Cooks Talk Turkey in 7,000 Phone Calls

More than 7,000 Thanksgiving cooks nationwide sought help Thursday from experts on the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line--including one whose problem was what to do with the bird when it was done.

“He was from California and said he’s carving the turkey but there’s no breast meat,” said “Turkey Lady” Jean Schnelle, who has answered phones at the toll-free number for 11 years. “ ‘There’s just skin and bone,’ he said.”

“I told him, ‘It sounds to me like you’ve got your turkey upside-down.’ Then, he flipped it over and said, ‘You’re right, there’s meat there.’ We both just hooted.”