Uncle Ray's BBQ Chips
Family made - quality foods. Not for sale in CA. The life and times of Uncle Ray. Chapter 11. Thanksgiving on the line. I staled in the food industry as a cook and baker on a Navy destroyer, the U.S.S. Bristol. There I learned what to do when life hands you lemons - only in my case it was a heap of soggy steamed turkey. The night before Thanksgiving, 1957, I had placed 12 turkeys inside steam jacket kettles to thaw. Unfortunately, a critical valve leaked and in the morning I found a dozen bare carcasses and a pile of steamed meat. Dinner was at noon and I had to work fast. I melted 20 pounds of butter, poured it over the meat, seasoned it and shoved it in the oven at 300 degrees. Meanwhile, I used the drippings from the kettles to make turkey noodle soup and gravy. We had cranberry sauce, mixed vegetables, hot rolls, tossed salad and pumpkin pie for dessert. After dinner, a line of more then 100 stuffed happy sailors and wives came by the galley to compliment us on the meal - especially the moist, tender turkey. Some lessons in life slip by us, but I remembered the one I teamed that Thanksgiving: when life hands you lemons, you make lemonade. Resourcefulness: Seeing value in objects, ideas and people. Making wise use of time, talent and resources. Repair, reuse, recycle. From my family to yours, thank you for choosing Uncle Ray's - Uncle Ray.