A turkey - but not for Thanksgiving
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (325803)
Rockingham, Australia
November 23, 2021 7:30pm CST
I know Americans are looking forward (mostly) to Thanksgiving so I thought I’d share this photo of my mother with a home-grown turkey. The occasion would have been Christmas as Australia doesn’t have Thanksgiving as such.
I forget what this one weighed but Mum was very proud of it. It would have taken a few hours to cook and would have been cooked in the wood stove.
It’s amazing what good cooks people were considering they had to gauge the temperature of the oven. I remember Mum stacking on more wood to raise the temperature or opening the front little doors to let the heat out if it was getting too hot.
I hope all USA myLotters have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
31 people like this
29 responses
@LadyDuck (458176)
• Switzerland
24 Nov 21
Thank you for this beautiful photo of your proud Mom admiring her cooked turkey.
Using a wood oven is tricky. I have to be careful with our pizza oven, to start with very little wood ant let it warm slowly, then add more woods until the right temperature for the pizza is reached.
6 people like this
@ptrikha_2 (45472)
• India
24 Nov 21
@LadyDuck
So you possess a "special" Oven cooking skill !
3 people like this
@Happy2BeMe (99399)
• Canada
24 Nov 21
What a great pictures. She looks quite proud. Yes they didn't have it easy when it came to cooking back then. It was a real chore.
3 people like this
@Happy2BeMe (99399)
• Canada
24 Nov 21
@JudyEv Oh nice so that makes it all the more rewarding
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@DocAndersen (54411)
• United States
24 Nov 21
thanks for the wishes -
that is a great picture. Holidays are always interesting no matter where we are!
3 people like this
@JudyEv (325803)
• Rockingham, Australia
24 Nov 21
@DocAndersen Christmas and New Year were both big occasions although we never saw New Year in. There were big meals and visitors on the day but we didn't stay up to see Jan 1 arrive.
@DocAndersen (54411)
• United States
24 Nov 21
@JudyEv sounds like you mom did holidays big!
2 people like this
@JudyEv (325803)
• Rockingham, Australia
24 Nov 21
@rebelann It was in the late 60s or early 70s but I can't be much more specific than that. I'm not sure who took the photo. If it were Vince, we were probably married which makes it 1971 or later although he did spend a couple of Christmases with us earlier. Mum was born in 1910 and she looks to be in her 50s.
1 person likes this
@Fleura (29128)
• United Kingdom
24 Nov 21
That's a big turkey. And no doubt it represented a lot of work - raising the turkeys, then of course gutting and plucking before even getting to the actual cooking part. And as you say I don't know how they managed to cook so well with a wood stove. It must have been tricky to keep the temperature steady for the tie taken to cook something like that!
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
25 Nov 21
Thanks for sharing that great photo! It looks like a 20 pounder to me (9+ kg). A lot of bird. Big family there for dinner back then?
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
25 Nov 21
@JudyEv That I understand. Having a small family without obligations to visit all over is a good thing for me.
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@JudyEv (325803)
• Rockingham, Australia
25 Nov 21
You're probably right but I really don't have any idea of the weight. Mum kept records of gobblers she sold but so far I haven't the weights of any. Some Christmases we had 20+ people for a meal. New Year's Day was another big meal. Any rellies that we didn't see at Christmas came for a meal at New Year. Those days are long gone for us now - and I'm quite thankful really.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (156157)
• United States
24 Nov 21
Thank you. That's a great photo. What wonderful memories.
2 people like this
@oahuwriter (26780)
• United States
25 Nov 21
Indeed, for it isn't a touch of a knob, back then, so not easy!
1 person likes this
@oahuwriter (26780)
• United States
26 Nov 21
@JudyEv
Indeed. Asian countries, had to cook rice that way.
1 person likes this
@ptrikha_2 (45472)
• India
24 Nov 21
In a way, older times people had a special sense of judgement in cooking. In India, it could have meant a sense of balance between spices, flavoring agents, Sugar or Jaggery : in case of Desserts and more.
My maternal grandmother used to make very wonderful Mango Chutney, something that I never get to taste in the markets!
The Turkey looks very big!
1 person likes this
@ptrikha_2 (45472)
• India
25 Nov 21
@JudyEv
Often it is called with other names like Aamras or some other names!
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@JudyEv (325803)
• Rockingham, Australia
24 Nov 21
They had to be good at judging the heat of the oven too. We buy mango chutney here in jars from the supermarket. Sometimes at markets we're able to buy home-made jams and chutneys but I don't remember seeing mango chutney for sale.
1 person likes this
@LeaPea2417 (36442)
• Toccoa, Georgia
24 Nov 21
Nice photo. It reminds me of the old days when I was young and either my Mom or Grandma would host Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners for the relatives. They both were great cooks.
1 person likes this
@LeaPea2417 (36442)
• Toccoa, Georgia
25 Nov 21
@JudyEv Very special, precious memories.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325803)
• Rockingham, Australia
25 Nov 21
I'm sure the poor old turkeys don't look forward to Thanksgiving - or to Christmas. 
