Thanksgiving memories:

[hedgehog]

There was the time I pulled out the neck and the giblets, but didn't realize that another pack of giblets had been placed in the other end until we were carving the bird.

Then there was the young just married woman who told me how she and her husband tried to get the giblets out without touching them - they were too squeemish!

[Warpy]

1. I guess the SYT didn't realize soap and water would take care of it.

I discovered the extra bag of goodies when they first started to do that to us when I was shoving stuffing into the front of the bird.

My mother once baked an undressed chicken. It was not nice. The next time she took me in tow to a butcher shop, I demanded to know if his chickens were eviscerated. I was two and I guess I didn't want to go through that again.

Yes, I used "eviscerated." And I knew what it meant.

[eridani]

2. Can't help but think of the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers Thanksgiving

The one where Fat Freddie decided that they should have an organic turkey that they killed themselves. He killed it with an overdose of reds, and presented a trussed and browned bird to the table. Franklin sez "Looks great! What did you stuff it with?"

Fat Freddie "It wasn't empty."

[Paper Roses]

3. I think everyone has a Thanksgiving horror story.

When I was a kid, we went to my aunt and uncle's house for a Thanksgiving dinner. Mom brought goodies as did a couple of other relatives.

My aunt was responsible for the turkey.
Almost time to eat, she took the turkey from the oven. Several of us were in the kitchen at the time. As she tried to transfer the bird to a platter, the thing took a swift twist and proceeded to fly across the kitchen floor. Good grief, what now?
After traveling about 5 feet, it came to rest against a chair leg.

After much discussion in the kitchen, it was decided that the floor was clean and that the turkey was OK to serve. None of us who saw the fiasco has anything but white meat from the top of the bird.
Drippings were safe to make gravy.

It was a family secret for years. I know my aunt was mortified. Either a well traveled turkey or no meat for dinner. What would you have done?

[hedgehog]

4. Worst Thanksgiving ever - my husband's aunt cooked the turkey the day before, then

kept it warm overnight in a luke warm oven.

I don't think any of us vomited, we just all wish we could. I've never had such stomach pain in my life before or since!

[KC]

5. I am almost

too embarrassed to tell this but I will. Growing up I had always helped my Dad with cooking on Thanksgiving. I helped cut stuff up giblets, celery etc So fast forward to being married and cooking Thanksgiving dinner for my husband and my parents. I got the turkey thawed and the day before I started cutting up the stuff for the stuffing. I couldn't believe there were no giblets. So I put the turkey in a bag and ran up to the store and told the guy and he gave me another turkey. So I got home and dang there weren't any in this one. So I called my Dad and told him and I just was going to do without. He started laughing and I said I'm glad you think it's funny lol.
He said did you look up in the neck for the bag. And I said no. And of course there they were! I felt so stupid, but I had never seen him get them out of the turkey so ...
Anyway it was funny after it was over !

[gkhouston]

7. Last Thanksgiving, we went to my in-laws and my husband's side of the family was there.

They'd bought a turkey, but come Thanksgiving morning, they were all kind of hemming and hawing about what to do with the bird! I got it out of the package, rinsed it and removed all the innards, seasoned it and stuffed it some aromatics, and rubbed it down with a bit of olive oil, while they stood around watching as if I'd just discovered fire.

[rsdsharp]

6. This really isn't about Thanksgiving, but

it does involve turkey, and a holiday, so maybe it fits.

New Years Eve 1975, I was 21, working in radio, and rooming with 3 friends from college. I was assigned to work midnight to 6 AM New Years Day, so I briefly went to a party thrown by friends, and then on to the station to work all night.

I got home about 7:30 in the morning and promptly crashed. About 1 PM I got up to go to the bathroom and one of my roommates asked when I was going to start dinner.

Dinner? What dinner? The turkey dinner he had invited about 10 people to the night before at the party. After I had left. For 6 PM. THAT night. (Oh, and his culinary skills didn't even extend to boiling water).

We had a turkey (frozen solid) but virtually no sides of any kind. I hauled the turkey out of the freezer and put it in water to thaw, and my friends and I scattered to convenience stores and gas stations (all that was open on New Years Day) to try to find things to flesh out the menu.

We made it, and I can confirm that a turkey can be cooked at 500 degrees, but I wouldn't recommend it.

[boston bean]

8. I accidentally once left everything in the bird and

cooked it upside down!

It may have been my first attempt at cooking a Thanksgiving meal.

I've come a long way since those days, but really everyone still ate it and it wasn't that bad.