WLKM Radio 95.9 FM
Thanksgiving is this Thursday. It is a legal holiday so there won’t be any mail delivery and the banks won’t be open. Also, there will not be any trash pick up. If your garbage is normally picked up on Thursday, it will be taken care of on Friday. Friday’s garbage will be picked up on Saturday. There will be football on television.
This is the time of the year when we should all give thanks for our many blessings. It’s also a time to celebrate our blessings with family and friends. It’s also the perfect time to think of those less fortunate. Perhaps you have a neighbor who lives alone. Might I suggest that you invite that neighbor to join you for dinner. If they decline the offer, prepare a plate and take it to them. Spend a few moments with them if for no other reason then to let them know that they have not been forgotten.
This Friday has the reputation for being one of the busiest shopping days of the year. Black Friday is for only the bravest of souls, who love the idea of putting on their shoulder pads and doing battle with other shoppers with hopes of getting that deal of the century. I’m sure that everyone realizes that several weeks ago, some of the merchants raised their prices just a little so that they could lower them now for the Christmas shoppers. I wish everyone the best of luck. Remember, be kind to one another.
If you’ve never prepared a turkey before or if you’re not familiar with carving the bird, here are six steps that might help you come across as a true chef:
Steady the bird with a fork and with the knife tip, find the joint where the thigh meets body and cut through that joint. Go ahead and remove both wings the same way.
Separate the drumstick from the thigh at the joint. You can serve the legs whole if the turkey is not too large and ungainly.
If the legs are large, cut slices from both drumstick and thigh, while holding the bone at an angle to the board. Cut parallel to the bone.
Slice along the breastbone close to the rib section. Cut all the way to the wing and lift off the breast. Do the same on the other side of the bird.
Carve the breast meat diagonally against the grain in 1/4” to 1/2” slices. Each slice should include a sliver of golden skin – The bird’s skin, not yours.
Arrange the white meat and the dark meat, neatly separated, on a warmed platter. Garnish the platter with parsley or other green. Serve this masterpiece immediately.
If this seems too complicated, make reservations and dine out.
Thanksgiving is a very special time to gather with loved ones. If you’d like to really honor the tradition of this day, you might want to ask a family member, even a child, to prepare a small presentation. Perhaps a poem or a picture that would illustrate the true meaning of Thanksgiving.
A man is not paid for having a head and hands but for using them.
A man of stature doesn’t need status.
I’d like to close this week’s column by wishing each and every one of you a most blessed Thanksgiving. May your blessings be many and your troubles be few.
See you Out and About!
Submitted by Norm Stutesman
