Don't forget the whipped cream and sprinkles

As we approach the 401st anniversary of the celebration of Thanksgiving, I consulted a panel of local experts for some insight into the holiday: 10 second graders at Dora Consolidated Schools.

I visited this enthusiastic crew in their classroom last week, where they had plenty of wisdom to offer on why we celebrate this day and how to prepare some of their favorite foods, even as it turned out - unbelievably to me - they all swore they had never seen or even heard of Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade.

Say hello to Abigail, Amorie, Anahi, Bailey, Chase, Emily, Kennedy, Robert, Taysley, and Wyatt. They are all 7 years old (although some of them are "nearly 8") and all are in Kellie Bilbrey's class at Dora.

We kicked off our visit with a discussion of why we celebrate Thanksgiving.

Wyatt said it is to "be kind and have fun with everyone." Amorie said, "It's about helping each other and family being together." Abigail chimed in with the obvious: "To give thanks."

Emily brought up another important reason: "To meet your cousins."

She's right. Holidays are sometimes the only time of year we get to meet our relatives (perhaps not always a bad thing, but I diplomatically skirted that topic with the second graders).

Turkey made everyone's short list of favorite foods.

"Turkey and mashed potatoes and gravy," Chase confirmed. He also looks forward to "green chile and soy sauce."

Wyatt had a more traditional list: "Mashed potatoes, gravy, turkey, ham, green beans, and cranberries."

Cranberries did not meet unanimous approval. In fact, Thanksgiving is not one of Kennedy's favorite holidays for that very reason: "I don't like cranberries."

Second graders are full of kitchen tips, starting with turkey preparation.

With a nod to the do-it-yourself crowd, Robert said, "You hunt the turkey first." Then, he advises, "Take all of the good stuff you can eat and then you put it in the oven and warm it." (Remove the feathers, by the way. "They are not good stuff.")

Best oven temperature and cooking time for golden perfection?

"One hundred degrees for two hours," according to Amorie, but her classmates were quick to disagree noting that 100 degrees is "way too hot" and "you'd have to throw it out because it would burn." Your call on that one.

If you'd rather not forage for your own bird, Taysley recommends buying a turkey, but points out it will be "missing something ... a secret ingredient that you have to add ... it's love ... and then more turkey."

Her baking directions are a time saver: "10 seconds, and then 16 seconds more, at 62 degrees."

Abigail disagrees. "You need to cook the turkey extra-long so it will be crunchy," she said.

What about dressing?

"It's made from sauce that is old," Amorie said. "You microwave it for two hours."

"My mom makes it out of gravy," Bailey said, and also added that if you like bread, you can "make dough out of gravy, then put it in the oven ... maybe for seven minutes ... I'm not sure."

"This is how I make cranberries," Robert said. "I get my mom to buy them. Get them and wash them, because they are dirty. Let them dry. Then I smash them. Then my mom adds a lot of sugar."

Finish your feast with pumpkin pie, or possibly cherry pie, or maybe try orange pie (Wyatt said, "You have to have orange juice and you have to have bread," for this one).

Whatever you do, don't forget the whipped cream. And sprinkles. Always sprinkles.

And don't forget the real reason we gather to share a meal this week.

"Because we love each other," according to Anahi.

Smart kids, those second graders.

Betty Williamson loves 7-year-olds, but hopes they have some help in the kitchen on Thursday. Reach her at:

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