The great Thanksgiving/Chanukah mash up is upon us. But, while many are scrambling to find creative ways to make pumpkin latkes with cranberry sauce or create a cranberry latketini (seriously, I received a Twitter message about that one), the best combo has to be the Menurkey. While you can buy a beautifully made Menorah Turkey, truth is, you won’t get to use it again for 77,000 years. So, why not save the money and make your own. Using modeling clay, form a ball approximately three inches in diameter. This will be the turkey’s body. Take a second ball of clay and shape it into an S shape to form the neck and head. Attach to body. Use different colored clay to create beak, eyes, gobble (the thing that hangs from the turkey’s neck) and wings (See photo 1). Next, use different colors to shape nine feathers. We found birthday candles with holders already attached. Insert the candles in the feathers. We also decorated the base with small pinecones and acorns (See photo 2). (Note: do not leave lit Menurkey unobserved. Please check clay packaging for flammability).
Words by Meredith Jacobs; photos by Andrea Roth
