The Following is the Transcript of the Interview I did with Aunt Mabel when I asked for her Recipe:

"Aunt Mabel Can I get your recipe for the Christmas Bird?"

OK, but you gotta remember this is an old family recipe and aint meant for just anyone. Lets see, first you need a decent size bird, about 12 to 18 pounds. Now if your Uncle Bobby Don is coming over we gotta cook ham and Turkey cause he eats like a steam shovel stuck in high gear. No, Hiram, I aint talking about you, go back to watching the football game. I swear that man thinks that I aint got nothing better to do than talk about him. Now where was I?

You were gonna give me the recipe. Said we needed a 12 to 18 pound bird.

Oh yea, OK next, you need a paper bag, like the one get from the grocery store. It don't matter what store you get one from, but Hiram always gets a Piggly Wiggly bag cause he says the little pig on the front of it makes him laugh. You also need some peanut oil, about a cup. Now make sure its fresh and it has to be Peanut oil, none of them other oils work as well.

OK, a cup of Fresh Peanut Oil

Now you also need some Worcestershire Powder, not a whole bunch but a little. Sprinkle the Worcestershire Powder on the bird and rub it in with the Peanut oil. Don't get carried away with either one of em. Just a couple of pinches of powder and just enough oil to get it in. Go ahead and turn on your oven to 325 degrees. What, No Hiram I aint Cooking supper right now, I am telling this boy a recipe. No, I don't know why he wants it, everyone knows his wife wont let him in the kitchen after that fiasco with the tomaters.

Aunt Mabel, the Recipe

Well, if you would quit interrupting me all the time you would have it already. Now slide that bird in the sack, Breast side up. Tie off the bag with some string, and now you can't use fishing line, it melts and smokes up the house. Now stick the whole thing in a roasting pan without the lid. Put it on the bottom shelf of your oven and cook it for 10 minutes per pound. If you cook it longer than that the meat will fall off the bones. You wanna make sure that sack aint touching the top of the oven.

When its done that bag is gonna be all full of steam so open it careful, put it on the platter and serve it. Now that goes real well with My Stuffin and home made biscuits.

Thanks Aunt Mabel, it sounds wonderful.

End Transcript

Aunt Mabel's Turkey is famous in the family for its tenderness and juiciness. It may sound strange but makes a good bird.

I Originally wrote this column for Thanksgiving 1998 before "Uncle Hiram" completely took over the column.