A large bird.....

My husband arranged for us to purchase an organic turkey from a guy he works with who has a side buffalo farm in Elma. Ted said he wanted a "big" one. I shared my concern and he assured me that in years past the "big" ones were 18 - 20 pounds tops.

A few months past.....

We got the call on a Saturday that our bird was ready to come pick up in Elma (about 40 min. away.) The bird weighed 36 pounds. Yes, 36 pounds! And yes, this is the "ready for the oven" weight. I did some quick calculating and said, "Oh my goodness Ted!" After a $2 discount, the bird rang in at $115. Did I mention we went to a friend's house for Thanksgiving and didn't cook a bird this year?!?

I was more than a little shocked and my reaction could've been sprinkled with love.... My husband's response was PERFECT. It calmed me, made me laugh and REMEMBER that these are the crazy little things I ADORE about him. He said, "I know it's bigger than we thought, but let's let it be one of those funny little things. Someday when we're old and using our walkers, we can look at each other and say 36 pound turkey and bust a gut laughing." I knew he was right. It is hilarious and forever memory has been made.

So, just how long does one cook a 36 pound bird? We've heard between 10 - 14 hours... We'll give a full report once we cook it. :) Ted, I love you and I adore how passionate you are about going for the biggest and best.