I've been thinking ahead to my Thanksgiving menu. Don't want to wait too late to do my shopping! All the good stuff will be gone. As usual, Hick wants ham. To me, ham is for Christmas. But Hick says he's never really liked turkey, unless he eats it hot, right out of the oven. Which I think means eating it as he slices it for the table. Nobody wants to see that!
The Pony is okay with ham OR turkey, because either will be used to make little sandwiches on Sister Schubert's Rolls. I like turkey. Dark meat and white meat. Hot or cold. Leftovers for days. But I'm not thrilled about going to the trouble to thaw and cook a turkey just for myself. One year we just had a turkey breast. But that's as much trouble as a regular turkey. Just not as heavy to put in and take out of the oven.
I have reached a solution! We will have a ham, and Cornish game hens! The Pony won't want a hen, because it has BONES in it! But Hick likes them. We used to have them quite a bit when the kids were young, eating kiddie food. Save A Lot sells Cornish game hens, you know. The frozen kind, from Tyson.
Anyhoo... I picked up four of them while out shopping yesterday. Once home, I was reading the label before putting them in the mini freezer in the laundry room. They are 22 oz. Cook at 350 for about an hour and 15 minutes. Much easier than a turkey!
Here's the thing: A SERVING IS 4 OUNCES! According to the label, heh, heh! Seriously. Even if you discount about half of that weight being bones, the folks who decree serving sizes think that THREE PEOPLE can eat a Cornish game hen!
I told this info to Hick, and he snorted. "Nobody does that! Everyone eats a whole Cornish hen. Remember when we went to the Dixie Stampede? In Branson? And they served the dinner during the show? It was Cornish hens. Everybody got their own!"
I do remember that indeed! It was all finger food. A Cornish hen, soup in a bowl with a handle, potato wedges, a mini corn on the cob, and an apple turnover for dessert. It was with HOS (Hick's Oldest Son) and The (little future) Veteran. They were tweenagers at the time. Everybody ate all their food. Nobody was wrenching a Cornish hen into three servings!
Anyhoo... I'm sure there are people who might say, "Just give me a leg." Yeah, right! Psychos!
True, with all our side dishes, and the ham as well, we may not eat a whole Cornish hen at one sitting on Thanksgiving. But really. I think the whole bird is a normal serving.
In my younger years and first marriage, we ate a lot of Cornish hens as they were less than a dollar a piece. We were struggling financially, and my first husbands work was somewhat seasonal, so money was tight. (We ate a lot of fish that he caught ice fishing or other family members gave to us. With homemade French fries.) A bag of potatoes went a long way with fish and or Cornish game hens and a canned vegetable. I haven't had one in years and just might put them on my next grocery list to give them a try again. My current husband hates chicken wings because "it's too much work for the meat you get off them" so, I'm guessing he might have some complaints about Cornish game hens. Heh. (And yes, he does enjoy boneless chicken wings) As for a Cornish game hen being enough for 3 servings, they must have figured the bones were a serving. How unrealistic is that anyway? Jeez! Ranee
ReplyDeleteI remember that we really liked them, baked in the oven with a little lemon pepper seasoning. They were kind of a novelty, but just right. Like having your own mini-chicken. Which is essentially what they are.
DeleteHick doesn't like BBQ ribs, because he says it's too much work for the amount of meat. Seriously! How much work could it be to get meat off a long smooth bone? It's much easier than with a chicken wing, which Hick has no complaints about.
I have heard of Cornish Hens but have never seen one, I don't think supermarkets here sell them, but I shall look more closely at the shelves for a while just to be sure. Also I shall google for images so I know what to look for in the shops. Here in my world ham is for Christmas and sometimes roasted chicken, though I know a few people who buy turkey breast or turkey legs and roast those.
ReplyDeleteA google of "Tyson Cornish Hen" should get you a picture of what the package looks like here. It's frozen. About the size of Hick's fist.
DeleteI think I will put a couple of what my kids called baby chickens in the freezer, too. The serving sizes are cute! A can of green beans says it will feed four, I disagree! Have you priced smoked turkey legs lately? Outrageous for a part of the turkey that has a lot of waste with all those tendons and such.
ReplyDeleteI agree. Once those green beans cook down and get all limp, Hick can eat the whole can. I have not been shopping for turkey legs. I imagine they are quite pricey. I was shocked that a big bag of Ruffles Potato Chips is over $7.00!
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