texasrigdiver
Thanksgiving is when?
Nov 04, 2012
Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays and if things go well I'll only have about 20-25 more of them. This coming Thanksgiving won't be the first one I wasn't able to celebrate fully. In the Navy during the cold war, in the South China Sea, every day was just another day keeping the red commies at bay. But the celebration isn't, and shouldn't be about food. If it was there are going to be a lot of people that don't have much to be thankful for. I hope most people recognize everything that they do have to be thankful for. I know my life is abundant.
Food is a big part of Thanksgiving though. It's wonderful to see that feast laid out so carefully, then share that meal with those we love, or at least tolerate a single day out of the year (every family has at least one, and sometimes it's me, that's OK). I'm not a chef, I wish I was. I do consider myself a good cook though. I like to eat, always have, and I love to try new things. I'm a culinary adventurer of sorts. I think it's great that my rail thin daughter is in culinary school and flourishing. even if she doesn't become a pro chef she'll be able to cook exquisite meals for her loved ones every day. I'm looking forward to some of that myself, when you consider what tuition is, they'll be very expensive meals.
I deep fried multiple turkeys every year for years, years ago. Haven't done it in about 5-6 years though. The last few years have been more cutting edge with traditional roots. I went through the turducken phase, and then smoking turkeys, then brining and smoking them, yep, absolutely delicious! Earlier this year I found out from my wife and parents that no one really cares for the commercially prepared turducken because it's too spicy. ( I'm a HOT food aficionado, seriously, HOT)
This year, like most, my in-laws will be in town and what's left of my brothers and sisters(I'm the oldest of 8) who still live in town will be at my house for Thanksgiving. My wife and I LOVE to throw parties. Since my yankee in-laws from Michigan have never eaten a deep fried turkey then I'll be cooking one for them. My mom has already asked for me to cook her one too. Then I let it slip at work I was deep frying turkeys this year and I've had a couple of people ask me to hook em up. NO PROBLEM. it's kind of a waste to deep fry 2 10-12 lb turkeys in $60.00 worth of peanut oil when you cook about 6-7 without straining the oil.
I won't participating in the tryptophan OD this year as my surgery is scheduled for 1 week post Thanksgiving. I'm OK with that though. I can sit out one holiday meal to work on being thin and then every day for the rest of my life will be a holiday that I can enjoy my family, and new found self respect that comes with the ability to fully participate in my life and the lives of my loved ones again. I can't wait. I still get to deep fry 4-5 turkeys for coworkers and family so I'll still play the roll of rockstar chef. My daughter will be home from culinary school and I'll make sure the spotlight in shined on her. I bet they don't teach deep frying turkeys at Le Cordon Bleu. I have a lot to be thankful for, that doesn't mean my life has been or is now easy. maybe it's the struggle that makes me realize how much I have to be thankful for.
My wife, is what I'm most thankful for though. I told her when we got married that we may not become stinkin' rich but I told her it would be a fun ride. For the most part it has been, but because of my weight I haven't lived up to that promise the last 5 years. Now it's time to change that too.
I'm not going to lie though, what first inspired this blog entry is, while I was thinking about Thanksgiving this morning, my mind turned to the menu and everything we were going to prepare. While doing that I remembered the Turducken I bought earlier this year to beat the rush at Thanksgiving. That 10 pound lump of meat is now thawing out on the stove before I stick it in the fridge to finish, and next weekend I am going to smoke it on my trusty Weber. Me, my wife, my daughter, and maybe my parents will celebrate a mini Thanksgiving, and I'll get to eat my Turducken. If no one else wants any, fine, I will get MY turducken and will be thankful!
