A Funny First Thanksgiving Dinner

If you have ever tried to prepare your very first Thanksgiving dinner for family or friends, you can maybe relate to this story. As a newcomer to preparing a Thanksgiving dinner, I was alone in the kitchen preparing the bird. Now when you have never done this before, you might be surprised to learn that before the bird is ready for the stuffing, they take you on a scavenger hunt inside the bird’s body cavity.

Now I when inside and felt around for this gross looking bag that contained something that I immediately threw in the garbage. Whether I found it in the neck or the other end, I have no idea, but I found the little bag and threw it away. Then they tell you to wash the bird. Well imagine my surprise when I stuck it in the sink, washed it with warm water and was drying it when I read the instructions that said, do not forget the cavity where you found the neck and giblets.

Now, first off, I have no idea what was in that bag, but it must have been the neck and giblets, I assumed. Therefore, I turned the water back on, opened up the flap and washed the inside of the turkey. I then gently dried my turkey. I was feeling a little overwhelmed now because I had never had to wash my food before, but I felt sure my bird and was clean.

Now my bird had two openings, so I had seen my mom stuff the bird, so I knew how to do this. I prepared the stuffing and stuffed my bird on both ends. I was done and so proud. Everything was going great. I was ready to sit back and wait until my friend and her husband cam over to eat. The potatoes, corn and the dinner rolls where no problem for me, since I knew how to make them. I had bought a pumpkin pie, so I was safe there as well.

The bird is done and coming out of the oven. My friend said she would scoop out the stuffing and her husband would crave the turkey. What a great day it turned out to be or was it. As she was scooping out the stuffing, a bag of stuff comes out with it. I swear up and down as everyone was laughing that I had taken out the bag and through it in the garbage, which I showed everyone. To my dismay, turkey processors have a little scavenger game going on and you have to find two bags in two different holds.

I had found only one bag and cooked the other bag with the stuffing. After the laughing and humiliation was subsiding, we sat down to a great tasting Thanksgiving dinner. That was my first Thanksgiving turkey and I now have switched to turkey breast, which there is no scavenger hunt involved with that.