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Turkey Nirvana noun/adjective: the feeling of pure ecstasy after devouring deep fried Cajun turkey.
For many people the only experience they have with the deep fried turkey concept is the AllState Insurance commercial that came out a few years ago.
I gotta tell you, we have the older version of the turkey deep fryer and if you aren’t extremely careful it is possible to burn yourself, others, or any villagers trying to climb your castle wall. HA!! But seriously, to take a line for Sophia Petrillo (Golden Girls), picture it…Bellevue Thanksgiving morning. Heating 5 gallons of peanut oil waiting for the temperature to rise. The turkey is injected and rubbed appropriately. Waiting. Check the potatoes. Entertain Grandma Hanson, stir the gravy, waiting. “How much longer is it going to be honey?” I ask. “Not much longer now.” Chris replies from his vigil of oil watching.
New Turkey Fryer
Chris has many hobbies. Reading, cooking, fishing, teaching, researching. His favorite is cooking. Eat your heart our ladies, I married well. He cooks, I clean. Yes, I am capable of cooking and during the week I do a lot of the simpler cooking. Italian, Mexican etc. I’ve become a fairly good sous chef. My knife skills are improving and thanks to all the gadgets and tools we have, cooking really is fun.
Turkey Fryer Past
The weather was so nice, Chris and I were in shorts and I wasn’t wearing any shoes. I know, I know, keep reading. “Yeah, the oil is ready!” We attached the bird to the holder. And attached that hanger contraption to a broom handle. “Ready? I’m going to take the lid off and we have to lower it very slowly as the oil will hit the injected turkey and boil over.” Chris and I lift the bird over our heads, I’m on my tippy toes. Slowly lowering the bird into the oil. Whoosh the oil spatters and spurts over as I’m leaning as far away from an impending skin graph as possible. “Slower!” “It’s heavy!” “I know, be careful!” Finally the bird it covered in the pot and we make a collective sigh of relief as the bird is safely in the pot. 45 minutes later the oil still boiling the bird finished, we raise it out; this was much easier, but still dangerous. I put on jeans and tennis shoes just to make sure. The turkey skin is blackened with flavor and the meat is so juicy and tender, even the white meat didn’t need much extra seasoning to remain juicy. Grandma Hanson was very impressed. The dinner came together and we ate our selves silly.
After we took Grandma home we surveyed the damage of the oil on the deck. Stained but not burned. To this day we have splatter marks from our first experience of deep fried turkey. Success was tasty and no one was hurt in the making of this dinner.
The left overs were spectacular. I believe that was the year Chris found the Gourmet Sweet Potato Classic. This is so good I’m going to share it with you.
| PREP TIME | 20 Min |
| COOK TIME | 1 Hr 5 Min |
| READY IN | 1 Hr 25 Min |
SERVINGS
8
Ingredients
- 5 sweet potatoes
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup butter
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1/4 cup butter, softened
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking dish.
- Bake sweet potatoes 35 minutes in the preheated oven, or until they begin to soften. Cool slightly, peel, and mash.
- In a large bowl, mix the mashed sweet potatoes, salt, 1/4 cup butter, eggs, vanilla extract, cinnamon, sugar, and heavy cream. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.
- In a medium bowl, combine 1/4 cup butter, flour, brown sugar, and chopped pecans. Mix with a pastry blender or your fingers to the consistency of course meal. Sprinkle over the sweet potato mixture.
- Bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until topping is crisp and lightly browned.
Turkey Fryer Present
Lately, Chris has been salivating over the idea of a deep fried turkey. However not interested in using the “boil the pillagers version” again, he started researching an alternative. In the older version, the burner has to be as high as a propane tank then the cauldron is on top of that and you must lift the turkey above that. See how dangerous that can be for someone just over 5 feet tall on a good day!?!?! So with the timeliness of at least one bought of insomnia a week, Chris researched the new fryer. My only request is one that cleaned up easier than the old one. No amount of soap could get the cauldron remotely clean. What a mess. That may have had something to do using it only once.
Jennifer and Marcus
Linens n’ Things going out of business. Chris picks ups many more gadgets from the store, including a safer version of the deep fryer. Electric, no boiling oil to spill over on the counter etc. Sounded very awesome, however, in order to make sure there weren’t any flaws or timing issues last week we invited our friends over to try it out. Chris looked for a fresh chicken, however, was satisfied with pieces; so fried chicken was had. Omygoodness it was fantastic. Plus the bonus of it all was the slick clean up. Remember, I clean, much better than the previous experience. Over all a great success.
Fast forward to yesterday. I’ve been excited about this day for several weeks. Since our Fall has been so busy with weddings for the Deacon, we declined the invitation to travel for the Holiday. This last week I went through my decorations and realized that many of them are falling apart or full of mold. Yuck! Living in such a metropolitan city the week before or days before a holiday the 40% off stickers come out. I found new brass candle sticks at World Market, a Cornucopia and maple leaf garland at Lanoha Nursery along with our fresh wreath for Christmas. I was able to create a festive and beautiful arrangement that can be used for years to come. Don’t you love that when a decorating idea comes together with ease?! I sure do.
11:30 the house was ready. Games were on the table in case there was a lull in the conversation. Sophie was the official greeter and loved every minute of it.
Ryan, my cousin from Wyoming was in town visiting his girlfriends brother. He had a couple of hours before their feast to hang out with us. It was a great visit. It had been too long since our last trip to Wyoming. Doug and Carol arrived next and they joined in with some of the preparation. Peel this, mash that, cream this. It was great fun. Everyone visiting and laughing a lot to be thankful for. After the ceremonious turkey drop in the deep fryer, Ryan headed back to his brother in-laws house. Jennifer and Marcus arrived next. Jen and Doug both retired from Qwest and reminisced on who they each knew. Joyce and Larry came next and we were down to the last few moments before the turkey’s were out to rest and be cut.
Everyone brought one dish to the dinner. Jennifer (my Aunt) and Marcus (her son and my cousin) brought a cranberry compote that even Chris enjoyed. (He’s a jellied cranberry guy. He likes the can shape and the vacuum plunk sound it makes when you take it out of the can.) Doug and Carol (deacon’s from St. Gerald) brought the jello salad and Joyce and Larry (Chris’s folks) brought the stuffing and pies. What a feast. Even though we had a roasted turkey breast, it was definitely out shined by the Cajun deep fried turkey.
Thanksgiving has always been a fun holiday for both our families. Game playing, football watching, great food eating. Many of my years as a child were spent at Grandma and Granddad’s (Mom’s parents) and Granny and Grandpa’s (Dad’s parents). Living in the same town as both of your grandparent’s was an amazing blessing. We would alternate days and the Holiday lasted longer that way. Being in Nebraska you never knew what to expect. 70s and touch football outside or 20s and ice-skating. But the one staple regardless of the weather was FOOTBALL! For years the rivalry between the Sooners of Oklahoma and the Cornhuskers was like a Religion. My uncle Dan played for Nebraska from 1974-1976. And whenever he was able to bring his family back to North Platte to Thanksgiving we planned dinner around the game. To this day I’ve never seen Dan sit and watch a Husker game. To exciting to sit and be a spectator when you’ve played on that field. And of course sitting at the kids table. More on that in another blog.
Once the prayer was said and the passing of the plates began we enjoyed the family, friends and food to the point of Turkey Nirvana…
Larry and Doug
Hello and welcome to my new blog,
Thank you for taking the time to read my stories. Encouraging all comments, my hope is that you will see a side of me you may not have known or always wanted to know more about.
Enjoy your stay.
Erika
Copper
Copper
This weekend I learned something. You can have two entirely different animals that have lived in the same house, just at separate times do almost the exact same thing.
What am I talking about you ask? Well, our Guardian Angel Auction to benefit St. Gerald church and school was last night. Yesterday afternoon was not the smoothest of times for me getting ready for a big party. I had the dress, the shoes, the required undergarments, the makeup, the handbag, everything, but the HAIR! After 3, yes 3, hours of freaking out I finally was able to get to the party only 10 minutes late. Ugh, sigh, grrr! I freaked out so much that Sophie did the same thing that Copper did. Just came into check on me every so often to make sure that I was okay and not hurting myself ( I burned myself with the curling iron last year). Those big brown eyes will make anyone forget their current frustrations.
I think about Copper a lot. Copperboy. I see pieces of him in our daily lives in photos and toys and his collar. I think of how he had me wrapped around his paw before we had our fence put in. He would go to the door when he wanted to go out and I’d put on the leash (in the early days) and trot him around the yard waiting for him to do his business. More times than not, that wasn’t always his m.o. Mostly he wanted to sit outside and enjoy the cool grass on his belly while making me think it was an emergency bathroom break. After a while I was able to work in the garden or other parts of the yard and all I had to to was whistle to keep him close to me. One day I was pulling weeds and talking to him and my new little plants that I’d carefully mapped out in the garden when I saw a streak of his golden brown fur wizz by me at lightning speed. Then a blood curdling scream from a very high pitched squirrel. Copper had “housed” the squirrel and was very disappointed when I called him off. I was fully expecting to see a collapsed squirrel dead from a heart attack lying in my driveway. But as I turned the corner he or she had made it up the tall Maple tree in the neighbors yard. Squirrel 1, Copper 0.
Copper
Two of his favorite pastimes were catching the Frisbee and herding Cody, the neighbor Husky/Wolf through the fence. Corgi’s are bred to herd. Pembrookes breed with little nubbins for tails, will nip at the feet of cattle to get them moving in the right direction. They duck out of the way just in time not to get caught underneath the hoof of a several thousand or more pound animal. http://www.pembrokecorgi.org/ You are probably wondering how Copper herded Cody? Well, two barks were stop and go while one back was change directions. They would do this for hours. Funny how the strength of Cody’s jaws could have crushed Copper but Cody knew who the Alpha was in the backyard pack.
Copper was quick to learn the Frisbee and when those little legs of his got tired he would just take the Frisbee to another part of the yard or go inside with it. Since we were never very good at taking him for walks the Frisbee was his greatest source of exercise.
I think that Sophie knows him too. It was only a week between the time we lost him and gained her. It was hard for me to think of even getting another dog after we lost Copper. We grew in our marriage with him. We lived, loved, laughed, cried and fought with him, over him and around him. Twelve years is a long time to not have a furry little creature become an integral part of the family.
This Halloween marked a year and a day after Copper died. And the memory hit me harder than I had expected. I mourned his loss for a long time, I guess I still do. The pain of the loss caught me off guard. I was so relieved when Copper died after watching him struggle that very long night before he died. Not wanting to have him jump off the bed Chris and I kept vigil in the living room. Taking care to put couch cushions on the fireplace and moving the coffee table so he wouldn’t hurt himself as he made a desperate attempt to be comfortable that last night. The next morning we knew it was time. He took one more prance around the yard, his yard. Making the trip by sent alone he collapsed in the sun and didn’t squirm or fight when I picked him up and carried him to the house. He died in our arms that morning and needless to say Chris and I were a mess.
Sophie
Sophie
It was Sophie’s first trick or treating extravaganza. Although, it turned out to be kind of a bust with only a dozen or so kids come to our house It was still fun to watch her as the little tiny kids came up and were as interested in her as she was them. We didn’t make up-close an personal introductions, only ones between the storm door. But I could tell she would have been very gentle with them. Because we were the only house on our avenue dolling out candy there were long pauses between kids. During one such pause in the action, Sophie curled up in the hallway near the front door. Falling sound asleep when the next group of tweenagers came she jumped so high and barked so loudly that I’m sure she was more startled than the girls were. When I told them it was her first Halloween they couldn’t believe it. Once she realized that there was not danger she wagged her tail wanted to go with the girls as they finished their escapades through the neighborhoods.
In the short year that we’ve had her it’s hard to image her not in the house. She definitely found us that day at the Humane Society. I had reluctantly (is there a proper morning period for a pet?) went with Chris to see a couple of beauties he found on-line. It was hard for me not to cry when it was only a week after Copper died. We met one dog that we thought we’d take home but she was a nut-case when we got her into the little get to know you room. We watched her disembowel a cute and fuzzy chicken. Then the rap-sheet on her was more than a little disturbing. Past-times chewing furniture. Chewing furniture!? No thank you. Next dog please. Then after circling around near “Beauty’s” cage (Sophie’s previous name) we read that she was a stray. Hmm? What about manners, illnesses, bad behaviors etc.? She was skid-dish and whiny in the cage and so we begrudgingly took her into the get to know you room. She walked behind us on the bench to smell hair and ears etc. Licked our glasses and plopped on the floor to chew (not eat) a toy that was left from the other dog. The counselor gave us some treats which she sat very pretty for and took them politely, yet slobbery, from each of us. Chris sat down on the floor and she laid her head in his lap and fell asleep. Sold! At least for Chris. I was still so teary about getting a dog so soon. We weren’t ready for a dog. They held her for us for one night and when I woke up the next morning I knew it was the right decision. Chris picked her up and the rest, as they say is history.
Since she was back at the Humane Society we enrolled her in a Manner’s N’More class to work on the basics.
Sophie
She was very good. Aspiring agility star if we ever get a free moment to enroll her in that class. She still tugs the leash a bit but she’s a good girl. The one thing that not having any sociability and bad other owners is that she entertains herself very well. But hasn’t gotten an handle on the fact that she is a lab spaniel mix and has no desire to fetch or get in the water. I know! Chris purchased a baby pool this summer for her to use when the weather was beastly. She bairly drank out of it. So we thought if we got in with her she would like it. She would stand with her tail between her legs and lift one paw up giving us a grimmacing look of, “why is this necessary in life?” So I used it instead and Sophie is content at being a great lap dog.
I can’t imagine our lives with out a dog or two. They soften our hearts and keep our blood pressure down with their unconditional love and fur-therapy.
