Thanksgiving 2008 Part One

Don't worry, I have plenty of photos to post. However I am the opposite of a technical wizard so until I find the doohickey that I need to transfer the photos from camera to computer, this post will be like a dry piece of toast with no butter.

So Thanksgiving is kind of a big deal for me personally. It is the one thing I can do to give something back to the people I love in my life. I put all my heart into the meal that I make and I thoroughly enjoy myself in the process, so pretty much everyone wins.

Typically Thanksgiving starts in October for me when I put in my turkey order at Diemand Farm. In case you have been asleep through this entire blog, I am obsessed with Diemand Farm. It is an obsession that I try very hard to keep under control, especially when I am at the farm. I am 100% the Diemands think I am a nutball.

Whatever. So long as I get my turkey, right.

Then usually the Sunday before Thanksgiving, Grandpa and I load up the blunderbuss and head out for Turkey Shoot Sunday. It involves deviled eggs, a fresh turkey, petting the donkey, and a visit to the Old Mill.

This year I moved Turkey Shoot Sunday to Turkey Shoot Monday, but I forgot about Kimmmmmeeeee who is the other member of the Turkey Shoot Party. So Turkey Shoot was moved back to Sunday.

But then my sisters booooyrfriend, the Gentleman Caller, said he wanted to go out to the farm too. However he wasn't able to go on Sunday, so I decided that Turkey Shoot Sunday had to be followed up with Chicken Run Monday.

(The Gentleman Caller is a Diemand Farm chicken fan and wanted to stock up. Diemand Farm chickens are probably the best chickens on earth. So there.)

SO out the first group went on Sunday. And what a great time it was. Yeah, it was bitter cold, but the car was nice and cozy and we had coffee and donuts and deviled eggs to keep us happy. Then on the way home we stopped off at The Old Mill (as we've done EVERY Turkey Shoot) and I had what I always have - chicken pot pie. It was delicious. And you know what I love? I love spending time with Grandpa. And with Kimmeeee. On Turkey Shoot Sunday.

As for Chicken Run Monday. Well this time I decided I wanted to hit up some of the area farm stands. Fortunately Gentleman Caller is game for whatever nutballness we throw at him, so he offered to drive. And I recruited Pam from Cave Cibum to come along for the laugh.

We made sort of a zig-zag along Route 2, hitting up Verrill Farm for some veg, Westward Orchard for some apples and cider, Smith Country Cheese for some, uh, cheese, and then finally onto Diemand Farm where I think they were like, "hey, it's that crazy turkey addict girl again".

We picked up G.C.'s turkey, my turkey, a couple of chickens, Tammy's turkey, F-Baums chicken, a couple of dozen eggs, several pounds of delicious turkey sausage, and a pack of deviled eggs (just for me apparently, because neither Pam nor G.C. likes them!Bizzah!)

Then we headed home.

I think that it was at this point that the G.C. finally realized that I had picked up a turkey for someone I'd never met. I would use the word "incredulous" to describe the look on his face at that moment. He simply could not understand that I would buy a $40 turkey for someone I'd never met. However in MY mind, since I read Food on the Food like everyday, I totally feel like I know Tammy already. In fact, there are times when I sort of thought Tammy and I were the same person.

Which, I confess, made me a little nervous to meet her in person. Kind of like firing up the Hadron Particle Blaster - we'd tear a hole in the space & time continuum or something.

But guess what? We aren't the same person, so thank goodness for that. Aren't you all so glad.

So we dropped off her turkey, and gave her a pair of eggs, and headed for home. I think at that point the G.C. was done for the day. Done with my babbering, done with farm stands, done with poultry buying for strangers. Done. Which, all things considered, makes him a real trooper in my mind because he did not complain once. Not even a little. Not that I heard anyway.

We dropped off Pam, and then he dropped me off and then he took off like a shot. Well not exactly like a shot, but fast.

Which brings me to today. I have been cooking for the most part of the day. And I am as happy as can be, with the tunes keeping me company.

So far I have the stuffing together, the creamed onions ready, 2 pumpkin pies, 1 apple cider pie, and when I am done with this post I am going to put the pecan pies in the oven. Then I am just going to make the gravy base, and get everything ready to assemble the two other sides - the shredded brussel sprouts, and the sweet potatoes with brown butter and sage.

I think that quite possibly this will be the first day before Thanksgiving that I get to bed before 2am.

Well, that's what I've got for now.

I hope all is well with you and yours this Thanksgiving.

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