This Thanksgiving, you'll be full - your wallet won't

[okarol]

This Thanksgiving, you'll be full - your wallet won't

Betty Beard
The Arizona Republic
Nov. 16, 2007 12:00 AM

Cooking up your turkey-day feast could gobble up to 30 percent more of your grocery bill.

The Arizona Farm Bureau's annual informal survey shows that a turkey dinner for 10 with all the trimmings will cost an average of $51.14, or $11.92 more than last year.

Higher turkey and dairy prices are the main culprits. A frozen 16-pound bird costs an average of $1.44 a pound, a 44 percent increase.

Peggy Jo Goodfellow, marketing manager for the bureau, blames this on higher fuel prices and the fact that Young's Farm, a longtime turkey producer, closed last year. It produced up to 25,000 free-range turkeys a year; now, more frozen birds must be trucked in.

The $51.14 price includes turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, rolls with butter, peas, cranberries, a relish tray and pie.

To save money, the bureau recommends that shoppers buy store brands, wait for pre-Thanksgiving sales and use coupons.

And also eat peas. They were the only food that didn't get more expensive.

[paris]

Grocery prices have skyrocketed here.  Milk - store brand,skim is $4.10.  I just bought most of the ingredients for Thanksgiving and probably paid at least $25 more than last year.  And I didn't get everything! Still need a ham and all the dessert ingredients!  I spent waaayyyy more than $51.14----but the leftovers will feed us for days

[Chris]

Luckily here, turkeys are selling for 88 cents a pound. I would like to taste one that has been deep fried though, there suppose to be juicy. Well here, the turkey is usually, well it's just there waiting for gravy to cover it up to moisten it up.

[paris]

Chris, come to our house!  We have roasted turkey with stuffing, deep fried turkey and a turkey that has been in a brine for a few days!!  Each guy in the family has their own specialty----so there is no lack of turkey here!  And of course, one son doesn't eat poultry, so he brings a big spiral sliced ham!    Both the deep fried and the brine turkey are extremely moist and both have wonderful flavors.  Here in the south, the deep fried are very popular.   There are 14 of us without company, so we do need lots, but 3 turkeys and a ham might be a little much! Seriously, 20 people could stop by and there would still be lots of leftovers.   

Should I post my address??

[Chris]

I could be wrong on this, but isn't brine a salt solution? This is the first I have heard of a turkey in a brine solution. Them spiral hams are very good!

[aharris2]

Should I post my address??

No, just pm us and we'll be there  (just kidding, we'll share with others)

I love deep fried turkey. It is so, so moist. We had one and one oven baked for our office Thanksgiving luncheon. I made the sweet potatoes. Everything was good.

For Thanksgiving, Rolando's wife will make a baked ham COVERED with pineapple, cherries and ham glaze. Yum!

[paris]

Yes, the brine is made with some salt, but lots of herbs and seasoning. It soaks in the brine for days and then he grills it!  It is good.  He loves to try anything new and his wife is more than happy to let him cook.   

There is nothing like the smell of a turkey roasting in the oven. And then add the smell of pumpkin pie---is it Thursday yet?

By the way--I will set extra places at my table.  Don't bother knocking--just come on in

[Chris]

Using Mapquest to find way there