🦃 The Turkey That Taught Me a New Way to Cook

Hello Reader, It's Yukari!

How was your Halloween? 🎃 Did you go to any parties or dress up this year?
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Or are you looking forward to El Día de los Muertos? 👻

Whichever it is, I hope you’re soaking in the beauty of fall and a little extra sweetness this week. 🍭

🍂 Aric's Mom, Marge, and My First American Thanksgiving

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When I first moved to the States, I shied away from cooking.

The imperial system (what’s with cups and ounces and quarts? 😵‍💫) totally overwhelmed me.

But Aric’s mom, Marge, helped bring me back to the kitchen.

She was like Martha Stewart with a big, bright laugh.
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She could cook, sew, garden, and tell the funniest stories, all while making something delicious.

My first Thanksgiving with her?
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Total culture shock.

Marge showed up unexpectedly one year… with a whole turkey. 😳

In Japan, I’d never even seen a turkey.
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If we had one, it wouldn’t have fit in our ovens! 🤣

She turned the oven on, seasoned the turkey, slid it in, and then…

grabbed her purse and said,

“Let’s go shopping, Yukari!” 😳

I was stunned.

The oven was on.
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The turkey was in.

And she wanted to leave the house!?

I imagined the house burning down. 🔥

But Marge was ready to go.

So we did.

And when we came back — surprise — the house was still standing. 😂

Instead, it smelled like home. 🧡

That was the day I learned one of the most important cooking lessons of my life.

You start with the longest dish first. ​
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​Then prep around it.

While the turkey roasted, Marge prepped side dishes, watched football, and laughed often, just like my dear friend, Terumi.

No panic. Just rhythm.

That was the first time I realized.

Great cooks don’t start with recipes.
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They begin with time.

📝 Need Help with Thanksgiving (or Holiday dinner) Timing?

That memory inspired something I want to give you this week:

🎁 A free printable: “Your Thanksgiving Timing Prep Sheet”

It’s a super simple guide that helps you:

✅ Start with your longest dishes

✅ Layer in easy wins while things cook

✅ Feel calm and in control! Not stressed or scattered! 😎

👉 Click here to get your copy now!

Whether this is your first Thanksgiving dinner or your 15th, I hope it brings you a little extra calm and confidence this season.

🧑‍🍳 Next time... I’ll share what happened after that dinner, and how that one turkey changed the way I plan meals forever.

Thank you for being the Kitchen and for helping us build this cozy little corner of the internet. 🧡
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With flavor & friendship,
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Aric & Yukari
🐶🐱 (Senna & Ka-En are here for the scraps, as always)

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