Bird is the word

With Thanksgiving fast approaching, many people are looking forward to that first bite of turkey.

But what if you’ve never cooked a turkey before? How do you know what to do?

Cooking columnist Ellen Lund, who writes “Our Daily Bread” for the Fremont Tribune has some ideas of points to consider.

Helpful tips

* When shopping for a bird, keep in mind that you need to know how many folks you’re going to be feeding and what kind of eaters they are -- and whether or not you want leftovers.

* For light eaters, buy three-fourths of a pound per person. For medium eaters, buy 1 pound per person. And if you’re feeding a bunch of chow hounds — or if you love leftovers – buy 1 1/2 pounds per person.

* To keep a bird very moist, rub the skin with softened butter. Use a closed roaster to keep in all the moisture. To crisp the skin, take off the lid for the last hour of roasting.

* When is the turkey done? Follow the instructions on the turkey wrapping to time it for the expected sit-down-to-dinner time.

“But I expect anything from the bird being done an hour or so before we eat (no problem there, just keep it warm in a slow oven) to it taking longer than expected” (yeah, football and relish trays!).

* To make sure your bird is safely done, be sure to check the temperature of the inner thigh (no less than 180 degrees, please) and make sure that stuffing reaches 165 degrees.

* If you have any questions on Thanksgiving Day, be sure to keep the number handy for the Butterball Turkey hotline 1-800-288-8372. If you lose the number, just remember 1800-Butterball. For more information, be sure to text the word “TURKEY” to 36888 to have tips sent to your mobile phone or visit Butterball.com for lots of hints and tips.

Fun Facts

* Benjamin Franklin wanted to make the wild turkey, not the bald eagle, the national bird of the

United States.

* More than 45 million turkeys are cooked and eaten in the U.S. at Thanksgiving, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

* Most domestic turkeys are so heavy that they are unable to fly.

* Male turkeys are also called “Tom Turkeys” or “Gobblers.” They puff up their bodies and spread their tail feathers like a peacock.

* A female turkey is a hen.

* A baby turkey is called a poult.

* The American Indian name for the turkey was “firkee.”

* Turkeys lived in North America almost 10 million years ago.

* A ballroom dance, called the “Turkey Trot,” was popular in the early 1900s. The dance was named for short, jerky steps.

* Astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin ate turkey in foil packets for their first meal on the moon.

* Turkeys do not see well at night.

* On Sesame Street, Big Bird’s costume is made of nearly 4,000 white turkey feathers that are dyed yellow.

* Turkeys have great hearing, but no external ears.

* Wild turkeys can fly for short distances at speeds up to 55 miles per hour. They can also reach speeds of 25 miles per hour on the ground.

-- Information from: www.kidzone.ws/animals/turkey.htm; and www.saskschools.ca; and www.infoplease.com.