Ok, I'll admit that the domestic turkey is not exactly the brightest star in the ornithological constellation, but its wild cousin outsmarts humans by the hundreds every hunting season.
Posted on 11/17/2006 9:43:00 AM PST by DogByte6RER
Move over, turkey
April E. Clark Post Independent Staff November 17, 2006
If Margie Garrett had her wish, she'd be having a turkey at her Thanksgiving dinner.
But this turkey wouldn't be roasted, fried or stuffed. It would be a guest.
"I'd love to invite one to dinner," said Garrett, who has worked at Good Health grocery store for 10 years. "I would love to have one as a pet turkey some day."
Each year, Garrett hosts a Thanksgiving spread that features enough food to make anyone forget about turkey. She's been a vegetarian since 1972 and, more recently, is a vegan, a lifestyle that avoids using or consuming all animal products.
"I'm telling you, by the time you finish dinner, you don't even miss the gobble gobble," she said. "I have all the trimmings."
Garrett's Thanksgiving menu includes homemade vegetarian stuffing covered with mushroom gravy, cranberries, salads, mashed potatoes, creamed peas, and baked squash stuffed with wild rice. Dessert features homemade pumpkin pie with organic whipping cream.
"People always ask me, 'Well, what do you eat?' But look at all this," she said. "The stuffing is so good when you make it from scratch."
For a turkey alternative, vegetarian-friendly stores such as Good Health sells Tofurkey, an organic, meatless tofu product that can be served alongside traditional Thanksgiving recipes. Tempe and tofu can also be substituted as Thursday's main course.
"If you're looking for a fake meat-type thing, one of the dishes I make - and I raised my family on it - is tempe or tofu diced up, sautéd in olive oil and coated with nutritional yeast on it," she said. "It makes a crispy brown coating that is almost like fried chicken."
Garrett has so many recipes for a vegetarian Thanksgiving, she doesn't even miss the leftover turkey sandwiches.
"I'm so determined for my love for the little animals, I don't miss the leftover turkey sandwiches," she said.
Being thankful doesn't require a turkey on a platter, Garret said.
"We're thankful, right, that we live in this valley," she said. "There's much to be thankful for, and it doesn't have to involve a poor little turkey."
Unless, of course, it's sitting at the kid's table enjoying a home-cooked meal.
Post Independent, Glenwood Springs Colorado CO
She's not a true vegan, since she had organic whipping creme. Last time I checked, it meant no animal products - not just the ones you agreed with.
LOL!
I heard the story from his wife,
which made it all that much more funny....
But yeah,
at least one house per TG and CM is sacrificed to the Turkey God around here.
It illustrates the dangers of turkeys frying.
;'}
"I would love to have one as a pet turkey some day."
This idiot has never raised poultry, I take it. Turkeys are STUPID, smelly and mean. And the Toms are HUGE. We've had wild Toms in our back forty that are easily 5 feet tall, when standing up and all fluffed out.
I'd love to see her cornered by one, LOL!
The same way people learn that setting off fireworks is fun. If you watch the show "Good Eats" on Food Network until Thanksgiving, you'll see what happens. He drops a frozen turkey into a fryer.
As God as my witness, I thought turkeys could fry.
Ahhh ... WKRP
The station with more music and Les Nessman.
What did Medieval people think of Vegans, I wonder? LOL!
I know that "Vegetarian" is the Native American Indian name for "Poor Hunter." :)
'La bonne cuisine est la base du véritable bonheur.' - Auguste Escoffier
(Good food is the foundation of genuine happiness.)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)
Can they really not mate without the saddles?
Good question. I drink soy milk due to lactose intolerence. I don't know if you can whip soy milk to make whipped 'cream,' tho.
Anybody ever taste the toferky? I like tofu and often use TVP in place of hamburger, but am not sure about this product. Sometimes you just gotta eat the real thing.
I have a 16 lb guest currently relaxing inside my freezer. Monday he will be ceremoniously transfered to nicer accommodations within the refridgerator, followed by a wonderful long lazy bath, where he will be allowed to lounge luxuriously and soak in water all night Wednesday night. Thursday morning he will receive a vigorous massage and rubdown with many many fine scents, and will receive many cajun/garlic injections. He will then be carefully placed within the Fryer, and will finish his journey as the guest of honor at the center of our thanksgiving table.
What? I only know the habits of the Wild Turkey; I just raise laying hens, but when I worked for my Aunt at her farm in the summers, I got to know some really stupid domestic turkeys.
Now, I keep the Wild Turkey in my freezer and in the liquor cabinet, LOL!
By the number of wild turkeys we have around here, I would say that they pretty much know how to "do it" with or without a saddle. ;)
The domesticated ones have been bred for oversize breasts for so long that allegedly they can no longer "do it" without mechanical help. "Mating saddles" are available from hatcheries, but I don't know if they REALLY need them or not. Turkey output stinks so badly I have no intention of ever raising them myself to find out.
Yikes! I can think of a lot of 'fat liberal chick jokes' to make here, but in honor of the season of sharing, I won't.
*SMIRK*
Did you also notice the *creamed peas* and *organic whipped cream*? Milk is also used in custard.
Now that's heaven lol.
We used to raise some turkeys and had three toms. Didn't want to go to the trouble of butchering them so they were around for a while. EVERY day that I went ot the gate to the car to go to work they would attack me or rather my long skirt. The final straw was when one put a tear in one of the skirts. I went in the house looking for a knife and cussing a blue streak. Hubby wanted to know what was wrong. I told him and, of course, he busted out laughing. The next day we butchered them all. They each weighed - dressed out - over 30 pounds. We didn't bother with scalding and plucking as they were too heavy and I didnt' give a rats behind by then. We just skinned them.
That "your mommy kills animals" pic reminds me of our grandson, Marshal Punky. He (who hadjust turned four a couple of months ago) and his 3 year old sister were taken out to see the buck that daddy had shot. They petted it saying "poor deer". Daddy explained that they were going to cut it up and cook it to eat. Marshal punky says " Mmmmmmmm. Delicious" Yes, he is a carnivore like the rest of us. LOLL He can pack away meat like a T-Rex (in his words)
Ok, I'll admit that the domestic turkey is not exactly the brightest star in the ornithological constellation, but its wild cousin outsmarts humans by the hundreds every hunting season.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.