Thanksgiving Prep: how to roast a turkey (re-run)

It's almost Thanksgiving, goodness time flies! I'm re-posting this step-by-step guide on how I do my turkey because it's such a detailed post I feel like I should get at least one more share out of it hahha! 

from 11/20:

How many of you are about to roast your first turkey (thanks to the pandemic and everyone staying at home instead of going to Grandma's where she provides the turkey!)? Last year I took lots of pictures of how I do it, intending to share this year (look at me preparing ahead) before knowing that sucky Covid would be in the picture and more people might need some directions! This is not complicated, I keep my turkey prep pretty simple - yes if you Google there are SO many ways to roast a turkey but this is what I do and it turns out great every year. So read thru these steps, change the seasonings if you want, heck you can even omit or add steps if you want to combine recipes (cuz I've never done that hahahha).  

Oh, a couple things before you begin (if you're making it my way) - you need a thawed turkey, herb butter, olive oil, salt and pepper, veggies and fruits to stuff in the cavity and lay under the bird, and an oven bag. 

To make herb butter: stir chopped herbs into softened butter. See, easy so far! Think poultry seasoning flavors like thyme, sage, rosemary, etc. 

1. This is my least favorite part but just suck it up and do it, don't think about it! When you take the wrapper off the turkey it'll look something like this. The neck and giblets are usually in bags stuffed in both ends of the turkey. Remove both (if the neck isn't in a bag you'll just have to fish it out with your hand, don't get all wussy on me - just grab it!), empty the contents into a large saucepan. Put aside.

2. Rinse inside and out, pat dry with paper towels. 

3. Gently slide your fingers underneath the breast skin to loosen it, creating a pocket between the meat and skin. Try to not rip the skin, loosen as far down as you can go. 

5. Now it's time to add the softened herb butter underneath the skin. I scoop it up with my fingers and push it into the pocket, press down on top of the skin to smooth and spread it around. (note: in case you skipped all my rambling at the beginning of this post, I tell you how easy it is to make herb butter - go back up and look again hahha). 

6. Take a second to make sure your helper is paying attention!

7. drizzle the entire bird with olive oil, season with salt and pepper.

                                            

8.  Insert fruit or veggies into the empty cavity - I just use what I have on hand, usually I'll insert an apple cut in half, or halved lemons, or whole herbs, you can also do chunks of onions, etc. This is really just a wing it step, it's fine if you don't add anything but I feel like it helps to keep the meat moist and adds some additional flavors. Note: I don't usually put stuffing in the bird, if you want that tho I'd use a stuffing bag to make removing it easier, and skip the fruit/veggies.

9. Tesha gave me the tip years ago to roast the turkey in a large oven bag - it really works!

10. From now on I just follow the package directions: open the bag and place in a roasting pan fitted with a rack, add a little flour and shake it around, add a few veggies or fruit that you'll rest the turkey on top of - carrots, celery, onions, apple...whatever you have.

11. Tuck the legs under the loose skin at the bottom if you can. Add the turkey to the bag on top of the veggies. Tie according to package directions.

12. Cut a few slits in the top of the bag.

13. Roast according to package directions for the size of your bird. 

14. While the turkey is roasting make turkey broth for the gravy using the neck and giblets you took out in step one. Put them in a pot and fill it up with water. If you have the time and inclination you can add other things to the pot for additional flavor - like onions, celery, peppercorns...bring it to a boil then reduce heat to a gentle simmer, cover, let it cook for a couple hours making sure it doesn't boil over or reduce too much  (add more water if it does). Strain the broth into a glass measuring cup (you need 4 cups for this recipe, if you have more than that you can save it for other uses), discard the solids. Reheat the broth when you're ready to make the gravy. Click here for yesterday's post about how to make gravy. 

You can do it!! Good luck, let me know how it turns out! Happy Thanksgiving!

11.20.20: apple pie and ice cream hack by B

11.20.19: fall tutu wreath (I ended up putting this on top of a basket and it looked so cool!)

11.20.18: make a pumpkin vase
11.20.17: yarn wrapped wheat
11.20.16: Jen's spinach salad
11.20.15: leaf lantern

Cauliflower 'Mac and Cheese'

This title is a bit deceiving - as much as I wanted it to be a substitute for macaroni and cheese it's more like cauliflower in a creamy, cheesy sauce ... and let's be honest, there's nothing wrong with that! This is great, the sauce is delicious and I will make it over other veggies for sure; I used skim milk and light cream cheese with amazing results. Just don't come complainin' when this dish doesn't taste like noodles in sauce hahahah. 

• 8 cups coarsely chopped cauliflower florets
• 1 1/2 cups reduced-fat milk, divided
• 2 T. cornstarch
• 1 t. dry mustard
• 1/2 t. pepper
• 1/4 t. salt
• 1 3/4 cups shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
• 4 ounces cream cheese, cut into 1/2" pieces
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• snipped chives for garnish

Directions:

1. Position rack in upper third of oven. Preheat broiler to high.
2. 2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add cauliflower and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain. 
3. Meanwhile, heat 1 1/4 cups milk in a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat until steaming. Whisk the remaining 1/4 cup milk, cornstarch and dry mustard together in a small bowl until smooth. Add to the hot milk and cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce bubbles and thickens, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in pepper and salt, then whisk in cheddar and cream cheese until melted and smooth. Add the cauliflower and stir to coat. Sprinkle parmesan evenly over the top and broil until browned in spots, 3 to 5 minutes. Garnish with chives, if desired. 

Nutrition facts -  serving size 3/4 cup. per serving 215 calories; fat 15g. carb 12g. pro 11g. 

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recipe found at eatingwell.com

11.19.20: loaded brownies

11.19.19: TT: roasting squash

11.19.18: wrapped pumpkin decor (hint - it's toilet paper!)

11.19.17: Al's smoked brisket

11.19.16: glass block 'Fall' 

11.19.15: personalized tote bags for gift giving

Porcupine Meatballs

Tesha mentioned making porcupine meatballs for her family the other day but it didn't click until the following day that I haven't had them in forever and I need the recipe! I texted her while standing in the grocery store googling recipes, she sent hers with a couple notes and I made them that night. Yum. 

11.18.20: loaded cream cheese brownies

11.18.19: scalloped carrots

11.18.18: 🔥weekly recap
11.18.17: how to make a paper box
11.18.16: silhouette art by Brooke
11.18.15: roasted cherry tomatoes

Chocolate Zucchini Brownies

My bad memory can't remember why Ginny asked me to find a recipe for brownies with zucchini in them, but I'm always game to experiment and don't really need a reason hahahah. I do remember she had the best vegetarian zucchini brownies somewhere, I think I'm trying to recreate them - but since I didn't have the best vegetarian zucchini brownies I'm not sure what I'm aiming for LOL! Here is my first try, I followed the recipe to a T other than I used 1/2 dark chocolate and 1/2 mini semi-sweet chips. I think they are pretty good, very cake-y in texture - I wasn't sure I loved them but Dave ate a couple and loves them, doesn't think they are too cake-like. No eggs are in this recipe, wonder if that's why they aren't super dense and fudge-y? idk. I will most likely try another couple recipes before telling her which I recommend, in the meantime these are a winner (in Dave's book) and a great way to use up a couple zucchinis - that reminds me, you cannot tell at all that these have zucchini in them! I shredded them very finely in my food processor and they completely go away once baked. 

One more thing - the batter is dry crumbs until you add the zucchini, don't think there is something wrong - it'll turn into moist batter!

I lied - the last thing is that I really like that these are not overly sweet, if you like them more sweet I'd put frosting on them  :) 

• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup canola oil or vegetable oil
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 2 cups shredded zucchini don't squeeze out the moisture
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips 

1.  Preheat oven to 350'. Grease a 9x13" baking pan with cooking spray, set aside. 

2. In a stand mixer, combine sugar, oil, and flour, combine until mixture resembles wet sand. It will be dry looking and that is ok. While mixing, on low, add cocoa shredded zucchini, vanilla, salt and baking soda. Mix until well combined. The mixture will moisten once the zucchini is added. Stir in one cup of the chocolate chips. 

3. Pour brownie batter into prepared pans and sprinkle with remaining chocolate chips. Bake for 28-32 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean and the brownies are set. 

4. Cool completely on a wire rack. Cut brownies into squares and serve. 

recipe found here

11.17.20: TT: cast iron pan info

11.17.19: 🔥 week 46

11.17.18: homemade applesauce

11.17.17: planting tulip bulbs

11.17.16: pet food and holidays - do and don'ts

11.17.15: Thanksgiving tree

Tip-sy Tuesday: Cincinnati Chili Shortcut

I've always put my regular chili over spaghetti and called it 'Cincinnati Chili' but that's not technically what it is - I googled and the 'real' Cincinnati chili has cinnamon and other spices, and no beans. So today's tip is my Cincinnati chili shortcut - just put your regular ol' chili over hot spaghetti. It's delish! 

11.16.20: cast iron pizza

11.16.19: corny corn bread 

11.16.18: pinecone wreath
11.16.17: doggie pupcakes
11.16.16: fall circle garland
11.16.15: DIY cookie stand

Pinecone Wreath with Feathers (re-run)

This originally posted in 2018, I saw it again while writing up tomorrows post and thought I should share it again - it turned out great and I want to make another because after displaying this one for the Fall season I spray painted it silver (which looks amazing btw) but now I don't have a plain ol' pinecone one! Once you paint a pinecone you can't go back hahahah. Check out how pretty this is:

from 11/16/2018 ~

Ok, I realize the last couple days have been all about pinecones with beaks...turkeys, owls, birds, oh my... so today let's change it up with a simple wreath made with a whole bunch of "found" pinecones (note: I may or may not have combed the neighborhood for pinecones...I have a rule to not go into anyone's yard to gather craft materials hahaha, but if it's on the sidewalk it's fair game...or if it's on a pine tree that's within grabbing distance from the sidewalk it's mine. Hopefully Mrs. Williams wasn't watching me jump for pinecones in her tree that was very very close to the sidewalk!). I actually looked at the craft store to purchase pinecones and then had a "what the heck am I thinking?" moment  and just went for a couple walks to gather them! Duh...

Since the pinecones came off the ground and trees, they are surprisingly full of creepy crawly little bugs (you don't want to know how I came to that realization...) so I read about a very easy way to stop that little problem...lay them out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and pop into a 220' oven for about 20 minutes. Interestingly enough, baking them for a few minutes not only gets rid of the bugs, it also turned them different colors which made for a pretty cool wreath.

This is super easy - just wire the cones to a wire wreath form. I did a base layer of bigger cones, and then filled in spaces by hot gluing smaller pinecones and small bits of broken cones onto the wreath until I couldn't add any more! There were a couple places where I could still see the green wire, so I added a few little sticks and feathers to cover those up.

I especially love that the pinecones sort of look like flowers when I cut them in half, the one that is anchoring the bunch of feathers really looks pretty. Agree?

I'm thinking I'll lay this wreath on my round dining room table and put a large candle in the center...and then once Thanksgiving is over I'm planning to remove the feathers and spray paint the whole wreath to make it a Christmasy/wintery wreath. I'll show you how that turns out (if it turns out, I'm not very good at spray painting - once again you don't want to know - so we'll see).

🔥 Around the Campfire (week 46)

Dear Campers ~

Here's a quick recap in case you missed anything at camp last week:

Post ~

11/7: 🔥week 45

11/8: framed wedding keepsake

11/9: tip-sy tuesday: airplane water bottle

11/10: spinach salad with beets and goat cheese

11/11: creamy chicken and rice soup

11/12: number/letter charcuterie boxes

11/13: personal pumpkin pie shortcut

What's Cooking ~

• grilled tuna, sticky rice, steamed spinach
• marinated chicken thighs, roasted broccoli, 
• grilled steak, baked potato, sautéed mushrooms, chopped salad kit
• tuna pasta salad (with leftover tuna, peas, carrots, celery, mayo/greek yogurt)
• grilled chicken, cauliflower 'macaroni and cheese', caesar salad

Miscellaneous stuff keeping me busy ~

• read 'The Paper Palace' and really liked it - it's a Reese Witherspoon book club pick about a women, a love triangle, some secrets and lies, and a summer beach house that I'd love to see in person. The ending is somewhat vague - I googled to read what other people thought happened but that isn't a reason to not read this! Interesting. ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
• also read 'That Summer' by Jennifer Weiner that I have mixed feelings about. It's also about a woman, some secrets and lies, and a summer beach house that I'd love to see in person; the subject matter and plot tho are maybe not my favorite. I'll go ⭐️⭐️⭐️ because it is readable, I did want to know how things would wrap up, and I usually really like this author. 

That's it for now - hope to see you this coming week at camp for more crafts, recipes, whatever else I think of to make. Bye!

Sincerely ~

Jill

camp counselor

11.14.20: picked red onions

11.14.19: MSIH: pumpkin snickerdoodles

11.14.18: pinecone owls

11.14.17: kid craft: decorating apples

11.14.16: curvy keepsake box turkey

11.14.15: wine and design: fall centerpiece

Personal Pumpkin Pie Shortcut

This is genius and even tho I haven't made it yet I'm totally stealing this idea - cut out circles of pumpkin pie to form individual pies. I found this on Pinterest and 'borrowed' the picture so you can see how simple this shortcut is - I will update the photo after I do this for Thanksgiving. 

Start with a chilled pumpkin pie (you can make or buy it - Sams and Costco sell great ones and they're big so you'd get more servings!). Spray a 2" biscuit or cookie cutter with non-stick spray and press it into the pie making small individual servings of pie. Start cutting around the outside of the pie working towards the center, cut each one out as close as you can to the others so you can get as many servings as possible. Top each with a dollop of whipped cream and sprinkle with cinnamon if desired. 

Bonus - you get to eat all the leftover scraps!

11.13.20: coin jar by B

11.13.19: candy corn cone

11.13.18: pinecone turkeys

11.13.17: crocheted beanie

11.13.16:  spanish rice

11.13.15: crocheted dog scarf

Charcuterie Number Boxes

Well this is my favorite kind of post - a craft, an appetizer, and a project all in one. It's a super good, fun, and creative idea I wish I would have thought of - paper mache numbers or letters turned into charcuterie platters. First, who doesn't love a charcuterie board, but then make it out of something so clever? I'm totally loving this idea.

You can find paper mache letters and numbers at the craft store; cut the top off (I'd use an exacto knife or something like that) and fill with whatever you want! Meghan thru a birthday party for Mickey's 30th last weekend and this was part of the munchie table - she used a 3 and an 0 but it'd also be cute with a (short) name, initials, or date - and had it filled with all sorts of delicious goodness. I don't think she lined the boxes and it seemed fine, I think I'd put down waxed paper or parchment tho to keep the box from potentially getting soggy. 

Prosciutto, salami, sliced cheese, nuts, fruit, breadsticks, crackers, spreadable cheese, jam, cherry peppers - anything goes!

11.12.20: pine nut pilaf

11.12.19: TT: how much turkey?

11.12.18: herb bubble bread

11.12.17: stuffed spaghetti squash

11.12.16: caramel apple shots

11.12.15: pumpkin roll

Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup

Way back in January I posted a recipe for creamy chicken soup that we love and I've made quite a few times (click here for that recipe and additional notes), and I posted another called 'mushy roomy rice' in April that is also delish. I had some of the rice left over and wondered how it would taste added to the creamy chicken soup and yep, you guessed it, it's SO good!! Great way to use up leftover rice, I don't think it has to be the mushroom rice - I bet any would taste good.  I followed the original soup recipe omitting onion, added 2 cups of mushroomy rice. Yum. 

SOUP:

•  1-2 teaspoons olive oil
•  1 1/2 cups peeled, diced carrots (about 3-4 medium carrots)
•  3/4 cup diced celery (about 3 stalks)
•  1/2 cup diced onion, (1 small onion)
•  4 cups chicken broth (I use low sodium)
•  2 cubes chicken bouillon or 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon paste (this is optional, it'll add more flavor)
•  3 bay leaves
•  1 tablespoon dried parsley
•  1 1/2 teaspoons herbs de provence  (a mixed blend of herbs like thyme, basil, rosemary, tarragon, savory, marjoram, oregano, and bay leaf. lots of recipes online if you want to make your own blend)
•  1 teaspoon turmeric
•  1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or 2-3 cloves garlic, finely minced
•  1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
•  3 1/2 cups milk or half-and-half (or a combo - see note)
•  3-4 cups cooked, chopped chicken
•  Shredded parmesan, asiago or gruyere cheese, for topping (optional)

ROUX:

•  6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
•  3 tablespoons olive oil
•  3 tablespoons butter

INSTRUCTIONS

1. For the soup, in a 4-quart or larger saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the carrots, celery and onion. Pour in the broth and add the chicken bouillon, bay leaves, parsley, herbs de provence, turmeric, garlic powder, and pepper. Stir to combine.
2. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, uncovered or partially covered, for 12-15 minutes until the vegetables are tender. 
3. For the roux, while the soup simmers, in a small saucepan, add the olive oil and butter and cook on medium heat until the butter is melted. Add the flour and whisk to combine until a smooth paste forms. Remove from the heat. 
4. Add the milk (and/or half-and-half) to the soup and heat through. Add the roux to the soup and cook, stirring or whisking constantly, over medium heat until the soup thickens and gently simmers, 5-7 minutes. 
5. Stir in the chicken, season to taste with salt and pepper (this is important for flavor!) and heat through. 
6. Remove the bay leaves and serve with a sprinkle of Parmesan, asiago or gruyere on top. 

11.11.20: chessman banana pudding

11.11.19: pony bead indian corn

11.11.17: DIY paper bows

11.11.16: mosaic project by B

11.11.15: fleece scarf