Tis' the Season...

Tis' the season... for a lot of activity! Between all the church work, government paperwork for Andrew, and holiday preparations, things have been busy. This last month has been full. Two baby namings and dedications at church. A trip to Accra to pick up baby certificates, paperwork, and supplies for the holidays, and stock piling and slaughtering for the holidays.

Yes, that is right, slaughtering. I have been able to add another first to my list of new things experienced as an African missionary. Slaughtering and dressing two turkeys. Our normal turkey seller did not have any birds this year. So she helped us to locate another seller. After traveling way across town, and shelling out a good bit of cash, Andrew and I had two Tom Turkeys in the back of his car just waiting for Thanksgiving day. (The new guys do not do the services of keeping, killing, and preparing that our normal seller does). This meant our kids got the pleasure of not only seeing our live turkeys this year, but also watching the dads slaughter them (well, at least from a distance).

So, for all those that have never slaughtered their own Thanksgiving dinner. Here is our Internet tutorial.

Step One- Selecting the Bird-

We went to a house across town were they raise turkey for sale. This year we choose two. One local turkey (looks like and has the size of a very large wild turkey in the states) The second one a farm turkey (all white and much larger). After selecting your turkey, be prepared to call the owner and to bargain over the price for about 30 minutes. After the said 30 minutes of reasoning, imploring, and talking, then the workers are paid and you get to select the fattest birds.

Step Two- Transportation

After paying everyone and making your cultural rounds of good byes and farewells and so on. Then it is time to tie up the birds legs. (This is after chasing the birds around the compound for about ten mintues). This allows for the birds to be safely placed in the back seat of the vehicle. After traveling for about half the trip, the buyer will then realize that he should have tied up the wings also, since now his car is covered in turkey droppings and feathers from the frightened turkey.

Step Three- The Pot

To pluck the turkey, a person needs the proper pot. In this case a rather large open faced pot, with a lid in order that the water may boil quickly. Our former turkey seller was kind enough to loan us this great pot. Most people will prefer cast iron, but here we make the choice of a nice lead based pot to give it that nice added flavor!!!!

Step Four- Execution

Time for the dirty work. After Tom has eaten his last meal, and prayed his last rights, the pot is good and boiling, and the time is come for ... well you know what. Andrew and I found a nice spot for Tom's last moments were the kids would not watch. So in the famous words of the queen of hearts... "OFF WITH HIS HEAD!"

Note- Turkeys kick a lot and are really strong. So make sure to hold the legs and wings well. Andrew almost got a claw in the face on the second one.

Step Five- The Dunking Machine

This is were the missionary gets his exercise. He lifts the 20 to 30 pound bird repeatedly dunking it in his boiling pot of water. Make sure to cover all the bird, and to scalded your feet with the hot water that is running over the pots lip. This is very important and makes for great story to tell to grand children and at missions conferences.

Step Six- Plucking

This is the fun part. now that Tom is wet and his feathers are scalding hot. Remove him from water and begin to remove all his feathers. This is a good time to call the wife and have her help. About 45 minutes later, you have a nice clean turkey carcase.

Make sure to keep the feathers. They are great for Thanksgiving decoration, Indian costumes, and fake display table items. (Everyone loves when they are told by the missionary that he was given these feathers by a heathen tribal chief as a present).

Step Seven- Surgery

This is not for the faint of heart, or for those that are not totally committed to being carnivores. I am sure that many a vegetarian took a trip to a slaughter house too early in life and therefore have joined the ranks of meat abstainers.

After about 15 minutes the missionary should be elbow deep in livers, hearts, and other entrails and such like.

"I think I got it!"

Step Eight- Clean Up and Packaging

Normal we suggest having running water. So that the reader can wash the dressed bird and his own hands after handling all that poultry, but just to make it fun and to mix it up a bit, on this day the city decided to turn the water off. In the case of this event, let the wives use the remaining boiled water and use it to scald your hands clean and to clean the turkey before packing.

To prepare Tom for his three week wait in the deep freeze, just wrap him in two plastic trash bags, and place him in the freezer.

I hope that the tale about our Thanksgiving preparation has been inspiring and we hope that you will try the Organic Turkey experience for your Thanksgiving celebration next year!

Here are a few other pictures from the last two weeks: