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Thanksgiving Yums 2006!
- Thread starter Mara
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Mara
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11 guests, all adults
Cream Cheese block with Cranberry Chutney and crackers
23 lb. turkey (gasp!)
Southern Cornbread Dressing
Roasted Acorn Squash Halves with Orange Balsamic Sause
Green Beans with mushrooms and garlic,
Mashed Potatoes with lots of garlic
Sweet Potatoes (new recipe this year, using "pecan pie in a jar" added to the potatoes, we''ll see!)
Cranberry gelatin salad (cherry jello, cranberry sauce, pineapple, walnuts)
Rolls
6lb. Texas Apple Pie (Heritage Pie Company, Jasper Tex.)
Sweet Potato Pecan Pie with Bourbon Sauce
Tomorrow the major cooking begins, I''ve done a lot of prep already.
Cream Cheese block with Cranberry Chutney and crackers
23 lb. turkey (gasp!)
Southern Cornbread Dressing
Roasted Acorn Squash Halves with Orange Balsamic Sause
Green Beans with mushrooms and garlic,
Mashed Potatoes with lots of garlic
Sweet Potatoes (new recipe this year, using "pecan pie in a jar" added to the potatoes, we''ll see!)
Cranberry gelatin salad (cherry jello, cranberry sauce, pineapple, walnuts)
Rolls
6lb. Texas Apple Pie (Heritage Pie Company, Jasper Tex.)
Sweet Potato Pecan Pie with Bourbon Sauce
Tomorrow the major cooking begins, I''ve done a lot of prep already.
KimberlyH
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We had our family Thanksgiving dinner last night at my parents. There were 7 guests + my one yr old nephew who spent dinner spitting out mashed potatoes.
Here''s what was on the menu:
18 lb turkey
mashed potatoes
sweet potatoes w/ pecans
carrots
pearl onions
brussel sprouts
traditional stuffing
Mrs. Cubbison''s stuffing (my mom puts raisins in the traditional stuffing and my dad hates raisins so he gets his own from the box!)
cranberry relish
cranberries
homemade sweet potato pie
homemade apple crisp
vanilla ice cream
We had everything but the turkey. My mom had to pick up my grandmother and my sister was put in charge of lowering the temperature on the turkey when the timer went off. She turned the over too low. My mom turned it up when she got home, but the turkey wasn''t ready when everything else was. So they have LOTS of turkey left overs!
Here''s what was on the menu:
18 lb turkey
mashed potatoes
sweet potatoes w/ pecans
carrots
pearl onions
brussel sprouts
traditional stuffing
Mrs. Cubbison''s stuffing (my mom puts raisins in the traditional stuffing and my dad hates raisins so he gets his own from the box!)
cranberry relish
cranberries
homemade sweet potato pie
homemade apple crisp
vanilla ice cream
We had everything but the turkey. My mom had to pick up my grandmother and my sister was put in charge of lowering the temperature on the turkey when the timer went off. She turned the over too low. My mom turned it up when she got home, but the turkey wasn''t ready when everything else was. So they have LOTS of turkey left overs!
Mara
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if anyone is interested, tonite i made a low-cal kinda pumpkin pie with 11oz low-fat evaporated milk, some honey, 3/4 cup brown sugar, LOTS of pumpin pie spice mix (ginger, nutmeg, cinammon, and something else i can't remember), 15 oz of canned pumpkin, 3 egg whites, extra cinammon, a touch of vanilla, 1 tbl cornstarch and about 5 packets of sugar substitute (from whole foods, not splenda, this is a more natural product).
we used a pilsbury ready-made pie crust in a glass dish with fluted edges, cooked it at 400 for 10 minutes then 350 for 45 minutes more, and the whole thing turned out wonderfully. we are very happy with it. and it's probably way healthier than anything i'd get at a bakery. yum!!! highly recommended. there were a ton of low-cal recipes out there online, so i just kind of mix and matched to taste. i personally LOVE pumpkin pie and we have it in the house basically from now til christmas, and i was hoping to find a way to make it a bit healthier this year instead of just getting the bakery pie and gorging on that for a month...hehe. so we're jazzed now that we can have pie every night and it won't be a big deal.
though honestly while the crust is fabulous, it basically accounts for almost 1/2 the calories and fat in the pie. so if you don't care about the crust, don't eat it...just eat the insides of the pie and you will be WAY ahead any crust lovers (like me)...hahaha.
oh and i was going to make the emeril orange cranberry relish but then i was at WF picking up our turkey and i noticed they had a freshly made one so i figured why not! hahaha. and i also love their turkey gravy so i got a fresh pack of that too and now i don't have to deal with it. tomorrow night i'm making our turkey (it's brining now in an herb citrus mix), mashed potatoes, and stuffing and shoepeg corn...then we'll have a mini dinner just us two with all of the goodies. can't wait!!
we used a pilsbury ready-made pie crust in a glass dish with fluted edges, cooked it at 400 for 10 minutes then 350 for 45 minutes more, and the whole thing turned out wonderfully. we are very happy with it. and it's probably way healthier than anything i'd get at a bakery. yum!!! highly recommended. there were a ton of low-cal recipes out there online, so i just kind of mix and matched to taste. i personally LOVE pumpkin pie and we have it in the house basically from now til christmas, and i was hoping to find a way to make it a bit healthier this year instead of just getting the bakery pie and gorging on that for a month...hehe. so we're jazzed now that we can have pie every night and it won't be a big deal.
though honestly while the crust is fabulous, it basically accounts for almost 1/2 the calories and fat in the pie. so if you don't care about the crust, don't eat it...just eat the insides of the pie and you will be WAY ahead any crust lovers (like me)...hahaha.
oh and i was going to make the emeril orange cranberry relish but then i was at WF picking up our turkey and i noticed they had a freshly made one so i figured why not! hahaha. and i also love their turkey gravy so i got a fresh pack of that too and now i don't have to deal with it. tomorrow night i'm making our turkey (it's brining now in an herb citrus mix), mashed potatoes, and stuffing and shoepeg corn...then we'll have a mini dinner just us two with all of the goodies. can't wait!!
Just thought I''d mention that if you cook your turkey, chicken, ham, pork roast or whatever meat in an oven cooking bag, you will have a very moist end result. I have cooked this way for years and my turkey never fails to come out amazingly moist. I also put the turkey in the bag breast side down so that the juices run down into that part of the meat and keep it flavorful and jsut plain yummy!
When you put butter, seasonings and if you want, a glaze like I am doing on the bird, it will be sensational.
Thought I''d share this info cuz someone earlier said they were concerned cuz cooking a turkey had not been successful for them(?).
Happy Thanksgiving!
When you put butter, seasonings and if you want, a glaze like I am doing on the bird, it will be sensational.
Thought I''d share this info cuz someone earlier said they were concerned cuz cooking a turkey had not been successful for them(?).
Happy Thanksgiving!
Mara
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deanna it''s funny you mention the breast down thing...i did that last year for our first turkey (i read it was the best way to keep the breast moist) and then you turn it over partway through and let it cook the rest of the way up top. it turned out great. honestly, i was thinking today about how someone on here said they weren''t successful with turkey...i was so meticulous last year with our turkey because it was our first and i followed the recipe to the LETTER and it came out great. so maybe just a great recipe does wonders?! i also basted every 30 minutes. maybe that helped?!
anyhow our turkey is in it''s brine in the fridge right now. i''m so excited for tomorrow night.
anyhow our turkey is in it''s brine in the fridge right now. i''m so excited for tomorrow night.
justjulia
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Ellen
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njc
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I made my tester pumpkin pie the Monday night and it was fabulous! I did have to thow out my first batch of crust because I felt I TOTALLY screwed it up (very dry and over worked). Next batch turned out very flakey and just the way I like it. Pie recipe was great too. Cant wait for my family to dig in! Tonight I will be making the real pumpkin pie, and the njc-family standbys of dressing and corn pudding.
Sumbride - I hear you on the DHs family doesnt do it right! We are eating at 230 (the usual time for us give or take an hour) and his family wont be eating until at least 7. Would work out well for visiting both sides of the fam if it werent 3+ hours away!
Sumbride - I hear you on the DHs family doesnt do it right! We are eating at 230 (the usual time for us give or take an hour) and his family wont be eating until at least 7. Would work out well for visiting both sides of the fam if it werent 3+ hours away!
Mara
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I did brining last year, and it's supposedly one of the best ways to get flavor and moisture 'injected' into the turkey before cooking so that you have an overall more moist bird. Basically you mix acidic kosher salt with some sweet sugar and dissolve it in water, add various spices and fruits and let the turkey soak in it (totally covered) sealed in a bag overnight. The salt opens up the turkey's pores I guess and lets the moisture and the spices creep into the meat so when you cook it is supposed to be more flavorful and moist.
Now last year was the first turkey we made and I brined it so I have no idea if it was MORE flavorful and moist than anything else. haha. But I like the process because when you are done literally you just pull it out, rinse it under water, rub it with butter or olive oil, stuff it with some more fruits and spices, then roast it! There's not a lot of prep work going on there cuz you already did it basically the night before.
Last year I used a recipe I found on food network which called for 1c sugar, 1c salt, fresh quartered oranges and lemons, fresh rosemary and thyme. Along with 2 gallons of water and a 10-20 lb turkey.
Our turkey was small last year, about 10 lbs. So I did the recipe and it seemed like there wasn't ENOUGH flavor going on for me. So this year I was going to double the spices and fruit in the recipe and sugar...but then I found a ready-made brine mix in a bag at Whole Foods, which already had all the herbs and salt in it. So basically I just dissolved that in water, added my fruit and that was that. I actually was worried this morning that the salt solution was too much in the brine bag so I put in a 1/2 gal of extra water. Maybe it's supposed to be really strong, but I don't want a TOO salty turkey. Last year it was not salty and we were glad. It seems like soaking a turkey in a solution of salt and herbs and things could make for a super salty bird but apparently that's not really an issue from what I read last year. Brining was super popular in the last year or two and this year I don't know if it's as popular, but I like that the stores have the brining bags and the salt/mix right next to the meat counter so it just makes it that much easier for me!!
Anyway, thats the brining process. It takes anywhere from 10-24 hours in the brine, I did about 15 hours last time and this time I am doing basically 22. So we'll see how/if its any difference. Last year it was such an absolutely subtle thing...its not like you took a bite and said 'oh this is a rosemary citrus turkey!'. You could hardly taste anything in it, maybe a tiny bit of maple from the sugar. So this year curious to see how/if it's more herby thanks to this mix that I bought.
Now last year was the first turkey we made and I brined it so I have no idea if it was MORE flavorful and moist than anything else. haha. But I like the process because when you are done literally you just pull it out, rinse it under water, rub it with butter or olive oil, stuff it with some more fruits and spices, then roast it! There's not a lot of prep work going on there cuz you already did it basically the night before.
Last year I used a recipe I found on food network which called for 1c sugar, 1c salt, fresh quartered oranges and lemons, fresh rosemary and thyme. Along with 2 gallons of water and a 10-20 lb turkey.
Our turkey was small last year, about 10 lbs. So I did the recipe and it seemed like there wasn't ENOUGH flavor going on for me. So this year I was going to double the spices and fruit in the recipe and sugar...but then I found a ready-made brine mix in a bag at Whole Foods, which already had all the herbs and salt in it. So basically I just dissolved that in water, added my fruit and that was that. I actually was worried this morning that the salt solution was too much in the brine bag so I put in a 1/2 gal of extra water. Maybe it's supposed to be really strong, but I don't want a TOO salty turkey. Last year it was not salty and we were glad. It seems like soaking a turkey in a solution of salt and herbs and things could make for a super salty bird but apparently that's not really an issue from what I read last year. Brining was super popular in the last year or two and this year I don't know if it's as popular, but I like that the stores have the brining bags and the salt/mix right next to the meat counter so it just makes it that much easier for me!!
Anyway, thats the brining process. It takes anywhere from 10-24 hours in the brine, I did about 15 hours last time and this time I am doing basically 22. So we'll see how/if its any difference. Last year it was such an absolutely subtle thing...its not like you took a bite and said 'oh this is a rosemary citrus turkey!'. You could hardly taste anything in it, maybe a tiny bit of maple from the sugar. So this year curious to see how/if it's more herby thanks to this mix that I bought.
sumbride
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Drats!!
I tried to take a shortcut this year and use a mix for my cornbread dressing. Well, I did and I didn''t notice the mix was for SWEET cornbread mix. !!! I didn''t even know it til the dressing was already made and I was about refrigerate it before baking tomorrow.
I am baking 1 small pan of regular cornbread and mixing in some of the Pepperidge Farms bread/stuffing mix. So I''ll make 1 more pan for those who can''t stomach the sweet dressing. But it will not be enough to serve everyone. Everything else is so perfect, this just really ticks me off!
I tried to take a shortcut this year and use a mix for my cornbread dressing. Well, I did and I didn''t notice the mix was for SWEET cornbread mix. !!! I didn''t even know it til the dressing was already made and I was about refrigerate it before baking tomorrow.
I am baking 1 small pan of regular cornbread and mixing in some of the Pepperidge Farms bread/stuffing mix. So I''ll make 1 more pan for those who can''t stomach the sweet dressing. But it will not be enough to serve everyone. Everything else is so perfect, this just really ticks me off!
Ellen
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Mara
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turkey is on it's last hour and the stuffing is in the oven too. i am soooo hungry!!!!
anyone else cooking up a storm tonite in prep for tomorrow?!?!
the pumpkin pie from last nite is also calling my name!
tonite we do our 'mini thanksgiving' just us two with all our yummy stuff, then tomorrow i make mashed potatoes, artichoke dip and green salad to bring to the big family GTG. where more eating will commence.
anyone else cooking up a storm tonite in prep for tomorrow?!?!
the pumpkin pie from last nite is also calling my name!
tonite we do our 'mini thanksgiving' just us two with all our yummy stuff, then tomorrow i make mashed potatoes, artichoke dip and green salad to bring to the big family GTG. where more eating will commence.
Miranda
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I did some cooking tonight. I made a yummmmmy apple pie. I swear this one looks perfect. It is taking some serious restraint to NOT eat it NOW! I made brownies also because I knew the kids and I would be circling the kitchen!Date: 11/22/2006 11:29:39 PM
Author: Mara
turkey is on it''s last hour and the stuffing is in the oven too. i am soooo hungry!!!!
anyone else cooking up a storm tonite in prep for tomorrow?!?!
the pumpkin pie from last nite is also calling my name!
tonite we do our ''mini thanksgiving'' just us two with all our yummy stuff, then tomorrow i make mashed potatoes, artichoke dip and green salad to bring to the big family GTG. where more eating will commence.
We''re having kind of a funky Thanksgiving this year as my uncle came down very ill. We usually go the their house, but, nobody wants any part of what he''s got. Sooo, we''re going to my parents for lunch. Carne Asada, mexican rice, sauteed peppers, and refried beans. And...ahem...Apple pie for dessert. Go figure. It was the quickest and easiest thing we could think up on short notice. And my dad is a fab cook. For dinner we are eating with DH''s parents. There we will have a traditional turkey dinner with everything and then some because when MIL gets to cookin''...Watch out!
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Jeez, just skimming this thread makes me want to break out the sweats!
Mara, my DH is brining his turkey for deep-frying again this year...I couldn''t bear to mention that someone on PS was doing the same (he gets a little tired of PS knowing it''s a jewelry forum and I''m on here dreaming of ways to spend his moolah, lol). I bet yours will turn out wonderfully, though! Can''t say I have too much interest as I don''t eat meat/poultry, but sounds good!
I''m bringing marinated portabella mushrooms for grilling to the in-laws tomorrow. I get the big pb caps from TJ''s, will marinate them in the a.m. with fresh minced garlic (what a pain), olive oil, and S&P. We don''t have a ton of olive oil left in the huge jar I thought was almost full, though, so I''m hoping to substitute some Italian dressing from the fridge...hee hee, we''ll see how they turn out! I think that I could just marinate them in garlic and spray some oil on them and they would still be fabulous, but I''ll save that for another Dh and I night at home, lol.
Also bringing some spinach and artichoke crockpot dip as requested by my MIL. I picked up one of those smallish crockpots (3.5 qt.?) at Target a couple months ago that came with an insulated carrying case so I will start that when I get up tomorrow and it will be ready by the time we get to their house. I didn''t go shopping until later this evening for any ingredients for the above dishes, and of course I didn''t bring a shopping list...I''m short a bit of cream cheese for the dip, and also forgot something to dip with (aka tortilla chips, pita chips, etc.)...surely MIL will have dippers OH and maybe I can sub. a little milk for the missing cream cheese? Anyone reading closely? Can you advise?
Happy Thanksgiving to all....I''m thankful I have PS to hang out on while I take breaks from cleaning my house tonight! And thankful you all are so sweet and nice to converse with!
Mara, my DH is brining his turkey for deep-frying again this year...I couldn''t bear to mention that someone on PS was doing the same (he gets a little tired of PS knowing it''s a jewelry forum and I''m on here dreaming of ways to spend his moolah, lol). I bet yours will turn out wonderfully, though! Can''t say I have too much interest as I don''t eat meat/poultry, but sounds good!
I''m bringing marinated portabella mushrooms for grilling to the in-laws tomorrow. I get the big pb caps from TJ''s, will marinate them in the a.m. with fresh minced garlic (what a pain), olive oil, and S&P. We don''t have a ton of olive oil left in the huge jar I thought was almost full, though, so I''m hoping to substitute some Italian dressing from the fridge...hee hee, we''ll see how they turn out! I think that I could just marinate them in garlic and spray some oil on them and they would still be fabulous, but I''ll save that for another Dh and I night at home, lol.
Also bringing some spinach and artichoke crockpot dip as requested by my MIL. I picked up one of those smallish crockpots (3.5 qt.?) at Target a couple months ago that came with an insulated carrying case so I will start that when I get up tomorrow and it will be ready by the time we get to their house. I didn''t go shopping until later this evening for any ingredients for the above dishes, and of course I didn''t bring a shopping list...I''m short a bit of cream cheese for the dip, and also forgot something to dip with (aka tortilla chips, pita chips, etc.)...surely MIL will have dippers OH and maybe I can sub. a little milk for the missing cream cheese? Anyone reading closely? Can you advise?
Happy Thanksgiving to all....I''m thankful I have PS to hang out on while I take breaks from cleaning my house tonight! And thankful you all are so sweet and nice to converse with!
Mara
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monnie...i make artichoke dip in the crockpot with mayo, sour cream and parmesan. so maybe you can put some mayo or SC instead of the cream cheese? also i have seen plain yogurt used in recipes sometimes in leiu of sour cream, maybe that''d work? i don''t know about milk instead of cream cheese as the two consistencies are pretty different!
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Thanks Mara...you''re probably right as far as mayo or Sc. I do have some whipped cream cheese from TJ''s but only 8 oz...I''ve never really worked "whipped" cc into this recipe before so I was wondering what in the H I could substitute...milk seemed like a good idea at the time, lol! (Oh I am SO not a cook, he hee). Basically I think I will need to "thin out" this recipe because I have plenty of all other ingred. So I will try subbing mayo tomorrow and blame it on my online buddies if it doesn''t turn out, lol! All kidding aside, I really do think I will have to throw in a tbsp. or two of mayo to thin it out b/c I have zero SC on hand. Yikes! I really am a fair cook...can''t believe I''m even asking this Q!
Mara
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just had to update and say that the turkey and stuffing turned out WONDERFUL. the turkey is definitely more moist and flavorful than last year and we cooked it to just right under 150 and then while it was cooling down it got up to 160 and the insides were perfect (i think our little thermometer is not quite accurate), the flavor was spot on, thanks to the extra brine mix and citrus i put in, and the stuffing is SUPER tasty with the extra herbs i put in. definitely double thumbs up. our dinner last nite was divine and the whole foods cranberry citrus relish was SOOO yummy. i should have definitely gotten the bigger tub of it, because i can tell we''ll eat this up in the next day or two!
hope everyone is having a great day!
hope everyone is having a great day!
cutes814
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Erin
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Since it was just the siblings we went to a restaurant for Thanksgiving. This was the first year I ate until I felt bad. Everything was amazing. My favorite dishes were...
pumkin spiced ravioli
lobster tarragon quiche
curried pear acorn squash soup - could have eaten this all day
sweet potato souffle with candied nuts
sage dressing
maple glazed roast duckling
grilled pork chops with apple current chutney
bread pudding
pecan pie
I''m starting to see the ways to restaurant dining for Tday....
pumkin spiced ravioli
lobster tarragon quiche
curried pear acorn squash soup - could have eaten this all day
sweet potato souffle with candied nuts
sage dressing
maple glazed roast duckling
grilled pork chops with apple current chutney
bread pudding
pecan pie
I''m starting to see the ways to restaurant dining for Tday....
KimberlyH
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Since we celebrated with the fam on Monday, DH and I went out to dinner last night at one of our favorite local restaurants (Nine Ten in La Jolla for any of you who are familiar with San Diego). Here''s what was on the menu:
mixed baby greens w/ pears, persimmons, pecans, pomegranate & champagne vinaigrette
pumpkin soup w/ duck confit & basil (so absolutely delicious!)
free range honey-thyme glazed turkey (or sious-vide salmon with swiss chard, celery root puree & pinot noir gastrique, which neither of us had)
chestnut and sage stuffing
braised greens
candied yams
orange-cranberry chutney
cider gravy
apple tart or creme fraiche cheesecake (I had the tart, DH had the cheesecake, the cheesecake was the absolute best!)
Hubby and I are both moving slow today. He ate everything on his plate, I was amazed, he never overeats! It was the best Thanksgiving dinner I''ve ever had (shhh...don''t tell my mom!).
mixed baby greens w/ pears, persimmons, pecans, pomegranate & champagne vinaigrette
pumpkin soup w/ duck confit & basil (so absolutely delicious!)
free range honey-thyme glazed turkey (or sious-vide salmon with swiss chard, celery root puree & pinot noir gastrique, which neither of us had)
chestnut and sage stuffing
braised greens
candied yams
orange-cranberry chutney
cider gravy
apple tart or creme fraiche cheesecake (I had the tart, DH had the cheesecake, the cheesecake was the absolute best!)
Hubby and I are both moving slow today. He ate everything on his plate, I was amazed, he never overeats! It was the best Thanksgiving dinner I''ve ever had (shhh...don''t tell my mom!).
firebirdgold
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I was very pleasantly surprised at how my thanksgiving dinner turned out.
Despite having no meat thermometer or really knowing how long it was in there, the turkey breast turned out perfectly! For lack of a real recipe, I just worked on instinct. I stuffed fresh herbs and butter under the skin in various places, rubbed the turkey with butter and then squeezed half of a lemon over it. I put the rest of the fresh herbs under the turkey with a couple of slices of lemon. About every 20 minutes I poured a little turkey stock over it. (Made the stock the night before in the crockpot... it''s a bit potent). We just took the turkey out when it looked done. I was shocked that it was perfectly cooked!
The gravy turned out really nice, and I didn''t need the back-up whole foods gravy at all! The ''Thanksgiving 101'' instructions on adding flour in equal amounts to the fat was spot on. The gravy was very flavorful and dark, more so than any I''ve ever had. I wonder if it was the stock?
My ''well this can go into stuffing'' stuffing turned out quite well. I ended up using pepperidge farm stuffing, sauteed onions and celery, crumbled and pan cooked chicken sausage with dried apples and cranberries, chopped up chestnuts, butter, and liberal amounts of turkey stock. (I''m really glad I made that stock!)
The cranberry sauce was still a bit vanilla-y, but very very yummy and properly tart.
The pumpkin pie was only a qualified success though. The crust turned out nice and flakey, but I over-spiced the pie. I got a bit enthused and doubled the amount of ginger and almost doubled the other spices as well. It''s tasty, but kinda strong. Substituting honey for the sugar worked perfectly, although it might have been why the pie took waaaaaay longer to cook than it was supposed to!
Mmm, Mara your turkey sounds so good!
I''ve got to try your stuffing for christmas! (if you don''t mind).
KimberlyH, your description of your dinner is making me drool! (despite being full of breakfast pumpkin pie). Don''t suppose you got to take some home?
Despite having no meat thermometer or really knowing how long it was in there, the turkey breast turned out perfectly! For lack of a real recipe, I just worked on instinct. I stuffed fresh herbs and butter under the skin in various places, rubbed the turkey with butter and then squeezed half of a lemon over it. I put the rest of the fresh herbs under the turkey with a couple of slices of lemon. About every 20 minutes I poured a little turkey stock over it. (Made the stock the night before in the crockpot... it''s a bit potent). We just took the turkey out when it looked done. I was shocked that it was perfectly cooked!
The gravy turned out really nice, and I didn''t need the back-up whole foods gravy at all! The ''Thanksgiving 101'' instructions on adding flour in equal amounts to the fat was spot on. The gravy was very flavorful and dark, more so than any I''ve ever had. I wonder if it was the stock?
My ''well this can go into stuffing'' stuffing turned out quite well. I ended up using pepperidge farm stuffing, sauteed onions and celery, crumbled and pan cooked chicken sausage with dried apples and cranberries, chopped up chestnuts, butter, and liberal amounts of turkey stock. (I''m really glad I made that stock!)
The cranberry sauce was still a bit vanilla-y, but very very yummy and properly tart.
The pumpkin pie was only a qualified success though. The crust turned out nice and flakey, but I over-spiced the pie. I got a bit enthused and doubled the amount of ginger and almost doubled the other spices as well. It''s tasty, but kinda strong. Substituting honey for the sugar worked perfectly, although it might have been why the pie took waaaaaay longer to cook than it was supposed to!
Mmm, Mara your turkey sounds so good!
KimberlyH, your description of your dinner is making me drool! (despite being full of breakfast pumpkin pie). Don''t suppose you got to take some home?
Allisonfaye
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Mara, I just wanted to comment on your pie crust comment. I have never in my whole life made a pie crust from scratch before. I tried a fruit pie this summer and it was sooo easy. I have made a few more since then and each one turns out better than the last. Give it a try and you will never buy a store bought crust again. It isn''t as hard as they make it out to be. If you want, I will give you the recipe that we used. It was the Paula Dean two crust recipe.
Mara
Super_Ideal_Rock
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indie your dinner sounds yummy!!! our meat thermo was not behaving so we also were working on instinct for the cooking and got lucky re: doneness...it was perfecto.
your overspiced pie sounds right up my alley! i find pumpkin pretty bland without sugar and spices and would rather use spices than sugar, but i used honey and brown sugar and this sweet leaf/stevia sugar sub and no white sugar and extra spices (2x the recipe) and it turned out great! i gave a slice to my sister and she loved it too. so definitely a success. i kind of like overspiced pumpkin pies in general though...hahhaa.
oh the other part i love about thxgiving is the rolls!!! i love dinner rolls. also my guilty pleasure are those pilsbury hearty golden biscuits or whatever they are called, the flaky layered ones. they are not that bad for you actually, so i made a mini roll of 5 for us the other night...mmmm. and we have some dinner rolls from whole foods that are yummy too with some butter. mmmm!
your overspiced pie sounds right up my alley! i find pumpkin pretty bland without sugar and spices and would rather use spices than sugar, but i used honey and brown sugar and this sweet leaf/stevia sugar sub and no white sugar and extra spices (2x the recipe) and it turned out great! i gave a slice to my sister and she loved it too. so definitely a success. i kind of like overspiced pumpkin pies in general though...hahhaa.
oh the other part i love about thxgiving is the rolls!!! i love dinner rolls. also my guilty pleasure are those pilsbury hearty golden biscuits or whatever they are called, the flaky layered ones. they are not that bad for you actually, so i made a mini roll of 5 for us the other night...mmmm. and we have some dinner rolls from whole foods that are yummy too with some butter. mmmm!
KimberlyH
Ideal_Rock
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It was truly delicious, but it sounds like yours was just as good Indie! I love to cook but have only attempted a whole turkey once and it was really dry. I did not take any home, I am not a fan of leftovers (I know that''s sac-relig but food never tastes as good the second time around in my mind or mouth or however that all works!).Date: 11/24/2006 3:24:27 PM
Author: IndieJones
I was very pleasantly surprised at how my thanksgiving dinner turned out.
Despite having no meat thermometer or really knowing how long it was in there, the turkey breast turned out perfectly! For lack of a real recipe, I just worked on instinct. I stuffed fresh herbs and butter under the skin in various places, rubbed the turkey with butter and then squeezed half of a lemon over it. I put the rest of the fresh herbs under the turkey with a couple of slices of lemon. About every 20 minutes I poured a little turkey stock over it. (Made the stock the night before in the crockpot... it''s a bit potent). We just took the turkey out when it looked done. I was shocked that it was perfectly cooked!
The gravy turned out really nice, and I didn''t need the back-up whole foods gravy at all! The ''Thanksgiving 101'' instructions on adding flour in equal amounts to the fat was spot on. The gravy was very flavorful and dark, more so than any I''ve ever had. I wonder if it was the stock?
My ''well this can go into stuffing'' stuffing turned out quite well. I ended up using pepperidge farm stuffing, sauteed onions and celery, crumbled and pan cooked chicken sausage with dried apples and cranberries, chopped up chestnuts, butter, and liberal amounts of turkey stock. (I''m really glad I made that stock!)
The cranberry sauce was still a bit vanilla-y, but very very yummy and properly tart.
The pumpkin pie was only a qualified success though. The crust turned out nice and flakey, but I over-spiced the pie. I got a bit enthused and doubled the amount of ginger and almost doubled the other spices as well. It''s tasty, but kinda strong. Substituting honey for the sugar worked perfectly, although it might have been why the pie took waaaaaay longer to cook than it was supposed to!
Mmm, Mara your turkey sounds so good!I''ve got to try your stuffing for christmas! (if you don''t mind).
KimberlyH, your description of your dinner is making me drool! (despite being full of breakfast pumpkin pie). Don''t suppose you got to take some home?
sumbride
Ideal_Rock
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Chiming in a bit late as we had our "personal Thanksgiving" tonight! Dinner at FMIL''s was blah... she was sick with some intestinal thing that she described in detail before AND after dinner (yum!!!) but still licked the spoon and stuck it back in the food as she was cooking... because yeah, the temperature will kill the germs... RIGHT??? Ugh. I saw her do it with the gravy but since I don''t like gravy that was easy to avoid. Interestingly her other son got very ill right after dinner... hmmm...
So tonight FI and I decided to have our OWN! I bought an 11 lb. turkey and after reading this thread, I shoved butter, herbs, and thin orange slices under the skin all over, squeezed oranges and lemons over it, and stuffed it with both. Then I glazed it with a maple syrup and cointreau mixture. Oh my god... it was INCREDIBLE. Hands down the best best best turkey I''ve ever had. FI agreed! He said I can''t tell his mom, but my turkey was a zillion times better than hers. Also made green bean casserole with the new cheddar onions... very delicious goo!!! The potatoes weren''t as good as I''d like... I think I may have overcooked them, but I propped them up with some freshly grated parmesan. We also had broccoli cornbread, cranberry sauce, and spiced pickled peaches.
Now... the pie...
I made a pecan pie to take over to FMIL on Thursday. I used light corn syrup instead of dark because I couldn''t remember what I needed at the store, but I think it was better that way! Not quite so cloyingly sweet. Very rich but not as sugary. I made the crust and was very happy with how it turned out. Even happier that, since she was sick, she told me not to leave it at her house! Yea!! I also made a pumpkin pie for our house and I couldn''t find my second pie plate so I lined a calphalon skillet with parchment paper and cooked it in that. PRETTIEST pie I''ve ever seen!!! I''m so doing that again! And it conveniently had a handle! Cool. For the pumpkin, I discovered too late that FI had given away our evaporated milk in the canned food drive this week, so I had to improvise with cream and whole milk and it turned out even better that way! So rich and luscious. Fabulous!!!
FI loved our Thanksgiving so much he wants to make it a tradition. I''m thrilled! And now that he''s finally eaten turkey made by somebody other than his mom, he sees how good it CAN taste! Woo hoo! Small victories.... And a fabulous meal!
So tonight FI and I decided to have our OWN! I bought an 11 lb. turkey and after reading this thread, I shoved butter, herbs, and thin orange slices under the skin all over, squeezed oranges and lemons over it, and stuffed it with both. Then I glazed it with a maple syrup and cointreau mixture. Oh my god... it was INCREDIBLE. Hands down the best best best turkey I''ve ever had. FI agreed! He said I can''t tell his mom, but my turkey was a zillion times better than hers. Also made green bean casserole with the new cheddar onions... very delicious goo!!! The potatoes weren''t as good as I''d like... I think I may have overcooked them, but I propped them up with some freshly grated parmesan. We also had broccoli cornbread, cranberry sauce, and spiced pickled peaches.
Now... the pie...
I made a pecan pie to take over to FMIL on Thursday. I used light corn syrup instead of dark because I couldn''t remember what I needed at the store, but I think it was better that way! Not quite so cloyingly sweet. Very rich but not as sugary. I made the crust and was very happy with how it turned out. Even happier that, since she was sick, she told me not to leave it at her house! Yea!! I also made a pumpkin pie for our house and I couldn''t find my second pie plate so I lined a calphalon skillet with parchment paper and cooked it in that. PRETTIEST pie I''ve ever seen!!! I''m so doing that again! And it conveniently had a handle! Cool. For the pumpkin, I discovered too late that FI had given away our evaporated milk in the canned food drive this week, so I had to improvise with cream and whole milk and it turned out even better that way! So rich and luscious. Fabulous!!!
FI loved our Thanksgiving so much he wants to make it a tradition. I''m thrilled! And now that he''s finally eaten turkey made by somebody other than his mom, he sees how good it CAN taste! Woo hoo! Small victories.... And a fabulous meal!
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