Your holiday hill to die on.

[Drawberry]

My boss was telling me she only eats white meat, but cooks a whole turkey. We were talking about what we each make for the feast. When I said that I make a roast crisp-skinned turkey, she mentioned how bad it is to eat poultry skin, then went on to list the all-carb sides and desserts they are having. 

My co-worker and I both think that it is better to enjoy a meal every once in a while that might be "bad" for you than worry about every single thing you put in your mouth.

Boyfriends mother is very very self-conscious about her weight (she is small enough that I once mistook a pair of her pants in the dyer for his 3 year old niece's!) and though she never means any personal harm by her comments has a habit of saying things like your boss.

My mother makes similar comments but with the intent of instilling guilt and shame over what I am eating (I gained weight over the past couple years taking hormone pills and she's decided that if she gets me to just starve myself enough until I am 'normal' I'll be fine  ) and after a while I suppose I came to a 'hill' of my own in that sense.

I'll eat what I please and deal with the results myself thanks!

[Nora]

Current Holiday Hill to Die On -

I am only plucking turkeys that are going into my oven.  You want one of the 4 30+lb monstrosities remaining that we are willing to just give away, pluck it yourself.

Oh, goodness. I've never plucked a turkey, but chicken plucking is pretty much my least favorite farm chore. Gish wants chickens and i have already warned him i am not doing any plucking.

Can I just interject that it's a darned shame I don't live near you people, because I really enjoy plucking a dead chicken or turkey absolutely bare. It appeals to the perfectionist in me to get rid of every last one of the feathers. Like getting the last bone out of a fish, or cleaning and butterflying shrimp. Something inside me goes "ahhhhh" at the very last little feather/scale. So worth it. I'd totally pluck a bunch of turkeys if I got mine for free!

[Gyburc]

OT - Nora, have you ever tried plucking a duck? It's an interesting job - underneath the normal feathers is the down, which is almost impossible to get off unless you singe it off... Our ducks tend to go into the oven looking like little werewolves. 

I suppose my holiday hill is that DH and I spend Christmas Day together at home, not travelling. But fortunately our families have got used to this (although MIL still tells us every year that all she wants for Christmas is to have All Her Children with her...)

[Hunter-Gatherer]

There once was a girl from Nantucket
Who hadn't yet kicked the bucket
For dinner, with luck,
She'd be cooking a duck
But first she'd have to pluck it.

(It's not often I can post a limerick about a girl from Nantucket on an etiquette site and have it be semi-appropriate)
 

[Elfmama]

OT - Nora, have you ever tried plucking a duck? It's an interesting job - underneath the normal feathers is the down, which is almost impossible to get off unless you singe it off... Our ducks tend to go into the oven looking like little werewolves. 

I suppose my holiday hill is that DH and I spend Christmas Day together at home, not travelling. But fortunately our families have got used to this (although MIL still tells us every year that all she wants for Christmas is to have All Her Children with her...)

Why not just skin them?  (The ducks, that is, not your in-laws.)

[Morticia]

Because duck skin is yummy.

[Luci]

OT - Nora, have you ever tried plucking a duck? It's an interesting job - underneath the normal feathers is the down, which is almost impossible to get off unless you singe it off... Our ducks tend to go into the oven looking like little werewolves. 

I suppose my holiday hill is that DH and I spend Christmas Day together at home, not travelling. But fortunately our families have got used to this (although MIL still tells us every year that all she wants for Christmas is to have All Her Children with her...)

Why not just skin them?  (The ducks, that is, not your in-laws.)

 

[kherbert05]

Turns out this year it is not going to the farm. Normally I love it - but they are mowing today and my head feels like it is going to explode. Even if I feel better by this afternoon - I'll be highly sensitive and the grass and fire will set me off.

[Nora]

I've never even cooked duck, it is too expensive here. Plucking them sounds like it might be too difficult to be fun, so if I do save up I'll get fillets with the skin on them. 

[ladyknight1]

With different posters talking about using real silver flatware, I took a gander at prices. 

Does anyone know of a place to buy second-hand silverware?

[Deetee]

With different posters talking about using real silver flatware, I took a gander at prices. 

Does anyone know of a place to buy second-hand silverware?

Plate or sterling?

Plate silver is dirt cheap. I picked up a large collection at second hand shops, thrift stores and antique shops.

Sterling (eg solid silver as opposed to a plate of silver on steel) is more expensive because it is pure silver. Make sure it is actual solid silver (because I think plate is sometimes called sterling when it is plated with sterling silver)

Ebay also has a fairly large selection.

[Shoo]

I just sold a beautiful service for 12 of silverplate at my garage sale.  It was sure pretty, but a pain in the caboose to care for.  It has to be hand washed and dried, and stored in a lined box to discourage discoloration, just like silver.  No dishwasher.  So I ended up choosing to not use it, and finally get rid of it, because it was just too much of a hassle.

I plan on buying a really really nice set of stainless flatware that will be kept in reserve for holidays and special occasions.  At least I will be able to run it through the dishwasher without worrying about it getting damaged.

Silver and silverplate is very pretty, for sure, but it's also a hassle.

[PastryGoddess]

With different posters talking about using real silver flatware, I took a gander at prices. 

Does anyone know of a place to buy second-hand silverware?

Get to know your local antique shops.  While they may not have anything in stock for you now, they can educate you on what to look for and they'll know to call you if they do get something in. 

Estate sales are also a good place to find second-hand silver. 

Plate or sterling?

Plate silver is dirt cheap. I picked up a large collection at second hand shops, thrift stores and antique shops.

Sterling (eg solid silver as opposed to a plate of silver on steel) is more expensive because it is pure silver. Make sure it is actual solid silver (because I think plate is sometimes called sterling when it is plated with sterling silver)

Ebay also has a fairly large selection.

[ladyknight1]

I was looking at actual sterling. I found place settings from $500 each to a set of 56 pieces for $8000. I was shocked.

A friend of mine makes some beautiful jewelry out of antique sterling cutlery. I think we will just get a special set of stainless flatware for holidays.

[Minmom3]

My late MIL was a card carrying shopaholic.  She LOVED going to the local flea market, where she found a lady who sold sterling and plate.  MIL would buy bits every month, and once she assembled enough, she handed a large set over to me, and another one over to another DIL. I have a serving spoon from 1806!  It's very simple, but beautiful.  I didn't use it this year because everything fancy is still packed away, but that will change, and I will use them again. 

You can put sterling in the dishwasher - I've done it dozens of times for the flatware, BUT, you have to make sure it's not touching anything but other silver.  This means the knife blades cannot touch the rest of the sterling, because the blades are always stainless, as sterling isn't hard enough to use on the blade.  I made myself a lot of storage bags out of the tarnish cloth and as long as I put them away clean, they come back out of the bag equally clean a year later.

Back OT - never again am I going to be the only person cleaning up the mess....  There will be discussion, and changes made for Christmas.