These kids have all the secrets
By Phyllis Moore
Published in News on November 24, 2005 1:47 PM
Forget about calling the Butterball hotline on how to cook a turkey this year. Not necessary when there are experts to offer tried and true turkey tips right here in Wayne County.
When it comes to readying a turkey for the Thanksgiving meal, students at Fremont STARS Elementary School wrote the book on the subject. Just last week, kindergartners dictated their thoughts to teacher Terry Barnes, who then compiled them into a laminated paperback version.
The suggestions ranged from marinating the bird in vinegar or pineapple and then cooking it anywhere from five minutes to eight hours.
Take your pick from some of the ideas below. Or just wing it.
Mikayla Crawford said, "My daddy gets a grill from somebody, and he puts the turkey on the grill. He likes to put vinegar on it; I don't even know why."
She said she doesn't particularly like the taste of vinegar, but her father, for some reason, does. "He just likes it sour. I don't know why."
Her mother, on the other hand, has been known to put pineapple on the turkey, usually on those occasions when her father doesn't pour on the vinegar.
"I don't know anything" about cooking turkey, said Katie Brown. Her grandmother usually takes care of that, she said.
"First you buy it from the store," offered Leah Edmundson. "When you get home, you cook it. Put it in the oven-wave for about eight minutes. Then it's done."
Hannah Tyndall had similar thoughts.
"Put it in the oven and then cook it for eight minutes," she said.
"Eight hours," Mikayla corrected.
Audrey Cummings, who said she enjoys eating macaroni and cheese with her turkey, said, "You put it in the oven and you put a burner on. Then it's done.
"It might take 10 minutes. My mama does it."
Dawson Thompson provided a bit more detail.
"Get a turkey from the grocery store," he started. "Go back home. Put salt and pepper on the turkey. Cook it in the oven for 20 minutes.
"Take the turkey's legs off. Then you eat it."
Seth Ballance said his mother's secret is to "put it in salt water before she cooks it. My daddy cooks it outside on the grill.
"We eat it inside, and my daddy puts on vinegar, I think."
"First give it a shot," said Kenneth Leach, who first shrugged when asked why, then added, "because my daddy did that.
"Then cook it in the pot in the oven. Cook it about 20 minutes. Then lay it on the counter. Eat it."
From the entries that appeared in the book, Danny Cram was a little tentative. "We could cook a turkey in the oven. We could cook it for 20 minutes. We could buy the turkey at Wal-Mart. We could eat our turkey."
Others got right to the point.
"Put the turkey in the oven," wrote Kyle Hooks. "Cook it for four and a half minutes. Put salt on the turkey. Eat the turkey with my cousin, Tre."
Marisa Delisi said once the turkey is brought home from the store, "Cook it for 40 minutes. Let it stay in the oven a little longer. Cool it off. Eat it."
Juanita Warren wrote, "Put the turkey in the oven. Cook it for five minutes. Eat it."
Too bad cleanup isn't that quick.