April 6, 2014

White Dog and the rest of the White Dog Army were not entirely heartbroken when Steve returned from the Asian fish market to report that it was out of the Norwegian Atlantic Mackerel that is the usual protein source for their homecooked dinners.

Steve cooks it up then mixes it with whole grains or brown rice, fresh vegetables, and fruit. This becomes their dinner meal for the upcoming week. The mix of veggies and type of carbohydrate changes from week to week depending upon what looks fresh at the market, so the WDA gets a fair amount of variety.

We try to avoid chicken, a habit we got into because Angel Nuka was allergic to it...and YoYoMa shows a slight intolerance if overfed. But every pup LOVES turkey...roasted and freshly carved into their meal (sans skin and fat, of course). So they were THRILLED at Steve's announcement that he would "just run over to the grocery and pick up a whole turkey for this week."

Famous last words.

Little did Steve know that in Albuquerque at least whole roasting birds are considered "seasonal fare;" in other words they are not stocked. Our normal grocery did not have them. Nor did our healthy alternative food store. The Costco? Nope. Not even the Big Box everything store with grocery had none. Oh, they all had tiny little boneless turkey breasts of three pounds or so...but we have an Army of White Dogs and that simply would not suffice.

Midway through the treasure hunt, we almost talked ourselves into salmon but balked at the price for wild caught.

We ended up at the premier butcher shop in town. Keller's had turkeys. Of course they did. Lovely organic, locally raised, kosher, fresh never frozen birds dressed like my grandmother's butcher would have and wrapped in white paper before it was passed over the chin high glass fronted case filled with meats arranged like a cooking magazine photo.

"Here is this week's dinner," Steve announced when we returned home. "Hard won and the best our fair city has to offer. Enjoy it because next week, it is back to Norwegian fisherman food for you all, my Northern beautifies."

I kissed Steve as he reached to pull out the roaster. "It WAS still twenty cents a pound cheaper than the salmon AND I can make stock from the carcass." "Good thing, love, because you and I? We are living on turkey stock and vegetable trimmings this week," he responded.

The WDA assembled in front of the oven to watch over the bird. "Mmmmmm, thanks Dad!" Spoiled????