The Feast

This evening’s dinner is brought to you courtesy of a half breast (all four pounds) of my spring turkey kill. We split a big yam and served it up with homemade dressing and gravy overall. 

 

Thankful

I don't harbor any large grievances.  I have a few minor issues but they're basically trivial in the grand scheme of things.

I have a great deal to be thankful-for.  My family, my friends, a comfortable retirement, a terrific community and the great outdoors.  I am in reasonably good health (for an old man), I still have my marbles and a seemingly unlimited supply of firewood.

S'all good, man.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Crailsheim

Perfect timing for the Thanksgiving Holiday.

A photo from early to mid 1950s or thereabouts.

 

That's my dad - the civilian in the lower right corner. He was the Principal of the base school at McKee Barracks and taught 7th grade as well. I was born in Germany during the time we lived at McKee in the 1950s.

 

I cannot be sure of the circumstances but those are base children dressed as 'pilgrims' on a thanksgiving-themed float of some sorts on a Crailsheim street.

 

There is a placard attached to the flatbed but I cannot make it out or if it's written in English or German for that matter.

 

Have a restful Thanksgiving Holiday everyone - We have much to be thankful-for.

Winner Winner - Chicken Dinner!

Pregame Thanksgiving feast for the two of us.

Clockwise from the top: mixed veggies, baked yam, homemade stuffing, breast and drumstick.  Gravy over-all.

Did a roaster chicken in the bottom oven low and slow and finished it on convection roast setting to crisp it up.  Yams and dressing in the upper oven. Nuked the veggies.

I’m really digging the new GE Profile range. And, no. I’ve not paired it with my iPhone. Yet.

Pro Tip:  if you’re baking yams, taters or some other tubers; rub them in bacon drippings beforehand for a flavor enhancement.

Happy Thanksgiving Friends.

Go Pack!

 

Thankfulness

As per usual the Thanksgiving Holiday falls during deer camp.  This year it’s just Jill and I as nobody wants to be with us.  Which is just fine.  It’s a relaxing day of filling the wood box, drinking coffee, stuffing and roasting a big, fat chicken, maybe chilling-out in a deer stand for a couple of hours followed by sitting by the fire.

I've been counting my blessings because I've got a great deal to be thankful for.  My family, my friends, neighbors, reasonably good health, my marbles, a comfortable retirement, a new hunting dog and the great outdoors.  Let's face it - we live in the best country on planet earth.

 

An additional ray of sunshine is this bit of news:   According to the American Farm Bureau Survey this year's Thanksgiving dinner will see a dip in price for the second year in a row.  Thanksgiving dinner for ten will set you back $58.08, down 5% from last year; yet still 19% higher than five years ago.

 

Over the 39 years the Bureau has kept records the turkey has accounted for an average of 43% of the total dinner cost.  This year is no different - a 16-pound turkey accounts of 44.2% of the 10-person feast.  2024 brought a 6% decrease in turkey prices - a surprise considering  the USDA reported that growers raised 6% fewer birds this year and the lowest number since 1985.  In further evidence that presidents do not set the price of your turkey dinner contributors to the decline in turkey numbers have been the highly contagious avian influenza along with a drop in consumer demand.  This drop in demand has caused prices to fall.

 

There is some stuff in our world that can be improved-upon; yet on balance this is a terrific time to be alive.  If you glass is half-full like mine take a moment to count your blessings.  We have much to be thankful-for.

 

The staff here at The Platz extends their best wishes to you on this Thanksgiving holiday.   

Gobble, gobble...

 

Deer Camp Thankfulness

As per usual the Thanksgiving Holiday falls during deer camp.  This year it’s just Jill and me as nobody wants to be with us.  Which is just fine.  It’s a relaxing day of televised parade and football and a traditional stuffed turkey roasting in the oven.  We're also baking a giant yam and there is pumpkin pie for dessert.  

I've got a great deal to be thankful-for.  My family, my friends, great community and neighbors, a comfortable retirement, reasonably good health and the great outdoors.  A new pup rounds it all out.    

An additional bit of good news is this:  The American Farm Bureau Federation's 38th annual survey provides a snapshot of the average cost of this year's classic holiday feast for 10 checks-in at $61.17 or less than $6.20 per person. 

 

This is a 4.5% decrease from last year's record-high average of $64.05, but a Thanksgiving meal is still 25% higher than it was in 2019, highlighting the impact of higher supply costs and inflation have had on food prices since before the pandemic.  Anecdotally, our ten-pound bird was free.  We earn Holiday Bucks from our grocery every December which can be redeemed for a free turkey or ham.

 

In closing the staff here at The Platz extends their best wishes to you on this Thanksgiving holiday.   

Gobble, gobble...

 

Thankfulness Leftovers

One of the best outcomes of preparing a 19 pound turkey for the Thanksgiving Holiday are the leftovers.  As a contribution to the domestic food chain it is the gift that keeps on giving.  Another bonus of turkey leftovers are their contribution to the domestic tranquility.  Sliced turkey, stuffing, gravy and green bean casserole for a hot lunch or dinner. But I digress.

Cold turkey salad is terrific - solo or on toasted homemade bread.

Cut your bird into bite size chunks and mix with diced celery, shallot (or sweet onion), walnuts and dried Door County tart cherries with a dollop of Duke's Mayonnaise.  Season with fresh-cracked pepper, sea salt and celery seed.  

Make in small batches.

There is also turkey noodle soup.

Make an all-day-long stock of your turkey bones and parts.  Strain into another pot, add diced celery, carrots, shallot.  Cook until veggies are al dente.  Add cubed turkey and three fistfuls of Kluski-style egg noodles.  Simmer fifteen minutes.  Return the lid to the pot, turn-off the heat and allow to set another fifteen minutes.  Season with cracked sea salt to taste and top with diced celery tops and fresh Italian parsley.

Good chow if you can get it.  Moreover, there are two legs with a wing and an additional three cups of cubed bird in the freezer for a future batch of soup.

 

Thankfulness Dinner

Turkey, homemade stuffing, green bean casserole, gravy and pie.

Yummers!

Thankfulness

As is customary The Thanksgiving Holiday occurs while deer camp is in session.  

The hunters have departed and Jill and I are hanging out with her recently widowed sister.  It's a bit melancholy to not have brother-in-law with us; nevertheless, it will be a relaxing day of cooking, baking Mollie Katzen's No-Fault Pumpkin Pie, a sit in a deer stand and relaxing at fireside following out feast.

I have a great deal to be thankful-for.  My family, my friends, a comfortable retirement, terrific community and the great outdoors.

A few words about the feast.  According to the American Farm Bureau Federation's  (AFBF) 36th annual survey reckoned the average cost of last year's Thanksgiving feast for ten people to be $53.31.  That's an increase of $6.41 from $46.90 in 2020.  That's a 14% increase.

It's much higher this year.

The retail price for a fresh boneless, skinless turkey breast reached a record high of $6.70 per pound in September.  That 112% higher than a year ago when prices were $3.16 per pound.  The previous record high price was $5.88 per pound in November 2015 as a consequence of an avian influenza outbreak. 

All retail food prices were 11.4% higher in August compared to a year earlier.  Contributors were increased supply costs for everything from fertilizer, feed, fuel and labor.  Even though prices are higher, the supply of turkeys should meet demand.

As for the eggs that are incorporated in the pie - they've come down from record highs in July with an average price of a dozen grade A coming-in at $2.34.  That's 27% higher than at the same time in 2021 and 44% higher than the five-year average of $1.29. 

The staff here at The Platz extends their best wish to you on this Thanksgiving holiday.

Gobble Gobble!

Counting Your Blessings

Thanksgiving is a federal holiday in the United States, celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November.  On this day of holiday thankfulness it is useful to reflect-upon what an incredible time it is to be alive.    

Ten years ago would it have been considered possible to treat cancer with gene therapies?  That items (including body parts) could be created with a 3D printer?  That the unemployment rate peaking at 14.8% in April of 2020 today heralds initial unemployment claims last week of only 199,000 - a decline of 71,000 from the prior week - the lowest level since 1969.

Who knew you could summon a ride from a Smartphone.  Speaking of automobiles – back-up cameras are now a standard feature.  Cars have cruise control that automatically responds to traffic conditions and flow.  There are blind spot warnings and many cars can now park themselves.  A new generation of sixteen year-olds may no longer have to learn how to parallel park!  Safer, self-driving technologies are on the cusp of commercial viability.  

For anybody grumbling lately about the judicial system being broken I have news for you.  It works pretty well.  Especially the jury system.

And there are vaccines!  And new therapeutics awaiting emergency use authorization!

Sure, there are inflation worries as Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE prices) grew 0.6% in October, and are up 5.0% from a year ago. Just wait for the collective howl as home heating bills arrive in December.  Nevertheless, economy-wide Q3 corporate profits, which rose 4.3% from the second quarter, are up 20.7% from a year ago, and at a new all-time high.  Retiree savings reflects the strength of US markets and the profitability of entrepreneurship. 

For sure there is much to be improved-upon – yet on balance this is a terrific time to be living.  We have much to be thankful-for so if your glass is half-full take a moment to count your blessings.  

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a federal holiday in the United States, celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November.  This year it provides the requisite fodder for any number of people to manifest their Faux Facebook Outrage about CDC Guidelines Concerning Travel and Gathering and State Advisories About Gathering over the holiday.

Read you damn history people....

And have a Happy Thanksgiving.

Count Your Blessings

On this day of holiday thankfulness it is useful to reflect-upon what an incredible time it is to be alive.    

Ten years ago would it have been considered possible to treat cancer with gene therapies?  That items (including body parts) could be created with a 3D printer?  That the unemployment rate would be 3.5%?  Or that energy costs would be substantially lower than they were only a decade ago? 

Who knew you could summon a ride from a Smartphone.  Speaking of automobiles – back-up cameras are now a standard feature.  Cars have cruise control that automatically responds to traffic conditions and flow.  There are blind spot warnings and many cars can now park themselves.  A new generation of sixteen year-olds may no longer have to learn how to parallel park!   

Retiree savings reflects the strength of US markets and the profitability of entrepreneurship. 

For sure there is much to be improved-upon – yet on balance this is a terrific time to be living.  We have much to be thankful-for so if you  glass is half-full take a moment to count your blessings.  

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving on the ISS

Astronauts Alex Gerst of ESA and Serena Auñón-Chancellor of NASA send their best wishes of a happy Thanksgiving!

On the International Space Station, the crew - including Sergey Prokopyev - will share a holiday meal of turkey, stuffing, candied yams and spicy pound cake and call home to speak with loved ones on Earth. 

The meal was prepared in Houston, where scientists assemble the food and then dehydrate, radiate or thermostabilize (similar to canning) it to prevent it from spoiling, 
 
Packaged in individual vacuum-sealed bags, which are carried into orbit and kept safe in a locker until Thanksgiving. The food is prepared on the ISS by adding hot water or putting it in a small warming oven. 

 

Happy Thanksgiving

Loving wife and family, fun day job, good health, great circle of friends, the respect of my peers and the public, even the dogs.  Indeed a great deal to be thankful-for.

Happy thanksgiving to you readers too.

In keeping with tradition dating all the way back to 1620 and just like those undocumented pilgrims that sought asylum here; we're having cold beers, dining upon venison tacos and watching football. 

Cheers!

Moonrise

It was a spectacular Thanksgiving holiday afternoon to be outdoors in a deer stand.  Sun shining, moderate temperatures and little wind.  
 

The sunset was stunning as usual and the walk home as it grew dark was also stunningly clear.

 click on images to enlarge

There is also a one and-a-half year-old fork-horn buck out there that has much to be thankful-for as well....

Deer Camp - Thanksgiving

As per usual the Thanksgiving Holiday falls during deer camp.  This year it’s just Jill and I as nobody wants to be with us.  Which is just fine.  It’s a relaxing day of baking Mollie Katzen's No Fault Pumpkin Pie Recipe from Moosewood Cookbook and venison tacos complete with rice and beans.  

I've got a great deal to be thankful for.  My family, my friends, the satisfaction of a terrific  day job and the great outdoors.     

An additional bit of good news is this:  According to an American Farm Bureau survey the average cost of a Thanksgiving meal for 10 people this year is $49.12.  That’s 75 cents cheaper than last year and the lowest price since 2013.  

The staff here at The Platz extends their best wishes to you on this Thanksgiving holiday.   

Gobble, gobble gobble...

Thanksgiving

In case you don't already have enough reasons to feel thankful today I was perusing my news feed from the day job and encountered these five reasons to be thankful:

• Low unemployment rate

• Low unemployment claims

• Job Openings Near Record Levels

• Household Debt burdens are near record lows

• New Home Sales are increasing - and will probably increase more

You can read the entire post here

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

I swore I wasn't going to post any food pics today but this was too good not to share.

Roaster chicken, smashed taters, wild turkey sausage dressing (found in the bottom of the freezer), garden peas and gravy.

Damn!

Feet-up in front of the wood stove afterwards with a whiskey....

Deer Camp - Day Seven

It is Thanksgiving morn and I want to take this opportunity to share with the world wide web that I've got a great deal to be thankful-for.

Including a loving family, close friends, my health, a terrific day job, hobbies that allow ample time out of doors and a great place to live.  America is great and if you feel otherwise you might want to take an extra dose of enthusiasm or devotion for this great country.
 

Wishing my readers a restful and grateful day...

Happy Thanksgiving