deliciously untraditional and go to Sammy D's, a justly famous Italian restaurant within walking distance of our house. This was important, since we did not have a car at the time.

"Won't it be awfully expensive, Mom?" Tim asked. He and his brothers understood far too well our straitened finances, and were careful never to ask for anything that might put a strain on them.

"Well," I rationalized, "buying a turkey and all the stuff that goes with it is expensive, too. And we deserve a treat. Thanksgiving doesn't happen every day."

So, on Thanksgiving Day, we all dressed up. I put on the pretty wool dress that I rarely had the opportunity to wear, since social occasions for us were rare these days. The boys put on dress shirts, nice pants, and sweaters. Then we all put on the heavy snorkel parkas that are essential in Minneapolis in late November and walked out in search of lasagna, Caesar salad, Italian pastries. I might even treat myself to a glass of wine, I thought.

We were in a party mode as we walked the mile from our house to the miniature downtown area near the University known to generations of "U" students as Dinkytown. And here was Sammy D's - dark and deserted. It had not occurred to me to call ahead; Sammy D's was never closed. Except today. "It's all right, Mom," the boys assured me. "We'll go over to Bridgemans. We like Bridgemans." We walked down the block and crossed the street, but we could tell from a block away that Bridgemans was closed, too. So as every place else in Dinkytown.

"McDonalds?" I asked in desperation. Closed. "Burger King?" Closed. Even Grays Drugstore was closed. No one but us was on the streets. Everyone was home eating turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie.

The boys kept their brave faces, but I could see that they were getting cold and tired, as well as hungry. We had skipped lunch in anticipation of an early and huge dinner. "Look, Mom!" Ian exclaimed. "The house of Hansen is open!"

"Maybe we can buy some food there and we'll go home and I'll make dinner," I said gratefully. If I could buy some hamburger, even, I thought, I could make us a dinner to be thankful for. I was a good and inventive cook. It wouldn't be Sammy D's, but it would be good food. We went inside the tiny store, happy to be out of the cold wind and, selfishly, to know that there were a few other people who were not cozily ensconced with their families around tables heaped with holiday food.

The House of Hansen had no meat, not even hamburger. No chicken. No fresh or even frozen vegetables. "They have turkey TV Dinners," Bret said. "We can still have turkey for Thanksgiving." And that is what we did. We bought four turkey TV dinners, complete with mashed potatoes and gravy and nondescript vegetables. We bought a frozen pumpkin pie. We walked home as the wind got icier, carrying the hint of sleet. We cooked the TV dinners and the pie and ate them at the dining room table.

"It's an adventure, " I told the boys.

"Well tell our grandchildren about it someday," they chorused in response. It was our standard family mantra for disastrous situations. There was laughter, even though sometimes it was forced and weak, in every situation.

And I was thankful that I had three good humored, kind and generous boys who could laugh with me through the worst Thanksgiving ever.

_Sheba_

 

I got this in the form of an email from the truly beautiful (inside and out) Radio_Flyer  

...As many of you know, Radio moved some years back to our neighbor to the North, Canada, eh!...Radio sent me this funny, touching, eloquent email as only she can do and since I can't say it better then she can, I'll just let you peek at what this warm, witty and touching lady had to say about her Thanksgiving memories...We love you, Radio...Keep hanging in there with us!

Thanksgiving is one of those days when your brain sends you postcards. "Dear Mabel. Having a good time. Wish you were here." Yep. Today is one of those days. This seasonal celebration we call 'Thanksgiving' can be an exhausting ordeal. To most, it is the celebration of our appreciation of cultural accomplishments. We pat ourselves on the back and give a collective sigh of relief. We have enough to eat and we're going to prove it by eating as much as we have. There are the traditions of televised football games, department store sponsored parades, Mom in her kerchief and elbow deep in a turkey's backside, packing bread crumbs where Nature never conceived cramming up anything, least of all bread crumbs. There are the usual condiments to go along with the meal. Cranberries that jiggle, pies made from large gourds, and assorted buttered vegetables that grow in plastic pouches. There is the traditional laying of the good table service, the better linen, the best guest hand towels, the company manners. There are the family members who bring with them the new baby photos even though the new baby is there to give a live performance of Cute. There are the geriatric family members visiting from the wax museum and looking remarkably lifelike. Uncle Bob will display his newest Radio Shack acquisition, and the blond on your brother in law's arm is named 'David'. It is almost a certainty that the dog will be under foot and will contribute, without intimidation, to the breakage with a look of "Don't tell me what to do, you're not my real mother". One small guest will probably unloose, open, discharge, or in some other unsupervised experiment, add to the chaos. Maiden aunts will double their pleasure. Either at the dessert tray or the bar. And, those of us who are thousands and thousands of miles from that chaotic circus will spend our day online in ascerbic irreverence of those who have been mercifully re-united with their own loved ones and time-weathered friends. Happy Thanksgiving, online, from me. "Radio Flyer"

I figured I had to include MY "two cents" with my favorite long remembered Thanksgiving...And conclude with special wishes for all of you...

I guess it was probably around 1960-1961, where a "cranberry alert" was issued....The warning said that Cranberries could cause cancer!...(This was Pre Surgeon General's warnings)...I don't remember if it had been issued via the TV or newspaper or both, but it became a topic of much discussion at the table...That year we had my grandparents, my aunt and uncle who lived nearby with their 3 children...My 3 cousins were all within my age range, so it became a joke at the table to "pass the cancerberries"...Of course the parents and grandparents certainly didn't appreciate our constant giggles and asking to pass the "cancerberries"...I don't know if it was ever disproved or proved, but I certainly will be passing the cranberries this year!...Especially the "drunken" one .

Drunken Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients:

2 packages of FRESH cranberries...washed and sorted
1 cup of sugar (adjust for your families taste up or down)
2 cups of water
1/2 cup of OJ
1/4 cup of ANY booze you choose (from wines (sweeter wines seem better, but Reisling works very well), liqueurs (Grand Mainier was very good), whiskeys, vodkas, whatever YOU like...I've made it with Southern Comfort, to Jack Daniels, to Benedictine Brandy, Rum, etc ...whatever you please with the exception of Champagnes since they're "fizzy")
Zest of one orange.....
Mint leaves

Sort and wash the cranberries (pulling off stems if there are any and discarding any rotten or soft berries) and add the sugar and water to a large pot, set on stove and bring them to a boil...Reduce heat to simmer and allow to reduce to a sort of jam consistancy....About 20-30 minutes or so...The berries will pop while cooking and sound like "soft" kernals popping....When they're sufficently reduced, add the OJ, pouring in slowly and stirring to blend....Add the booze, slowly and stirring while doing so...Bring to a boil again, for a very short time....Say 5 minutes or so to burn off some of the alcohol but leaving the flavor....

Stir, remove from heat and place into a mold or bowl whichever you like.....Refrigerate for at least 2 hr before serving....Grate the zest of the orange on TOP of the unmolded cranberries or on top of the cranberries in
the bowl after they've cooled and are set....Place mint sprigs around for decoration....

I want to wish each and every one of you, fellow Democrats and foe republicans alike, a very happy, healthy, blessed Thanksgiving with you and yours....And even thought we are all many miles away, I'll carry good thoughts of all of you on this Thanksgiving Day!...Kiss, Kiss!




Thanksgiving Humor:

From Patti:

Top Ten Signs You've Eaten Too Much on Thanksgiving Day

10. Hundreds of volunteers have started to stack sandbags around you.
9. Doctor tells you your weight would be perfect for a man 17 feet tall.
8. You are responsible for a slight but measurable shift in the earth's axis.
7. Right this minute you're laughing up pie on the carpet.
6. You decide to take a little nap and wake up in mid-July.
5. World's fattest man sends you a telegram, warning you to "back off!"
4. CBS tells you to lose weight or else.
3. Getting off your couch requires help from the fire department.
2. Every escalator you step on immediately grinds to a halt.
1. You're sweatin' gravy.

From Patti:

Here's a Thanksgiving Recipe from Patti

HOW TO COOK A TURKEY

Step 1: Go buy a turkey
Step 2: Take a drink of whiskey
Step 3: Put turkey in the oven
Step 4: Take another 2 drinks of whiskey
Step 5: Set the degree at 375 ovens
Step 6: Take 3 more whiskeys of drink
Step 7: Turk the bastey
Step 8: Whiskey another bottle of get
Step 9: Ponder the meat thermometer
Step 10: Glass yourself a pour of whiskey
Step 11: Bake the whiskey for 4 hours
Step 12: Take the oven out of the turkey
Step 13: Floor the turkey up off of the pick
Step 14: Turk the carvey
Step 15: Get yourself another scottle of botch
Step 16: Tet the sable and pour yourself a glass of turkey
Step 17: Bless the dinner and pass out

 

One use for a dead turkey, from TomWatts: Best use for a dead turkey: To serve as a centerpiece at a Democrat funeral/pep rally

RonnieDobbs: Use #43 for a Dead Turkey - Freeze it and use it as a sled

A late Halloween submission from Katrina(Click for larger view)!

A re-elect Al Gore in 2004 pumpkin!

 

Send your Christmas pictures, recipes and memories to Alllie!

Pictures by SuzzieQ

Design by Alllie

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