gobble, gobble

Today I am making one of 2 giant turkeys that have been in my freezer since November.

The grocery store runs an amazing deal right before Thanksgiving; buy a certain amount of groceries, get money off a turkey.

So the husband and I strategically plan our shopping that week. If we are shopping together, we split the groceries and buy 2 turkeys. If we have to go on an in-between-grocery-trip fresh food run, we get a turkey. We are turkey crazy. If we see people in the store, we tell them about the deal. We are turkey pushers. "Hey, you know, if you have $20 worth of groceries in your cart, you can get a turkey for like nothing!! Seriously! I have 2 at home and I'm buying another! Turkey!" Even we people we barely know. I once told a woman I just recognized, didn't even know her name, all about how I like to cook a turkey around spring time. And then she slowly backed away, nodding and smiling...

Then, after Thanksgiving, we don't even want to think about the extra turkeys in the freezer. We are turkey-ed out.

Until now, when a giant turkey seems like the solution to the busy busy week ahead.

The turkey I am cooking is just over 19 pounds, and only cost $7.47. What?! That's crazy!

Today I will be roasting it, and making baked sweet potato fries, green beans and carrots. Tonight, I will be using the carcass to make turkey broth for noodle soup. Chances are good I will freeze half of the soup.

Carcass is such a gross word, incidentally. Isn't there a better word that doesn't make me feel like a vulture?

Stay tuned for a couple meals this week involving turkey.

In total $$ tally news, we ventured to the store yesterday to pick up a few groceries; fresh foods are a necessity in the way my family eats. I also got 4 more boxes of cereal for $7. That was a good deal, and having the ability to take advantage of those deals when they come up is important for my family; it stretches our grocery dollars and allows us to eat healthfully.

So, add $35 to the total. That's $196. I am now $4 away from the $200 limit a sound off caller set for a family of 6 for an entire month. If I can stay away from the grocery store for the rest of the month it will be a miracle, and it will also mean that somehow I stretched the 1/2 gallon of milk, half bag of carrots and other assorted fresh foods for 24 more days. HA.

I really want someone to show me how a family of 6 could eat for that amount of money, and stay competitive, healthy and happy.