What's for dinner? by Geezer

Freedom is Important because People are Important

Wow, Geezer,

I want to come over to your house for dinner!

We're having Turkey, Stuffing, Buns, Mashed Potatoes, Green bean casserole, candied yams, and pumpkin pie for dessert.

But none of it will be elevated to the culinary heights you seem able to reach. I'm jealous. ;-)

Still, as my Mom says, Love is the primary ingredient. :-)

--Anthony

_______________________________________________

"In every war, the state enacts a tax of freedom upon the citizenry. The unspoken promise is that the tax shall be revoked at war's end. Endless war holds no such promise. Hence, Eternal War is Eternal Slavery." --Admiral Robert J. Henner

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Wednesday, November 23, 2011 10:27 AM

We mostly save our special efforts for the baked stuff. Being vegan requires some creativity for trying to approach non-vegan desserts.

I have, in the past, created a completely edible tasting pumpkin pie using 50% improvised ingredients.

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Wednesday, November 23, 2011 10:30 AM

Freedom is Important because People are Important

Hello,

May all of your vegan meals be edible!

--Anthony

_______________________________________________

"In every war, the state enacts a tax of freedom upon the citizenry. The unspoken promise is that the tax shall be revoked at war's end. Endless war holds no such promise. Hence, Eternal War is Eternal Slavery." --Admiral Robert J. Henner

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Wednesday, November 23, 2011 10:49 AM

CHRISISALL

Here at the Isall household we will be having Turkey (not for me though), mashed potatoes, punkin pie, stuffing, flounder in the shape of a drumstick (for me), and a protein cake made to be as chocolatey tasting as possible.

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Wednesday, November 23, 2011 11:04 AM

CANTTAKESKY

Flounder in the shape of a drumstick! That's so cute Chris.

The Sky family will be having turkey, mashed potatoes, roast veggies, green bean casserole, and cranberry sauce. Nothing original or creative, except we don't use canned ingredients--so everything made from scratch. Cranberry sauce made from Craisins, cause no fresh cranberries in Peru. The biggest pain is green bean casserole, cause I gotta dredge and fry the onions, make cream of mushroom soup from mushrooms and cream, etc.

A lotta work, but the whole fam will be here to celebrate it, on Saturday. (We're traveling on Thursday.) That's what's important.

-----
Never be deceived that the rich will allow you to vote away their wealth. -- Lucy Parsons (1853-1942, labor activist and anarcho-communist)

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Wednesday, November 23, 2011 11:30 AM

That's right, it's son-is-all's first Thanksgiving having diabetes, isn't it?

Well, there's always ways to make things taste good without messing up a diet.

+1 of approval for as chocolatey as possible protein cakes.

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Wednesday, November 23, 2011 11:44 AM

M52NICKERSON

DALEK!

We are having ham instead of turkey...plus all the other trimmings.

The best part will be the Sweet Potato Pie, and the Pumpkin Pie. Who doesn't like pie?

I do not fear God, I fear the ignorance of man.

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Wednesday, November 23, 2011 11:48 AM

Freedom is Important because People are Important

Hello Chris,

I did not know you had diabetes. This is a plague that has haunted my family for generations.

I have one word for you: Cinnamon.

Okay, now some extra words.

I do not know the mechanism of action, but my father has managed to largely stabilize his glucose levels by taking cinnamon pill supplements. They smell good, too.

Please investigate this for your own use. Even if it fails to impact your sugar levels, it will not harm you. I believe you will be amazed at the results.

--Anthony

_______________________________________________

"In every war, the state enacts a tax of freedom upon the citizenry. The unspoken promise is that the tax shall be revoked at war's end. Endless war holds no such promise. Hence, Eternal War is Eternal Slavery." --Admiral Robert J. Henner

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Wednesday, November 23, 2011 11:58 AM

Cinnamon is also often delicious when added to sauces marinara and enchilada sauce, and it supposedly deters mosquito bites.

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Wednesday, November 23, 2011 4:11 PM

FREMDFIRMA

It's also a handy ad-hoc antiseptic, just so ya know.

As to exactly what's on the menu, heaven only knows cause there's a little communications gap thanks to ditzy ex forgetting to pay phone bill, or charge phone, or check email, or facebook...
*eyeroll*
But I figure it for standard issue, and I am makin/bringing the cornbread, so that's certain.

-F

NOTIFY: N | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Wednesday, November 23, 2011 5:18 PM

Wow, when I read the first post I wondered at the luxurious meal the Geezers were having mid week, normally a time of food austerity in my family.

Then I read down and realised it must be Thanksgiving in the States.

Enjoy your celebrations!

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Thursday, November 24, 2011 6:14 AM

I'm not sure it's so much a celebration as an excuse to get together with family and stuff ourselves with food. Especially considering the origins of our particular holiday.

But, I suppose a harvest festival is just a harvest festival, no matter what culture you're from.

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Thursday, November 24, 2011 7:22 AM

Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...

Yes, Magons, it's Thanksgiving here today. Yeah, Byte, I agree. They saved our forefathers' asses from startvation, taught us how to get by and what native foods to eat, and we slaughtered 'em. Then we celebrate the day by stuffing ourselves.

And did anyone see the cover of the New Yorker?

Yeah, I know, I can't even keep politics out of Thanksgiving. Sorry; holidays just aren't "real" to me, they've been so corporatized and with no family and at our age, don't mean much anymore. Often I make the bird the day before or the weekend after...it's the bird that's the focus for us. Jim's daughter has her own family (and wouldn't be caught dead over here anywa--we're friendly, but our house is too messy for a yuppie, we have a "friendly but distant" relationship with her son, and Jim's ex usually comes up to spend the day there), and his son (who makes a semi-living out in Jackson Hole) usually can't get down here. This year he's real depressed; his girlfriend is Russian and went back to Russia, and now Russia's cracking down and won't give her a visa--they don't know if they'll ever see one another again!

So whether that day or the previous or the next, we too pig out around this time. Tthose of us who can afford it, well, here's the "traditional" scenario of the fifties in an American household, probably still held to (mostly in the Midwest and rural areas?), on this day:

Mom gets up real early (along with any other women in the house who are part of the cooking). She/they take the huge pumped-up turkey (average 14-18 lbs., depending on how many to be fed) out of the cold water, where it has sat overnight to thaw after a couple of days in the fridge thawing from its original frozen condition. She pulls the turkey's legs apart (shut UP!), reaches into the cavity and grabs the little bag of innards (heart, liver, kidney) and the neck, and plops them in a pan of hot water to simmer for the next few hours.

Then she washes the turkey and sets it aside while she makes stuffing. How about, those of you who are having the traditional bird and are stuffing it, what's your favorite stuffing recipe? Once the stuffing is done, she stuffs it in the back end of the bird (the big cavity) and the front end (neck area, small cavity), puts the bird on a rack in a pan, maybe dribbles butter over it, does or doesn't cover it with tin foil (it's an individual decision) and sticks it in the oven. Periodically while it's cooking for those hours, she opens the oven and scoops up some of the drippings to put over the bird (supposedly keeps it moist).

Depending on the family, either other relatives arrive sometime during the day, or get up if they stayed over, any one of whom might have brought a side dish, and either get their own or are served breakfast. Lotsa bustle in families with lotsa relatives, and there are probably already a few who aren't talking to one another. (Now THAT has to be familiar to you; essentially the same as Xmas gatherings).

The women continue cooking any side dishes needed, then cleaning up the mess resulting from making stuffing and side dishes and then either cook breakfast for all or make their own, and settle in to one or another TV to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. They DO still have that, don't they? Big cartoon-character-shaped balloons--I mean BIG, like many, many stories high, being "walked" down between tall buildings. Parade floats, marching bands, etc.--someone else will have to fill that in, I haven't seen one since I left home at 17.

Somewhere along in here, GENERALLY SPEAKING (this isn't all families, just most of them), a couple of hours later the men folk have awakened, either hung over from celebrating the night before or just bleery eyed from staying up late, or whatever. They eat something for breakfast (or not) and settle in to watch football. All day. Nonstop except to eat. Usually with a beer beside them and all the men folk making lots of noise, as your folk probably do watching soccer on TV.

The kids play games (nowadays probably Xbox and computer), usually loudly and periodically being hollered at by the adults to quiet down.

An average bird takes four or five hours to cook, so the women sit around and gossip or make side dishes, a pie or other desert, or whatever, after the Macy's parade is over, then clean up from cooking those; the men go on watching football and drinking beer. Along in there, the side dishes which need heating are put in the oven to heat/bake. When the turkey is ready, they remove it from the oven, take the stuffing out and put it in a bowl, and make gravy from the turkey drippings and the innards water (remember those innards? They simmer in hot water all this time, until it's time to make the gravy), then holler to everone that dinner's ready. The men and kids grumble and reluctantly come to the table (or tables--and if there are enough kids, there's a "kid's table").

The turkey is then presented with a flourish, along with side dishes, and at some point here the call goes out for a minute of silence and thankfulness or else a bible passage is read. Then the male at the head of the table has the job of carving it up, usually with an electric knife, and the platter of sliced turkey is passed around, along with side dishes, everyone takes huge helpings of everything and digs in.

Once satiated, the women clean up and wash the dishes (unless they can get the kids or menfolk to help) while the kids go back to playing, or go to a friend's house, and the men resume drinking beer and watching football.

After a while, the tryptophan hits everyone (except the kids, who are probaby high on sugar) and everyone gets sleepy. It's true; google "turkey ingredient" and a lot of "that makes you sleepy" comes up. Some of the men will fall asleep on the couch with football game blaring; I don't know what the women do (mom always managed to create a scene about that time, regarding how tired she was after all that work, how nobody ever helped her (which she'd KILL them if they asked to do, of course), how she suffered, etc.). I always beat a hasty retreat for Paula's house as soon as I'd finished eating and washing dishes. Some families go for a walk after dinner (if they can pry the men away from the TV and with the kids grumbling the whole way).

That's turkey day--or used to be anyway. I'd like to hear how it goes for everyone else here; it's already obvious that many are not serving the traditional feast, and in this day and age, I'm sure people do Turkey Day differently, so I'd like to hear. We're a pretty modern, eclectic group here, so I'm curious how others spend their day. That was how my family did it back in the day, and since moving away, I did it for the first few years then said 'fuck it'. I still get up early to make the bird and stuffing, but I don't do the rest of it; I buy a pumpkin pie (which I forgot this year; no biggie, I'm the only one who eats it anyway!) and my stuffing has onion, celery, mushrooms and spinach in it--that's our vegetables. Mom used to make green bean casserole (which I hated), candied yams (which I despised) and, of course, the obligatory mashed potatoes.

The important part is the turkey, stuffing, gravy and "cran". Lots of gravy, with a mashed-potato "bowl" created by everyone on their plate, which is then filled with gravy. Most families back then (and maybe still?) have cranberry, whether jellied or sauced, so that's all we have. In fact I only make a bird because we love them and pigging out on fresh-cooked turkey, gravy and cranberry is what I always liked best, so I don't break my back over it. Plus I literally can't; doing the stuffing, even with my back brace on, leaves me pretty crippled.

So how do others spend the day? Jim and I just pig out then settle in front of individual TVs--yes, football for him, me doing whatever I usually do (deadhead flowers, write letters or journal, nowadays make protest signs and lawn signs for OWS) in front of MY TV in the living room. Today it's totally socked in after last night's rain, so it's neat...and of course quiet 'cuz few go to work and there's little traffic.

Now that I've pained you a picture, I'm off to confront the bird.

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Thursday, November 24, 2011 9:02 AM

GEEZER

Keep the Shiny side up

Quote:
Originally posted by Niki2:
They saved our forefathers' asses from startvation, taught us how to get by and what native foods to eat, and we slaughtered 'em. Then we celebrate the day by stuffing ourselves.

Oh, Niki. You've RUINED Thanksgiving!!!

"Keep the Shiny side up"

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Thursday, November 24, 2011 9:49 AM

PIZMOBEACH

... fully loaded, safety off...

We're doing turkey breasts 2 ways - my wife wanted to try an herbed oven roasted one and I wanted to try and smoke one with apple wood. Sides are pretty traditional, mashers, mushrooms, some rocket salad to start, and a nice chianti

... er - I think we'll go with a white wine this year. And pot de crème for desert.

Scifi movie music + Firefly dialogue clips, 24 hours a day - http://www.scifiradio.com

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Thursday, November 24, 2011 11:07 AM

Got my thanksgiving misgivings in one.

It was nice to see representatives of the Iroquois nation perform in the Thanksgiving Day parade though.

Tryptophan is a derivitive amino acid of an even more basic building block, 5 HTP, which we break down and reconstruct into serotonin. That's why you get that happy sleepy feeling.

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Thursday, November 24, 2011 11:47 AM

CHRISISALL

Quote:
Originally posted by AnthonyT:
Hello Chris,

I did not know you had diabetes. This is a plague that has haunted my family for generations.

I wish it was me, no, it's my Son. Type 1. But at least he can eats what he wants.

Oh, mashed potatoes coming!

The laughing Chrisisall

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Thursday, November 24, 2011 12:42 PM

FREMDFIRMA

Well, last year me and the ex had work schedule issues, and due to events I won't go into were really in no damn mood for all the all that hullabaloo, not that I ever am anyway but she wanted a nice, calm sit-down with someone calm who actually cared instead of the falseness of most social engagements - so she showed up here with a minimal dinner setup, we cooked it, sat down and enjoyed a nice, relaxed dinner with the cats.

I don't really share the same holidays as most, and the exact when is kind of meaningless to me - I get most of my satisfaction out of the warm fuzzy feeling from knowing the people I am watching over can enjoy themselves without worry or concern cause I am out there watching over them, yanno ?

It's funny though, all the local raccoons are clustered around the dumpsters, waiting for that manna from heaven - they KNOW, yanno ?
Hehehe.

-F

NOTIFY: N | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Thursday, November 24, 2011 12:46 PM

CHRISISALL

It's THEIR Thanksgiving as well, yeah?

The laughing Chrisisall

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Thursday, November 24, 2011 1:59 PM

PIZMOBEACH

... fully loaded, safety off...

Quote:
Originally posted by Fremdfirma:

It's funny though, all the local raccoons are clustered around the dumpsters, waiting for that manna from heaven - they KNOW, yanno ?
Hehehe.

-F

Sounds like a Pixar/Disney movie.

Raccoon One, "Fat Tony"
Raccoon Two, "Lady Lydia, the Aristocratic raccoon"

Scifi movie music + Firefly dialogue clips, 24 hours a day - http://www.scifiradio.com

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Thursday, November 24, 2011 5:36 PM

I remember watching Home for the Holidays, which reminded me of how Christmas can be for many families - seeing as we don't celebrate Thanksgiving. Do you have turkey and family again for Christmas again? Seems like overkill.

Quote:
Usually with a beer beside them and all the men folk making lots of noise, as your folk probably do watching soccer on TV.

Was that directed at me? Soccor is not the main sport here, it is (where I live) Australian Rules football. Kind of like American football but with no protective gear - you big sissies. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_rules_football. Actually it is most like Gaelic football.

Does that mean that a football game is played on Thanksgiving traditionally, or are they watching reruns?

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Thursday, November 24, 2011 5:50 PM

Hey, Americans have the least vacation hours of any country in the English speaking world. Can you really begrudge us an excuse to get off work?

As for Christmas dinner, I suppose some people do have turkey again, but there's quite a bit more variation than there is for Thanksgiving (which is almost always turkey, you see that Geezer is the only one who didn't have it tonight).

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Thursday, November 24, 2011 7:01 PM

Freedom is Important because People are Important

Hello,

I usually do Ham for Christmas, Turkey for Thanksgiving. Christmas may also include Cuban specialties like fried Yuca and congri.

When I was young, we used to cook a pig on a spit at an Uncle's house on Nocha Buena (The Good Night, aka Christmas Eve.) Everyone took turns rotating the pig over and over till it was cooked.

Now the family is more spread out and many have new little family units, so it's not possible to assemble enough people to take advantage of a whole roast pig.

--Anthony

_______________________________________________

"In every war, the state enacts a tax of freedom upon the citizenry. The unspoken promise is that the tax shall be revoked at war's end. Endless war holds no such promise. Hence, Eternal War is Eternal Slavery." --Admiral Robert J. Henner

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Thursday, November 24, 2011 7:52 PM

Yeah, we usually do ham too, except for when we do shellfish or when Grandma's experimenting with recipes.

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Thursday, November 24, 2011 8:10 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Bytemite:
Hey, Americans have the least vacation hours of any country in the English speaking world. Can you really begrudge us an excuse to get off work?

As for Christmas dinner, I suppose some people do have turkey again, but there's quite a bit more variation than there is for Thanksgiving (which is almost always turkey, you see that Geezer is the only one who didn't have it tonight).

I don't begrudge anyone holidays. The more the better as far as I am concerned. Hope you enjoy this one.

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Thursday, November 24, 2011 8:12 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by AnthonyT:
Hello,

I usually do Ham for Christmas, Turkey for Thanksgiving. Christmas may also include Cuban specialties like fried Yuca and congri.

When I was young, we used to cook a pig on a spit at an Uncle's house on Nocha Buena (The Good Night, aka Christmas Eve.) Everyone took turns rotating the pig over and over till it was cooked.

Now the family is more spread out and many have new little family units, so it's not possible to assemble enough people to take advantage of a whole roast pig.

--Anthony

What is fried yuca and congri. getting hungry here. pizza for me tonight. vegetarian with anchovies.

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Friday, November 25, 2011 3:20 AM

PIZMOBEACH

... fully loaded, safety off...

Quote:
Originally posted by Magonsdaughter:
Do you have turkey and family again for Christmas again? Seems like overkill.

Way overkill, not the days off, more the visits with relatives. One of my dad's favorite sayings: "absence makes the heart grow fonder." 30 some days between t-giving and xmas is not enough absence. (and it's not me - I like them all just fine - it's others that get in the cat & dog fights).
I lobbied once for another get together time, like in spring when we can roll out the grills and celebrate winter being over (and it's about 6 months later), but no one wanted to hear it. People get stuck in traditions no matter how painful.

Scifi movie music + Firefly dialogue clips, 24 hours a day - http://www.scifiradio.com

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Friday, November 25, 2011 3:42 AM

http://www.cubanfoodmarket.com/palma/congri.htm

Freedom is Important because People are Important

http://www.whats4eats.com/vegetables/yuca-frita-recipe

Hello,

Ah, the flavors of home.

--Anthony

ETA: The pictured congri (variety- moros) has what I consider an excellent addition of fried pig product for flavor enhancement. Vegetarians may disagree. ;-)

_______________________________________________

"In every war, the state enacts a tax of freedom upon the citizenry. The unspoken promise is that the tax shall be revoked at war's end. Endless war holds no such promise. Hence, Eternal War is Eternal Slavery." --Admiral Robert J. Henner

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Friday, November 25, 2011 3:45 AM

America loves a winner!

*wakes from food coma...*

Wow. That was awesome.

Menu included delicious turkey,gravy, dressing, rolls, a cheesy casserole, sweet potatos ( with and with out marshmallows and raisins ), some jello fruit salads ( which I ignored ), green beans, and for dessert, pumpkin, pecan pies AND... oreo cheesecake!!!

And there were, of course, appetizers during the day before hand, chips, dips and yummy little mushcroom thingies.

"The world is a dangerous place. Not because of the people who are evil; but because of the people who don't do anything about it." - Albert Einstein

NOTIFY: N | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Friday, November 25, 2011 4:45 AM

HERO

The turkey was good. I used oil and pepper spray then roasted it.

H

"Hero. I have come to respect you." "I am forced to agree with Hero here."- Chrisisall, 2009.
"I agree with Hero." Niki2, 2011.

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Friday, November 25, 2011 5:23 AM

Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...

Gawd, Anthony...when I first saw those two dishes my immediate thought was "banana slugs!" (of which we have more than our fair share). Not my cup of tea, but I hope you enjoyed them thoroughly.

Ahhh, I see our ultra-traditionalist is Raptor, comes as no surprise. I forgot the rolls and sweet potatoes with marshmallow on top (which made me ill just to LOOK at!). As you can see, he's right on target for everything else. Dressing = stuffing, by the way. I forgot to mention the obligatory munchies the men crunch on and dip in (also made by the women ahead of time) while they drink beer and watch football. Some people take great pride in their dip and won't give out the recipe; I THINK appetizers other than chips and dip is a more frequent addition--don't know 'cuz mom never made appetizers.

Boy, Pizmo, do I agree about the overkill! One of the things I've SO enjoyed since mom died has been the lack of necessity of doing "family" crap. I split for Paula's and stayed there just as long as humanly possible; Italian background, all warm and fuzzy, lotsa people, most of them in the kitchen...surviving two of our OWN family gatherings in such a short time...well, I survived! What's "pot de crème", if I may ask?

Yeah, Magons, Xmas can be turkey, or ham, or anything you like really. The one thing I can say for my mom is she made the best, most wonderful "standing rib roast" in the entire world! I can't make 'em...tried once and have been too cowardly ever since, and boy, do I miss 'em! That was our alternative, and actually ham or roast used to be the old "traditional" Xmas...again with head of household wielding that electric knife.

Sorry...I don't know shit about Australian football, my impression is that most of the rest of the world is into soccer. We're DEFINITELY getting there...I think schools are encouraging it as a replacement for OUR football, which is a violent mess. I don't know how your guys survive without all that crap on, so many of ours get injured as it IS! How do they do it? I can't call them wooses, myself, having been a die-hard Raider fan for the first twenty years of my life, then a Niners fan (when Jim and I moved up here) for the next ten or so. It's a bloody sport, in more ways than one, the way they do it here!

I read the first couple of paragraphs of that link, and it sounds FAR neater and more entertaining than our version. Players all over the field, being able to run doing more than just carrying the ball, and it SOUNDS less violent, anyway. Ours can get downright boring in comparison (now that I'm not a fan), with all the huddle time, etc. Sounds like a cross between soccer, football and something else! I think I've seen a few minutes of it on TV.

Ahh, Frem; you KNOW the bandits can smell all the turkey dinners being cooked everywhere, and the smart little bastards KNOW they'll get their share! Have no doubt they're thankful in their own way.

Jim and I had our piggout; I can just about stand up long enough to make all of it, then get the stuffing out, make gravy and carve it up (Jim can't carve for shit) when it comes out; by then I'm a total crip. I made the mistake of changing the water on BOTH aquariums later in the day, which was pretty stupid. Today I can barely move! I shouldn't have done both in one day, but then I'm not to bright! Was good tho', and the back/sciatica will pass eventually, as always.

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Friday, November 25, 2011 6:04 AM

America loves a winner!

Niki -

If it's cooked INSIDE the bird, it's stuffing. Cooked OUTSIDE the bird , it's dressing.

And I ignored the sweet potatoes as well. Not that I don't care for them, but the plate was only so big. Both times.

"The world is a dangerous place. Not because of the people who are evil; but because of the people who don't do anything about it." - Albert Einstein

NOTIFY: N | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Friday, November 25, 2011 6:19 AM

Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...

I stand corrected; you're right, Raptor. I guess I don't think of it that way because ours is ALWAYS inside the bird.

"Seconds" are as much a tradition as the actual meal, aren't they? Jim's smart...he takes a little bit at first, THEN goes back for seconds. Me, I jam as much as I can both times. Hope you enjoyed your triptophan "high" (or should that be "low"?). Or "nap"? Strangely, tho' eating almost always makes me sleepy anyway, turkey dinner never does. My system must be perverse or something...(go for it, Rap)

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Friday, November 25, 2011 6:45 AM

Freedom is Important because People are Important

Hello,

Banana slugs?

You are on my list.

--Anthony

_______________________________________________

"In every war, the state enacts a tax of freedom upon the citizenry. The unspoken promise is that the tax shall be revoked at war's end. Endless war holds no such promise. Hence, Eternal War is Eternal Slavery." --Admiral Robert J. Henner

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Friday, November 25, 2011 7:17 AM

You can eat yucca?

*Eyes own plants*

Always interested in knowing what plants grow locally that are edible for survival reasons.

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Friday, November 25, 2011 7:46 AM

Quote:
Sorry...I don't know shit about Australian football

Australian Football is comparable to rugby, in that it makes rugby look like a pacifist sport.

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Friday, November 25, 2011 8:23 AM

Freedom is Important because People are Important

Hello Byte,

Now I've learned something, too.

From the hitchiker's guide to the universe: (wikipedia)

Yuccas are widely grown as ornamental plants in gardens. Many species of yucca also bear edible parts, including fruits, seeds, flowers, flowering stems,[8] and more rarely roots. References to yucca root as food often stem from confusion with the similarly spelled but botanically unrelated yuca, also called cassava (Manihot esculenta). Roots of soaptree yucca (Yucca elata) are high in saponins and are used as a shampoo in Native American rituals. Dried yucca leaves and trunk fibers have a low ignition temperature, making the plant desirable for use in starting fires via friction.[9] In rural Appalachian areas, species such as Yucca filamentosa are referred to as "meat hangers". The tough fibrous leaves with their sharp spined tips were used to puncture meat and knotted to form a loop with which to hang meat for salt curing or in smoking houses.

Cassava (Manihot esculenta), also called yuca or manioc, a woody shrub of the Euphorbiaceae (spurge family) native to South America, is extensively cultivated as an annual crop in tropical and subtropical regions for its edible starchy tuberous root, a major source of carbohydrates. It differs from the similarly-spelled yucca, an unrelated fruit-bearing plant.

--Anthony

_______________________________________________

"In every war, the state enacts a tax of freedom upon the citizenry. The unspoken promise is that the tax shall be revoked at war's end. Endless war holds no such promise. Hence, Eternal War is Eternal Slavery." --Admiral Robert J. Henner

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Friday, November 25, 2011 12:28 PM

America loves a winner!

Day-after left overs...another fine tradition as well.

"The world is a dangerous place. Not because of the people who are evil; but because of the people who don't do anything about it." - Albert Einstein

NOTIFY: N | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Friday, November 25, 2011 1:04 PM

Quote:
Sorry...I don't know shit about Australian football, my impression is that most of the rest of the world is into soccer. We're DEFINITELY getting there...I think schools are encouraging it as a replacement for OUR football, which is a violent mess. I don't know how your guys survive without all that crap on, so many of ours get injured as it IS! How do they do it? I can't call them wooses, myself, having been a die-hard Raider fan for the first twenty years of my life, then a Niners fan (when Jim and I moved up here) for the next ten or so. It's a bloody sport, in more ways than one, the way they do it here!

I read the first couple of paragraphs of that link, and it sounds FAR neater and more entertaining than our version. Players all over the field, being able to run doing more than just carrying the ball, and it SOUNDS less violent, anyway. Ours can get downright boring in comparison (now that I'm not a fan), with all the huddle time, etc. Sounds like a cross between soccer, football and something else! I think I've seen a few minutes of it on TV.

From what I've seen of American football, there is lots of stopping which I find kind of frustating. Australian Rules is fast paced, high scoring. Frankly, most sport on TV bores me shitless, especially when there is an expectation that I will care - like there is in this city. I follow it vaguely for my son's sake and mostly watch the Grand Final, which genuinely is exciting. Except for this year, I was tucked up in a motel trying to warm up after a rather cold camping trip.

My upbringing was one where men watched endless sport on the telly, and so was my husband's. Both of us hate televised sport as a result. Luckily, football and festivals generally don't collide. Over the Xmas period there is cricket of course. Now if you want to watch something really boring.....

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Saturday, November 26, 2011 5:05 AM

One of my team's players had to be taken off the field in an ambulance yesterday. The update I heard said the doctors had determined he wasn't paralyzed, but they didn't say what his actual injury might be, or if it's serious.

So they're all pretty dangerous sports, but when I see Rugby or Australian Football I wonder how the players don't come away with serious brain damage or spinal injuries. They're not wearing any padding, and I've seen people get kicked in the head and go down like a sack of potatoes.

Speaking of which, I'm off to play the Traditional Thanksgiving Family Football game. I injured myself earlier in the month training for it, so now I'm not limbered up. On the other hand, a nice pulled hamstring is something to take pride in. We'll see how it goes.

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Saturday, November 26, 2011 4:52 PM

FREMDFIRMA

Oi, the Raccons enjoyed themselves too.
Squig was laying on his back passed out on top of the dumpster by the park, thought for a moment he'd finally fallen from a tree and finished himself off but he was snoring so it was likely food coma...
And his girlfriend was over by building 13, munching on a piece of pilfered turkey, and she cocked her head at me sideways and gestured with one paw in a fashion that'd be from a human being, kinda insolent - I was like..
"Did you just flip me the bird, seriously?!"
And she stuffed the remaining chunk in her mouth and scampered off into the bushes while I was still contemplating tossing a pinecone at her.

-F

NOTIFY: N | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Saturday, November 26, 2011 5:36 PM

They'll be busy when Squig wakes up. Winter is mating season, and with that much food in their reserves, they have energy to spare.

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Sunday, November 27, 2011 4:50 AM

Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...

Ooops, I forgot; another tradition for many is the Family Football Game. We never had it (having like four relatives in the world).

Ahhh, rugby. Now I have a vague point of reference. Yes, football and baseball (I'll put baseball up against cricket ANY day for boring!) have so much time doing nothing, or being stymied by moving the ball a foot then being piled on or something, that I long gave up.

Believe it or not, when I was a kid I watched GOLF (talk about boring!). Mom had it on incessantly when I was a kid, and back then--like most kids--I wanted her to love me (before I smartened up), so I watched too, became a member of Arnie's Army (anyone remember that?), the whole thing. Never watched it once after about eight...not that I wised up that early, it was just too damned boring!

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Sunday, November 27, 2011 4:54 AM

Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...

Hee, hee, hee, Frem...I can just picture it! Sounds like Squig was enjoying his tryptophan coma; happy campers! Yeah, what with Xmas coming so close too, they're making out like...you'll excuse the expression..."bandits"!

The huskies enjoyed their share, too...that is the "real thing" to them! They go nuts from the time they can start smelling the turkey until they've had their share and everything's put away. Nothing like a "starving" dog to make you feel guilty about pigging out. Well, it COULD except Jim locked them out of the dining room. They were not amused.

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Monday, November 28, 2011 1:58 PM

RIONAEIRE

Beir bua agus beannacht

Well we had all the traditional stuff, turkey, potatoes, gravy (yuck I hate gravy), marshmellow fruit jello salad (yuck), yams (yuck), other salad, rolls (disappointing this year), green bean casseral with lots of shrooms (yummy!!!) and, wait for it, my cousin brought us a Honey Baked Ham this year!!!! It was the best Thanksgiving meal I've ever had! I'm not a big turkey fan, once a year is enough, but the Honeybaked Ham and my dad's yummy shroomy green bean casseral made it all okay, plus the turkey was abnormally moist this year, one of the best turkies I've ever had.

We had it at my uncle and aunt's house just down the road, not too far at all, could have walked there if we'd wanted. We went and stayed at my grandma's the night before in her small city an hour away, then brought her up here for the event, then took her back home afterwords. Also there were some of my said uncle and aunt's progeny and their spouses and little ones, another uncle, another aunt, her daughter (one of my good cousins) and some older relatives by marriage of the aunt whose house we were at, 19 total, I bet I had the biggest group of all of us on this site.

I think that the reason that American football players get hurt more despite protective gear is that when you are wearing gear you think you can get away with anything and so you beat the crap out of each other. Sure the non gear wearing versions are violent too, but I think subconsciously they are more careful because of the lack of protection.

"A completely coherant River means writers don't deliver" KatTaya

NOTIFY: N | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Tuesday, November 29, 2011 1:50 AM

what is or are shrooms?

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Tuesday, November 29, 2011 5:33 AM

America loves a winner!

Quote:
Originally posted by Magonsdaughter:
what is or are shrooms?

Slang for mushrooms. I never understood the need to take out the 'mu' either. Maybe it's just fun to say 'shrooms' ? I know those who partake in recreational drugs often take Psilocybin, or magic 'srhooms. Niki may know more about that topic.

Which reminds me...I'm still scratching my head as to why Niki felt it necessary to poke fun at me for having a " traditional " turkey day meal. I mean, so much can be served on Thanksgiving day, pretty much anything served is " traditional" , right ? I think we went w/ out the cranberry, and a few other items, but there's a whole lot on the list that's pretty interchangeable.

" I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend. "

NOTIFY: N | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Tuesday, November 29, 2011 3:49 PM

DREAMTROVE

A ritual sacrifice of a bird was made. Also, a pumpkin, and some sweet potatoes.

That's what a ship is, you know - it's not just a keel and a hull and a deck and sails, that's what a ship needs.

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Tuesday, November 29, 2011 6:29 PM