PLAY Thanksgiving gone wrong

Bud in Fla

Veteran Member
I grew up thinking all turkeys died of dehydration! My mother would steam her turkeys for a while before baking them to brown them. After cutting a piece on your plate, it looked like sawdust left from the cut.

My wife is a great cook and her boss at the time loved food. He suggested she get a turkey fryer since we were having the family Thanksgiving dinner at our house. 35+ years ago, my aunt & uncle were in the late 80s then and my mother was in her mid 70s. My mother was scandalized that we wanted to "break from tradition" and not have a baked turkey (see note above). She was positive my aunt & uncle would want baked/steamed turkey rather than some new method. At the end of the day, there was nothing but bones left of the fried turkey but about 95% of the baked one was still there. We never had that discussion about how to cook the turkey again.
 

WalknTrot

Veteran Member
My Mom worked two years on a fine lace tablecloth. Put it on the table fresh off the Crochet hook for Thanksgiving. Her dad (my Grandfather) spilled coffee on it and as I remember, burned a hole in it with a cigarette. She had a fit. I still have that thing. One day, I will try to fix it. I miss them both.

I still regularly use the hand crocheted tablecloth that my aunt made for my mom..probably for her wedding. That would make it almost 70 years old. I have NO idea what kind of thread it's made of...must be a bulletproof cotton or tough as heck linen? But that thing has been through the wars for sure. Mom used it for every big family meal and every holiday. It's way too big for any table I have ever owned, but it just hangs closer to the chairs and looks lovely. It's had everything imaginable spilled on it over the years, wine, ink, beet juice, coffee..you name it, and all it needs is a little spot-stain removal and throw it in the washer and dryer. Every use..I kid you not..it just goes in the washer and comes out perfect.

So...use it and enjoy. I think of my aunt every time I take it out, and remember my mom's incredible family meals, and do a touch-up stitch once in a while if something is coming apart, but as far as I can see, it will easily last through another generation when I'm long done with it.
 

Walrus Whisperer

Hope in chains...
Years ago, when we were 95% vegetarian, we had my brother over for the weekend. He insisted on cooking down the turkey carcass for soup, for DAYS. THe house was permeated with that turkey-soup smell. So gross. He also g :lkick: ot into a fight with me about how to raise my daughter. He stormed out and didn't speak to me for years after that.

We're happy "orphans" now.
There's a reason they call it fam-dam -ily!
 

Signwatcher

Has No Life - Lives on TB
The year my Mom got a new built in oven, we were having Thanksgiving with her and Dad, my Brother and his wife.

I decided to try to figure out how it worked and managed to turn off the cooking timer while it was cooking the turkey.

Mom went to check on the turkey and wasn't a happy camper. We ate several hours late because of my curiosity.
 

Freeholder

This too shall pass.
NOTE TO SELF:
DO NOT PUT 22 CHICKEN EGGS IN THE INCUBATOR ON NOVEMBER 4th!!!

I heard Cheep, Cheep, Cheep at 8:03AM and Lals wouldn't go outside. Dog is terrified of a newborn Dominique chick. Hold on to yer tail, Lals, there are going to be 21 more.
Not doing Thanksgiving today.

I was half-seriously considering ordering some chicks that would be here next week. Checked the weather forecast, and decided against it, LOL!

Someone else reminded me of the most disastrous Thanksgiving I can remember. When I was ten years old, Mom took the five of us kids (I'm the oldest) and left my dad, and moved us from our homestead in Alaska back to live near her family on the Oregon Coast. We stayed in my great-grandmother's house for a few weeks, then Mom found an old farmhouse to rent really cheap (I think she was paying about $40/month for the place). Us kids were homesick, missing our dad, had been moved around all over the place, were in a whole different climate and environment....Mom's Great-aunt Loretta offered to have us come to her house in town for Thanksgiving dinner. Aunt Loretta was a truly sweet, Christian lady, and we were looking forward to that special day. Then, Thanksgiving morning, I woke up feeling awful, felt my neck, and realized it was swollen. I went downstairs, woke my mother up, and mournfully told her, "I think I have the mumps!" Sure enough, I had the mumps, my brothers had the mumps, and my sisters came down with them, too, within a couple more days. As sick as we were, we were all also really sad that we were going to miss out on Thanksgiving dinner with Aunt Loretta. I don't know how Mom got a hold of her, as we didn't have a phone, but she did get the word to her, and after a while, Aunt Loretta showed up with dinner all packed in her car. She had brought dinner to us, since we couldn't go to her. She was a special lady, and I look forward to giving her a hug in Heaven someday.

Kathleen
 
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Freeholder

This too shall pass.
I still regularly use the hand crocheted tablecloth that my aunt made for my mom..probably for her wedding. That would make it almost 70 years old. I have NO idea what kind of thread it's made of...must be a bulletproof cotton or tough as heck linen? But that thing has been through the wars for sure. Mom used it for every big family meal and every holiday. It's way too big for any table I have ever owned, but it just hangs closer to the chairs and looks lovely. It's had everything imaginable spilled on it over the years, wine, ink, beet juice, coffee..you name it, and all it needs is a little spot-stain removal and throw it in the washer and dryer. Every use..I kid you not..it just goes in the washer and comes out perfect.

So...use it and enjoy. I think of my aunt every time I take it out, and remember my mom's incredible family meals, and do a touch-up stitch once in a while if something is coming apart, but as far as I can see, it will easily last through another generation when I'm long done with it.

It's really important, when putting that many hours into a project, to use good-quality materials. We've probably all heard the story about the thrifty Depression wife who crocheted a tablecloth out of package-wrapping-string -- and it fell apart within a couple of years. And I have, myself, spent many hours making an afghan out of acrylic yarn which pilled and looked horrible the first time it was washed....and a pieced quilt out of fabric scraps of various ages, and some of the older pieces fell apart within a short time. It's discouraging!

Kathleen
 

WalknTrot

Veteran Member
It's really important, when putting that many hours into a project, to use good-quality materials. We've probably all heard the story about the thrifty Depression wife who crocheted a tablecloth out of package-wrapping-string -- and it fell apart within a couple of years. And I have, myself, spent many hours making an afghan out of acrylic yarn which pilled and looked horrible the first time it was washed....and a pieced quilt out of fabric scraps of various ages, and some of the older pieces fell apart within a short time. It's discouraging!

Kathleen
Yes, I was just noticing yesterday..setting up a spare bedroom for guests, and put a quilt on the bed that my great aunt made for my mom. She even embroidered the date, her and my mom's name into a corner. A real treasure, but I do USE these things, and so did my mom.

Anyway, I see that just one particular flower is getting all worn and frayed. It must have been a piece that was very thin before Aunt Mamie made the quilt. Those ladies used up everything they could get their hands on, being generally poor as church mice all their lives, and probably never figured we gals two generations later, would still be using them, and taking them out for "good". :)
 

Freeholder

This too shall pass.
Yes, I was just noticing yesterday..setting up a spare bedroom for guests, and put a quilt on the bed that my great aunt made for my mom. She even embroidered the date, her and my mom's name into a corner. A real treasure, but I do USE these things, and so did my mom.

Anyway, I see that just one particular flower is getting all worn and frayed. It must have been a piece that was very thin before Aunt Mamie made the quilt. Those ladies used up everything they could get their hands on, being generally poor as church mice all their lives, and probably never figured we gals two generations later, would still be using them, and taking them out for "good". :)

I have a quilt upstairs that the ladies of our church got together and made for the pastor's mother -- somehow, when she no longer needed it, it found it's way to me. That was the first, and only, quilt I've ever participated in making that used all new materials. (I plan to get it to my niece, as she sews and I know she'll appreciate all the work that went into it.)

Kathleen
 

tiredude

Veteran Member
Thank you, tiredude. If it were just for us, I'd not worry. But to take it somewhere?? And yes, I will be making gravy.

I hope your dressing works. I usually put mine in for a half an hour, but your recipe may vary. Good luck!
it turned out well...i threw it in the oven to get some of the extra fluid off ...... and got there 4 minutes late..... we all ate more than we should have......i hope everyone else's went well.
 

Tennessee gal

Veteran Member
First time my aunt made a turkey in her own house...she didn't know that you are supposed to take the back of giblets out before putting the bird in the oven...
We were young and hadn’t been married long. My husband was in seminary. We invited my niece and her boyfriend over for Thanksgiving. My first turkey came out of the oven and it looked beautiful. I had the good tablecloth mother bought me on the table , and our good china.

We sat down and my husband proudly started to carve the turkey. All of a sudden he said, “ What’s this writing I see inside the turkey?” Sure enough I didn’t know there was bag of giblets inside the turkey!
 
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Just Plain Mom

Alien Lizard Person
it turned out well...i threw it in the oven to get some of the extra fluid off ...... and got there 4 minutes late..... we all ate more than we should have......i hope everyone else's went well.
Our feast was wonderful, I’m happy to report. Enough leftovers for Husband and I to eat one more meal. The turkey roast surprised me, and was nice and juicy and enough! Delicious sides from my neighbor, and my pie was perfect!! We are now at home in a food coma, lol
Glad yours went well!
 

Seeker22

Has No Life - Lives on TB
These little suckers are sure taking their time about getting here! I have three chicks in the brooder all dried out and cuddled up (it's 92 degrees under the light). That leaves 19 to go. I don't think we will get much sleep tonight between eagerly watching for the next arrival and the near constant din of cheeping chicks. Three is loud, 22 will be an experience to remember. Lali keeps going in and just staring at them. She was a puppy when I raised the flock I have now. She knows what a chick is, just curious.

This is the first Thanksgiving I get to use my new gas range. I made Honey Coconut Pumpkin Spice breads. The only disaster in that was not having any White Flour. Used Whole Wheat and it turned out good. I intended to take those to the neighbors, as they invited us to eat. He got called in to work unexpectedly, and was not at all happy about it. Oh well- we had Stovetop Stuffing with boiled eggs cut up in it, and real butter. Desert was coffee and that spice bread with Cream Cheese icing.
 

Freeholder

This too shall pass.
These little suckers are sure taking their time about getting here! I have three chicks in the brooder all dried out and cuddled up (it's 92 degrees under the light). That leaves 19 to go. I don't think we will get much sleep tonight between eagerly watching for the next arrival and the near constant din of cheeping chicks. Three is loud, 22 will be an experience to remember. Lali keeps going in and just staring at them. She was a puppy when I raised the flock I have now. She knows what a chick is, just curious.

This is the first Thanksgiving I get to use my new gas range. I made Honey Coconut Pumpkin Spice breads. The only disaster in that was not having any White Flour. Used Whole Wheat and it turned out good. I intended to take those to the neighbors, as they invited us to eat. He got called in to work unexpectedly, and was not at all happy about it. Oh well- we had Stovetop Stuffing with boiled eggs cut up in it, and real butter. Desert was coffee and that spice bread with Cream Cheese icing.

If you started with 22 eggs, it's unlikely that all 19 that are left will hatch. I've had as high as 90% hatch, and as low as 10% hatch. There are a ton of different factors that can affect the hatch rate. It's disappointing when only a few hatch, but hopefully you'll get some more in the next day or two. Makes a Thanksgiving to remember, for sure!

Kathleen
 

ears2hear

Contributing Member
When I was a young married, my then husband worked at a grocery store. He would often bring home items that had been accidentally cut open when stocking. That Thanksgiving, I had bought pumpkins, cut them up, cooked them for pies. After the pies were done, I discovered that I had used SALT instead of sugar in them. My husband had poured up some bags of salt into glass jars and I thought it was sugar, and like a dummy, never tasted it before using it. Yikes! That was AWFUL!!
 

summerthyme

Administrator
_______________
When I was a young married, my then husband worked at a grocery store. He would often bring home items that had been accidentally cut open when stocking. That Thanksgiving, I had bought pumpkins, cut them up, cooked them for pies. After the pies were done, I discovered that I had used SALT instead of sugar in them. My husband had poured up some bags of salt into glass jars and I thought it was sugar, and like a dummy, never tasted it before using it. Yikes! That was AWFUL!!
Ouch! My younger brother did that with chocolate chip cookies! They looked and smelled wonderful- they were totally inedible!

Summerthyme
 

Seeker22

Has No Life - Lives on TB
If you started with 22 eggs, it's unlikely that all 19 that are left will hatch. I've had as high as 90% hatch, and as low as 10% hatch. There are a ton of different factors that can affect the hatch rate. It's disappointing when only a few hatch, but hopefully you'll get some more in the next day or two. Makes a Thanksgiving to remember, for sure!

Kathleen

I am not happy with this incubator. Humidity is a roller coaster ride. Harvest Right 360. There must be a secret to it- I just haven't found it yet. I have another chick zipped and fixing to pop the big end off its shell. Several more look like they will go before morning. The first hatch with this thing was one chick hatched out of five eggs and it died four days later. I named him Liam (means determined in Gaelic). Not determined enough.

This time, I used a lot less water and the three in the brooder are perfect healthy happy alert little guys (or girls?) Hoping the one hatching will be, too. We have two heaters on in there and the brooder lamp, so they should be warm enough tonight. This hatch is better than I expected it to be. Any more will be a welcome win. As usual, I am wondering how our Ancestors used to incubate eggs? Must have been a pain to do if this electric modern way is so difficult.

Edited to add: She's here. Looks healthy.
 
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Seeker22

Has No Life - Lives on TB
LOL...I've done that myself myself, except it was a 10 pound turkey on the Bar-b-que

My Mama made the absolute best Giblet gravy in the Universe. There was no flippin' way that woman was ever going to let that little pack slip her mind.

Simmer but don't boil once her flour and dressing went in. The Sage in her Cornbread dressing was the secret ingredient. That, and enough salt and pepper. She' been gone since 2004, but I got that recipe down cold.
 

foreverkeeps

Veteran Member
I think the FIRST epic fail of the day was when I was trying to get the can of paint down from my son's office in his garage so that it could warm up for touching up some walls in their house tomorrow, and when the can came down from the shelf, it fell and opened up, spilling almost the WHOLE can of white paint onto his brown carpeted floor! What a mess! Fortunately, it's the squares, so I only need to buy him one box of 10!
THEN! The 2 and 5 year old grand girls KNEW to stay away from the spilled paoint area... For SOME reason, hubby - knowing I had just spilled it less than 2 hours before - walked in it while taking the girls to the back deck! So, in the middle of my helping DIL cook, I had to get a container of water, brillo, a scrub brush and rag to get all the white paint off son's gray Trex deck!
Then, my Mrs. Smith pumpkin pie was burnt SO badly, I had to cut the entire black top of the pie crust off! (But the pie is good).

Then, DIL used a 8 qt pressure cooker to cook the goat. She cooked it WAY TOO LONG, and it all burnt black and scorched the pan! Everything was badly stuck to the bottom.

By the time we ate, though, it was all good.
 

Double_A

TB Fanatic
I think the FIRST epic fail of the day was when I was trying to get the can of paint down from my son's office in his garage so that it could warm up for touching up some walls in their house tomorrow, and when the can came down from the shelf, it fell and opened up, spilling almost the WHOLE can of white paint onto his brown carpeted floor! What a mess! Fortunately, it's the squares, so I only need to buy him one box of 10!
THEN! The 2 and 5 year old grand girls KNEW to stay away from the spilled paoint area... For SOME reason, hubby - knowing I had just spilled it less than 2 hours before - walked in it while taking the girls to the back deck! So, in the middle of my helping DIL cook, I had to get a container of water, brillo, a scrub brush and rag to get all the white paint off son's gray Trex deck!
Then, my Mrs. Smith pumpkin pie was burnt SO badly, I had to cut the entire black top of the pie crust off! (But the pie is good).

Then, DIL used a 8 qt pressure cooker to cook the goat. She cooked it WAY TOO LONG, and it all burnt black and scorched the pan! Everything was badly stuck to the bottom.

By the time we ate, though, it was all good.

Whew...I'm inclined to say you win, but who knows what others have had?

By the way those carpet tiles are really going big in corporate world for the reason you stated.
School districts my area are switching to them for classrooms
 
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PalmettoGirl

Senior Member
Almost 20 years ago, my ex and I hosted thanksgiving at our small duplex. My grandparents were living in assisted living and weren’t able to climb stairs so our house was the only option. We had eight people over. And the kitchen was tiny with little counter space. We had food spread on every surface. My brother grabbed the green bean casserole out of the oven and seeing no counter space left, he put it on the stovetop burner. He didn’t realize the burner was on and the casserole was in a Pyrex dish. It exploded into a million tiny little shards of glass. I’m so grateful no one was hurt and it didn’t get into any of the other food. To say we were all shocked is an understatement. My mom, not knowing that I was making green beans had made one as well so we had a backup. The next year when we were moving out, I cleaned behind the oven and found glass embedded in the wall!
 

Tennessee gal

Veteran Member
When I was a young married, my then husband worked at a grocery store. He would often bring home items that had been accidentally cut open when stocking. That Thanksgiving, I had bought pumpkins, cut them up, cooked them for pies. After the pies were done, I discovered that I had used SALT instead of sugar in them. My husband had poured up some bags of salt into glass jars and I thought it was sugar, and like a dummy, never tasted it before using it. Yikes! That was AWFUL!!
This sounds like something that would happen to me!
 

h_oder

Veteran Member
Two years ago, I looked in the fridge to get the turkey out to cook it. It was gone, I was very bewildered to say the least and not amused. So come to find out, my son had it out on a bbq grill smoking it. I had to trust that we wouldn't all die of food poisoning. He has been a cook in fine dining restaurants so I knew that he knew about keeping hot foods hot and cold foods cold, yet I was worried. It turned out good though thank God. It had a nice smoked flavor. My patience was tried that day, because that is only half the story.
Reminds me of the time DH decided to smoke a turkey (probably 15 years ago now). The bird turned out wonderful - but for whatever reason he couldn't get the gravy right. Was using is mom's recipe - ended up like a gelatinous hockey puck :) To boot -his dad & step mom decided to join the family contingent that day. I just remember DH & his sister...put another bullion cube in it...add some flour....and some stock... we eventually put it down to the fact that the juices came out of the smoker... ended up breaking out the emergency jar of turkey gravy!
 

Seeker22

Has No Life - Lives on TB
we used to use a couple of 8 ft folding tables, one year, one end of the table, the legs gave way. lucky the people setting there kind of cought it ,

other than that, the year my drunk aunt started spraying everyone with the ready whip.
That table brings to mind my wonderful four-pawed son, Beaudreaux D. Catahoula and his first Thanksgiving.

DH's mom insisted he wasn't housetrained and would mess the carpet. Nope- perfect gentleman. What he did do was better.

He stood under the table and stretched, and raised that thing four inches in the air! Everybody caught something, so nothing hit the floor. Mom was upset and DH about blew a fuse trying not to laugh. And then, he looked at me. I winked and said, Woof? And we all died laughing. Boo got extra Turkey that year, which suited him right down to the ground.

Ain't a decent Thanksgiving without a Catahoula in it.
 

Marseydoats

Veteran Member
Years past, if a can lid was dented, or otherwise marred, you just flipped the can over and opened the other end. These new fangled cans only open on one end. Today's Canned veggie lids had no obvious imperfections, but the can opener couldn't grab hold of them. I told dh to never mind, but he took it as a personal challenge to wrestle the lids off of them with the pliers before I could get back from the pantry with a replacement. Thankfully he didn't cut himself.
 

Seeker22

Has No Life - Lives on TB
Years past, if a can lid was dented, or otherwise marred, you just flipped the can over and opened the other end. These new fangled cans only open on one end. Today's Canned veggie lids had no obvious imperfections, but the can opener couldn't grab hold of them. I told dh to never mind, but he took it as a personal challenge to wrestle the lids off of them with the pliers before I could get back from the pantry with a replacement. Thankfully he didn't cut himself.

Reading that, I keep seeing Harvey Korman and Carol Burnett wrestling with jars. The expressions were hilarious!
 

Blastoff

Veteran Member
The year my son brought his girlfriend home for Thanksgiving, we had dinner at my parents house. Parents had adopted 6 cats who mostly were not seen. We're all eating round one of dinner when nephew wandered into the kitchen to refill his plate and finds the cat on top of the turkey. Well at least we all got firsts. Welcome to the family, K, this is pretty much how it goes around here.
 

WalknTrot

Veteran Member
As usual, I am wondering how our Ancestors used to incubate eggs? Must have been a pain to do if this electric modern way is so difficult.

Edited to add: She's here. Looks healthy.
With a broody hen, behind the wood cookstove, or with a kerosene brooder/incubator.
Good luck with your chicks. About now I'm wishing I'd ordered my fall batch a little earlier...at 7 weeks, they are having to deal with single digit temps in the mornings lately. Oh well. What doesn't kill ya makes ya stronger I guess. :)
 
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Catnip

Veteran Member
I was about six or seven. Lots of relatives and guests at the table. Mom was at the counter, cutting the pies, and had each of us bring our plate to her for a slice. I got a slice of cherry pie, and was quite excited about that. Plate in hand, I spun around, saying, "Wheee! Cherry pie!" The cherry pie slice ended up on the wall.
Sounds like my Thanksgiving when I was 10 or 12. We were going to my Aunt and Uncle's a dozen miles away. I was tasked with carrying the pumpkin pie Mom had baked. Once at Aunt and Uncles, I got excited to see my cousin. I opened the car door, stepped out onto the ice, and BOOM! down I went. The pie flew out of my hand. My Dad found it under the car, the pumpkin all pushed to one side but still in the pie shell. Mom fixed it as best she could and we had it for dessert.
 
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