Thanksgiving Day and the Twice-Baked Turkey

Thanksgiving is a day of feasting, family and friends, and being thankful for all that we have.  It is a day steeped in tradition drawn from years of living, loving and giving.  Although we gather but once a year to celebrate our humble beginnings, we should live every day of the year with an attitude of gratitude.

One of the most memorable, or at least interesting Thanksgivings I can remember was at least 30 years ago.  My aunt, uncle and great aunt came down from New Hampshire as they always did - nothing unusual there. What made it interesting is that this is the Thanksgiving when we cooked the turkey two or three times.  Yeah, not the greatest plan I know, but it was a big turkey, probably 20 lbs. or so.  I don't know why we needed a turkey that big for six people.  However, when we were ready to dive into the feast, all the sides were hot and ready, and everyone was salivating over the thought of a scrumptious plate piled high with stuffing, mashed potatoes and all the other goodies that make this day different from the other 364 days of the year, the star of the show, Tom Turkey wasn't.  Parts of his parts were still undercooked.  Now what did we do with everyone waiting...we ate, of course.

We sliced off what was cooked and safe to eat, and put the rest back into the oven to cook for the next round of feasting.  Now I don't suggest using this method of preparation but it all worked out, and no one got sick.  I think that the third cooking involved the walkers and flappers (legs, thighs and wings) as the dark meat takes longer to cook.  Did I mention that this was a really big bird?

I'd love to hear your about your Thanksgiving adventures or traditions.  Please feel free to share.