Thanksgiving Options...

[Necie]

Instead of turduckhen, could be opporccoon!! 
 

 

Edited November 18, 2023 by Necie

[Mother]

Thanks for the survival tip Necie!  

 

Seriously though, just in case…..  Didn’t care for raccoon but opossum in the crock pot with cream of mushroom soup is great.  No need to feed it ahead of time or to parboil. Plain trapped or hunted opossum will do.  Be sure to remove the glands they mention and as much fat as is possible.  
 

I believe we are having wild Turkey this year.  The permits are pretty high priced so not much savings but oh so tasty! 
 

By the way, if you are concerned with a ‘gamey’ taste in any wild meat (which it rarely has) soak it overnight in milk. 
 

And did you know that wild goose can taste so much like roast beef that few people can tell the difference if not told.   
 

 

[Necie]

I’ve had coon and bear. Very similar. Rich, dark meat... a bit greasy. Not something I’d want all the time. 
Never had possum, porcupine or woodchuck. Would try it from a cook that knew what they were doing. 
Love squirrel, rabbit, game birds, venison, etc. My boys hunt those and we look forward to them every year.

[Dee]

I've not had any of the above and unless life gets a lot tougher than it is I'll stick with turkey., thank you!   

[Littlesister]

I'm with you on the Turkey Dee.  

 

I have had bear steak and wild boar. But that's it. 

 

My DD has an opossum for a pet. He runs around the house. And is potty trained. He used the doggie pads.  She also has a pet squirrel. That one stays in a cage. He can't climb or crack nuts or anything. She is a wildlife rescuer. So that is how she ended up with 2 non release animals. The opossum is friendly and won't bite when you pick him up.

 

We are having both ham and turkey for Thanksgiving. DGD's DH's father is bringing the ham and DGD is cooking the turkey. I get off easy. Just making the sweet potato casserole and green beans. Though I might make something for desert but not sure of what yet. Maybe my lemon pie. That has always been a big hit with the kids. 

[Dee]

We're having ham and smoked turkey, Littlesister.  I'm taking a relish tray, salad and lefse. For 30 years I did both Thanksgiving and Christmas.  I'm so glad I now just get to go and eat.  With age comes a few benefits. 

[Littlesister]

I did the same thing for over 30 years. Worked full time, babysat 5 grandkids, and did Thanksgiving and Christmas.  The babysitting was on the weekends. But sometimes I had to take 3 of them to work with me. Playpen and all. Still don't know how I did it. After 30 plus years I turned Thanksgiving over to my DD and still had to cook half the meal to take to her house. It wasn't that she couldn't cook it. The grandkids said my food was much better than hers. That she didn't cook it right. What can I say. They are still like that to this day. And why I am cooking the sweet potato casserole. GD doesn't like how DD makes it. Tasted fine to me. But I will make it just because it's my GD. 

[Mother]

3 hours ago, Necie said:

My boys hunt those and we look forward to them every year.

Here too. DGS took a deer today in fact. 
 

Little Sister, I can appreciate what your DD does. I was a Federal and State licensed wildlife rehabber for well over 25 years and was also licensed to keep unreleasable animals to use for educational purposes. We averaged over 300 rescues a year. We did not eat any of them.  We only ate what we legally hunted with the exception of road kill deer.  We worked closely with the DNR and were called for any downed animal in our area.  The injured we helped and released back into the wild, the dead food animals we processed and shared with various institutions and those in need.  

[Littlesister]

My DD won't eat any wild animal.  Be it a deer or what. It's just her. Her DH doesn't hunt or fish. So, no wild animals to eat. Where she is at it has been mostly squirrels and opossum. She wouldn't do rabbits because they bred to fast. But she hasn't gotten many of those. If she does, she checks them out and tends to them and then turns them over to someone else that has a place to keep them till ready to be released. 

[euphrasyne]

I will eat any animal not bugs or fish (allergic to fish).   I highly recommend Game Cookbook by Geraldine Steindler.  It is the best for hunters or wives of hunters.  I've used it often over the years.  I grew up in MS with a season for pretty much every animal and we ate them all.  

 

Squirrel smells and tastes similar to pork chops.  If you cut it up first, you can lie.  I don't recommend lying, but sometimes you have to do what you have to do.  

 

When in doubt, make gumbo.  Gumbo disguises all things.  I had a friend who only made it when he had 7+ types of meat available.  

Edited November 19, 2023 by euphrasyne

[Ambergris]

Squirrel is really good with gravy over biscuit.  I told my boys I was practicing my recipe for their friend D's father (who characteristically would ask for "fried rat's a** with coffee.") 

I did serve him squirrel with red-eye gravy before he passed.  It was fricasseed, not fried, but close enough.  

 

I do eat bugs, or rather grubs.  I like them cooked, and preferably in gumbo or stir-fry.

[Ambergris]

My recipe for possum is to hang it over a likely fishing spot in the summer and come back a couple of weeks later to fish under that spot, where the fish have become used to maggots falling off the corpse.  Otherwise, it's too greasy and stringy to enjoy.  Knew someone with a pet possum once, nice critter.  DX despised them.

Done right, barbecued coon is as good as barbecue gets.

I haven't had bear in so long I'm not sure I can really remember what it's like.  (Wasn't just bear we were having.) 

[Littlesister]

I think at this point in time I will stick to chicken, pork, fish and beef. No one in my family now that hunts. All uncles and grandfather have passed on and they were the hunters. Can't do bugs of any kind. 

[euphrasyne]

Bear is extremely greasy and slightly sweeter than venison.  It tends to look a bit like beef.  I mostly either BBQ it with a strong sauce or put it in gumbo when I have it.    

 

I am strongly anti-bug.  Other people can love them, but not me.  I'd eat a cat first.  (case in point I have had mountain lion--in a gumbo.)

Edited November 19, 2023 by euphrasyne

[Jeepers]

I'm not much of a meat eater. I could slip into vegetarian very easily. Especially after today.  

[euphrasyne]

I was a vegetarian (lacto/ovo) for 7 years and a true vegan for a year.   I've been back on the meat for a long time now.  I feel better and am healthier when I eat meat.  It is possible to do a very healthy vegan diet, but you have to be vigilant in eating proteins and not just carbs and too much soy in the diet causes a lot of estrogen problems--I had a lot of them. 
 

Chickpeas (garbanzo beans) are the best bean and can make basically anything including whipped cream (aquafaba).   Indian food is a great way to experience veganism.  Our local place, Rajput even has a Jain vegan menu.  (Jains do not eat roots like garlic or potatoes because it kills the plant.)  Sacrilege for me because there is no such thing as too much garlic in my household.   However much garlic the recipe calls for, I add more.  I've had no complaints on this ever.  

Edited November 19, 2023 by euphrasyne

[Littlesister]

Due to thyroid issues, I cannot have soy. Though I will use soy sauce once in a while. 

[Midnightmom]

21 hours ago, Dee said:

lefse

couldn't figure out if that was a typo or not.

It's not. 

Quote

Lefse is a traditional soft Norwegian flatbread. It is made with riced potatoes, can include all purpose flour, and includes butter, and milk, cream, or lard. It is cooked on a large, flat griddle.

-----------------------

People also ask

Q. Is lefse just a tortilla?

A. "Lefse is a soft version of flatbrød, often made with a few more ingredients, like milk and butter. We use it to wrap all the goodies together – just like a tortilla. “When I was young, lefse was considered a real treat. It required a lot of work, so we only made it for holidays and special occasions...”

Q. 

What does lefse taste like?

A. This delicious potato bread is similar in texture to a crêpe or tortilla but tastes slightly salty and buttery with potato flavors throughout!

 

Quote

Beloved by Norwegians everywhere, this traditional flatbread is similar to a crêpe, though slightly thicker. While in Norway lefse was traditionally made from a variety of flours, when brought to America it became strictly potato-based — because potatoes are what most Norwegian immigrants were able to grow quickly and successfully here. No longer a daily bread for most, lefse is a must during the holidays: buttered, rolled up, and served alongside lutefisk (baked salt-dried cod), it's a Christmas tradition. A sprinkle of sugar or cinnamon sugar takes it from meal accompaniment to a light, sweet snack enjoyed any time of the day.

 

King Arthur Baking

 

Edited November 19, 2023 by Midnightmom

[Littlesister]

Went to the church Thanksgiving dinner and it was fun. Lots of food and not much left over. Yes, I was good. I stayed away from the deserts. NOT!  It was good. I made a green bean casserole to take and that was gone when I went to get my dish before leaving. It's the only time I get to make it as none of the kids will eat it. They just don't know what's well. Now I am tired. Hope I sleep well tonight. 

[Dee]

Mignightmom, I had to laugh at you looking up lefse.  I grew up in the L.A. area and knew everything about Mexican and Chinese food but nope, never heard of lefse until 50 years ago when, I married a Norwegian/Swedish boy and moved to Iowa.  Lefse, kringla, krumkake and rosettes were/are staples for the holidays.  No lutefisk.  This family doesn't make or eat it and from all I've heard that's a good thing!   

 

Anyway, the lefse is spread with butter and suger sprinkled on it.  Folded into a triangle and eaten as part of the meal.  It's very good.

[Mt_Rider]

Yeah...I laughed too, Dee.  I went to college in the very Scandinavian state of "Minni Soder"  - as my Hawaiian friend used to say.  [ Minn]  I'm still in contact with a full Norwegian friend in MN.  She's described lutefisk and yeah, an acquired taste and smell.  But all those other foods are familiar names.  I haven't had them all. 

 

I've cooked a wild rabbit that Koa jumped at by reflex getting out of the car one day.  Since it was dead, DH skinned/cleaned it.  It was in one of the correct months for rabbit.  I should have boiled it tender before frying.  Definitely.  We didn't have any hunters in our family.  Farmers....raise the meat. 

 

 .....we just had Thanksgiving after church this morning.  No cooking turkey for me this year. 

 

MtRider ...got 'nuff goin' on!!!   

Edited November 20, 2023 by Mt_Rider
spelling...kept leaving out letters

[Necie]

21 minutes ago, Mt_Rider said:

 We didn't have any hunters in our family.  Farmers....raise the meat. 

 

 
This made me giggle a little.  My grandpa raised beef cattle. At different times, he also raised hogs, sheep, chickens,... but he ALWAYS raised beef. And, he always hunted. He’d say: “The more free meat I can put in the freezer, the more market meat I can sell.” 😉 
When my kids come down for Christmas, we still have venison and homemade noodles. It’s tradition from my grandpa. 
 

(And, yes!!— boil (simmer) them bunnies til tender before frying. Otherwise ya might as well make fried jerky. )

[Littlesister]

It is true. People that have hunters in the family have lots of free meat for the table. After all of my uncles and Grandfather that was the end of the hunters. I did have one cousin whose father and he hunted all the time, but my cousin passed away suddenly of a heart attack at age 43 and then his father passed 11 months later. That was the end of the hunters in my family.  None of my other male cousins hunted. They were all too busy with the type of jobs they had. I am sure when I was little, I ate some of the meat that was hunted but didn't know that was what I ate. So, can't say other than since living here when we had a neighbor living here that hunted. That was when I had bear steak and wild boar. I do remember his wife making dear egg rolls those were good. He got transferred as he was military. He rents the house out as he said he wants to move back here when he retires.

[euphrasyne]

Hunted meat isn't free.  The 2A items, bows, arrows, hunting licenses--it costs more than it should.  Don't forget all the 'hunting clothes', scent spray, beer, deer blinds, etc. 

Edited November 20, 2023 by euphrasyne

[Littlesister]

The only cost for the hunters in my family was their rifles, shotguns and bullets. They owned the land and didn't need a license. They never wore any hunting clothes either. Just their jeans and flannel shirts. None of them used bow and arrows or any of the other things.  So, for my family it was basically free. I don't know if now you have to have a license or not to hunt on your own land or not.