My flog for October 10 + National Holiday for Howard's 60th Birthday...oh wait, it was Thanksgiving Day too...

I spent most of the day being sick, which sort of ruined holiday Monday. However, I did manage to do a bit of stuff before I gave up on everything and headed downstairs to my cave.

Good things/Bad things regarding Thanksgiving 2011:
Good: A bloody big huge turkey, sale priced at 79 cents per pound, weighing in at 10.75 kg - 23 lb 11 oz for the American fan base
Bad: It won't fit in the bloody roaster! Two roasters and neither one is big enough, didn't even bother with the two small ones in the cupboard, these were two hugely gigantic roasters and the only way this Big Bird would fit would be to cut it in half and put one half in each roaster. Crap. Steve to the rescue - he went to Walmart and bought one of these big one-use roasters. Just fit.

Good: A bloody big huge turkey, sale priced at 79 cents per pound, weighing in at 10.75 kg etc etc - what a bargain. Two legs, two wings....Parson's Nose....no bullet holes...
Bad: No bloody neck or organs in a little paper bag inside it's gut or neck. What the heck do I boil down for gravy stock?

Good: A utility turkey may only have one leg, or wing - so what the hell. We'll use a wing to boil down instead of a neck, and as far as the organ meats are concerned? Too bad, so sad, we'll have to do without.
Bad: Has anyone else tried to cut/twist/pull/chop a wing from a dead uncooked turkey? Even Steve's big strong muscles needed me wielding the kitchen scissors, and eventually we managed to mangle it off and cram it in the pan with all my secret ingredients for my yummy gravy.

In the end, everything worked out fine. The turkey could have used a little while longer in the oven (makes me wonder if I had the temperature set right.....hmmmm) but it was still fine, and Howard's home-grown turnip was really really good. Dessert was a Cocoa Cake (made from scratch by me before my tummy went berserk) and despite the fact that it came out of the pan in three pieces, it wasn't dry and crumbly at all. Frosted by Nikkie, and decorated by Steve, it was a family effort and I do believe the Birthday Boy appreciated it.

• Breakfast - Toast and Coffee
• Lunch - Scrambled Eggs and Pancakes
• Dinner - Turkey, Turnip, Carrot, Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes, and Gravy, plus Birthday Cake
• Snacks - Nil, Nada, Nothing....don't need snacks when one is stuffed like the turkey