Turkeys, turkeys everywhere! Feast your eyes! And Turkey 101
UPDATE: This is the perfect way to cook your Turkey. Visit Turkey 101!
Turkeys are true symbols of Thanksgiving and they seem to be everywhere. I have a sizable collection of glass turkey candy jars, which make great decorations and I sometimes use them for serving soup, instead of soup bowls. Some of these glass turkeys are pressed glass manufactured in the early 1900’s and others are beautiful reproductions.
Outdoors, we’ve been seeing plenty of wild turkeys, as their population seems to be increasing. I find it amusing how they wander about, pecking for food here and there. And then, there are also my own Bourbon Red heritage turkeys, which I’ve been raising for a few years. Come and see how beautiful they are. And don't forget to look at some more wonderful ideas for Thanksgiving Decor HERE!
Beautiful turkey... makes me sad to think...
Posted by: EwaInTheGarden | November 25th, 2008 at 8:50 pm
Hello Martha!
What a wonderful turkey collection you have!
I think the cranberry glass turkey was my favorite-it is so different and I have never seen one like that. And your real live turkeys were pretty cute in their own special way too!
Happy Thanksgiving! Gobble Gobble...
Tam
Posted by: Tam | November 25th, 2008 at 8:56 pm
I wish I weren't spending Thanksgiving alone, but my family is 13 hrs away at the closest so the dog and I shall sip some egg nog by the fireplace and decorate the tree. I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving Martha!
Posted by: Kari | November 25th, 2008 at 9:08 pm
What absolute beauties. I'm so happy I'm eating vegan right now. Smooches of love to the feathered lovlies.
)
Posted by: Isle Dance | November 25th, 2008 at 9:34 pm
In Canada we celebrate our Thanksgiving a little earlier. (October)
To all my fellow American bloggers have a very happy Thanksgiving this week-end. Hope the turkey turns out great!
Posted by: Maureen | November 26th, 2008 at 1:37 am
I don't think I have ever known someone to collect turkeys! - that is unusual and so creative! I think I love the cranberry one the best, too.
Posted by: Deb | November 26th, 2008 at 2:05 am
After eight weeks of intense job search in a SCARY economy, I have an interview today for a job that I have wanted for two years! To relax once my preparation for the meeting was complete, I baked off my pumpkin and apple pie for the holiday last night. Also I tried from your BAKING book the whole wheat honey dough bread. It was simple, my first attempt and successful. I took it to the local grocery store to have it sliced and they bagged it for me! I have the brioche recipe in the refrigerator and will bake it off tonight. I will give one loaf as a gift to a friend who I connected with at the grocery store who I have not seen in so long. She said it was her favorite. Also, for the weekend, I will make with my brioche loaf, the leek and gruyere bread pudding in the Holiday issue. And I will try Lucinda's artichoke recipe. I am thankful for my blessings. I am thankful to you and your staff for all the great multi-media resources that you have brought to bear on this wonderful American holiday! When I get this long sought after job, I will look to purchase a turkey for my centerpiece next year! Lastly,
you look great at the city meals event. I attended a Kennedy Library forum where Gloria Steinem spoke so eloquently about the national elections in October. I could not believe that she was 71. The picture is fabulous of both of you. Taking care of oneself is the point. Onto the Christmas workshop! Have a great holiday season - please pass my kind regards to Joey Kola!
Posted by: Teresa Touey | November 26th, 2008 at 3:11 am
Your Bourbon Red turkeys are so unique, your picture looks like a painting. Will they be on (you know) your table for Thanksgiving? A person would think that by now I would have learned they are for eating, but on the farm as a child they were my pets.
We have hundreds of wild turkeys too, here at my Dad's farm. Right now in Wisconsin is open deer hunting season. The wild turkeys are sharing the left over corn in the fields with the deer.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
Betsy
Posted by: Betsy Mech | November 26th, 2008 at 3:46 am
The wild turkeys in the fields make a wonderful sight. They are indeed the lucky ones this time of the year!
Thanks for sharing your interior turkey collection, too. Are they as happy at home in Bedford as they were at Turkey Hill!!
Blessed Thanksgiving to you and yours!
Posted by: MMC in San Diego | November 26th, 2008 at 5:07 am
I'm sure you've collected most of them when you had house at "Turkey Hill" - its a great collection.
Posted by: Norbie K. of Las Vegas | November 26th, 2008 at 5:10 am
Hi Martha, Laura and Eliad,
Happy Thanksgiving and I hope you enjoy your day and the same to all who visit and comment on this one-of-a-kind great blog! I am thankful to be a small part of this congregation.
You have talked about your turkey collection before and I was always hoping to see it so thanks for today's pictures. I think I like #15 the best with the orchid and the painting in the background but the black ones are also nice on the mantel. It’s a very nice collection.
Your live turkeys look so cute in their group of 3 posing for the camera. It also amazes me how you manage to catch the wild birds in action. By the time I get my camera, they have flown away.
Yesterday’s show was so good and I hope the farmers enjoyed seeing your farm and were able to provide you with some great farming tips. Trish
Posted by: Trish | November 26th, 2008 at 5:11 am
I have a home in Lake Geneva, WI and we too have a family of wild turkeys walking across our property almost every day and occasionally will rest on our patio. They too walk in a line and the babies of a few months ago are now grown as big as the parents-our grandchildren are delighted to see them. Happy turkey day to all the Martha Stewart family!
Posted by: Sue Thometz | November 26th, 2008 at 5:22 am
Happy Turkey Day to all! All tho here we are having Happy Beef Day, lol No time for a turkey and grilled steaks will fit in nicely, yum! I will make a few Thanksgiving-ish sides tho. It will be nice to spend time with family and friends tomorrow.
Posted by: Elise | November 26th, 2008 at 5:25 am
I love all your ideas for Thanksgiving decorating. It seems that so many people (and places) go directly from Halloween to Christmas. I have fond childhood memories of "decorating" for Thanksgiving...drawing a outline of my hand and coloring it to look like a turkey, little pilgrim & turkey candles, my dad (who passed away this year) making a turkey out of a potato, with toothpicks for legs and a head and tail cut out of cardboard. It was a simpler time then.
Posted by: Pam | November 26th, 2008 at 5:25 am
Those are great pictures! I just love those glass turkeys - they are beautiful! Happy Thanksgiving!
Posted by: Lisa @ Stop and Smell the Chocolates | November 26th, 2008 at 5:52 am
Nature is wonderful, isn't it?!! These moments you have captured are one of the many things (again!) that money can't buy. I remember many of my "stumblings" upon wildlife sightings that will stay with me forever. How neat was it that those 2 turkeys chose to perch on your fence?!! And yes, I've had the pleasure of seeing that straight-line-following behind the leader turkey. I liked Laura's backyard feeder friends, too. I didn't know that you raised turkeys there on your farm...you mentioned it yesterday on your show. Cool!
I absolutely LOVED the American Farmer segment yesterday on your show! Thank you for promoting and presenting the value of a farmer's worth to our society! Even in my town with numerous (but diminishing) farms in the county (not what we would consider the "city"), to my former corporate coworkers (white collars), a farmer was viewed as "less-than", because they had to shovel stuff that was unpleasant, and they would complain when a neighboring farm would spread some manure on their fields ("ooooo, what is that smell?!!") This used to burn me up, as I have farming in MY background and know what goodness (but work!) comes from living off the land. These people liked to eat though...and they had water when they turned on the faucet (they used to complain about a rainy weekend in the hot summertime...big sigh!) Nevertheless, I sincerely thank you, Martha, for promoting our farmers yesterday...I loved every minute and enjoyed each one immensely!
As my fellow-blogger Trish said yesterday, I am PROUD to be part of your following.
...a bless-ed Thanksgiving to you and yours, Martha...
=^..^=
Posted by: Cindy Bricker | November 26th, 2008 at 6:13 am
Hello Martha!
Happy thanksgiving to you and your family!
What an amazing photo stream of turkeys!!!
Thank you for sharing with us all in blog land:)
Your are inspiring!
KayEllen
Posted by: kayellen | November 26th, 2008 at 6:23 am
The cranberry one is my favorite too, since I collect cranberry glass. I have a small collection of turkeys and would love to add some glass ones.
I've never been fond of wild turkeys ever since I was a child and one chased my father around the house and then stood outside the front door gobbling once my dad got inside!
Posted by: MarthaAndMe | November 26th, 2008 at 6:59 am
Hi Martha, I agree with others, your Bourbon Red turkeys are really beautiful. I have never seen that kind before. Back in the late 40's, I had an uncle who raised turkeys in Sherwood, Oregon. I don't know what kind they were, but they had dark grey feathers. I like the photos of the wild turkeys. They certainly look like they are doing well on your farm. The Mallard ducks are beautiful, also. I love your glass turkey collection. I can see how they would make beautiful decorations. What a nice blog to have on the day before Thanksgiving! Have a great, restful holiday weekend. Looking forward to your Christmas Workshop. Jan
Posted by: Jan Erickson | November 26th, 2008 at 8:32 am
Happy Thanksgiving Martha! I love your red bourbon turkeys, they are lucky to be in your barn. This isn't a specially good time to be a turkey. You have a lovely glass turkey collection. I liked them all and the cranberry one too. Lots of wild turkeys this year. My Aunt is having a great deal of trouble with wild turkeys. There are so many of them in her neighborhood the back yards of everyone have lots of wild turkeys roaming around sitting on fences like yours do. I'm in the city, no wild turkeys here. Have a great holiday, I am looking forward to my turkey dinner.
Linda
Phila, PA
Posted by: Linda | November 26th, 2008 at 11:01 am
Martha don't go naming your turkeys or you won't be able to (GULP) have turkey on Thanksgiving Day.
I hope your driver Rocky is having a good Thanksgiving safe out of harm there where he is serving. I would think their turkey day is today.
Many blessings to you Martha it has been a tough 2007-2008. I know this is your second Thanksgiving without your Mom and your first without Paw Paw. I am thinking of them both today.
Enjoy that farm of yours this Thanksgiving weekend.
Martha we got RAIN, we needed it badly but for the folks who had fires down south of me in Santa Barbara the much needed rain wasn't welcome, lots of mud slides and home evacuations yesterday. I hope your friend Caroline, or was it Carolyn you spoke to me about on the radio a couple of weeks ago- found a nice place to spend Thanksgiving. I have her on my mind, losing her home and orchard is terrible but at the holidays it seems crushing more so.
Pam from California
Posted by: Pam from California | November 26th, 2008 at 1:03 pm
Hi Martha. I LOVE your black tyrkeys. I started a collection a while back but don't get out like I used to. Where did you find them? I do have some of the glass ones, but not the cranberry one. I LOVE that one also. Thank you. HAPPY THANKSGIVING to you and your family. Pete
Posted by: Petrina Jennings | November 27th, 2008 at 5:45 am
Martha I've been trying to find out how to write to you, perhaps this is it.
When you made cabbage rolls, I have a shortcut for you: Freeze the whole cabbages for 3 or 4 days, take out 18-24 hrs before needed to thaw and the leaves just come right off. Oh!! cut the centre out before you freeze them. The leaves stay nice and green, you don't have to stand there and boil them one at a time, it saves an awful lot of time.
Give it a try and see.
Margaret in Canada
Posted by: Marg S | November 27th, 2008 at 9:33 am
Martha my wife and I decided to try raising turkeys for the first time this year. We recived 4 White Hertiage poults on the 4th of July,two toms and two hens.The Saturday before Thanksgiving we had one the toms and one of the hens processed at a local turkey farm .The tom dressed out at 35 pounds and the hen at a little under 20 pounds.This week we will be taking the other two in to process.I believe they will end up weighing more then the first two.There is something to be said about organic feed! Please continue to inspire us! Charles from New Richmond
Posted by: charles mckenzie | November 30th, 2008 at 3:47 pm
I didn't notice the classic chocolate turkey.
I found this at a local chocolate shop and it makes a wonderful gift for the holdiday and the leftovers are fantastic. http://www.fauxfarmgirl.com/2008/11/thanksgiving/
Posted by: ann | December 15th, 2008 at 6:47 pm
I just found the pictures of your turkeys exciting and beautiful. I have raised turkeys from young chicks and know of trying they can be to raise. Keep up the good work!
Posted by: Joan From Saskatchewan,Canada | December 22nd, 2008 at 11:23 am
WHEN I SEE PICS LIKE THIS I REMEMBER MY GRANDFATHER, AND HIS TURKS, AND SCREAMING I DONT WANT TO EAT IT. LOL
Posted by: laurie | December 27th, 2008 at 9:23 am