Here’s a little extra info in case you need something to
talk about at that Thanksgiving get together.
“Gobble, gobble, gobble!” (Only male turkeys “gobble” - females “click”.)
Thanksgiving Forecast - Turkeys will thaw in the morning, then warm in the oven to an afternoon high near 190 degrees. The kitchen will turn hot and humid, and if you bother the cook, be ready for a severe squall or cold shoulder. During the late afternoon and evening, the cold front of a knife will slice through the turkey, causing an accumulation of one to two inches on plates. Mashed potatoes will drift across one side while cranberry sauce creates slippery spots on the other. Please pass the gravy. A weight watch and indigestion warning will have been issued for the entire area, with increased stuffiness around the beltway. During the evening, the turkey will diminish and taper off to leftovers, dropping to a low of 34 degrees in the refrigerator. Looking ahead to Friday and Saturday, high pressure to eat sandwiches will be established. Flurries of leftovers can be expected both days with a 50 percent chance of scattered soup late in the day. We expect a warming trend where soup develops. By early next week, eating pressure will be low as the only wish left will be the bone.
[The American Poultry Association recognizes 8 types of turkeys – the bronze, Narragansett, bourbon red, black, slate, royal palm, Beltsville small white, and white Holland, which is the most commonly raised turkey.]
[Domesticated turkeys can’t fly, but wild turkeys can, at speeds of up to 55mph. They’re not too slow on foot, either, running as fast as 20-25mph!They have no external ears yet have excellent hearing. Turkeys can see in color, cannot see well at night, and have a wide field of vision (about 270 degrees). They also have a poor sense of smell, but an excellent sense of taste. Did you know that Benjamin Franklin proposed that the turkey become the official bird of the United States? Yep, and he was really upset when the eagle was chosen!]
[North Carolina usually produces the most turkeys each year, but looks like Minnesota will win this year, with Arkansas, Missouri, Virginia, and California right behind them.Californians eat the most turkey in the country each year, eating 3 pounds more than the average American consumer.More than 46 million turkeys are cooked each Thanksgiving averaging 15 pounds in size. And the most popular way to eat turkey is the good old turkey sandwich.By the way, June is National Turkey Lover’s month. Go figure.]
[There are 3 towns named after Thanksgiving’s main course – Turkey, Texas – Turkey Creek, La – and Turkey, NC. Want some hard facts about turkeys? Its Meleagris gallopavo – gallus meaning cock, pavo meaning chicken-like, and Meleagris being Roman for guinea fowl. The wattle is the loose skin below a turkey’s chin and the warts on the waddle are called carnucles. The male is a tom, the female a hen, and the youngsters are poults. By the way, it takes 75-80 pounds of feed to raise a 30-pound turkey.]
[Did you know that Wisconsin produces more cranberries than any other state? North Carolina produces the most sweet-potatoes, Illinois is the winner for producing pumpkins, Michigan for cherries, and Wisconsin wins again for producing the most green beans!]
[As best our records can tell, the original Thanksgiving menu included venison, fowl (probably not turkey), fish, seafood, grains (including corn which was used for making cornmeal and fried bread), fruits (which included boiled pumpkin), vegetables, nuts, herbs and seasonings. A little different than today’s menu wouldn’t you say? Charles Dickens is created for popularizing the serving of turkey on holidays, thanks to ‘The Christmas Story’. Before that, it was swans, peacocks, cranes, and geese for special occasions.]
[The first American Thanksgiving was celebrated in 1621 and was celebrated thereafter following fall harvests – although the 13 colonies did not celebrate it on the same day. In 1789 President George Washington declared it a holiday, but it was Abraham Lincoln (in 1863) who officially declared the last Thursday of November as the day of Thanksgiving. Then, in 1939, 1940, and 1941, F.D.R. (looking to lengthen the Christmas shopping season) proclaimed Thanksgiving to be the third Thursday in November. Controversy ensued, and in 1941, Congress passed a joint resolution decreeing that Thanksgiving should fall on the fourth Thursday of November, where it remains.]
[It’s not a good thing to take a turkey to church; they use such fowl language.]
Thanksgiving Poem:
Twas the night of Thanksgiving, but I just couldn’t sleep. I tried counting backwards, I tried counting sheep.
The leftovers beckoned – the dark meat and white. But I fought the temptation with all of my might.
Tossing and turning with anticipation, the thought of a snack became infatuation.
So I raced to the kitchen, flung open the door, and gazed at the fridge full of goodies galore.
I gobbled up turkey and buttered potatoes, pickles and carrots and beans and tomatoes.
I felt myself swelling so plump and so round, ‘Till all of a sudden I rose off the ground.
I crashed thru the ceiling, floating into the sky with a mouthful of pudding and a handful of pie.
But, I managed to yell as I soared past the trees, “Happy eating to all – pass the cranberries please!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!