I don't know if I've mentioned this here before, but my favorite holiday is Thanksgiving. Without a doubt.
It is the one day of the year that I have to be thankful for my family, no matter how they're acting.
Even better? They have to be thankful for me, regardless of how my hormonal mood swings & hot flashes affect them!
I think it's some kind of unwritten Thanksgiving law. And we're law-abiding citizens, so...
Today was a really tough day here at the farm.
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| Tanner holding a no-name turkey whose pardon was denied. |
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| This hen's day started out good. |
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| I will name them Dinner & Leftovers. |
Last year's bird weighed in at [a whopping] 6#'s. This year's tom topped the scale at 15#'s and the hen's all hit the 9# mark. (Bourbon Red tom's can hit 18 #'s and the hen's can tip the scales at 12 #'s.) They were only 5 months old, so next year we'll start incubating in March. We butchered 4 this year, selling 2 and keeping the other 2 for ourselves.
I think the turkeys would be agreeable to a couple more months of green grass and bug buffets!
Are we turkey farmin' yet?☺
Besides the obvious main dish of Thursday's dinner, we are also having Creamy Mashed Potatoes & Gravy, Stuffing w/Mushrooms, Candied Yams, Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls, Raw Cranberry Relish, Green Bean Casserole, Lime & Pear Jello (kids' request!), Mocha Hazelnut Cheesecake (new), Pumpkin Pie, & No-Corn Syrup Pecan Pie. (The crusts will be made with our newly rendered lard...yes, I'm excited!)
Here's what else is cookin' this week...
~Sunday~
Cereal
~Monday~
Simply Soaked Oatmeal w/ blueberries
Navy Bean & Ham Hock Soup, European Peasant Bread, green salad w/ Green Goddess dressing (new!)
~Tuesday~
~Wednesday~
Steel-cut oats w/ toasted hazelnuts & dried cherries
Golden Potato Bake, elk sausage, Appley Apple Muffins
~Thursday~
Thanksgiving Dinner!
~Friday~
Leftovers
~Saturday~
Speltcakes
Toe-Warming Chili, Kim's Kornbread
This post is linked to The Homestead Barn Hop and Menu Mondays.
I helped a friend butcher turkeys one year... NEVER AGAIN!!!! I admire you!
ReplyDeleteThat sounds delicious! It makes me think I might want to raise some turkeys next year!
ReplyDeleteYAY for homegrown turkey! You guys rock for raising your own and actually eating them come Thanksgiving dinner! :)
ReplyDeletea neighboor is going to help us get started with Turkeys in the spring. I may be back for advice. I also may be back to Borrow a few ideas from that weeks menu. YUM
ReplyDeleteI REALLY want to raise turkeys next year- especially Bourbon Reds- but we were told raising turkeys and chickens on the same property was not a good idea because the turkeys can easily contract blackhead disease and all die. Is this a problem for you and how did you deal with this? Thanks!!
ReplyDeleteMegan~We have had the chickens & turkeys in the same coop since the beginning. They have separate rooms, but all free range together outside of their fenced yards. We had a problem with blackhead with our first young turkeys, but treated them with a medication (in their water). We didn't lose any to this disease and haven't had any problems with it since. (We only medicated that first batch.)BTW~2 of those original turkeys are Bourbon Red Fred and Lucy~who are still strutting & currently raising 3 young ones of their own!
ReplyDeleteI laughed out loud at "this hen's day STARTED out good..."! Oh, those poor, foul birds! I must agree though, cooking whole chickens is the way to go!
ReplyDeleteI just discovered your blog through the barn hop and will be back soon!
I bet those pie crusts will be the best you have ever eaten!
ReplyDeleteYou need some natural progesterone cream! It changed my life! Hubby calls it happy cream!