Thanksgiving 2012 - Part VI (Turkey)

This would be a very difficult topic to address because so many people use so many different ways of preparing a Thanksgiving turkey. Examples of the differences that people do for Thanksgiving are:

• Some stuff the turkey cavity and neck
• Some don't stuff the turkey at all
• Some use wire brackets to close the legs
• Some (like me) actually hand sew the cavity & neck area close
• Some don't close anything
• Some use plastic steaming bags
• Some openly roast the turkey and tent it with foil at the end
• Some baste during roasting
• Some never baste at all
• Some thaw it on the counter in a water bath overnight
• Some thaw it in the microwave

My only point to all of this is that regardless (not "irregardless") of what process you use to prepare a Thanksgiving turkey, there are some things we ALL have in common to insure a delicious holiday dinner and avoid getting people sick.

1. Use a meat thermometer to make sure that it reaches at least 165 F in the deepest part of the thighs, breast and stuffing
2. Let it sit for at least 20 minutes after you take it out of the oven before carving
3. Get all of the leftovers back in the refrigerator within 2 hours of taking it out of the oven
4. Eat or use the leftovers within 3 days of cooking it all
5. Don't feed the dogs from the table (yeah, that isn't recommended EVER)
6. Always rinse the bird before stuffing or cooking
7. Remove the bag of giblets if it has one!!!!
8. Have some dishes available for a vegetarian family member

But my most important point is that you need to remember that holidays are not necessarily about "tradition," but more about spending time with those around you. Sometimes you need to compromise. See my original blog entry about Thanksgiving Compromise to better understand. You want to spend time with friends and family, but it has to be enjoyable to all to make it gel. Remember, it IS a holiday and we all want to be happy. Make it happen... and

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

Thanksgiving 2012 - Part III (Grandma's Stuffing)

In Thanksgiving 2012 - Part II, a simple, tasty recipe for making stuffing in a crock pot appeared. Now I'm going to share my Grandma's stuffing. I warn you up front that this recipe makes a LOT of stuffing and takes some time. But then again, there is no such thing as having "too much stuffing," especially when it is this good.

Ingredients

• 2 loaves of bread
• 1 lbs ground sweet Italian sausage
• 1 lbs ground beef, pork, or even turkey
• 2 medium onions (chopped)
• 8 stalks celery (chopped)
• 3-4 cups vegetable broth
• 2 sticks margarine or butter
• Dash of thyme
• Dash of sage
• Dash of celery salt
• Dash of black pepper
• Dash of marjoram
• Dash of oregano
• Dash of rosemary
• Dash of basil

Directions

1. On Tuesday evening, lay out all of the slices of bread on the counter to dry overnight.
2. On Wednesday, cut the bread slices into cubes, and continue with the next steps.
3. Brown the ground meat and onions in a large skillet.
4. In a medium stock pot, bring vegetable broth to a slight boil and melt the butter in it.
5. Turn the broth to low, add the celery, and simmer for about 5-8 minutes.
6. Drain the celery but retain the broth (scoop out celery with a slotted spoon).
7. In an extremely large bowl or stock pot, put in all of the meat, celery, and bread.
8. Mix well, and occasionally add a dash of each of the herbs.
9. Add a little of the broth to make it moist but not wet. Refrigerate.
10. Thursday morning, mix stuffing again and add any more herbs/spices you want.
11. Stuff the bird and place extra stuffing in a casserole dish.
12. Put casserole dish of stuffing in the oven during the last hour of roasting the bird.

Suggestions
✓ Because the stuffing is done Wednesday, don't eat all of it before you need it for the bird.
✓ The above recipe makes enough for a 20 pound turkey and some on the side.
✓ Keep in mind that stuffing should be moist, but not wet.
✓ Make sure that the stuffing reaches 165 F when the stuffed bird is roasted.

A key thing I would be remiss to not share, remember what Grandma always said, "recipes are a guideline, change them as you see fit... you are the one eating it..."

Thanksgiving 2012 - Part II (Stuffing)

As mentioned in Thanksgiving Sometimes IS about Compromise and Thanksgiving 2012 - Part I, it was mentioned that I'd discuss the most often MOST important part of Thanksgiving dinner, the STUFFING.

This is a modern recipe for making stuffing but compromising how it is done for amazing taste and economy of scale. A lot of people do not stuff their turkeys anymore with home made stuffing but still require a lot of work and space in the oven for the casserole dishes used for stuffing, the green bean casserole, and even candied yams. How about we compromise what it takes to prepare stuffing AND save you some room in the oven? Use a crock pot...

Ingredients

• 1 14oz bag of Pepperidge  Farm herb stuffing mix
• 1 stick of margarine or butter
• 2 cups water
• 3 celery stalks, chopped
• Spices/herbs that you like

Directions

1. Melt butter in the water in a large stock pot and bring to a boil.
2. Add celery and cook on low for 5 mins.
3. Pour stuffing mix, celery, and broth into the crock pot.
4. Mix well.
5. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, adding some liquid, herbs, and stir as needed until the turkey is done.

Easy peasy, tasty, saves room in the oven, and most importantly is filling and moist. Add a bouillon cube to the water to add a little flavor. I recommend a vegetable bouillon cube. Using the crock pot also enables you to offer to make the stuffing when you are having dinner at another house (just be sure to cook it mostly before you get there so it is done when the turkey is). Enjoy