A few basic principles to help out those who are new to hosting Thanksgiving and to provide me with a checklist so next year I can sleep in past 8 am on Friday without visions of food poisoning bumping through my dreams.
1. Put the turkey in to cook right side up. Okay, some recipes will specify that cooking the turkey upside down yields more juicy meat. So it’s fine to cook your turkey upside down as long as you are aware of what you’re doing and actually take the temperature in the topside and carve the turkey from the top.
So how do you know if the turkey is upside down? If the turkey appears to have the proportions of a runway model, or as if it’s slender middle would be worthy of a crop-top, then it’s likely upside down. A right side up turkey looks like a turkey a Jewish grandmother can be proud of.
2. If you make the error of taking the temperature of the turkey upside down and erroneously think the breast meat has reached 180 degrees, then when you turn the turkey over and start carving into undercooked meat, stop! Do not feed your in-laws undercooked meat. If in doubt, throw the meat away, continue cooking if possible (I’ll let you be the judge) or feed it to your neighbor’s nightly howling cat.
3. Remember to light the candles on the dining room table before calling the guests. Candles can serve as on the spot food warmers for side dishes that cooled waiting for the turkey to be re-cooked.
4. Purchase dependable, pre-made desserts that can be quickly served without scrambling back to the kitchen to whip up a soufflé. Fortunately my husband is beyond patient with my random suggestions to add special accents to our holidays, for instance, giving him a recipe for individual pumpkin soufflés requiring no fewer than 25 steps, 12 kitchen utensils and 3 distinct major appliances. Next year, pie, from the dependable pie place.
5. Turkey soup is not basic regardless of what your mom says. If you haven’t mastered cooking a turkey, skip saving the carcass for tempting turkey soup despite your fond memories of a savory soup for Friday lunches as a child. For starters it’s messy. Plus freezing the broth on your back stoop to let the fat rise overnight can lure in the neighborhood carnivores.
6. Don’t miss trash day! So there you are, half asleep Friday morning, dreaming contentedly that no one woke up with food poisoning in the middle of the night and wondering why a plane is buzzing your house. That’s not a plane, it’s the trash truck. Quickly run to the front door in your pjs and bare feet, flag the driver to wait a moment, and then send the pumpkin soufflé man scurrying for the trash barrel while you quickly tie the final kitchen trash bag and run barefoot across the frost-covered lawn much to the amusement of neighbors peeking through their windows.
Emotional Sounds and Sights Surrounding Election Night Speakers
What will I remember from this historic election when I was one out of nearly 120 million U.S. citizens who cast votes for President of the United States? I will remember the emotional outpouring by the supporters and candidates. I heard sentiments filled with warmth and hope, and displays of meanness, an emotional spectrum that both made me concerned about reactions to the victory and gave me hope in the collective pride of U.S. citizens.
I watched and listened as McCain gave his concession speech and was saddened by the loud booing from the crowd when Barak Obama’s name was mentioned. The booing rose to a crescendo a second time when Senator McCain remarked that the people had decided that “Senator Obama and my old friend Senator Joe Biden should have the honor of leading us for the next four years.” What a divisive and shameful reaction in the midst of a gracious speech.
I was also struck by McCain’s offer of bland thanks to Governor Sarah Palin, completely devoid of any warmth and sentiment. He acknowledged that she is an impressive new voice. I think no one would argue with that statement which carries both a positive and negative connotation. It reminded me of a wedding thank you I wrote for a gift I truly didn’t appreciate, but still wanted to express my thanks for the thought of good wishes. Likewise, McCain’s weak hug of Palin following his speech looked more like an obligatory pat on the back than an embrace of appreciation. And I was saddened to hear the loudest cheers during McCain’s speech when he mentioned Palin, not when he recognized America’s greatness or patriotism or coming together as a country.
Thankfully, my low following McCain’s concession speech was uplifted by the passionate speech and euphoric crowd support during Barak Obama’s acceptance speech. As a spouse and a mom, I was overcome with emotion when Obama ardently expressed his love for his wife saying, “I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last 16 years, the rock of our family, the love of my life, the nation’s next first lady, Michelle Obama.” My emotions swelled as he called upon each and every American to look not only after ourselves, but each other. He will work with us and for us to improve the lives of all Americans, and in turn, I believe of many around the world. I will remember the emotion in Obama’s face of thanksgiving for support of a country, how his smile was tinged with the emotional gratitude to so many who worked with him and who believed in him and who ultimately voted for Barak Obama to be the 44th President of the United States of America.
I watched and listened as McCain gave his concession speech and was saddened by the loud booing from the crowd when Barak Obama’s name was mentioned. The booing rose to a crescendo a second time when Senator McCain remarked that the people had decided that “Senator Obama and my old friend Senator Joe Biden should have the honor of leading us for the next four years.” What a divisive and shameful reaction in the midst of a gracious speech.
I was also struck by McCain’s offer of bland thanks to Governor Sarah Palin, completely devoid of any warmth and sentiment. He acknowledged that she is an impressive new voice. I think no one would argue with that statement which carries both a positive and negative connotation. It reminded me of a wedding thank you I wrote for a gift I truly didn’t appreciate, but still wanted to express my thanks for the thought of good wishes. Likewise, McCain’s weak hug of Palin following his speech looked more like an obligatory pat on the back than an embrace of appreciation. And I was saddened to hear the loudest cheers during McCain’s speech when he mentioned Palin, not when he recognized America’s greatness or patriotism or coming together as a country.
Thankfully, my low following McCain’s concession speech was uplifted by the passionate speech and euphoric crowd support during Barak Obama’s acceptance speech. As a spouse and a mom, I was overcome with emotion when Obama ardently expressed his love for his wife saying, “I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last 16 years, the rock of our family, the love of my life, the nation’s next first lady, Michelle Obama.” My emotions swelled as he called upon each and every American to look not only after ourselves, but each other. He will work with us and for us to improve the lives of all Americans, and in turn, I believe of many around the world. I will remember the emotion in Obama’s face of thanksgiving for support of a country, how his smile was tinged with the emotional gratitude to so many who worked with him and who believed in him and who ultimately voted for Barak Obama to be the 44th President of the United States of America.
Voting on Election Day 2008
Contrary to all of the news outlets highlighting the long poll lines around the country, voting in my suburban hometown today ran outstandingly smoothly. The balmy, dry weather certainly helped to entice people outside and to the polls, so it appeared that our turnout would dwarf previous election days. Yet the polls were a model of efficiency. No traffic backups, no lines to get in to vote, no lines to receive a ballot.
As an additional benefit, the gathering was collegial and almost festive. While I imagine that the votes in our town are likely pretty evenly split between Obama and McCain, neighbors, friends and colleagues greeted one another warmly and many stopped to chat inside and outside of the polling place, regardless of political affiliation.
Watching the national news, I am shocked at the ridiculously long lines as so many polling places. While we had a steady stream of cars driving in and voters walking inside, I only waited less than one minute for one person in front of me to state her street name before being handed a ballot. I had a choice of 14 or empty ‘booths’ in which to mark my ballot—we fill in bubbles with a black marker (provided) pretty much like a standardized test. Then I checked out, inserted my ballot into the scanner and departed, okay, with a multitude of conversations along the way, but otherwise no delays. I wonder whether our suburban location has a better ratio of voting booths and volunteers to voters, or whether our scanned paper ballots are a more efficient means of voting.
I took my daughter with me to vote on this historic day. I filled in the bubble for president and she noted that I had left a small white gap. So she helped to ensure all the bubbles were properly completed! Many parents were at the polls with their children alongside. I wonder if 50 years from now, those pre-teens will look back and vaguely recall being taken to vote for president in 2008. What elements will stand out most strongly in my daughter’s memory? The positive and united feeling in the air? A small white bubble being filled in black? A piece of paper sliding into a scanner and the counter ticking from 1250 to 1251? As a community we are united, individually each one of us is significant. I am proud to be a citizen of this country and embrace the positive feeling shared among disparate voters today despite the challenges we face collectively and independently.
As an additional benefit, the gathering was collegial and almost festive. While I imagine that the votes in our town are likely pretty evenly split between Obama and McCain, neighbors, friends and colleagues greeted one another warmly and many stopped to chat inside and outside of the polling place, regardless of political affiliation.
Watching the national news, I am shocked at the ridiculously long lines as so many polling places. While we had a steady stream of cars driving in and voters walking inside, I only waited less than one minute for one person in front of me to state her street name before being handed a ballot. I had a choice of 14 or empty ‘booths’ in which to mark my ballot—we fill in bubbles with a black marker (provided) pretty much like a standardized test. Then I checked out, inserted my ballot into the scanner and departed, okay, with a multitude of conversations along the way, but otherwise no delays. I wonder whether our suburban location has a better ratio of voting booths and volunteers to voters, or whether our scanned paper ballots are a more efficient means of voting.
I took my daughter with me to vote on this historic day. I filled in the bubble for president and she noted that I had left a small white gap. So she helped to ensure all the bubbles were properly completed! Many parents were at the polls with their children alongside. I wonder if 50 years from now, those pre-teens will look back and vaguely recall being taken to vote for president in 2008. What elements will stand out most strongly in my daughter’s memory? The positive and united feeling in the air? A small white bubble being filled in black? A piece of paper sliding into a scanner and the counter ticking from 1250 to 1251? As a community we are united, individually each one of us is significant. I am proud to be a citizen of this country and embrace the positive feeling shared among disparate voters today despite the challenges we face collectively and independently.
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