Thanksgiving Mishaps

pajim

For the first time in 8 years and only about the fourth time in my life, I am cooking. 6 guests and us. Luckily none of our guests ever "do" thanksgiving (they're from Russia, China and Israel) so the expectations shouldn't be too high.

I have a plan and recipes. Here's hoping it all goes well. . . If not, we'll open another bottle of wine and serve the tequila.

Meadow

Meadow

In the picture above is my granddaughter Jade. She is 5 years old, and is my heart. Today she was in the kitchen with me while I made pies. She loves the feeling of flour on her hands, so I gave her a bowl of it to play with while I cooked. I turned around in time to hear her say, "My masterpiece!". Oh no, no.

exbrnxgrl

It is quite the masterpiece ! She would have enjoyed following me in the store today. I had a bag of flour burst open in my shopping cart and I left a trail of flour all through the store. Don't you just love holiday memories?

Meadow

Yes, I do. I will enjoy the memory of her masterpiece always! Thanks for this thread to share in on., Happy Thanksgiving to you.

Spookiesmom

I did it AGAIN.

Cooked the bird breast side down. DH asked if I did it on purpose. Uh, no.

ABeautifulSunset

two years ago my thanksgiving was straight out of a sitcom. 30 people, 5 dogs. A cousin was using a turkey fryer in the backyard, but something was wrong with it and it wasn't getting done.at some point while we were waiting to eat, my beagle took and ate a whole pumpkin pie. The turkey still wasnt cooking. Thankfully Bristol Farms had one cooked bird left at 6pm that we picked up. After dinner, the kitchen sink backed up. While a neighbor was plunging away at it, my dog knocked over the fryer in the back yard and poured oil (luckily not very hot) all over the back patio. All 5 dogs started running through it and then through my house on my brand new three day old carpet. The beagle ate the most oil and proceeded to barf all over as well. My shi tzu's hair was all greasy. All dog owners had to chase their dogs around to catch them and clean them up. My DH and his bro went to the market and bought like every bag of cat litter they had, to sop the oil.

It should have been horrifying, but it was so over the top that it was actually quite funny.

This year, 8 people and my two dogs. Happy thanksiving to you all.

Stefanie

exbrnxgrl

Stefajoy,

I was laughing so hard as I read your story. I can visualize dogs running amok through the whole scene. I have two dogs and I know their fondest dream is to have the turkey drop on the floor as it's being carried to the table. Have a great Thanksgiving !

Caryn

luvmygoats

Oh my Stefajoy. That was quite a day. Hope today is lovely and not quite as adventurous.

luvmygoats

Meadow - that is a masterpiece from your granddaughter.

Spookie - How did the breast down turkey come out? I could see it could be extra juicy.

Spookiesmom

Was good. Just not browned. My two waiting for DH to drop something.

MelissaDallas

Stef, I had a beagle and understand all too well...sweet stubborn naughty(and piggy little dogs!

Teakie88

I have absolutely cackled over these posts for Thanksgiving Day until I had tears running down my face and thought I would not have a story of my own to relate, but as it so happens, I do, and it happened today. I had fixed my usual scalloped potato casserole and put it in the oven to cook on the lower rack. I usually fill the casserole full to the top with the milk/cheese mixture so when it starts to boil, it sometimes spills over the edge of the casserole onto the oven bottom. My husband had just cleaned the oven a few days before so I thought I would try to clean the spillage up with a paper napkin before it burned and baked on. Unfortunately, as soon as I had the napkin on the bottom of the oven, it was close enough to the heating element that it caught fire (kind of like an instantaneous combustion). It took me so by surprise because of how it caught fire so fast that I grabbed it in my hand and started toward the sink. My daughter was standing in the way while I was headed there, and the napkin was burning almost up to my fingers. I threw the napkin toward the sink, and it just barely missed my daughter's hair on the way. There were ashes in the air, and smoke, and when it was all over with, my daughter and I laughed like two maniacs. I never thought I could be so stupid. Happy Thanksgiving to all! Ann

ABeautifulSunset

Wow Ann. Now you can be in the crazy mishap thanksgiving story bunch. That's a good one. Sounds like things good memories are made of

I would like to add to my doggy oil fiasco from two years ago, that tonight, just as we started cooking, all of the power went out in our neighborhood and didn't come back on for an hour. Maybe I'm not meant to have Thanksgiving at my house?

Spookiesmom

Reservations are good!!!! It's what I make best for dinner.

exbrnxgrl

Well, no mishapsthis year (my daughter cooked the bird breast side down. The skin didn't brown but it sure was juicy). However, a close family friend decided it would be funny to hold one of my dogs close to the turkey as it was resting. Poor little Pom must have been driven crazy by the smell of the fresh meat. Her name is Nala and you can practically see her salivating. If she had been a bigger dog, nothing would have held her back!

Meadow

oh Ann and Stef....so funny!

love the picture exbr!

exbrnxgrl

Bump! I received a pm asking me to revive this thread as we head in to Thanksgiving week. Let the laughter and mishaps begin

Hopeful82014

Nala just about jumps off the screen and on to that turkey. It's a classic.

I'm glad to see this thread return. Not only do II think we can all use something to smile over, but it always reminds me that it could always be worse, which is pretty therapeutic given some of my holiday efforts.

May all your holiday disasters be minor. Happy Thanksgiving, all.

exbrnxgrl

Despite small dog torture, we are inviting this friend back for Thanksgiving dinner. Major food items have already been purchased, and cooking assignments handed out. I have the week off. What could possibly go wrong 😜 ?

tangandchris

I know some that swear by the upside down turkey method.

exbrnxgrl

My dd did that last year. The meat was good, but when turned right side up, the skin was pale and unappealing. She said she'll forgo that this year!

exbrnxgrl

Hey folks, we've moved! Burnt birds? Dropped casseroles? Plumbing problems or ovens that forgot it was a food centric holiday? Tell it sister,and we'll laugh and cry with you or at the very least raise a glass to you and yours!

mustlovepoodles

I always roast my bird breast side down. Makes it very moist. I turn it over for about an hour to get it nice and brown.  This year I'm cutting aaaallll the corners. Jar gravy, canned peas, honey-baked ham, store-bought cake mix and icing.  In the past I have put upwards of 15 sides on the table. This year there's only going to be 4 at the table, so DH has made me cut way back.  Instead of 15 sides I will have only 9-10, not including the dressing, gravy, and desserts.  Oy!  I just can't cut back any further without feeling deprived!

labelle

LOL. I just read this thread from beginning to end (again). It's so much fun! Hoping for no mishaps this year. My oldest stepdaughter is bringing home a new boyfriend so the goal is not to embarrass her. Well, that is my goal, god only knows what her father plans! Anyway, hope everyone has a wonderful, mishap-free Thanksgiving, but if funny things happen, like the turkey ends up on the floor or on fire, be sure to share on here. We all enjoy a good laugh!

Thanks again for starting this one and reviving it again this year. I think it's becoming an annual traditional on BC.org.-it is for me anyway.

DivineMrsM

I reread some of these great stories. I love the photo of the flour art on the floor, so extremely creative and thinking on a large scale! Also love the two dogs waiting for any morsel to fall from counter heaven, haha.

I cooked my turkey upside down one time and it was more work than I wanted. I was following instructions to flip it an hour before it was done and it was hot with all the juices running out and falling apart. Hard to flip a 20lb bird, what was I thinking? Not worth the trouble.

Last year, I used a cooking bag for the turkey. During the last hour, the tie around the opening loosened and moisture from inside drip, drip, dripped onto the oven bottom. When I opened the oven door, waves of smoke billowed out, filling up the entire first floor of my house. My 12 guests were expected at any minute. We quickly opened windows and turned on ceiling fans, but the smoke would not clear. Then my son observed, "the fans are pulling the smoke thru the house, let's reverse the direction of the blades" and that did the trick, sending smoke out the windows. Ten minutes later, it was clear before anyone showed up for dinner. Crisis averted.

I am having even more people over this year. I will have it one more time next year and then make plans for us all to eat out and just come back to my place for dessert. I like having guests, but shopping and cooking a large meal, even with everyone bringing a side dish is getting to be too much. I will simplify.

exbrnxgrl

It's time to revive this humorous thread! The holiday season, though filled with lots of joy, can bring it's share of mishaps. The best solution? Laughter!

Yesterday, both dd's, granddaughter and I did our Thanksgiving shopping (18 month old grandson stayed home with dad). We hit Costco and Trader Joe's, briskly supervised by younger DD and her extensive to do/to buy lists. She had already purchased the turkey, but handed it off to me to thaw in my refrigerator before older dd comes over to brine it. My biggest challenge is going to be getting my house ready. Mydining room and kitchen tables are both covered with yarn, works in progress and assorted knitting supplies including an Amish yarn swift and ball winder. I have a fantasy about converting a seldom used bedroom into a knitting room, but the school year has been too busy to get much done around the house. Sigh, will move all the knitting stuff up to that room and just close the door!

Mishaps? Not yet, but it's still early in the week 😜

MelissaDallas

Karen, I sympathize. Fabric, sewing and quilting stuff now occupies both spare bedrooms, and is also sitting on the dining room table, dining room floor in a laundry basket and on the side table and couch in the living room....good thing I live alone and won't be doing the entertaining.

Lula73

Hilarious thread! This one goes back quite a number of years (remember when practically every store was closed on Thanksgiving?) Everyone gathers at Mom’s for Thanksgiving. Even her parents came in from Southern Florida for the big day. Ran out of room in the fridge and it was hovering in the mid to upper 30s outside so the raw turkey was placed on the deck outside to thaw the afternoon before Thanksgiving. In the meantime the dessert and side making began in earnest. Mom had already made the 2 pumpkin pies, pecan pie, chocolate pie and mincemeat pie and they were all lined up on the counter. Grandma was gearing up to make her famous chocolate chip sour cream pound cake and Mom was starting on the cheesecake. Grandma took the 4cup measuring cup out of the cabinet and set it on the stove top for a couple minutes while she pulled the flour and sugar out. About that time a loud blast sounded and glass went everywhere even into all the pies that were lined up on the counter! The measuring cup had exploded-the burner was hot that she set the measuring on on the stovetop! After cleaning up the glass and throwing away all the pies there was a pie making marathon that went on for most of the night. Thankfully the store was still open for ingredients. Then when we went out to retrieve the turkey the next morning, it was in shreds! A fox had gotten in the yard and decided it was his thanksgiving dinner! It was a big 25lb bird too. Mom had bragged about that bird - biggest she had ever seen, how she’d gotten such a great deal, etc. And no stores open on thanksgiving! Thankfully a little mom&pop store opened and Dad went & bought a new turkey - smaller and $$$$, but tasty just the same! Hoping no mishaps this year

exbrnxgrl

Lula,

Great story! Even the mishaps enrich our family histories. BTW, all of those desserts sound heavenly. I have a terrible weakness for homemade baked goods, but try to keep a bit of a lid on my consumption. May you and yours have a wonderful holiday and I hope the foxes stay away 😉