Kitsch-en Kounter: Thanksgiving Leftover Luncheon Loaf

I'm going to cut to the chase; I don't really care for Thanksgiving food.  Call me un-American, but it all just seems so...cooked (like thrice-baked and covered in gravy).  My oh-so-casual attempts to fool my family into an alternative menu are thwarted at every turn; "Hey, gang!  How's about we have a taco bar and make-your-own Jell-O station on Thursday?  Sounds pretty neat, huh?"  But no dice.  Who knew I was related to so many traditional-type sticks in the mud?!!

Over a lifetime, the fatty within (and without) has tried to convince me that Thanksgiving food is both good and worth all the effort, but at this age and stage I am finally willing to live in my truth; I will give you a hundred Thanksgiving feasts for just one 4th-of-July BBQ!  Don't get me wrong.  It's not that I abstain from the bounty of the Thanksgiving table but I am far from inclined to overindulge on turkey and dressing; any average Wednesday afternoon will find me much more in need of elasticized trousers.  What I do love, however, is leftovers.  Within the remainder of chilled, uneaten scraps I find an endless source of creative culinary possibilities.  Even in the dull, grey leftovers of Thanksgiving food, I see a turkey transformation just waiting to happen.

As in all things, I find inspiration in my Kitsch-en Kounter forebears. 

It seems that Turkey Tetrazzini is so retro that it has become "now-tro" and therefore "out-ro" by Kitsch-en Kounter standards.  I decided to turn the flotsam and jetsam of our Thanksgivings past into "Thanksgiving Leftover Luncheon Loaf."  I'm pretty sure that a wise man once said, "We eat with our ears first."  And what sounds more appetizing than "Leftover loaf?"

I had my materials.  I had my inspiration.  Who knew that in creating this sweet-and-savory, layered delight that the hardest part would be finding pristine bread unmarred by an automatic slicing machine?  Two bakeries and four grocery stores later, I couldn't find a single loaf not already cut to ribbons.  The pendulum of preferences in baked goods has swung so far in one direction that now we'll laud the latest marvel by saying, "That's the greatest thing since unsliced bread!"  Eventually, I had to settle for a trimmed-down boule (#wackytackyworldproblems).  Once I had the bread situation under control, it was time to fulfill my obligation to the fillings.

Layer 1: Turkey Salad (leftover turkey, apples, almonds, dried cranberries, and tarragon)

Layer 2: Dressing

Is there an angle from which leftover dressing becomes photogenic?
If so, I haven't found it.  Our family recipe for sage dressing includes
onions, apples, dried cranberries, dried apricots, and roasted pecans.

Layer 3: Cranberry Sauce
I stabilized the homemade cranberry sauce with a bit of cream cheese.

Even the fattiest fatty would have second thoughts about frosting his sandwich but it wouldn't be a layer cake of a sandwich without the unsweetened icing and some decorative finishing touches.  Taking style cues from the antique Thanksgiving greeting above, I made a rather primitive, if altogether edible, turkey out of a mushroom, a red bell pepper, almonds, a carrot, and a single clove.  The pumpkins are made of apricots and flat leaf parsley.  

A bird's eye view
Nesting on a bed of parsley, I only wish I could have surrounded the
Thanksgiving Leftover Luncheon Loaf with hard-boiled turkey eggs!

A cross section of the Thanksgiving Leftover Luncheon Loaf
and the Pecan Praline Pumpkin Bread made for dessert.
As they say, one good loaf deserves another!

Thinking that by adding a few fresh herbs and a loaf of bread I had somehow reduced the richness of Thanksgiving dinner is probably one of my greatest delusions.  In the chance to rework the leftovers of what is my least favorite meal of the year, however, I found something in all of that heavy food for which I am truly thankful.  Maybe next year I'll just make turkey jerky!

"Jerky Turkey" (1945)

Tell the truth, have you ever frosted your sandwich?  What is the best thing you've ever made out of leftovers?  How will you celebrate Thanksgiving this year?  We think that wherever one may live in the world, it is never a bad idea to reflect upon those things for which one is particularly grateful.  Mr. Tiny is especially thankful for his family and his family of wacky tacky turkey necks.  Thanks for your love, loyalty, and support!!! 

From all of us to all of you, a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Cheers!

Mr. Tiny

A Day of Thanksgiving: The Johnson Family Counts Its Blessings

One of the things for which I have always been grateful is old, educational film reels.  I feel so lucky to have gone through school at the tail-end of the era when teachers still wheeled the projector in from the A/V storage room and began the process of winding the beginning of the decades-old film from one reel to another.  The films were always sensationally-corny but as an avid lover of nostalgia (even at a young age) I'll never forget that combination of overwhelming thrill and terror experienced in the moments of countdown; would it be "Donald in Mathmagic Land"(good), Mr. Bungle in "Lunchroom Manners" (great), or, heaven forbid, "Our Changing Bodies" (shudder)?  In honor of America's oldest holiday tradition, I share with you a wonderfully-apropos film reel about family and gratitude, "A Day of Thanksgiving."

"A Day of Thanksgiving"

Listening to the Johnson family talk about the Thanksgiving that was "the best [they'd] ever had," I was struck by two things - one, that the children were completely unaware that the Thanksgiving Holiday was upon them until Susan read it in the newspaper (kids reading newspapers, cuh-mon..) and two, how closely the family's gratitude list reminded me of Norman Rockwell's series of paintings, "Four Freedoms."  I definitely count Norman Rockwell's artwork as a blessing in my life.  While I am no amasser of Rockwell collectible plates, I have always appreciated the warmth, humor, and humanity of his fine illustrations.

"Four Freedoms" - Norman Rockwell

I love the courage and faith and love captured in each picture.  While "Freedom from Want" tends to get the most face time at Thanksgiving, I believe that every "Freedom" is important in acknowledging the rights we enjoy in this country, the rights we often take for granted.

Freedom from Want
Did someone say, "Free public library?"  Tommy may appreciate
the well-written words of Jack London but he is especially grateful
for plenty of food, including extras like cookies & milk after school.
GOLLY!

Freedom of Worship
Among her many blessings, like her clothes and her parents,
Susan was grateful for her ability to attend Sunday School.

Freedom of Speech
Mother, grateful for hot water, washing machines, the telephone,
a car, the safe birth of her children, dad's job, and American Democracy,
was probably most grateful for the freedom to meet friends and neighbors at
the backdoor for a good gab session on any subject, even Jane Jones' hat!

Freedom from Fear
With the very real threat of lurking fascists or gangsters,
Father is grateful that there is no fear in answering the
knock at the door (even if it is a bill collector...or more of mother's
darn friends who just can't stop talking about Jane Jones' hat). 

"A Day of Thanksgiving," and other instructional film reels of similar ilk, usually tend toward the melodramatic, the condescending, the banal.  Nevertheless, I think the simple messages of respect and gratitude are both timeless and quite-timely in a world plagued by "selfies."

In spite of Mr. Johnson's counsel that gratitude "isn't something you can write down like a grocery list," I will attempt to compile a brief inventory of those things for which I count myself thankful - keeping in mind that I've "got to feel it down deep before [I] can really be thankful for anything."

1. It may seem trite, but I am grateful for my family.  They are my best friends, my confidantes, and my reason for functioning (especially that little one, front and center).

The whole fam-damn-ily!

2. Little Tommy Tucker the Thanksgiving Squirrel

And Chi Chi the French Bulldog

3. wacky tacky!  It probably appears incredibly self-centered to be grateful for one's own blog but the support, friendship, and community that I found through blogging were an unexpected thrill.

4. wacky tacky!  No, there is not an echo in here; I am grateful for a world that is chock-a-block with whimsy, fun, energy, creativity, and inspiration.  I love adventure days and all the wild, wonderful, and weird roadside attractions that are available to the wacky tacky adventure team and to everyone!

The wacky tacky adventure team

5. A functioning body.  It might not be beautifully formed or full of grace, there may be a lot more of it than deemed fashionable, but, boy oh boy, I sure am glad that I can see, hear, type, sew, assist my friends and family, taste, and DANCE!!!

***no picture required here***

6. Feedback!  It is hackneyed amongst bloggers to express gratitude over comments but there is nothing better than to know there are "those wonderful people out there in the dark," reading (maybe even enjoying) our words.  Writing a blog is pleasurable work, but it is definitely work.  Understanding the joy that comes from receiving thoughtful comments, I will put forth a more concerted effort to spread that joy by commenting more often on the blogs that I love.  Thank you for your comments; I truly appreciate them!

There is a certain amount of delusional self-
importance required for writing this blog.
Please keep those comments coming!

7. Non-Thanksgiving dinners.  "Even the pilgrims had a feast; isn't that what Thanksgiving is for?"  Despite the Johnson kids' relish for "Turkey, and dressing, and pie, and cake, and fruit salad, and whipped cream, and cranberries," I find the Thanksgiving table to be a tad dull and overwrought.  I am, however, grateful for the relative abundance with which we live.  "No turkey for Thanksgiving?"  That's okay by me; let's have a salad bar or, better yet, Pineapple Upside-Down Loaf!

Well, it is most-assuredly abbreviated but this is my list for now.  I encourage everyone to follow the Johnson family's example and start "totin' up the common ordinary blessings that we have to be thankful for."  Just writing this short list has changed my attitude for the better and put me in the right spirit for our Thanksgiving festivities.

Americans might have the market cornered on turkey consumption but we certainly don't have it cornered on gratitude; because of this, I wish a "reel" Happy Thanksgiving to one and all!


Cheers!

Mr. Tiny

Tommy Tucker the Thanksgiving Squirrel

With only a couple days left for Americans to remember that for which they are truly grateful, I decided to join the thankful throngs and entertain the same thoughts myself.  As I ponder the many things for which I am ever appreciative, I can't help but reflect on my travels.  I am not especially well-traveled but with the opportunity to explore other countries and other cultures, I am reminded that wacky tacky knows no creed, color, geographic boundary...nor species.

I was overjoyed when, in Kyoto, we stumbled upon a
staged family of Tanuki (Japanese raccoon dogs) going
about the rigors of daily life in feudal Japan.

I imagine that dressing and staging a whole tanuki family is quite the undertaking, but obviously this taxidermied bunch wasn't putting up much of a fight.  Imagine dressing a real, live squirrel!

Little Tommy Tucker, the muse and ward of  Mrs. Mark Bullis of Washington D.C., was
orphaned at birth.  With a wardrobe of thirty, couture outfits of Bullis' own design, Tommy
(and his French Bulldog) became a mild sensation in wartime America after his feature
in Life Magazine.
(Source)

I'm assuming that Mrs. Bullis named Tommy after the old English nursery rhyme of the same name:

"Little Tommy Tucker 

Sings for his supper.

What shall he eat?

White bread and butter.

How shall he cut it without any knife?

How will he be married without a wife?"

Don't let a squirrel fool you; it is entirely possible to eat bread and butter without a knife (plenty can be accomplished with  dull spoon - plus, arming a squirrel is never a good idea).  On the other hand, it is probably no small task to woo a squirrel wife while sporting a tartan-plaid pinafore; you might be wondering why Tommy, a boy squirrel, is dressed in such a feminine frock.  Well, have you ever tried to get a live squirrel into a pair of Sunday britches??!!!  You also might be wondering how one distinguishes a boy squirrel from a girl squirrel, anyway?  The answer is easy; check his nuts.

Dressed in his marketing ensemble, it appears that Tommy indeed sang for his supper.
Although what supper he would be getting from the butcher shop remains a mystery.
Frankly, I would be afraid to take my pet squirrel to the sausage company
during WWII when food was rationed and meat was scarce.
(Source)

After marketing, Tommy becomes a model for the latest in trans-rodent fashion
including ric rac, stripes, gingham, prints, and "a pleated, silk dress for company."
His credits include "professional model" but he looks a little squirrelly to me...
(Source)

All play and no work makes Tommy a silly squirrel.
Tommy was sure to make time for entertaining hospital-bound children while wearing his Red Cross uniform.
(Source)

All tucker-ed out at the end of a productive day, Tommy makes sure to
wash behind his ears and say his prayers before drifting off to dreamland.
(Source)

Once we had a baby bird fall into our spa and, after rescuing it from drowning and trying our best to foster it, it quickly earned its figurative wings in glory land.  I'm not really an animal person; while I could imagine nurturing the baby bird, I certainly couldn't imagine making it a full costume collection and taking it to the grocery store - and I have a pretty darn good imagination!

Have you ever adopted a wild animal into your family?  We may or may not have a tiny, baby lizard currently occupying the spare bedroom but as we have yet to feed it or sew a single stitch, I'm not sure that counts.  Nevertheless, when I count my blessings this Thanksgiving, I will definitely include Mrs. Bullis, Tommy, and all the others who make wacky tacky a full-time job.

"Hi-Heel Sneakers" - Tommy Tucker (1964)

For the cross-dressing squirrel who has everything! 

Happy Thanksgiving!


Cheers!

Mr. Tiny

Signs of the Times: Tastee Freez

Summer is in full swing around these parts and for wacky tacky that means "Gidget" marathons, Beach Party movies, the Surfer Stomp, and delicious Summertime food!  What says Summertime more than Tastee Freez?  I ask you.

I will probably have to renounce my US citizenship for saying this, but I could happily abstain from every Thanksgiving dinner for the rest of my life and be gastronomically satisfied (the food is just a tad overwrought for my delicate palate).  Tacos and Burgers are way more my speed, especially when advertised on a giant, orange, A-frame sign.  I wish more burger joints would embrace the color orange.  When did red and yellow become the sole representation of junk food?  Don't you love the way the orange sign is anchored in the stripes of aqua and white tile?

 I will admit that we didn't stop and eat at this particular Tastee Freez.  We had probably just eaten, otherwise I would've found it impossible to resist whatever $0.99 Special that is peaking out from the sandwich board in the lower, right-hand corner.  Appetite aside, there was no way that we couldn't stop to snap a quick photo of the sign.  I honestly don't even remember where we were; the sign just popped up along the road on one of our meandering adventures through California.  I'm still trying to watch the old waistline (or that place around my equator where a waistline would be if I had one), but every Summer vacation allows for a few moments of indulgence.  Right?  Am I right?  Hello....

What are your favorite Summertime treats?  Whatever they are, and wherever you are (in the Northern Hemisphere, at least), I hope you find occasion to enjoy them on a beautiful, sunny day!

Also, be sure to sign up for our giveaway, entries will be accepted through Sunday, June 24!


Cheers!

Mr. Tiny