WELL, we most certainly would not have needed to worry about starting a fire. We simply could NOT get the oil to heat up to the 350 degrees that the directions said it needed to be before putting the turkey in it. We moved the aparatus to a more sheltered location between the sunroom and the shed, thinking maybe it was too windy out in the open. We took some of the oil out of the kettle. But 250 degrees was as high as it would go.

Finally, after about two hours, Frank brought the kettle in to heat it on the electric stove, and in a short time the temp was 350 degrees.

At the same time Ray cut the turkey up so it would cook in a shorter amount of time.



Then they loaded the cut-up turkey into the wire basket, put the kettle of oil on the gas burner again, and slowly, carefully dropped the turkey into the oil. It probably took another hour, but eventually they put the turkey into my roast pan and brought it in to the oven. I looked at it and tasted it and pronounced it finished. And it WAS delicious, believe it or not!


The craziest thing about our day was the timing of everything. I had decided we would eat at 1:00. So I was on Ray's case to get the oil started at 11:30. Then Lori and Anthony called at 12:15 and said they had just left State College and would not arrive until about 2:30 and we shouldn't wait for them. I assured them we would wait. Then Sam called and said, "I'm running late. I just left home." (He lives one hour away.) I said, "Don't worry, Anthony and Lori just left State College. You're not late." THEN, surprise of all surprises, Frank arrived with his two little boys at 1:00 on the dot. Frank - the one who is NEVER, EVER on time, the one we have waited for every time we have ever had a meal!

It was only after that that we decided that there was a REAL problem with our turkey fryer, and it took the brains of Sam, Ray, and Frank, and a few phone calls to Dick in Florida to come up with some solutions. When Anthony and Lori arrived we were still figuring things out, and we ended up having a crazy, funny time together that we will always remember!