Traditions Grace Tables Around Region On Thanksgiving

RISTOL, Va. – Terry Chaffin spent a few minutes Wednesday surveying a cooler filled with frozen turkeys before selecting a 20-pound Butterball destined to grace her Thanksgiving table today.

Chaffin said she isn’t worried about the bird thawing in time. Preparing a large meal for her family is a holiday tradition.

“It’s one of those mother things my children look forward to every year,” the Bristol, Tenn., resident said during a shopping trip to the Food City on Euclid Avenue.

Thawing will occur overnight and she plans to begin working “early” this morning with preparations.

“That’s just the way I do it,” she said, while balancing her 2-year-old grandson, Ryan Phipps, in her left arm.

She expects to feed at least 10 people today, with a menu that also includes dressing, vegetables and pies.

Americans feast on 535 million pounds of turkey on Thanksgiving. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, more than 45 million turkeys are cooked and eaten at Thanksgiving in the U.S., or about a sixth of all the turkeys sold nationwide each year.

The store was crowded Wednesday with shoppers preparing for the big day – but not all were buying turkeys.

Sharon Jones, of Bristol, Tenn., went to the grocery store to supplement her menu with a second ham found at the Pratt’s display.

“I bought a big ham the other day, but I was afraid we wouldn’t have enough [leftovers] for ham sandwiches,” Jones said after buying a smaller, four-pound ham.

“I will have turkey also, but we eat turkey all year-round because we don’t eat a lot of red meat, so this year we’re having ham, too,” Jones said. “I especially like the Pratt’s hams. I’ve never had another one just like it. I like it cold.”

Jones, who has a large family, said this year’s Thanksgiving gathering will be small compared to previous years.

“We’ll have 10 or 12. In years past, we’ve had as many as 30,” she said with a smile.

Hams are more popular at Christmas, but business has been brisk in recent days, Pratt’s employee Libby Taylor said.

“It’s been real good. I opened Monday and yesterday [Tuesday] and we were real busy. I even brought a helper today,” Taylor said.

While honey-glazed ham is Pratt’s signature item, Taylor’s cooler was also stocked with cooked, sliced turkey breast, cranberry salad and other items.

Turkey will be at the center of Charlie and Becky Hale’s table – just as it has for as long as the Bristol, Tenn., couple can remember.

“He makes the best turkey. We’ve never had a dry one,” Becky Hale said as they paused from loading their cart with everything from soft drinks to sausage.

The secret, Charlie Hale said, is both preparation and attention.

“I wipe it down good with butter and then baste it about once every hour,” he said. “You have to cover it with aluminum foil and stuff it full on both ends.”

While some opt for lower cooking temperatures and longer time in the oven, Hale prefers 350 degrees and about four hours. He plans to begin cooking “early” and put everything on the table at about 2 p.m.

Their menu for an expected crowd of 10-12 will also feature stuffing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and gravy, pumpkin pie, cheesecake and about “four dozen” homemade rolls.

“There are six of us, but we always have drop-ins,” Becky Hale said.

Like Jones, the Hales look forward to leftovers.

“We have sandwiches the next day and then it goes into turkey casserole,” Charlie Hale said, prompting his wife to admit there “usually” isn’t that much left over.

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