Hi Beryl,
Thanks for the Invite.
First of all, a little Turkey Trivia
Amaze your friends with your knowledge about the most popular bird during Thanksgiving.
Here are some interesting facts:
As far back as 1000 A.D., Native American Indians raised turkeys for food. Aztec Indians in Mexico were raising them as early as 200B.C.
Turkeys originally existed in the eastern US. and Mexico.
The turkey industry grosses over $1billion a year.
The Average American consumes over 15 pounds of Turkey per year.
Americans consume over 675 million pounds of turkey on Thanksgiving Day.
Turkey, like poultry, is lower in cholesterol than beef an many other meats. The dark meat (thigh, legs,) contains more fat and cholesterol than white meat. So, that's why dark meat tastes so good!
Male Turkeys are called "Toms", female turkeys are called "Hens" and baby turkeys are called "poults".
Turkey eggs are tan in color and speckled with brown. They are about twice as large as chicken eggs.
In 1947, the first Presidential pardon was ceremoniously given to a turkey.
That long, loose skin that hangs down from a turkey's neck is called a "wattle".
Sleepy after the big meal? Turkey contains an amino acid called "Tryptophan". Tryptophan sets off a chemical chain reaction that calms you down and makes you sleepy.
The wishbone is a tradition of Thanksgiving. Allow the wishbone to dry. Then, two people grasp each end of the wishbone. After making a silent wish, they pull it away. Whoever gets the joint portion, gets their wish.
Did you Know? Benjamin Franklin argued that the Turkey should be our National Bird. He stated that it was more respectable and a native of North America.
Now that you know much more than you could possibly ever want to know about a Turkey, a little something else to chew on
With a main dish of lean poultry and a traditional dessert made from squash, you wouldn't think that eating Healthy at Thanksgiving would be so difficult. But estimates of the calories in the traditional Thanksgiving dinner range from anywhere to 2,000 to 4,500, depending on what you put on the plate. Given that people of average size who get moderate activity should average between 1,600-2,400 calories per day, sounds like there might be a battle of the bulge ahead.
So with that in mind, I leave you with a little Poem
Thanksgiving 8000 calorie poem
May your stuffing be tasty
May your turkey be plump,
May your potatoes and gravy
have nary a lump.
May your yams be delicious
and your pies take the prize,
and may your Thanksgiving dinner
stay off your thighs!
-Unknown
Now there's plenty of "Food for Thought" to chew on. I'll be back with some Recipes for some real food later.
Have A Beautiful Week,
Phil
