The Tale of Two Birds

Thanksgiving morning I decided to start a new tradition: Cinnamon Rolls!!! It sounded like a good idea until Thanksgiving Eve I remember that I was the one who was cooking the Turkey's and the oven needed to be free to do that. Thanksgiving morning I awoke at 6am so I could roll ,raise and cook my cinnamon rolls.  It's been a long time since I attempted cinnamon rolls and I think they turned out pretty good.  No, they aren't my Mother's cinnamon rolls, but it they were good. 

This is what the rolls looked like as they came out of the oven. I slathered them with cream cheese frosting. Hey, it's a holiday.

While the rolls cooked, the girls and I worked on the birds.  I decided to cook two smaller birds rather one really big one.  Hannah was fascinated by the organs of the bird.  She begged me to open the bag so she could inspect.  Inwardly I shook my head and let her have at it.  Disgusting if you ask me.  But she thoroughly enjoyed looking at the heart and liver and trying to figure out which organ was which.

We stuffed our birds with apples and onions.  We then slathered the birds with a mixture of olive oil and butter and salt and peppered under the skin and all over the entire things.

Hannah wanted to be right in the thick of things.  I am grateful that my girls have taken such an interest in helping out in the kitchen.  Earlier in the week Isabel and Hannah helped make the Cranberry Sauce from scratch.  It was quite tasty too.  I also made Jaren make the key lime pie.  He did a great job and didn't complain about it either.

After appropriately seasoning the birds we stuck them in cooking bags and into the oven.  According the package direction I put them in a little early allowing for both birds to cook at once. 

What's under the blankets?  My two turkeys.  They finished cooking 2 hours too soon.  I was in a little bit of a panic.  I remember Kelli, my sister in law, telling me about a method she heard on T.V.  So I wrapped the birds in tinfoil, and covered them with baby blankets in the hope that they would stay warm for dinner.  Well, it worked.  The birds were really well done, but they tasted good.  They made some pretty killer sandwiches the next day too.  

Thanksgiving dinner is not my favorite meal.  But what is my favorite are the sandwiches that follow the next day.  I crave those all year long!! 

All in all, it was a good Thanksgiving.  Brent's family came over and we spent the whole day cooking, talking, cleaning, playing games and enjoying each others company.  Oh did I forget to mention that we ate, a lot.