Thanksgiving in paradise

Up until this year, Martha and I had always had folks at the house for Thanksgiving or we had been with elderly relatives elsewhere and Martha did most of the cooking or daughter Jessica arranged the day and we helped. The last two years my daughter’s family visited me here in Hilton Head and we went out for dinner. This year that was impossible since they have just moved to Texas.

So, what did I learn on my first Thanksgiving entirely on my own?

First, the little, anorexic turkey took twice as long to cook as I had anticipated. Normally I would have cooked it at 350 but the wrapper clearly said it should be cooked at 325. The result was roughly 30 minutes per pound versus 15. Thankfully, I was watching football, didn’t have guests arriving and didn’t really care when I ate. I had enough sense not to start the potatoes and vegetables until I knew I was close to finished with the bird.

Second, cleaning up without help, even for a modest feast like this one, was a pain. My grandmother Callery’s theory about many hands making light work certainly applied here.

Next year, I am not planning on being in Hilton Head for Thanksgiving. I am mooching off relatives. Anyone got an open seat at the table?