Turkey Tales: 512th AW members share Thanksgiving blunders

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Veronica A. Aceveda
  • 512th Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  (Editor's note: This is the second in a series of three stories about Thanksgiving.)

From its earliest celebration in 1621 to today, the Thanksgiving holiday typically features a feast of food. It's during these times, when the kitchen begins to bustle with commotion while preparing the various entrees and side dishes - leaving a lot of room for culinary blunders.

Some wing members have shared some of their families' follies on Thanksgiving Day.

"My brother placed a serving tray full of turkey in the oven to reheat it; the problem was the serving tray was plastic and melted in the oven."
Senior Master Sgt. Bryan Ford, 512th Maintenance Squadron

"When my son was 20 months old, he wanted a snack while I was cleaning the turkey. I had meat juice up to my elbows, so I told him to wait. When I got the turkey ready and myself cleaned up about 15 minutes later, I found him in the living room with a snack cup and a can of oatmeal dumped all over the floor. I think about 5 oats hit the cup. Luckily, he didn't get anything wet, so it vacuumed up."
Lt. Col. Gretchen Kurlander, 512th Logistics Readiness Flight

"Many years ago, my sister cooked giblets in the turkey without knowing it."
Pamela Withrow, 512th Mission Support Squadron

"I attempted to cook a duck; it's definitely not cooked like a turkey. I remember lots of oil in the pan and dry meat. Thank goodness for ham that year."
Chief Master Sgt. Gary Green, 512th Maintenance Squadron

"My husband cooked green beans in a crock pot for our first Thanksgiving, and we finally ate Thanksgiving dinner at 7 p.m."
Maj. Cathy Anderson, 512th Mission Support Squadron

"My sister, a Services cook, had to work that morning and was running late, so she called me with instructions to start the prepared lasagna. Yes, lasagna, she was married to an Italian. During the meal, everyone was having issues cutting into the baked lasagna. Although it truly looked shiny and yummy, when and if you were able to cut a piece to eat, it was extremely chewy and tough. Finally, my sister asked me how I prepared the lasagna. I proudly stated, 'I removed the pan from the refrigerator and placed it into the oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, then I covered with foil for another 15 minutes.' She immediately started laughing, and it was then that we realized we were attempting to eat melted saran wrap. I had taken the directions down perfectly, and she never said to remove the wrap before placing the pan in the oven. There was a happy ending - we still had the turkey. To this day, it's a definite holiday story."
Senior Master Sgt. Raenita Monroe, 512th Memorial Affairs Squadron

"I cut potatoes too small, and when I boiled them, they came out like potato soup."
Tech. Sgt. Athena Mercer, 712th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron

From the novice chef to the experienced host, kitchen blunders are bound to happen on such a food-focused holiday. But, sometimes it's those mistakes that make the fondest memories. Be sure to read the next article in this series, where wing Airmen reflect on why some Thanksgiving holidays stand out from the rest.