Keep It Simple, Turkey

As I was sipping a cup of coffee Sunday morning, I was listening to the morning news program on NPR. The topic was recipes for the Thanksgiving table and the guest was a cookbook critic. She was asked first what was the most elaborate recipe she’d found for turkey preparation. She sighed and then went into a long, somewhat laborious overview of a “project” that would take, in all reality, at least 72 hours to do well. Just like the first Thanksgiving, right? In a way, yes…

The Pilgrims, of course, didn’t have the stress of getting the bird thawed in time to make that little red button pop at just the right time for cooling and carving. They did, however, need to actually find the bird, kill it, pluck it, pick out the buckshot or arrow, etc. Then there was that issue of the heat for the cooking of said turkey. Cutting wood, building a fire, keeping it going (did it snow during the cooking process thus dampening the fire?)…misery, in a word. All this is the most extreme conditions.

And so, some 400+ years later, here we are “stalking” our birds still (some ordering from some far-away farm for the “just right” bird), brining, thawing, wringing our hands—the 21^st century version of extreme conditions. Just how often does the basic cook tackle cooking something that has 20 pounds of girth?

The best way to honor our ancestors is in gaining wisdom from their travails. So, let’s keep it simple this Thanksgiving. No orange/pomegranate/coconut/curry stuffing that 90 percent of the guests around the table will politely taste while secretly yearning for a taste of oyster, or sage ,or whatever simple dressing is made faithfully year after year after year.  Let’s save the extravagant and questionable recipes for a separate occasion. Thanksgiving is the one holiday that has probably been the least adulterated—let’s keep it simple, turkey.

Have a fine day.

The Mindlessness of the Big Box Stores of the World

The other evening we attended to one of my most dreaded trips--going to Walmart. I avoid it as much as any human can. However, when the only hardware store that's open is the size of three football fields and all we need from there is a light bulb, the thought of trekking through not one but two big box stores drives us to the process of elimination where we can get the light bulb and detergent--so Walmart it is.


There's just something about a store this size that seems to exemplify all the worst we have come to be as consumers. Aisle after aisle of items that are of limited use, of limited quality, and limited value. Do we really need plastic everything in every color?

The public has been in an out-cry about spending hard-earned lottery dollars ever since it came to the state of Indiana. The ruination of the family; the creation of a great number of working poor; people will spend mindlessly on tickets when they need to buy bread. Is anyone seeing a similarity here?

Look at the average shopping cart at Walmart when you enter the store--they're massive! Think about the size of a "normal" grocery store shopping cart...then look at these behemoths. They're big for a purpose; they're scaled with the enormity of the store just like Vegas scales their signs on their casinos. Now look at the people coming out of Walmart--90% of those carts are filled to the absolute brim with items. Needed items? And all these items in under-sized plastic bags with the Walmart advertising emblazoned--free advertising all around--it's mind-boggling.

The holidays will soon be upon us; the economy isn't growing at nearly enough of a pace to be pronounced healthy. The Christmas trees were already appearing at Walmart--and doesn't everyone need a blue or pink or purple Christmas tree? (I actually saw those when I was on this dreaded trek.) Christmas music will soon be playing, and the prices will soon be artificially falling. And people will buy and buy and buy for whatever reason. The massive carts will continue to spill over with merchandise; then the bills will come.

I have nothing against the Walmarts of the world in general. I question many of their economic principles, but this could be any big box store doing the same damage to the general public. Walmart just seems to enjoy the forefront status, so they're the biggest of the big.

My concern does lie with the idea that we're in a lower-middle class to middle class rut that isn't very pretty from an economic or sociological standpoint. We're buying odd things at an odd time. We're not living below our means and trying to be conservative. We feel deserving. We feel that large amounts of "stuff" will make us feel better. Unfortunately, like a house of cards, it's going to fall...yet again. The economic turn isn't done with us yet. But we can certainly soften the blow by THINKING.

This season let's think out each purchase and teach our kids and grandkids valuable lessons in life along the way. Buy one good, sturdy gift--not 9 things that will fall apart by spring. And, for every gift bought, give something to someone who truly needs it. Allow your kids to see that they are a part of that sacrifice for their brothers and sisters around the world and in their own back yards. What better "gift" can we give to our offspring than the gift of high principles that involves loving our neighbors as ourselves?

Have a fine day.