Ani’s Advent Calendar 2018! Talking Turkey with D. Wallace Peach

Posted on December 7, 2018 by Sue Vincent

I always hate this bit. With all the nice things to eat that you two-legses will be making for Christmas, and the whole spirit of sharing, Christmas can be a wonderful time for pets. Trouble is, most of the things we would like to eat, we can’t. Or, if we can, we can’t have anywhere near as much as we would like.

Take turkey, for instance. Really nice…and good for us too… but only if you cook it without anything added… no oils, butter, and definitely no stuffing…and we shouldn’t have much at once either. (We won’t mention the ‘borrowed’ turkey episode…)

Chocolate. We almost all love chocolate. Not allowed. No nuts. No fruitcake or mince pies. Nothing with onions. No gorgeous, greasy sausages and bacon. We shouldn’t really have ham either, becuse it is salty. (We won’t mention the ‘borrowed’ ham episode either…).

And, in the interests of interspecies cooperation (and if I can’t have stuff, I don’t see why a cat should) I feel obliged to mention that all those things dogs shouldn’t have? Cats can’t have them either.

Mind you, I imagine their are a few of my four-legged and feathered friends around who just wish we would all go vegetarian about now…

Talking Turkey

D. Wallace Peach

While the old birds shopped for Christmas presents, Felix and Mort made their annual Black Friday visit to the local tavern to plan Christmas dinner. They’d taken charge of the cooking years ago, and ever since the first year – when they’d admittedly ruffled a few feathers – the girls happily left them to it.

They poured over recipes and shared reviews while Phil, the barkeep, kept the bourbon flowing. Felix spread out his clippings and arranged them into piles. “Time to talk turkey.”

Phil leaned on the bar. “Having turkey this year?”

“Goodness no!” Mort shook his head so hard his chin wobbled. “Goose! We always recommend goose.”

Phil raised an eyebrow. “What about Christmas traditions?”

“I’ll have you know, goose has a very long history,” Felix said and searched for the magazine article. “All the way back to the ancient Egyptians. Did you know that Marco Polo reported seeing geese in China? And Queen Elizabeth ordered that goose be served every Michaelmas in honor of her victory over the Spanish Armada.”

“But what about Ben Franklin?” the barkeep pointed out. “He was a big fan of turkey.”

“A turkey if there ever was one.” The two cooks laughed. “He should have stopped at electricity.”

“Nothing beats goose,” Mort said. “Goose fat has a far better flavor than peanut oil. Some people even save it for cooking. Did you know you can buy pure goose fat on Amazon?”

Phil shook his head. “My wife hates all the grease.”

“Aah…” Felix said, taking Phil under his wing. “But everything about roasted goose tops turkey. The skin is crispy. A goose is juicier than a turkey, and its dark, succulent flesh has a distinctive rich flavor all of its own, with just the right amount of gaminess. Most importantly, the meat isn’t dry; it flakes off the bone.”

Mort’s beady eyes turned dreamy. “Alongside the golden goose, I’m thinking airy potato dumplings, red cabbage, and a baked apple with lingonberries. And apple-sausage stuffing.”

“And liver paté,” Felix added, waving a recipe like a flag.

Mort started sifting through the piles. “Shredded confit! Or we can pack the meat into pastries for deep-fried goose spring rolls.”

Phil replenished their bourbon and slid a recipe from the pile nearest him. “Goose crown pink with celeriac and cranberries. I don’t even know what that means, but it sounds good.”

Felix sighed. “We need to make a decision and get our ducks in a row. How about classic orange and thyme-scented goose? With all Mort’s fixings.”

“Sounds perfect.” Mort beamed. “We should slow-roast for 4-5 hours at 120C. We’ll still get crispy skin, but the breast will stay tender. Then for the last half hour, we’ll turn the temperature up to 220C.”

“You’ve convinced me,” Phil said, topping off their glasses. “I’m trying goose this year.”

“Your wife will love it.” Felix grinned and swayed on his perch. “Oh, my. I’m feeling loose as a goose!” He rested a wing on the bar, holding himself up.

Phil helped them gather up their recipes. “Time for you two turkeys to head home or your gals are going to cook your gooses.”

With a laugh, the two strutted from the bar, waddles wagging and tail feathers fanned. “We did it,” Felix chortled. “Another successful convert.”

“It was easy.” Mort danced a little turkey trot. “He was a sitting duck.”

Find and Follow Diana

Myths of the Mirror Website/Blog

Facebook   Amazon Author Page    Goodreads

Twitter @dwallacepeach

About the author

D. Wallace Peach started writing later in life after the kids were grown and a move left her with hours to fill. Years of working in business surrendered to a full-time indulgence in the imaginative world of books, and when she started writing, she was instantly hooked. Diana lives in a log cabin amongst the tall evergreens and emerald moss of Oregon’s Coastal Mountains with her husband, two dogs, and Pinky the Cat.

Find all Diana’s books on Amazon

The Rose Shield Tetralogy:

Catling’s Bane

Oathbreakers’ Guild

Farlanders’ Law

Kari’s Reckoning

An Invitation from the Small Dog

If you would like to help Ani make her advent calendar this year, send your letters to Santa, festive memories, short stories, flash fiction or poems to the Small Dog. She will post them every day through December until Christmas…and there are still spaces left!

She would especially like to hear from her four-legged or feathered friends (she has a special place very close to her heart for turkeys)… but she says that two-legs are better than none, so she will accept submissions from humans too (and even no-legs if there is the odd literary snake out there…). To get in touch, please use the form on the contact page or email Ani at findme@scvincent.com

About Sue Vincent

Sue Vincent was a Yorkshire born writer, esoteric teacher and a Director of The Silent Eye. She was immersed in the Mysteries all her life. Sue maintained a popular blog and is co-author of The Mystical Hexagram with Dr G.M.Vasey. Sue lived in Buckinghamshire, having been stranded there due to an accident with a blindfold, a pin and a map. She had a lasting love-affair with the landscape of Albion, the hidden country of the heart. Sue  passed into spirit at the end of March 2021.
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63 Responses to Ani’s Advent Calendar 2018! Talking Turkey with D. Wallace Peach

  1. Ritu says:
    December 7, 2018 at 06:39

    You know is what Ani, every day, the little two legses get excited about this box… With chocolate in…
    So I join in… And my mummy two legs gets a box for me! I don’t think it’s chocolate… But whatever I get to eat… It is Yum!!!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  2. Victoria Zigler (@VictoriaZigler) says:
    December 7, 2018 at 08:37

    I always think the thing where they won’t give us a lot of what they eat isn’t fair. To make matters worse, Mummy is a vegetarian, so she doesn’t even have any meat. I tried telling them that should mean more for me, but they just won’t listen. Lots of licks, Lilie

    P.S. me and Mummy liked the story. Though Mummy now kind of feels sorry for the geese, because she’s like that.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  3. D. Wallace Peach says:
    December 7, 2018 at 12:00

    Thanks so much, Ani and Sue for sharing my story, and for the update on foods that aren’t healthy for pups. Honey and Lulu are going to have to stick with turkey and skip the dessert! 🙂

    Like

    Reply
  4. D. Wallace Peach says:
    December 7, 2018 at 12:06

    Reblogged this on Myths of the Mirror and commented:
    I’m fowling around with Ani and her four-legged, Sue Vincent, today with a short story called Talking Turkey. Ani also shares some tips on foods that aren’t safe for dogs. 🙂 Hope to see you there.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  6. Darlene says:
    December 7, 2018 at 13:45

    LOL! A cute story. So much we can’t give our fur babies. I didn’t know about the yeast products like bread.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply
  7. trentpmcd says:
    December 7, 2018 at 13:46

    I have never eaten goose. But then, Mort and Felix are safe from me as I don’t eat turkey either. Funny story. I like all of the side bird references…

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  8. House of Heart says:
    December 7, 2018 at 14:03

    A delightful tale Diana, thanks for the heads up on what not to give doggie. ♥️

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  9. Jacqui Murray says:
    December 7, 2018 at 15:18

    This was wonderful. I knew a lot of these rules but not all. Last night, my dog ate my salmon dinner (well, I dropped it and he swallowed it before it even hit the floor). I didn’t know dogs liked salmon.

    Fun, Diana!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  10. Writing to Freedom says:
    December 7, 2018 at 15:32

    Clever way of educating us about what dogs can and can’t eat. And I love the goose tale. You might have another convert!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  11. Molly Stevens - Shallow Reflections says:
    December 7, 2018 at 16:15

    You made me laugh, Diana. And now my mouth is watering for a full course Christmas goose dinner! I had a bunch of turkeys 🦃 in my backyard yesterday. I couldn’t quite make out what they were ‘waving like a flag.’ But now I know it was a recipe for goose liver pate.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  12. Jina Bazzar says:
    December 7, 2018 at 16:52

    hmmmm. that made me hungry.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  13. thecontentedcrafter says:
    December 7, 2018 at 18:15

    Very funny and clever Diana! I can really imagine the different birds trying to convert meat eaters to any other bird except them – even the animals could join in that bandwagon 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    • D. Wallace Peach says:
      December 12, 2018 at 00:53

      Thanks for reading, Pauline. I had a lot of fun with this story – popping all the cliches in there. Mort and Felix might have convinced a few people to try goose this year, but I heard the geese are recommending duck. 😀 Have a great week, my friend, and sorry for the late reply – this one slipped by me. ❤

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply
  14. Jacquie Biggar says:
    December 7, 2018 at 19:02

    I made the mistake of feeding my little Mexican chihuahua grapes- he loved them. It wasn’t until after he passed away that I learned how dangerous this was. Now, my pets get their food only, safer that way.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  16. Bette A. Stevens says:
    December 7, 2018 at 20:40

    Cute story with great tips on what not to feed those fur babies… ::0 Sharing!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  17. anotetohuguette says:
    December 7, 2018 at 23:10

    Diana, I’m hungry now and smiling…what a lovely tale, thank you to Ani and her Advent calendar, I enjoyed the read!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  18. balroop2013 says:
    December 8, 2018 at 03:39

    Talking turkeys are so cute! Thanks for sharing their story, so different!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    • D. Wallace Peach says:
      December 8, 2018 at 14:21

      Thank you for stopping by, Balroop. The old turkeys are rather enthusiastic about cooking a Christmas goose! I’m glad you enjoyed the story. 🙂 It’s been a pleasure to be here helping Ani celebrate the season. Have a lovely day, my friend. ❤

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply
  19. Julie Holmes, author says:
    December 8, 2018 at 14:51

    LOL! What a great story, Diana! And I didn’t realize there were so many ways to cook goose (even if the ideas came from turkeys 😀 ) Fun!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  20. Teagan R. Geneviene says:
    December 8, 2018 at 17:41

    What a delight! I loved Diana’s story — and Ani’s part of the post was marvelous too. Hugs on the wing!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  21. Widdershins says:
    December 9, 2018 at 01:19

    Hah! 😀 … brilliant story! 😀

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  22. dgkaye says:
    December 9, 2018 at 01:32

    Loved Diana’s story. And loved your infogram Ani, on what not to feed you. ❤ Hugs everyone!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  23. Jennie says:
    December 9, 2018 at 02:52

    Loved the Story, Diana!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  24. D. Wallace Peach says:
    December 9, 2018 at 03:11

    Thanks, Jennie. I appreciate the visit. Have a wonderful Sunday and Happy Holidays. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  25. Teri Polen says:
    December 13, 2018 at 14:40

    When I was growing up, my mom had a dog who loved M&Ms – she gave then to him every day. That was before the days of internet and warnings about not giving dogs chocolate. It’s a wonder Trapper lived as long as he did. Cute story, Diana – the turkeys thank you!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

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