LAYTON -- Tom Turkey was the guest of honor Thursday during the annual Little Noble Knights' Harvest Feast at Northridge High School.
Talkin' turkey, cookin' turkey, paintin' turkey and eatin' turkey were all on the agenda.
"We love the turkey -- it's cooked Dutch-oven style and is so juicy and tender," said Lory Evans, whose son, Max, attends Little Noble Knights.
"The turkey served here is pretty legendary," said Lisa Arango, whose son, Samuel Johnson, attends the child care center as well. "I had to attend this year to find out if it is really as good as everyone says; and it is. It is the best."
Heidi Leavitt, assistant child care coordinator, said her day started at 4 a.m., with a family gathering on the back lawn of her Ogden home, as she and her father, mother, sisters and brother fired up six Dutch ovens, stuffed with turkey and trimmings, on a concrete slab.
The Leavitt family, all members of the International Dutch Oven Society, have prepared turkeys and stuffing for the event using Dutch ovens every year for the past 11 years.
"The first year, we cooked one turkey and ran out of food early," Leavitt said. "We do this for the kids and their parents, and for the students who work so hard in the child care center. It brings everyone together."
Susan Moon, child care coordinator, said parents pitched in by donating other food items and desserts. Northridge High students, who work in the center as a class elective or who volunteer with the Family Career Community Leaders of America, helped prepare and serve food and cleaned up after the Harvest Feast ended.
Denise Stanford, 17, said FCCLA club members volunteered as part of a service project. She said the event brought a lot of excitement from the children.
"I volunteered to provide a service and to be involved with the school," Denise said.
"It has been a lot of fun. Seeing all these smiling children makes you feel good."
Moon said the students and other staff and teacher volunteers began setting up the rooms and tables and started preparing food at 6 a.m.
Becky Madill, a teacher in the infant and toddler class, said before the feast the children made turkey place mats by painting the palms of their hands and fingers and pressing them on construction paper. They then drew a face and legs on their turkey, she said.
"I look forward to this every year -- this turkey is so good," she said. "The children really get excited when they start making the place mats and their head bands. They really look forward to eating with their parents."
Halle Johnson, 6, said all she ate was turkey.
"It was good," she said, while explaining how she made a turkey with her painted hand. Then she said she made another turkey using an apple and candy.
That turkey was especially good, Halle said: "I ate the candy, and then I ate the apple."
Comments