2012-12-15 1:20 PM "Hi there just to let u know no frill has there turkey on. For 87 cents per. Lb they r big just to let u know :-)".
2012-12-15 4:04 PM "Hi Caroline did u get my mess this morn about the turkeys they r on sale"
2012-12-17: No Frills:
- 40 lbs new potatoes
- 10 gala apples
- 2 celery stalks
- 6 red onions
- 5 lbs cooking onions
- 8 tins of cranberry jelly
- 4 20 lb turkeys
- a blend of herbs for the stuffing
The cabbages are puny. Hold off for better ones. Drop by the church hall to pick up bread for the stuffing from the mountain of donated baked goods. And then head home to throw the birds in the deep freezer.
2012-12-20 6 PM: The turkeys are laid down to brine in salt water for 18 hours. Make one badge of stuffing for a test run.
2012-12-21 2 PM: Make 20 lb of stuffing. Chop. Chop. Chop. Rinse the birds. Pat them dry. Foil them. Throw everything in the Canadian Giant Fridge aka le garage!
2012-12-22 10 PM: Jimmy helps to stuff the birds and load up the car.
2012-12-22 11.30 PM: Running half an hour behind. Turn on the ovens at the church hall to 325 F. Friend Trish butters the birds' bottoms as they go in breast down for the first 2 hours.
2012-12-22 12 PM: Filomena drops by to do first basting.
2012-12-22 2 PM: Flip the birds with Sean's help. The members of the CWL accept to do the 3 PM basting! Yeh! Off the hook! Sean will do the 4 PM.
2012-12-22 4.05 PM: Text from Sean: "Caroline sorry I can not get into hall to base the turkeys". Hop in the car and head down the road to do the 4 PM basting. Check the birds' temp with the dandy probe. Done. Worked out well. Throw the birds in the car. Windows fog up. Turkey smell is overwhelming. Too much of a good thing. Overdose! Roll down windows. Defrost ON full blast. Once home Jimmy helps to remove the stuffing. Throw everything back into le garage. Turn light OFF.
2012-12-24 11 PMish: Load up car: 40 lbs potatoes, 4 cabbages, 5 lbs carrots, 4 turkeys and a partridge in a pair tree! Always lugging!
2012-12-24 2 PM: The turkeys are sliced. Coleslaw is prepped. Buns are buttered. Potatoes are scrubbed, boiled and mashed. Vegetables are blanched and buttered. Gravy is thickened. Tables are set. Stuffing and poultry are warmed up. Tea. Coffee or me? Volunteers and guests walk in. More volunteers than guests it seems! Many hands...
2012-12-24 5.30 PM: Grace. Guests line up. Seconds and some thirds. Containers are filled for take homes. Dessert is put out. Christmassy looking cake and squares. Seconds. Thirds and take homes. Feet are soar. Clean up.
Merry Christmas to all and to all a Good Night! Into the darkness they go. Some to their homes. Some to their homelessness...
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