Thankfully thankful

If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, “thank you,” that would suffice.
Meister Eckhart

“Anything I cannot thank God for the sake of Christ, I may not thank God for at all; to do so would be sin. … We cannot rightly acknowledge the gifts of God unless we acknowledge the Mediator for whose sake alone they are given to us.”
Dietrich Bonhoeffer

(a brown English transfer ware Spode platter / Julie Cook / 2014)

(a turkey ready for brining / Julie Cook / 2014)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!
“Is that…”
A turkey in a cat litter box lined igloo cooler?
Why yes, yes it is.

Why do I have a turkey sitting in a cat litter box lined igloo cooler you ask?

Well, since I thought we could all use a good dose of humor today,
I’m providing a link to the post I offered up this time last year.
You know…it’s the story about my attempts at brining a turkey. . .
You remember the one…

The time I put a giant bird in a brining bag, filled with the 5 gallons of solution
only to have the bag split open in mid-step as I began to transfer the very heavy and
oh so wobbly bag of bird and brine to the refrigerator—
only to have the entire contents of the bag, all 5 gallons worth of liquid, slosh out of
said split bag, cascading out onto my new kitchen rugs and all over the hardwood flooring?

You didn’t forget that little escapade did you?

Well, incase you did, perhaps reliving that little holiday mishap is in order.
I think by now, with all the food, all the family, all the weather,
all the news we don’t want to think about, a little humor just might do us all some good!

It was the true stuff of nightmares and of legends all rolled into one.
Plus it was a very cold rainy day—it’s all coming back to me. . .

https://cookiecrumbstoliveby.wordpress.com/2013/11/29/the-brine-the-rugs-getting-lost-and-a-grateful-heart/

And whereas Dad won’t be making the trip over this year for Thanksgiving,
as they don’t feel as if they can make the drive which means they won’t get lost again,
we, on the other hand, will be going over to our son and daughter-n-law’s house to share,
along with all of her family, their first Thanksgiving as a married couple.
I’m certain there’ll be a story to share after this event of new togetherness!!

Despite not hosting this years annual shindig, I will still be cooking.
I will be taking the featured fowl’s show on the road.
Two cooked birds driving in the back of my car…hummmmm.
Should prove to be very interesting later today…

So when it came to this year’s attempt at brining a bird, I was ready—
I procured the strongest bag I could find in the house—which just happened to be a cat box litter liner.
Forget those wimpy brining bags, I needed hardcore.

And as for some sort of reinforcement for the liquid and bird-filled bag versus sitting a bag and a
bird on some flimsy little tray, a cooler was the biggest thing I could find to put the turkey in.
Is brining necessary?
Heavens no.
I’ve cooked many a turkey without it, but when one is offering up Thanksgiving Turkeys
(yes this year there are two) to one’s new in-laws…
brining sounds impressive and will hopefully prove beneficial.

Yet before I let this day pass, basking in what I hope will be a thankfully successful meal
with family, new family, and friends, I wanted to take a moment to thank you.

Yes, you.

All of my friends in this blogosphere of ours who stop in for visits on this little blog site
world of mine.
I want to thank you for becoming a part of my circle of friends.
For your insights, for your prayers, your wisdom, your interests, your comments,
your kindness and for sharing your life with me as you allow me to share mine with you.
I am blessed and my life has been made richer for each of you!
So on this day of thanks, may I say to you, Thank You!
Now fingers crossed the new in-laws like the turkeys!!
Happy Cooking!!