Dig Right In To A Batch Of Turkey Surprise

Ah, the sweet smell of turkey - again and again. That’s right folks, it’s that time of the year when children scorn, husbands wince, and moms relax.

It’s leftover season. Turkey sandwiches, turkey casseroles, and turkey soups can all be expected in abundance.

If your family is anything like mine, your Thanksgiving chef prepared enough food for an army. Mashed potatoes, yams, cranberries, pies and, of course, turkey - lots of turkey. Now maybe some people take the economical, sensible route and buy a turkey to fit the needs of their family.

Not mine. If every aunt, uncle and daughter doesn’t take a pound or so of turkey home with them, it hasn’t been a successful Thanksgiving.

Don’t get me wrong, much to Fiona Apple’s dismay, I adore turkey. I even enjoy a good turkey sandwich after Thanksgiving, but sometimes the leftover syndrome gets a little out of hand.

Take last Thanksgiving. Friday morning I woke to the unique aroma of cooking omelettes, my father’s specialty. Little did I know, dad had a surprise for me. You guessed it, turkey inside the omelette.

Lunch time came around, and mom’s turkey noodle soup had just finished. Grandpa dropped of some freshly made turkey jerky to snack on before our rerun turkey and gravy dinner.

So, what’s a kid to do? Do we whine until our parents finally agree to order for pizza, or do we sit in silence as we get handed another helping of turkey bread?

My suggestion is this. Offer to cook the meals for a day after Thanksgiving. Your parents will be a little suspicious, but thankful nonetheless. For breakfast, cook a bit of chunk-o-turkey oatmeal with a nutritious turkey power shake. Then for lunch throw a bunch of leftovers in a casserole dish with the turkey and bake it for half an hour. Call it Turkey Surprise.

If your parents still haven’t gotten the clue, order two pizzas, on one add turkey bits and serve it to your parents. Keep the other one plain for yourself.

You can bet money on the fact that turkey leftovers will not be as painful in the following years.

If that doesn’t work for you, smile and eat up. The leftovers can’t last forever, and your parents could get creative with combinations. And don’t forget that “there is a starving child in Ethiopia who would love to have that food!”