{"id":32379,"date":"2019-11-19T22:32:58","date_gmt":"2019-11-19T22:32:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ufcw.org\/?p=32379"},"modified":"2020-09-08T17:23:54","modified_gmt":"2020-09-08T17:23:54","slug":"tdayheroes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ufcw.org\/tdayheroes\/","title":{"rendered":"Those who work Thanksgiving deserve thanks for being there when we need them"},"content":{"rendered":"
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About 9 out of 10<\/a> Americans celebrate Thanksgiving and think it is an important time to spend with family and friends. But in order for the rest of us to enjoy that time together, there\u2019s still many workers clocking in to keep our communities running.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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In our UFCW family alone, we have dedicated, hard-working members in places like hospitals, grocery stores, and retail locations who sacrifice time with their loved ones every year to make sure the rest of us still have access to the things we need.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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\"Thanksgiving<\/a><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Almost every Thanksgiving cook has a story about some year that they forgot a vital ingredient and had to make an emergency run to the grocery store, and chances are good that it was a UFCW member who helped them at union grocery stores like Safeway or Fred Meyer . Unlike non-union workers, UFCW workers are covered by contracts that spell out what the rules and compensation are for working holidays, and many enjoy the added pay and chance to help others that can come with working on days like Thanksgiving.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Working Thanksgiving also means our members have heard all the horror story cooking fiascos last-minute shoppers come in with. With that, we have a couple of quick tips to keep in mind to avoid unnecessary stress.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Tips for a successful feast<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Plan when to defrost your turkey<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n\n
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While you aren\u2019t likely to forget to buy turkey, if you buy frozen, it can be easy to forget to take the turkey out to defrost in time. The safest way to defrost a turkey is in the refrigerator, but this method does take some time, about one day per 4 – 5 pounds of weight. That means if you get a large, heritage turkey, it could take up to 4 days in the refrigerator to thaw.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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If T-day comes and your bird is still a bit frosty, according to the USDA,<\/a> you can still cook a frozen turkey, it\u2019s just going to take longer.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Measure your roasting pan<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Is your roasting pan large enough for your turkey? Do you know where it is?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Do you have a meat thermometer?<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n\n
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While it’s possible to cook a turkey without one, it\u2019s way less stressful to know for sure if it\u2019s done cooking and safe to eat.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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If you are using an oven safe leave-in thermometer, insert the probe into the thigh so that the tip of the thermometer is at the thickest part, but not touching the bone. Remove the turkey when it reaches 180\u00b0F. The breast must reach 170\u00b0F.  If the turkey is stuffed, check the temperature of the center of the stuffing is at least 165\u00b0F.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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If you are using an instant read thermometer, check 30-60 minutes before the estimated finish time, then about every 15 minutes thereafter.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Stale bread takes time<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Are you making your stuffing from scratch? Soft, fresh bread doesn\u2019t work very well for stuffing, so this is another step to remember about ahead of time. If your bread is too soft, spread it out on a sheet pan and leave it out on the kitchen counter overnight.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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You can\u2019t have enough butter<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Unsalted butter is best for baking and cooking so you can control how much salt is in your recipe, but salted tastes best melted on dinner rolls, so you\u2019ll probably want to pick up both kinds.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Do you need ice?<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Ice is one of the easiest items to forget because it\u2019s difficult to buy ahead of time.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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How\u2019s your salt and pepper stash?<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n\n
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It\u2019s easy to take salt and pepper for granted, but difficult to do without them if you find you\u2019re running low.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Do you have enough aluminum foil and plastic zip-top bags?<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n\n
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If you are planning on sending your guests home with leftovers, they\u2019ll need something to put the food in. Foil and zip-top bags can be a big help, or else stockpile yogurt containers, takeout boxes, or other plastic food containers you can reuse and help cut back on waste.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Monitor your pets<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Have a safe, quiet place for your animal friends and be sure they can\u2019t reach where the food is being laid out.<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

About 9 out of 10 Americans celebrate Thanksgiving and think it is an important time to spend with family and friends. But in order for the rest of us to enjoy that time together, there\u2019s still many workers clocking in to keep our communities running. In our UFCW family alone, we have dedicated, hard-working members […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":32393,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[398],"class_list":["post-32379","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-thanksgiving"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThose who work Thanksgiving deserve thanks for being there when we need them - The United Food & Commercial Workers International Union<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ufcw.org\/tdayheroes\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Those who work Thanksgiving deserve thanks for being there when we need them - The United Food & Commercial Workers International Union\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"About 9 out of 10 Americans celebrate Thanksgiving and think it is an important time to spend with family and friends. 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