I Meant to Do That

“For every creature of God [is] good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.” —1 Timothy 4:4-5
 
Sometimes Thanksgiving goes off without a hitch.

Okay. That’s not true. There will always be hitches.Especially in the Sawyer household. And even more so if I take charge of dinner.

I only make turkey once a year. So I asked for God’s help and thought I’d pull some videos on how to roast the perfect, flavorful turkey in a bag. You know, just as a refresher. Flour, sage, poultry seasoning, salt pepper, olive oil, butter and a magnificent 18-pound Butterball turkey. (My mouth waters just typing all of that.)

I coated the bag with the flour mixture as directed. Rubbed the rest of the seasoning onto the slippery skin atop the oil/butter mixture slathered over the bird. Then my husband helped me slide the turkey into the bag. I sealed it, positioned it carefully into the roasting pan, breast-side up.
Or so I thought.

I removed the golden bird from the oven and released it from its plastic prison. My husband grabbed the carving knife and that’s when he made the discovery. “Hey, this isn’t breast-side up.”
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My cheeks flushed, my shoulders slumped and my Super Chef cape fell to the floor. I failed Turkey Anatomy 101. I roasted our main entree upside down.

After turning the turkey over to the soggy skin side, I winced. Thankfully everyone else brought delectably perfect dishes to share.

My husband and I carved the roast beast and separated the light from the dark. Everyone ate and talked. No one complained about the turkey. In fact, it was quite moist and flavorful. But we did miss the crunchy skin, sadistic carnivores that we are.

Come Monday morning, I did a bit of research and found that there are actually directions on how to bake a turkey upside down. TheKitchen.com notes that “While this technique won't give you a picture-perfect turkey, it will protect the white meat from drying out, while cooking the thigh meat faster. Roasting a turkey upside down is just as simple as it sounds.”

Definitely simple. Mindless even. I didn’t even put much thought into it. In fact, I could’ve kept my cape on, my head high, and proclaimed proudly, “I meant to do that.”
 
Thank you, Lord, for salvaging our turkey dinner. Funny how the little things can cause stress. There is so much I am thankful for. You have blessed me so abundantly this year. But I am thankful for having eyes and ears that discover even the smallest of blessings. You are at work in every nook and cranny of my life.
 

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