Tuesday you were all informed that our beloved baby Ervin now weighs in at 14 pounds and 8 ounces. Today I add to the 14 pound collection, this beautiful turkey. While I was working at about 2:15 or 2:30 today I was informed that there was a turkey waiting outside for me. I went out to look an there was a pallet with boxes of turkeys, one of which would become mine.
It's a 14.82 pound Manor House young turkey. It's been injected with approximately 8 percent of it's gross weight in some form of a solution that enhances it's juiciness and tenderness. On the back side it instructs me to thaw it for about 3 days in the fridge before cooking, or put in in cold water for approximately 4 to 6 hours changing frequently (every half hour or so). It even suggests times for cooking with and without stuffing. Should we stuff it (which I'm leaning towards) it'll take between 4 and 4 1/2 hours. If we need to rush it we can cook it in a mere 3 1/2 to 4 hours. If I go all out and baste it with it's droppings which should start at about the 2 hour mark cooking time may be extended. While these are good directions I do need to remember that cooking times can vary due to equipment. For best results I should use a meat thermometer. I'll need to insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the breast without touching bone. The thermometer should read 175-180 degrees Fahrenheit. I must always be sure turkey is thoroughly cooked and can easily be pierced with a fork and the juices run clear. While this is good advice, we need your help. Please e-mail us your favorite turkey recipe!! We'll pick the one we like best and use it to cook the turkey on Thanksgiving then we'll post it on our website so you all can know how we cooked our beloved turkey. We'd also be interested to know what your suggestions are for side dishes and how you'd prepare them. We'll include any 'award winning' side dish recipes on our site as well.
When asked how he felt about being joined in the 14 pound club baby Erv was speechless. He did give the camera a big smile though. While Lizzy has not yet been informed of the acquisition of the turkey we anticipate that she'll be incredibly enthusiastic right up to the point that we put a piece in front of her and she gets in trouble because she just wants to play with it and we keep trying to get her to eat it. . . Mommy was excited that we got something free, but was more excited due to the fact that it happened on pay day. She's very supportive of my plan to learn how to cook and carve a turkey.
We look forward to hearing your suggestions on how we cook everything!! Also, don't forget our Thanksgiving related poll at the top of our site.
Today, mommy tried her hand at haircutting and cut a considerable amount of Lizzy's hair. It looks pretty good, if I do say so myself. It took a while because I wanted to make sure I had gotten it straight and hadn't left out any stray hairs. I think it looks really cute when it's in a short bob like this. Lizzy was excited to take pictures and model her new haircut. She wanted to model Elmo and her ball as well.
