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Thanksgiving
is the one day of the year when I can not only
get away with over-eating... it's expected of
me! For most of us, our earliest memories of
some of our relatives come from family get-togethers
over turkey and stuffing, gravy, cranberries
and pie. When we
were kids, we took the entire process for granted.
We went to Grandma's house, waited for what
seemed like FOREVER, and finally got to eat
until it hurt.
Now that we're adults,
we know it takes a lot of work to pull off that
kind of gastronomic extravaganza -- so
we've got some tips to help you out, plus links
to just about anything you need
to make this the Thanksgiving when you finally
get it right.
PLEASE NOTE
our special holiday
hours (at right). We plan
to eat as much as you do, and that means we
won't be working on Thanksgiving. You'll
want to make note of the cut-off for getting
garments or table linens in to us in order to
get them back before we close for the holiday.
Happy Thanksgiving
from all of us to you and your family!
Ed and Mary Longanecker
Iris City Cleaners and Laundering Company |
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SPECIAL
HOLIDAY HOURS
Like you, we will all
be home spending time with our families on Thanksgiving,
so please note our special holiday hours
to be sure you've got the garments and table
linens you need for your family feast.
- To
be picked up before Thanksgiving
we will be open as usual to 5:30 pm on
Wednesday.
- We
will close on Thursday
for Thanksgiving and be open as usual
Friday for business from 7- 5:30
- Now, if you need
something for Thanksgiving and have forgotten
to pick ut up, call me at home 385 4246,
and we will take care of you, have a
great Thanksgiving. Ed and Mary
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Let's
Talk Turkey COUPON!
This year,
be honest with yourself and acknowledge that
there is not even a 1% chance that your table
linens will escape Thanksgiving dinner unscathed.
Now that we've got that out of the way, it's
time to plan how to handle them! As
our contribution to your glorious meal, take
$5 off the cleaning and finishing of a table
cloth and napkins -- before or after Thanksgiving.
(If you plan to fold the napkins into
fanciful shapes, let us know and we'll use extra
sizing to make them hold their shape better
for you.) (Include
first page of this e-mail with your order. Offer
expires Dec. 5, 2004. Cannot be combined
with other offers.) |
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Ten
Tips for Taming
Turkey-day!
There
is no meal on the American plate more venerated
than the annual Thanksgiving Dinner.
The desire for it is nearly universal. It spreads
across tables with abandon and plenty - in homes,
at homeless shelters, firehouses, hospitals
and nursing homes, military bases and ships
at sea. Wherever Americans gather, Thanksgiving
is noted and emulated with nostalgic pleasure.
That emotional luggage
that comes with Thanksgiving is what makes it
a minefield for those who host the annual gathering
of clan or friends. It doesn't have to be a
time of stress. Here are tips to keep it under
control.
Plan
Ahead
- Of course you're
going to get your turkey and ingredients in
advance. But take
that extra 15 minutes or so to run through
it all at least a day before Thanksgiving
to be sure you haven't missed anything --
or accidentally used up something vital. Sending
someone to the store (if you can find one
open) will send stress through the roof.
- Make
a schedule of all the things that have to
happen to get the food to the table on time.
Thanksgiving dinner is item-intensive! If
you figure out how long each item must cook
or will take to prepare, you can keep a more
casual eye on the clock throughout the
day and not suddenly remember the rolls as
the guests are sitting down. Start that list
with the turkey itself! Build in time
to defrost it safely.
- Set
the table the day before.
It will give you a psychological lift to see
it all ready for guests, and you can see if
you've forgotten anything -- like extra serving
spoons, or glassware that's gone astray --
while you've still got time to deal with it.
- Clean
as you go. (Your mother probably
told you that.) Start Thanksgiving day with
an empty dishwasher. As items are used, rinse
and put into the washer. Plan to run
it at least twice (and empty it again) before
guests arrive. Have a sink of warm,
soapy water standing by so that as you clear
the table in preparation for dessert the silverware
and smaller plates can begin soaking. Loading
the dishwasher after dessert should be a snap.
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Whether
Guest or Host
- If
guests offer to bring something,
LET THEM. It may
be an item that makes Thanksgiving
"official" for them. In any case,
you don't have time to do more
than you already must. People
genuinely like to make things
easier for the person producing
the feast. Unless you're from
Krypton, you need it.
- BYOS
-- Bring your own stuff!
If you are bringing something
to the feast, bring the appropriate
serving dish(es) and utensils,
as well. It will make the host/hostess
more than grateful that you've
come.
- Watch
the clock. Most people who
make a full Thanksgiving dinner have a particular
time when they anticipate everything will
be hot and on the table. It's an art to achieve
this! Don't cause chaos by either showing
up too early (and having to be entertained)
or late.
Remember
to play -- it's a holiday!
- Don't
let the turkey intimidate you.
Worried it will come out dry? Here's an easy
tip. Purchase some cheesecloth
(available in supermarkets in the cleaning
supplies, in craft stores or fabric stores).
Cut a length of it as long as your
turkey -- it will be double-thick,
because it comes folded up. Leave it doubled.
Melt about half a stick of butter in a pan
over low heat, let it cool slightly, then
put the cheesecloth into it and shake the
pan to help it absorb the butter. Drape
the butter-saturated cheesecloth over the
turkey -- especially tucking in the wings
and legs under this blanket. Baste
right through the cloth until the last half
hour, then gently remove the cloth and let
the turkey finish browning.
The cloth will hold the basting on the turkey
and allow it to penetrate, rather than just
running off the instant you ladle it on. Perfect
turkey every time!
- Play
with ingredients and side dishes to keep them
interesting. Tired of the
same old stuffing? How about adding some cut
up Granny Smith apples to it, or wild rice
for a nutty flavor. Substitute apple juice
for the water or broth you usually include
in the stuffing. Remember that people's
memories are triggered by taste, so don't
get too wild -- or, if you do, prepare
a "new" version along with the traditional
one so no one will be disappointed. Yours
may become the newest tradition.
- Include
children in your planning and the event.
Don't banish them to another room to eat --
bring them into the festivities. Some of the
best, most enduring family memories are based
around silly things one child or another in
the family did at a holiday meal.
Most
of all, relax! Enjoy the cooking,
and especially the left-overs. Here
are some great links to everything
you need to make Thanksgiving a success.
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We
are enormously appreciative of the opportunity
to share our weekly newsletters with you.
We feel that much of the content is valuable
for anyone who purchases fine clothing and is
interested in their preservations and cleaning
and has a deep abiding respect for important
holidays like this one. Click
on any of the image to the left if your would
like to send this and future newsletters to
a friend. We know, it's not snowing yet,
but guess what's just around the corner.
Thanks a million, Ed and Mary
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The
Iris
City Cleaners Connection
is
a weekly news letter dedicated to the interest
of fine garment care, restoration, and conservation.
It is published in Mt Pleasant, Iowa by Iris
City Cleaners and is an extension of our services
described in www.iriscitycleaners.com |
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