Turkey and Dressing Recipe

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For several weeks before Christmas, save your bread heels and let them dry. Run them through the food processor or meat grinder. In a big bowl, put dry bread crumbs, savory, salt and pepper. Melt about a 1/2 cup margarine in a pan, then cut up one small onion and let simmer until the onion is clear. Mix butter and onion with the bread crumbs and seasoning mixture. Stir until well mixed. Clean the inside of a thawed turkey and place the bread mixture into the turkey, packing lightly. If you want to have better luck keeping the stuffing inside the turkey, sew the flap of skin closed. Put the turkey in a roasting pan (Debbie puts hers breast side down and Gary puts his breast side up with strips of bacon or salt pork on top). Add two or three large cups of water. Chop 3 or 4 onions and put some on the turkey and the remainder in the water. Cook in slow oven (225°F) until turkey is cooked; this usually takes 6 to 8 hours for a 12 to 15 pound turkey. Every two hours, open the oven, raise lid, breathe deep and say, "Ummmmm, that smells good."

A half hour before serving, remove the turkey from the roaster and use the liquid to make brown gravy. Either transfer the liquid into another pan, or put the roaster with liquid on the stove top and bring to a boil. You make the gravy by mixing white flour and cold water (there is lots of cold water coming from the tap in Labrador at Christmas time) and shake well making sure there are no lumps. Slowly add the flour mixture to the rapidly boiling liquid while stirring constantly. Add a few tablespoons of beef bouillon granules. Add salt and pepper to taste. Continue to stir until the mixture starts to boil again. Turn down the heat and let simmer until the rest of the meal is ready.