Did Obama pardon a turkey for Thanksgiving?

[Monique]

I won't be celebrating it, but I know that you will
I heard that president Obama pardoned a turkey, so does that mean that someone is not having turkey tonight?

 

[Moonbear]

Thanks Monique!

It's a tradition every year that the president pardons a turkey. Then the turkey gets sent to Disney Land. Obama couldn't seem to help himself from the jokes about sending a turkey to Disney Land. Since you're vegetarian, we thought you wouldn't mind if it was your turkey we pardoned.

 

[Phrak]

Then the turkey gets sent to Disney Land.

No way. The bird gets sent to Disney World in Florida. Eventually it's passed down to Fred. At least this is how it came down last year. Fred pushess the buttons on Mr Tod's Wild Ride. He has a big family to feed.

 

[GeorginaS]

I second the Thanksgiving wishes to my American friends and associates.

How many of you spend today with extended family/have traveled to be somewhere/now have a four-day weekend?

 

[dlgoff]

Good morning and Happy Thanksgiving. My daughter and I will be going to my parents today for a wonderful turkey dinner. My mother is 84 and can't see too well anymore but she continues to carry on the tradition.

 

[hypatia]

I hope everyone enjoys a peaceful day of feasting! Happy Thanksgiving.

 

[turbo]

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. My wife and I are celebrating at home with Duke. We are going to roast a chicken for ourselves, and we are roasting a turkey to feed my father and my friend who is caring for his elderly mother with dementia. Tomorrow, I'll be delivering turkey meat, turkey soups and turkey pies. I made brine last night to soak the birds in - salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, allspice berries, and candied ginger. Mmmm!

 

[dlgoff]

So turbo. Doesn't Duke get anything special? I know he'll get lots of love but he should get a special treat also.
http://www.waycooldogs.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Thanksgiving-dog-cat.jpg

 

[turbo]

So turbo. Doesn't Duke get anything special? I know he'll get lots of love but he should get a special treat also.
http://www.waycooldogs.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Thanksgiving-dog-cat.jpg

After[/URL] months in solitary at the Humane Society, he has a pretty delicate stomach. He does well on Iams lamb and rice and some dry treats, but when I got a venison heart and liver in exchange for gutting a neighbor's deer for him, and we gave him a tiny piece of each, he got sick to his stomach. He gets praise, lots of love, exercise, etc, but no more table scraps.

I have even been weaning him off treats by substituting something that he enjoys even more - rough play and tug-of-war with his his big Pup-Treads rubber bone. That's about the only toy that can survive the "jaws of death". We bought him a couple of extra-heavy tennis balls from Tractor supply. The first one survived about 30 seconds, so we gave the other one to his friend Max (shepherd/pit bull mix).

 

[Borek]

Can't say I know precisely what it is all about, but Happy Whatever to Whoever. If you are happy I am happy too

The closest I can get to eating turkey today would be to go to KFC - at least it would be both American and bird.

 

[turbo]

Can't say I know precisely what it is all about, but Happy Whatever to Whoever. If you are happy I am happy too

Thanksgiving is supposed to recreate feasts by our colonist fore-fathers that were given as an expression of "thank God we're still alive" or similar sentiments. When early settlers came to North America, they often had some unrealistic expectations of good climate, based on latitude. They were sadly mistaken, sometimes with disastrous results. Winters in this region (New England) are far more severe than in similar latitudes in Europe, so the colonists had to be very industrious, resourceful, and lucky to survive.

 

[Kronos5253]

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

 

[lisab]

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. I'm very thankful for my PF friends all over the world !

Went to the gym this morning...it was *packed*, even more than the first week of January (when everyone shows up with good intentions of keeping resolutions). Everyone knows of the Puritan work ethic...I didn't realize there was a Puritan workout ethic as well.

 

[Borek]

Thanksgiving is supposed to recreate feasts by our colonist fore-fathers that were given as an expression of "thank God we're still alive" or similar sentiments.

Theory I know, but every such a holiday has its own flavor and connotations - these are alien to me.

 

[Moonbear]

Went to the gym this morning...it was *packed*, even more than the first week of January (when everyone shows up with good intentions of keeping resolutions). Everyone knows of the Puritan work ethic...I didn't realize there was a Puritan workout ethic as well.

I figure there's no point in trying not to gain weight between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

 

[turbo]

Theory I know, but every such a holiday has its own flavor and connotations - these are alien to me.

Yes. In the US, Thanksgiving can be a time for entire extended families to come together for maybe the only time in a year. The holiday is generally centered around the meal, though in some families recent "traditions" include watching Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on TV, watching football games, etc.

Here is Duke, currently celebrating with a bone.

 

[magpies]

Happy Thanksgiving :)

I will be spending it with my mom and her boyfriend. He talks a lot but I guess I will just have to be thankful for a good meal :)

 

[OmCheeto]

Can't say I know precisely what it is all about, but Happy Whatever to Whoever. If you are happy I am happy too

The closest I can get to eating turkey today would be to go to KFC - at least it would be both American and bird.

Thanksgiving is supposed to recreate feasts by our colonist fore-fathers that were given as an expression of "thank God we're still alive" or similar sentiments. When early settlers came to North America, they often had some unrealistic expectations of good climate, based on latitude. They were sadly mistaken, sometimes with disastrous results. Winters in this region (New England) are far more severe than in similar latitudes in Europe, so the colonists had to be very industrious, resourceful, and lucky to survive.

Very good answer turbo.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamestown_Settlement"

Despite the inspired leadership of Captain John Smith early on, most of the colonists and their replacements died within the first five years. Two-thirds of the settlers died before arriving ships brought supplies and experts from Poland and Germany in the next year, 1608, who would help to establish the first factories in the colony.

...

During what became called the "Starving Time" in 1609–1610, over 80% of the colonists perished, and the island was briefly abandoned that spring.

So Borek, it would appear that our ancestors took pity on the Americans, and started the first "Feed the (New) World" charity. Interesting how America now supplies more food aide around the world than anyone else.

But more than anything else, I think it's now just a good excuse to eat like a pig, and not feel guilty about it.

 

[drizzle]

Thanksgiving is supposed to recreate feasts by our colonist fore-fathers that were given as an expression of "thank God we're still alive" or similar sentiments. When early settlers came to North America, they often had some unrealistic expectations of good climate, based on latitude. They were sadly mistaken, sometimes with disastrous results. Winters in this region (New England) are far more severe than in similar latitudes in Europe, so the colonists had to be very industrious, resourceful, and lucky to survive.

That’s nice, Muslims will be celebrating Eid tomorrow too, how coincidence this is? Hehe


I wish everyone well ..oh and a healthy life

 

[Borek]

But more than anything else, I think it's now just a good excuse to eat like a pig, and not feel guilty about it.

And that's the language I understand

Smacznego!

 

[OmCheeto]

And that's the language I understand

Smacznego!

Funny, that english translation looks kinda french to me.

On a side note, I have something new to be thankful for. I just found out that I have two new grandnieces as of 2 hours ago.

 

[lisab]

Funny, that english translation looks kinda french to me.

On a side note, I have something new to be thankful for. I just found out that I have two new grandnieces as of 2 hours ago.

Aaaawwww...two little ones! Congrats, Om!

 

[turbo]

On a side note, I have something new to be thankful for. I just found out that I have two new grandnieces as of 2 hours ago.

A great side-benefit - you'll never forget their birthdays, as long as they don't mind if the date floats around a bit.

 

[Lacy33]

That’s nice, Muslims will be celebrating Eid tomorrow too, how coincidence this is? Hehe


I wish everyone well ..oh and a healthy life

Thank you for your good wishes for healthy life and a very happy Holiday to you on your special day too.

 

[OmCheeto]

A great side-benefit - you'll never forget their birthdays, as long as they don't mind if the date floats around a bit.

There is something cosmic about these grandniece/nephew birthdays. The first two were born on 1/23/2008. They were born 2000 miles apart. What a coincidence. The two today were twins. We attribute the "easy to remember" dates to their dead great grandmother, as she knows from experience that we are all getting quite senile by now, and need all the help we can get. Thanks again Mom! And I'm keeping your stuffing recipe alive! It came out perfect again this morning as usual! And no, I am still not too skinny!(German mothers... If you're not 100 pounds overweight, then you are dying of starvation...)

 

[turbo]

Eating roasted (brined) chicken right now. Whoever packed the bird stuck 4(!) hearts in the giblet bag along with the neck, liver, and gizzard. Mmmm! Thank you, chicken-packer!

My friend dropped by this afternoon and picked up 1/2 of the turkey, gravy, stuffing, mashed potatoes, squash, home-made cranberry sauce, etc. He and his brother are the home-care tag-team for their mother, who has dementia. The local grange sent them over some food for today, but we wanted them to have a really nice home-cooked turkey dinner. We're boiling down the carcass right now, and will take them a pot of turkey soup tomorrow. My wife's mother has dementia, but luckily she has 5 sisters and a brother to share the responsibility of looking after her.

 

[Moonbear]

I'm celebrating a nice quiet thanksgiving relaxing at home and NOT fussing with any big gatherings. But, then I'm heading out early tomorrow to travel to my hometown for a reunion, so I need my rest today to survive two nights of socializing with former classmates. Tomorrow night is bar hopping (I'm hoping some of the folks who aren't attending the reunion, but who still live in the area will join us for that) and then Saturday night is the actual reunion. Then driving back Sunday. So, yeah, I didn't need to add on top of that the chaos of putting up with a day of relatives.

I got some turkey thighs (the drumsticks were already all sold out when I was at the grocery store the other day...but turns out the thighs cooked up nicer anyway), made a little batch of stuffing, baked potatoes, cooked up some green beans, and got out a can of cranberry jelly (definitely not worth the effort of homemade when cooking for one). Yummy. Made it as a late lunch, and now have just enough leftovers for a late-night snack, and then a couple turkey sandwiches to pack for the drive tomorrow so I don't have to risk getting anywhere near malls or anything to stop for meals. Perfect.

 

[dlgoff]

I had turkey, dressing, cheese potatoes, green beans, cranberry sauce, bread, and ice tea. I was too full for the pumpkin pie.

I'm very thankful for still having parents alive and a mother who can still cook like this.

 

[Monique]

Since you're vegetarian, we thought you wouldn't mind if it was your turkey we pardoned.

Alright, I promise to not eat turkey tonight. I'm grateful that your president pardoned a turkey especially for me
Instead I had some wonderful chinese take-out with lots of garlic :!)

 

[hypatia]

ummm I ate tooooo much, maybe it was the second piece of pumpkin cheesecake?