Thanksgiving

Name: Turkey with a Brown-Sugar Glaze
Yield: 0
Ingredients: 12-15 pound turkey, brought to room temperature; 2 medium carrots, peeled, roughly chopped; 2 celery stalks, roughly chopped; 1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped; 1 orange; herb bundle containing rosemary, thyme, sage; 1/2 cup 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature; Coarse salt and ground pepper; 1 cup of orange juice mixed with 1 cup of hard cider or stock; 2/3 cup cider vinegar; 1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar; 1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest, plus 2 tablespoons orange juice; 2 tablespoons of butter; drippings from the pan; 2-3 tablespoon flour; any remaining leftover glaze; 1-2 cups of hard cider or stock; sage leaves

Cranberry French Toast Casserole

October 27, 2014

Our mornings are so rushed with getting up, getting ready, getting Autumn packed up for daycare, Kemper out, and getting our stuff packed up that we often get our breakfasts on the way into work or if there are vendor presentations in the morning I’ll be able to get something like a muffin or some fruit. Those hectic mornings mean that I try to take the time to make a nicer breakfast on the weekends. I still don’t have a lot of time but it’s still great to make a nice scramble, bagel sandwiches, Kodiak Pancakes, or some waffles.

…

Classic Pumpkin Pie

October 10, 2014

I believe my spirit animal is the Canadian Goose.

They have this whole migration thing down. They are constantly seeking out warmer weather. I, like my brethren, love the warmer weather. I should craft my own plane to ride along side them so I can settle in with them in a prime spot. (Which reminds me of at Anna Paquin movie which makes me ball like a baby.)

Except I can’t do that because are assholes that crap everywhere and eww.

Anyway, in some attempts to embrace in inevitable cold, I’m trying to enjoy every that the season has to offer. I enjoy the things like leaf peeping, pumpkin carving, baking up a storm, eating an unacceptable quantity of hot Apple Cider Donuts, and of course, apple picking.

Basically making pie is a perfect fall activity. We have begun to clear the days/nights when keeping the oven on for 45-60 minutes for a pie was questionable. Like, how much more heat can I have in this house?! But now, the temps are pie perfect.

And pumpkin is such a great pie. A perfect fall pie.

One day I will make it completly from scratch but right now the only squashes in my oven are of the butternut, buttercup, acorn, and spaghetti. I have yet to roast up a sugar pumpkin but the problem with that is that canned pumpkin is so good. Just pop that sucker open and scoop it out. But, hmmm… I used to think that premade pie crusts were ah-maze, but now that I am making my own I have seen the light.

Until I get a sugar pumpkin to roast up, I will be whip up this canned classic. So while it isn’t exactly from scratch (my crust was homemade!!!) it was pretty dang good.

Classic Pumpkin Pie

Makes 1 pie, 8 servings

Ingredients

3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin puree
1 can (12 fl. oz.) evaporated milk
1 unbaked 9-inch deep-dish pie shell

Process

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
In a small bowl, combine the sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg.
Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and vanilla extract. Mix the sugar-spice mixture until completely combined. Gradually stir in evaporated milk.
Pour the pie mixture into the crust line pie plate.
Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° F; bake for 40 to 50 minutes more, or until a knife inserted near center comes out clean.
Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate.

Slightly adapted from Libby’s

Deep Dish Apple Pie with a Cheddar Rosemary Crust

October 3, 2014

I might have had this for breakfast. A slice. Not the whole pie.

And it was gooood. Dang good.

I had such high hopes to whip this pie up last week after we got home from our trip to Raleigh on Tuesday night but it was not in the cards. I was just so zonked after work both Wednesday and Thursday nights from playing catch up and then I was dragging myself out of bed in the morning (as usual) and then it was Friday morning… crap!! So I missed posting a pie recipe last week, which really, really bums me out. But I have to admit that if it means I’ve posted 50 pies instead of 52, I’m still okay with that. 50 pies… wow.

I used the apples from when we went apple picking last weekend with Price’s mom and sister in New Hampshire. It’s a fun activity but it meant more this year as it was Autumn’s first time. She certainly enjoyed herself as she bit right into her apple as it hung on the tree.

If you are going apple picking soon, or just picking up some apples while going grocery shopping, then I strongly suggest that you make a pie. A big deep dish pie. And one with cheddar cheese in the crust definitely doesn’t hurt.

Side note: I used to dread making crusts but now I really enjoy it. I’ve enjoyed all the pies I’ve made this year but my deminished fear related to crusts has been the best part of this whole thing. yay!

We all know that apples and cheddar are a great combination when we are snacking. BUT just because we want dessert we shouldn’t have to miss that combo. So I decided to make a pie using apples and cheddar. I know of some diners that will put a slice of cheddar on top of the slice of pie prior to warming it up when they serve it to you. That’s a fine way to get cheddar to snuggle up to your apple pie, but cheddar IN the crust is so much better than just being on it.

And since we have a rosemary bush on our itty bitty back deck I grabbed some of that to kick up the savory flavors. Kinda like a cheddar rosemary cracker. I think it adds a nice little elements to the crust and pie.

Deep Dish Apple Pie with a Cheddar Rosemary Crust

Makes 1 deep dish pie

Ingredients

For The Crust

2 1/2 Cups flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
6 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese, coarsely grated
1/3- 1/2 cup ice water

For the Pie

4 1/2 pounds of granny smith apples
1/2 Cup sugar
1/2 Cup brown sugar
1/3 Cup flour
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

Process

To make the crust, in the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, salt, sugar, and the rosemary. Add the butter, and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, 8 to 10 seconds. Add the grated cheese and pulse to combine.
With machine running, add ice water in a slow, steady stream through feed tube. Pulse until dough holds together without being wet or sticky; do not process for more than 30 seconds.
On a floured surface, gently work the dough together. Divide the dough into two equal balls. Flatten the balls and wrap them with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator.
While the dough is chilling, combine the sugars, flour, and cinnamon together in a small bowl, set aside.
Peel the apples in about 1 pound batches. Cut the apples into 4 pieces around the core, then slice each piece into 1/4″ thick slices. Add the slices to a large bowl and add some of the sugar mixture, mix well to coat all the pieces. Repeat with all of the apples.
Preheat oven to 400. Line a rimmed cookie sheet with wax paper.
Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator. On a floured work surface, roll out one of the disks to be large enough to fit your deep dish pie dish. Place the pie dough in the dish and trim so there is an extra 1/2″ beyond the edge of the dish.
Scoop the apple pie filling into the pie plate. Leave any juices behind in the bowl. Top off the apples with a few small pieces of butter.
Roll out second pie crust to be large enough to cover the pie. Carefully lay the crust over the apples. Fold the top layer edge under the bottom edge, then pinch together around the pie. Cut 4 small slits around the pie and make a tiny cross slit at the top.
Place the pie on the prepared cookie sheet. Bake for for 75-90 minutes or until crust is golden and apples are tender.
Place the pie on a cooking rack and allow to cool before slicing and serving. Store any remaining pie in an airtight container for up to several days.

Crust is adapted from Martha Stewart, Pie from I am a Honey Bee

Deep Dish Apple Pie

September 5, 2014

I feel like I’m breaking the rules today.

I’m wearing white pants! And it’s after Labor Day! Whatever, I think that rule is kinda old fashion but still I do feel like I am breaking a rule.

But it’s gonna be 90 today!!! HOT AND HUMID! So it doesn’t feel like summer is ‘over’ so I’ll enjoy my white capri’s today!

It has been hot and humid all week and I’ve loved it. Well, I didn’t love having our cranking away at 375 for an hour and 15 minutes for this pie. But once the pie, and I, cooled off it was all worth it. That first bite was killer.

Anyway, what are you doing this weekend? I have a deadline on Monday so I am going to work tomorrow for a few hours for blissful uninterrupted work. Then our Sunday is pretty open. I’m hoping that we complete the refinishing of our dining table chairs that we started a few weeks ago. Fingers crossed. One thing I do know about the weekend is that we are definitely going to enjoy this apple pie!!

I think you can’t beat 4 1/2 pounds of tart apples that are coated in cinnamon and sugar and piled high in a homemade buttery pie crust. Yep, you read that right… 4 1/2 pounds of apples!! That is how you get a deep dish apple pie! You need lots of apples!!

And you need to make the pie crust. As I’ve said before, I’m a big fan of pre-made store-bought pie crust but this pie just deserves it. I swear.

I just bought these granny smith apples at the grocery store but I’m telling you I can’t wait to go apple picking. We had a blast last time we went so I’m really looking forward to going this fall. And of course, the best part about apple picking (besides the fresh apple cider donuts!) is the cooking and baking afterwards. Yay! More pies!!

Deep Dish Apple Pie

Makes a 9″ Pie

Ingredients

Crust

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, chilled
1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

Filling

4 1/2 pounds of granny smith apples
1/2 Cup sugar
1/2 Cup brown sugar
1/3 Cup flour
1 1/2 Tablespoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

Process

To make the crust, in the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, salt, and sugar. Add butter, and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, 8 to 10 seconds.
With machine running, add ice water in a slow, steady stream through feed tube. Pulse until dough holds together without being wet or sticky; be careful not to process more than 30 seconds. To test, squeeze a small amount together: If it is crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time.
Divide dough into two equal balls. Flatten each ball into a disc and wrap in plastic. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill at least 1 hour.
While the dough is chilling, combine the sugars, flour, and cinnamon together in a small bowl, set aside.
Begin to peel the apples in about 1 pound batches. Cut the apples into 4 pieces around the core, then slice each piece into 1/4″ thick slices. Add the slices to a large bowl and add some of the sugar mixture, mix well to coat all the pieces. Repeat with all of the apples.
Preheat oven to 400. Line a rimmed cookie sheet with wax paper.
Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator. On a floured work surface, roll out one of the disks to be large enough to fit your deep dish pie dish. Place the pie dough in the dish and trim so there is an extra 1/2″ beyond the edge of the dish.
Scoop the apple pie filling into the pie plate. Leave any juices behind in the bowl. Top off the apples with a few small pieces of butter.
Roll out second pie crust to be large enough to cover the pie. Carefully lay the crust over the apples. Fold the top layer edge under the bottom edge, then pinch together around the pie. Cut 8 small slits around the pie and make a tiny cross slit at the top. is golden brown.
Place the pie on the prepared cookie sheet. Bake for for 75-90 minutes or until crust is golden and apples are tender.
Place the pie on a cooking rack and allow to cool before slicing and serving. Store any remaining pie in an airtight container for up to several days.

Crust Sourced from Martha Stewart

Streusel Topped Peach Pie

August 22, 2014

Streusel or Strudel… I always mix them up. Always.

So when I was going to tell Price I was making a Streusel Topped Peach Pie I practiced it in my head over and over again. AFTER googling it to make sure I was right.

It’s just one of those weird mind farts I have. And I’m okay with it. I do imagine a strudel topped peach pie would be good too… ha!

Anyway, right now peaches are crazy good. I have always loed peaches but I fell head over heels in love with them while I was pregnant last summer. I developed the craziest sweet tooth. Instead of grabbing for donuts and cupcakes I had a bit of restraint and went after fruit, and lots of it! Peaches were my crutch as I ate insane amounts of them. They are hard to resist when they are perfectly ripe, sweet, and juicy late in the summer. Bliss.

Well, I still really love peaches so I wanted to make a peach pie with them. And then I thought I would put some ~~strudel~~ streusel on top. It’s kinda like a weird marriage of peach pie and coffee cake. The crumbs on coffee cake are the best part. The bigger the crumb the better, too.

This pie starts off really high, but falls as it bakes so don’t worry about it being too tall. Or having too much streusel prepared. You do use it all up as you place small mounds on the peaches and then gently even it all out and get the crumbs in the nooks between the peach slices.

I used almond meal in the Streusel to add some more flavor to the crumbs but if you can’t find it then just use flour. I just love the flavors of peaches and almonds together, you know from all the strudels I’ve had. ha!

Enjoy this pie within a day or 2 as the juicy fruit will soften the butter crumbly topping and then it just gets soggy and no one likes soggy streusel.

I suggest serving this pie by warming it slightly and topping it off with some vanilla bean ice cream. And of course you should sit outside with your feet in the grass as you enjoy the evening cool down. Damn, I love summer.

Streusel Topped Peach Pie

Makes a 9″ Pie

Ingredients

1 pie crust to line a 9″ pie plate, or a store-bought 9″ pie shell
2 1/4 lbs fresh peaches
3/4 Cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 heaping Tablespoons cornstarch
8 Tablespoons of unsalted butter, cut into small pieces (1/2″ Cubes)
1/2 Cup almond meal
2/3 Cup flour
1/2 Cup sugar

Process

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Prepare the pie crust in the pie plate. Place the pie plate on an aluminum foil lined cookie sheet.
Cut peaches into thin slices. Combine the peaches, sugar, vanilla extract, and cornstarch in a large bowl, mix well.
In a medium-sized bowl, combine the butter, almond meal, flour, and sugar. Using a pastry cutter or your fingers, incorporate the dry ingredients into the butter to created large crumbles.
Place the peaches in the pie crust. Pile the struesel crumbles onto the peach slices.
Bake for 45-55 minutes, until the crumbles are golden brown and the when a knife is inserted into the pie there is little resistence from the fruit.

The Ultimate Chicken Sandwich

July 31, 2014

There are plenty of nights now when we just wing it when it comes to dinner. I always have high hopes for a great meal every night but real life gets in the way. I mean I can pin some great ideas until the cows come home while I am on the bus heading into work wishing that I was actually heading home. At least I’ve been on a one-pot meal pinning streak so I’m looking forward to trying one of those soon.

I wish I had the energy to cook but most days I’m drained. Hmm… maybe it’s the lack of sleep and constant moving I’m doing. We’re the on the go kind of family but lately I’ve been hauling butt walking all around town trying to enjoy the nice summer time weather and gets steps, which I’m tracking with my Fitbit. Love it.

So when it comes to dinner I’ll admit that we’re there are equally as many meals of cereal or take out as there are of cooked ones. And by cooked I often mean assembled. Does cutting up tomatoes and dressing with olive oil count as cooking? Yes… cool!!

Anyway, this sandwich is the kind of meal I can manage- grab a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store, cut off one of the breasts which you then thinly sliced. Cook up some bacon, which I hardly qualify as cooking in this case as you just do it in the oven. Then assemble the mega sandwich, cut, enjoy.

This would also work just as well with some turkey. would be a nice post Thanksgiving sandwich to change things up from the stuffing loaded ones. Don’t get me wrong, I love Pilgrim Sandwiches, but I get over stuffing pretty quickly. Anyway, I even thick sliced deli chicken or turkey would work well.

I suggest serving this with some chips, as opening a bag is the kind of cooking I like. Ha!

The Ultimate Chicken Sandwich

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

6 slices of bacon, cut in half
loaf of Italian bread (I used a Vieira Saloio)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup spicy brown mustard
a large bunch of arugula
1 large breast of roasted chicken, such as a rotisserie chicken
2-3 tomatoes, thinly sliced
6 slices of bacon, sliced in half
1 avocado, very thinly sliced
salt and pepper

Process

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the 12 pieces of the bacon on the foil so they are just touching on their long edges. Bake for 12-14 minutes (depending on thickness of bacon) until crisp. Remove the bacon from the baking sheet and place on a plate covered with paper towels.
Halve a loaf of Italian bread to separate the top and bottom.
Spread the mayo on one half of the bread and spread the mustard on the other half. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Put a generous amount of arugula on the bottom half of the sandwich.
Completely cover the arugula with the sliced chicken.
Cover the chicken with the tomatoes, bacon, and then avocado. Cap off with the upper part of the bread.
Cut into 4 sandwiches and enjoy!

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Turkey with a Brown-Sugar Glaze

April 8, 2014

My mom is coming up from Florida for a visit and it happens to be Easter weekend. I love cooking for holidays but I’m just not sure what to make for Easter. I know what you are going to say, you’re going to say “But you make ham for Easter!” This is true but we didn’t have turkey on Thanksgiving since we had just brought Autumn home Monday night and none of us were going to whip up a turkey just a few days later. (Side note: our super sweet Chilean neighbor brought us over some food- shrimp cocktail, roasted pork, and rice.)

So I’ve had turkey on the brain every since.

We did do an early Thanksgiving which was awesome but I’ve been thinking about making a turkey recently. It’s probably because I’ve been enjoying the work week more when I have dinner prepped or pre made so we are just assembling or reheating it. A big turkey cooked up on a Sunday would give us plenty of leftovers for lunches and dinners for a few days.

The turkey is really moist as the skin locks in the moisture. Plus the vegetable and the liquid in the bottom of the pan also helps keep the turkey from drying out. Can’t have a dry turkey! That’s the worst.

I always use a turkey with a built in thermometer as I’ve had issues with the done-ness in the past. When I’ve cooked turkeys without a built in thermometer I’ve under cooked them in the past when I’ve just stuck a thermometer in the thigh, received the reading of 165 degrees, took it out of the oven and when I’ve carved it up later I’ve discovered a pink bird. So, do what works for you.Feel free to use both thermometers… why not!?!

The brown sugar glaze is easy to prepare and it gives such a lovely flavor to the turkey. But the best is that it makes the skin sticky and crisp. So when you sneak a piece of skin before you serve it you have to lick your fingers clean of any delicious evidence!

As well the gravy is unlike any other gravy I’ve had before. The gravy is made with the drippings from the pan, leftover graze, and hard cider. The cider really does give it a lot of apple-y flavor but I liked that with the sweetness of the glaze but using stock would be just fine as well.

So give turkey a chance for Easter, or any lovely Sunday dinner. If not, the make it for Thanksgiving and your family will thank you. They will so so excited that you tried this Brown Sugar Glazed Turkey. I swear!

Turkey with a Brown-Sugar Glaze

Ingredients

For the Turkey

12-15 pound turkey, brought to room temperature
2 medium carrots, peeled, roughly chopped
2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped
1 orange
herb bundle containing rosemary, thyme, sage
1/2 cup 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 cup of orange juice mixed with 1 cup of hard cider or stock

For the Glaze

2/3 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest, plus 2 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons of butter

For the Gravy

drippings from the pan
2-3 tablespoon flour
any remaining leftover glaze
1-2 cups of hard cider or stock
sage leaves

Instructions

Place a rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Place the turkey in a roasting pan with a rack. Tuck wing tips underneath the body of turkey. Stuff the tukey with the carrots, celery, onion, orange, and herbs.
Carefully seperate the skin of the turkey from the breast and place pieces of butter between the breast and skin of the turkey. Season the outside of the turkey with salt and pepper.
Pour the orange juice mixture into the bottom of the pan.
Roast the turkey for for 30 minutes.
Turn down the oven to 350 and let continue to cook for another 45 minutes before rotating for another 45 minutes.
While the turkey is cooking, make the glaze by combining the vinegar, brown sugar, and orange juice in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over high, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until mixture is syrupy, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter and orange zest.
Brush the skin of the turkey with the glaze after it has been roasting for an hour and 30 minutes at 350. Brush and rotate the bird every 15 minutes until it has completed cooking, when the temperature ofin the thickest part of the thigh reads 165 degrees.
Remove from oven and tent with alumnium foil for at least 30 minutes before carving.

To make the gravy

Remove the drippings from the pan. (I suggest using a baster to do this task)
Let the drippings sit for a few minutes so that fat seperates and you can remove some of it.
In a large skillet pour about a 1/4 cup of the drippings into the pan and add the flour to a paste. Slowly mix in the rest of the drippings with some whole sage leaves.
Once that is all comined mix any remaining glaze. Then add the cider until you have reached the amount of gravy you would like. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve the carved turkey with the gravy and enjoy!
Inspired by Martha Stewart

Cornbread and Sausage Stuffing

November 15, 2013

On Wednesday I shared with you some awesome cornbread muffins that I saw featured just last week on Baked By Rachel and just had to make. Let’s call it a craving. They make for a great breakfast, snack, or side for dinner. I just love how cornbread is so versatile like that.

Well, now I’m back with another awesome recipe from Rachel that uses those cornbread muffins as a great base for a side that will grace your Thanksgiving table. You start with the cornbread muffins, or some store brought cornbread, and add some more great flavors to make kick ass Cornbread and Sausage Stuffing. Really, it kicks ass.

But I guess it’s obvious for it to be a great stuffing recipe when you start with cornbread and then add in sausage, sauteed veggies, dried cranberries, and other great aromatics.

I used a plain breakfast sausage for this recipe as I don’t love Italian sausage… shhh don’t tell my Italian relatives! I just don’t like fennel that much!! But if you enjoy Italian sausage then I say feel free to use that just like in Rachel’s recipe. Just be sure to use a sausage that has been removed from its casing.

But now I have a question…

Do you call it stuffing even if you don’t put it in the bird?

I do. I guess it will always be stuffing to me just because that it what I’ve always called it so I associate the food itself more with the name than if it’s actually being stuffed into something.

I hope that you’ll give this Cornbread and Sausage Stuffing (or dressing… depending on what you call it!) a try since it is sure to be a big hit at your Thanksgiving table!

Cornbread and Sausage Stuffing

Makes 6-8 servings

Ingredients

5-6 cups cornbread broken into chunks (or 9 muffins)
1/2 lb plain breakfast sausage, like Jimmy Dean’s regular sausage
1 cup celery, chopped
3/4 cup yellow onion, chopped
2 fresh sage leaves
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth

Process

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Create a single layer of the crumbled cornbread on a large baking sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until nearly crisp. (drying the cornbread out helps it hold it’s shape/texture)
In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the sausage, breaking it up into small pieces while cooking. Transfer sausage to a large bowl reserving some fat in the skillet.
In same skillet, cook onion and celery with seasonings until the vegetables are tender and nearly translucent. Add the sausage back in. Add the dried cranberries and cornbread, toss to blend the ingredients together. Pour broth over mixture, toss again to combine well.
Transfer the mixture to a greased 2-quart baking dish.
Bake for 20-30 minutes or until heated through and the top is crisp. Serve immediately.

Slightly adapted from Baked by Rachel

(Almost) No Baste Bacon Covered Turkey

November 21, 2012

I love 4 things about Thanksgiving: the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, the National Dog Show after it, booze, and my mom’s turkey. I don’t actually eat much turkey because I’m poor at planning and self control and get too eager with the appetizers and all of the sides. By the time dessert comes I’m just thinking of P-jams and how those pies need to get away from me!!

Okay, back to the turkey… So while I don’t eat a lot of turkey on Thanksgiving I could not imagine not making a turkey when home for the holiday and eating it the days following Thanksgiving. And since I’ve learned from my parents, the way I make turkey is that it is covered in bacon. Yep, bacon.

Covering the turkey gives it a great taste from the bacon, plus your house smells extra awesome. Also, since the bacon is continually rendering on top of the turkey you basically don’t need to baste it. This allows you to put your turkey in & just about forget about it while you watch the parade or freak out at every cute dog in the dog show. You turn the temp down once and later on check on the wings to give them a tine foil cover so they don’t burn, which is when I typically give it a thorough basting and then back in the oven it goes.

Now truth be told, if you love crunchy skin this might not be the turkey for you. This is all about sealing in the juices with the bacon so the skin doesn’t really get any exposure in the oven. If you want to give this a try and want a crispy skin then I suggest you might remove the bacon and then put the turkey back in with a broiler in low.

(Almost) No Baste Bacon Covered Turkey

Ingredients

1 whole turkey
1 pound of bacon
3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-2″ long pieces
3 onions, cut into wedges
4 stalks of celery, peeled and cut into 1-2″ pieces
6 cloves of garlic
2 lemons, cut into 8 pieces
1 orange, cut into 8 pieces
bunch of parsley
1 stick of butter
4 cups chicken stock
salt and pepper

Process

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Remove the giblets from the cavity of the turkey. Rinse then dry the turkey completely. Place turkey onto rack in large roasting pan.
Combine the carrots, onions, celery, garlic, lemons, orange, and parsley. Put the mixture into the cavity of the bird and the remaining mixture goes into the bottom of the pan with the chicken stock.
Cut the butter into small pieces and place between the breast and the skin.
Place the strips of bacon over the breast of the turkey and wrap the legs with bacon.
Put turkey in oven. After 45 minutes turn the temperature down to 350. After 2 hours, put foil on the wing tips. Continue cooking until the thigh meat reaches an internal temperature of 180 degrees. When testing, be sure that your thermometer is not touching the bone. Rule of thumb is that it will take approximately 15-20 minutes per pound.
When turkey is done, let stand 20-30 minutes prior to carving. to allow the juices to redistribute throughout the bird.

Thirsty Thursday: Thanksgiving Wine Glass Decorations

November 15, 2012

I’m totally flipping things around for this week’s edition of Thirsty Thursday. Sorry no drink this time… wait! don’t stop reading! This is drink related and it is perfect for Thanksgiving! Trust me…

So the thing about any family gathering or party is that people often mix up their drink with another. It’s always about ‘wait, have you seen my drink?’ or ‘are you drinking my drink?’ when there are a bunch people all drinking white/red wine. Sure wine charms are cute but wait… ‘do I have the blue charm or the green one?’ See what happens when you are drinking?!?

So I created a template for you to use for this Thanksgiving to easily identify your glass while reflecting on what you are thankful for now.

Download the file here. Thanksgiving Wine Glass Decorations

(Amanda doesn’t have a Thirsty Thursday post for you this week but she does have a really great giveaway on her blog!)

Orange Cranberry Sauce

November 13, 2012

Post from 11/13/12, Pictures updated 11/8/16

When I was younger, I wasn’t a huge fan of the cranberry side at Thanksgiving.

My mom loved the classic canned jellied cranberry sauce. She loved the ridges on it and how it would pop out of the can. I love that this is a staple on our table for her. I just didn’t really love the texture of it. Plus, cranberries were so tart to me back then.

I think things all changed when I was working in the South End of Boston by a place called Charlie’s Sandwich Shoppe. You see, Charlie’s would sell oatmeal with a cranberry compote that I would get if I as a treat for suffering through retail on the weekends. I loved the warm oatmeal in the winter and the compote really added a lot of flavor to an otherwise pretty plan breakfast.

And then I met this amazing guy who just loved homemade cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving. So now when we’ve gone back to my mom’s to celebrate Thanksgiving there have been 2 kinds of cranberry sauce on the table. It’s great to have cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving but really I believe you can have it at any point in the fall. It works hot with oatmeal or cold with yogurt if you can’t get enough of it and want to enjoy it for breakfast as well.

No matter if you call this a sauce, chutney, salsa, compote, or a relish, you will call this a new family favorite. I love the orange and cranberry combination so much. It helps highlight the natural flavors of the cranberry while adding some sweetness at the same time. I often throw a vanilla bean that I’ve been using in my homemade vanilla extract to add a bit more flavor. I just give it an extra scrape and throw it into the pot. You can add a bit of vanilla extract instead or even substitute the sugar for vanilla sugar, or skip it all together. If you feel you might light a scrape of nutmeg or to throw a star anise in there then give it a try as this is all about finding the right flavors so this will be a family favorite.

Orange Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients

2- 12oz bags of fresh cranberries
2 cups of sugar
1 cup of water
1 cup of orange juice
zest from 1 orange
vanilla bean, optional

Process

Rinse the cranberries and pick through to remove bruised berries and to remove any stray stems on the berries.
Mix and combine all of the ingredients in a medium size pot and cook on medium low until you have a slow simmer. The berries will be popping during this process, stir often. Turn down to low to allow the sauce to continue cooking until the desired amount of berries have opened up.
Can be served warm or cold. Store in an air tight container.

Cranberry Apple Pies

October 18, 2009

Apple Pie is my thing. I won a pie contest at our local library when I was 5/6… no, really ask my Mom! I totally rocked it. Plus I used a Pillsbury crust which made all those grandmas pissed to no end since my pie with store bought crust kicked their pies bottoms with homemade crusts. Must dig that photo out somewhere. (Get on it Mom!) Well, since then I have to make apples pies in the fall. HAVE TO. I signed up for a Meetup event that was a mac and cheese/ pie cookoff so this required me stepping up my game and trying something new. I saw a recipe for an apple cranberry crumb pie in my new gourmet magazine that sounded good but since I hate crumb toppings I had to do things my way.

I was happy with the outcome of my pie since the sweet apple was balanced by the tart cranberry. Plus the cranberries still had a bit of that burst in your mouth consistency. I typically make pies that stack up really high but since I was pressed for time and space in my tiny ‘oven’ I made them average, I guess you could say that. While at the meetup people were saying how interesting and good mine tasted with the cranberries and something else, something they could not figure out. Well that something was ginger. I had an impulse to add some ground ginger and I guess it paid off. Although I used cornstarch, like usual, it still bubbled over. I’m guessing it’s due to the fact that the cranberries gave off more liquid than I expected ( I adjusted the recipe to reflect this). Luckily I put my pie on a sheet pan incase this would happen, also, its easier to take out of the oven for me.

Cranberry Apple Pie

2 crusts for a 9″ pie- homemade or store-bought

7 Cortland apples, peeled, cored, sliced into pieces

1/2 a bag of fresh cranberries, washed- look through for stems

1/2 cup of granulated sugar

1 tablespoon of cinnamon

1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon of ground ginger

zest of 1 orange

juice of 1 orange

2 tablespoons of vanilla extract

3+ tablespoons cornstarch

Preheat oven to 425.

Peel. core, and slice apples. In a large bowl combine the apples, cranberries, and all other ingredients. Mix well. If there is a lot of liquid add a bit more cornstarch to thicken it.

Put 1 crust into 9″ pie plate. Carefully, add all apples and cranberries into pie crust. Cover with the other crust. Trim the edges/excess and cut slits in top crust.

Bake for 15 minutes at 425. Turn oven down to 350 to continue baking, approx 45 minutes. If the crust starts to darken add tinfoil around crust or slip on a crust shield.

Let pie cool 15 minutes before serving. The cooling allows for the juices to thicken.

Serve and enjoy 🙂