Our Thanksgiving Turkey and My Thanksgiving Menu

Well people, it's that time of year again; The time where everyone wants to eat but nobody wants to help in the kitchen, the time for 15 hours of cooking, for 15 minutes of eating, the time where everyone dreads clean-up after, but everyone looks forward to leftovers. Thats right! I'm talking about thanksgiving!

The only day, where you are sure to catch a glimpse of a giant snoopy balloon! I never seem to catch the full broadcast of the parade, because I am to busy cooking the bird.

And what a pretty Bird she is!

When I cook turkey, it usually starts with a long bath. I clean this bird so much, that sometimes I think I could call it a brine. I always clean out the cavity and remove the gizzards and what not, but I also clean up and pull out all the little veins and things in there. I never just rinse it out and go. It's always a big procedure.

I give it a good scrub down on the inside and outside with salt. Kinda like an exfoliation. I then set her down on my roasting pan that is fitted with a rack, and I slather it with lots of butter and salt. That's it. Just butter and salt.

I pour some water, about four cups, in the bottom of the pan,

I then cover with the roasting pan lid, or aluminum foil and create a seal around the pan and place the pan in the oven at 350 degrees for about three hours, basting about every 45 minutes then covering again.

After three hours in the tent, she is pretty much done. Now she just needs to get brown. So I take of the foil and let her cook for another one and a half hours, while basting every 30 minutes or so.

I've been doing it this way my whole life. Our dinner is usually done by 3 pm. Just in time for football. If I make a dish that is not a regular staple at my thanksgiving table, my sweet mother-in-law will of course tell me I'm going a bit too "Gourmet" 

on her.

The gravy is pretty simple and old fashioned, but I like it that way. It goes like this:

After the first 3 hours of cooking the turkey, I remove the foil and get all that water from the bottom of the pan. By now, that four cups has become a lot more from all the juices from the turkey and now all that water has become turkey broth.

After I put the bird back in the oven, is when I start on my gravy.

I pour all or most of the turkey broth in a sauce pan and bring it to a slow boiling roll. 

I put about a half a teaspoon of minced garlic in and stir. I then take out about a cup of this broth and place in a measuring cup. I then stir in about three or four tablespoons of flour in the measuring cup and stir really well and make a thick paste.

Then I pour that mixture into the turkey broth while stirring vigorously with a whisk.

I sometimes repeat this process until I get the right gravy consistency I'm looking for. I then add about three tablespoons of Soy Sauce. Yup! Soy Sauce! No need to add salt. Just a bit of black pepper. Stir for a bit, and simmer for about 20 minutes

And I promise you will have the most yummiest old fashioned Turkey Gravy ever!

So simple, so easy, so done!

Along with my turkey and gravy, here is a list of the other wonderful dishes I will be

Serving this thanksgiving.

Rigatoni and Cheese

 

Creamy Mashed potatoes

 

Sage Onion Dressing

    Southern Fried Corn

 

    Pan Sautéed Brussels Sprouts with Caramelized Onions and Bacon

 

    Noodle Kugel

 

    Buttered Rosemary Rolls

 

What will you be serving this thanksgiving?

Butterscotch Chip Bars

I'm always looking for a deal. I love shopping the clearance isle of the grocery stores. It is usually the first area I search. Sometimes they have really good prices on cleaning supplies, toilet paper, shampoo, among other things. One time I found Dial body wash on clearance for $2.00 a bottle, and I had coupons for $1.50 off! So $0.50 for Dial body wash in my world is a stock up price! 

Try to check the clearance area of stores, right after any holiday. They will always have great prices on things that have not sold during the holiday. I always get wrapping paper for next Christmas at 0.25-0.50 cents a roll!

I always find a deal on Pyrex bakeware in the clearance section. And especially when I can pair it with a coupon, I can't lose!

This week I found some butterscotch chips on clearance for $0.50 a bag and I just couldn't pass them up. So I thought I would whip up some butterscotch cookie bars with the rest of the ingredients I had in my pantry. I always have the basic baking essentials on hand, that way I can just add a few ingredients to my shopping list to make something new.

The baking essentials I always have on hand are:

All-purpose flour

Baking powder

Baking soda

Sugar

Brown sugar

Butter

Shortening 

Eggs

Milk

Nutmeg

Cinnamon 

Salt

So if I wanted to make something like chocolate chip cookies, I just need to add chocolate chips to my shopping list.

My kids love when I'm making a new batch of cookies. They are my favorite recipe testers! 

I found the recipe for these cookie bars in an old Betty Crocker cookie book that I bought at a garage sale! I just swapped chocolate chips for butterscotch chips to create something different.

I think I will be baking a lot of cookies from this book, so keep an eye out for future posts. But for now, here is this wonderful butterscotch bar recipe for you to try!

Ingredients: 

1-1/4 cups of all-purpose flour

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup butterscotch chips

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter softened

Directions:

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare a 13 x 9 inch baking pan, by greasing it well and dusting with flour. Set aside. Combine sugars, butter,and vanilla until smooth. Stir in flour, baking soda, and salt. Then add chopped walnuts and butterscotch chips, and combine. Spread the dough in pan, and bake until golden. 13-14 minutes. Let cool then cut into bars that are about 2 x 1- 1/2 inches. Makes about 36 bars. Serve and enjoy!

Herbs De Provence Roasted Chicken and Vegetables

Today I am trying to re-invent myself, my house and my life. A new year and a new me. I am going on a diet, I am working on home improvements, I am getting rid of clutter, and putting away all of the holiday decorations. And tonight I will try to change up my usual roasted chicken with something a little more fancy, a little more special.

My family loves roasted chicken. For us, it's like a go to meal when you just don't know what to cook. I'll say "how about roasted chicken?" And my family will say "yeah that sounds good!" My husband says he can eat roasted chicken everyday. My daughter loves it with lot's of herbs. Today I will be trying Herbs de Provence. I have never tried it before, but the smell from this herb mixture is so earthy and refreshing.

The herbs that were in this packet of Herbs de Provence, included

Onion, sea salt,rosemary, marjoram and lavender. The lavender paired so well with the earthiness of the rosemary.

This chicken was definitely a hit! This recipe will now be one of our weekly meals.

Trying this herb mixture made me want to channel a little Julia Child in my cooking. 

For my brush on marinade, I will be using the juice of one lemon. 

The juiced halves, I will be placing in the cavity of the chicken, along with a sprinkle

Of salt and a few sprigs of rosemary.

If I have twine on hand, I will usually use some to tie up the legs of the bird, but when I don't have any twine on hand, I use a method that I had seen demonstrated on a cooking TV program. 

what I do is cut a slit very carefully in the flap of meat that is near the entrance of the cavity, and I stick the leg that is on the opposite side of the bird, through that little slit.

And I repeat on the other flap. Be sure not to make your 

slits to wide though, as the chicken leg may not stay put.

Interesting look right?!

I used a pastry brush to slather on the Herbs de Provence mixture.

Looks great so far!

For the bird:

1 4-5 pound whole chicken

2 tablespoons herbs de Provence 

2 teaspoons salt

 1 tablespoons olive oil

1 lemon halved and juiced

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

A few sprigs of rosemary

For vegetables:

4 potatoes halved or quartered

5 carrots chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a small bowl, add 1 tablespoon olive oil, juice of 1 lemon, and 2 tablespoons herbs de provence, stir to combine. One chicken has giblets removed and has been rinsed and dried, I first like to season the cavity with some extra bit of salt and pepper. I then put the lemon halves that have already been juiced, and place in cavity along with a few springs of fresh rosemary.

Close legs with twine or you can try the method that I have spoken about earlier.

Set chicken in a roasting pan.

Pour herb mixture over chicken and rub on all over chicken. 

In a large bowl, add olive oil, salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon herbs de Provence. Stir to combine mixture. Add cut potatoes and carrots to the bowl and toss with herb mixture until vegetables are well coated.

Place vegetables around your bird so everybody is snuggled.

Bake at 425 for about 1 and 1/2 hours. I usually check for doneness 

At 1 hour. You will know it's ready when an instant read thermometer reads 180 degrees when placed in the deepest part of the thigh.

Remove from oven and let rest for about 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

If you liked this recipe, please remember to share!

Mama's Fried Chicken

Christmas shopping has worn me out. Every time I think my list is complete, I remember someone I forgot. Trying to stick to my budget has been challenging. What do you buy for distant relatives you may or may not see and you know they are not buying you anything but you can't walk in empty handed for them when you bought for everyone else? I looked at food baskets, throw blankets, sweaters but I did not know there size, then I saw them...SLIPPERS done! Good enough!

And I love slippers. I hope someone got me some slippers cuz I would so be walking around in them right now.

Anyway yeah this is crunch time and no time to spare. In between shopping, wrapping, getting holiday outfits ready, making reservations here and there, haircuts, prepping my holiday menu, eyebrow waxing, let me tell ya, there is no time for a decent meal. So I decided that today I would take the day off, recharge and make some good old Mama Ruby's fried chicken. 

Yup she taught me this and she always said: "Always use Self rising flour." Self rising flour is flour with baking powder and sometimes a bit of salt added to it. She swears by it and you really can tell the difference between chicken fried with all purpose flour and chicken fried with self rising.  I find that it gives foods a little more rise, a little more lift.

So while I take the day to eat and recharge for more holiday craziness, here is our fried chicken recipe that I would like to share with you today: 

10 chicken drumsticks 

1 pound chicken breast tenders

1 package white mushrooms

2 1/2 pounds russet potatoes

4-5 cups vegetable oil for frying

3 cups self rising flour

2 tablespoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

In preparation for the frying I first add flour into a large plastic tub that has a fitted top. I use this bucket only for dredging meats. I also add the salt, pepper and garlic powder to bucket.

Stir to combine and set aside. 

Cut potatoes into wedges and place in a plastic container and add water just to cover potatoes. This will keep them from getting brown.

I like to remove the skin from the drumsticks. I just think it adds too much fat and it tastes just as good without it. I do this be removing the skin with a paper towel. It's much easier than just using my hands.

Then place chicken drumsticks, tenders, potatoes and mushrooms to the flour filled container. 

Place the top on container and make sure it's on good then start just shaking container back and forth to coat chicken.

Heat oil in large skillet to about 350 degrees.  Add some chicken pieces along with some potato wedges and a few mushrooms in pan to cook. Don't overcrowd pan and cook in batches. Usually when the mushrooms are a little browned, they are done. And very addictive. The potatoes usually take around 5-8 minutes to get browned, crispy and done. Turning occasionally as not to burn. 

The chicken may take a little longer.

About 8-10 for white meat 13-15 for dark meat. Be sure to turn occasionally so they don't burn. I usually set a timer for 3 minute intervals in between turning. Cook until chicken is browned and juices run clear. Smaller pieces cook faster than bigger pieces. I always use a food thermometer to make sure the chicken is done and the temperature of the cooked chicken is 180 degrees. Drain on paper towels and let rest 5-7 minutes before serving.

I serve with my husbands favorite dip that consists of Ketchup, Tabasco and a bit of lemon juice combined. Delish! 

Thanks for stopping by!

Peppermint Candy DIY tray

 

 

Watching TV is something I never really have time for, but when I do have some time, I'll try to catch up on my favorite daytime cooking/talk shows.

Last year I saw an episode of The Chew on abc and they were showing how to do a DIY edible tray made from peppermint candies and I thought it was the cutest thing ever. And I said to myself that I was going to make one this year.

And that's what I did because that's what I do!

I love leaving cookies for Santa, even though my kids are teens and know the truth. I still believe in the spirit of Santa, and I still ask him for what I want for the new year, which every year is health, happiness and prosperity for my family and friends. 

This peppermint candy tray is simple and will bring a touch of whimsy to your holiday party. It's a great tray for displaying sweet snacks, cupcakes, brownies, cookies and more!

All you need is a baking sheet, parchment paper and some peppermint candies.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Place the parchment on your baking sheet and begin arranging the peppermint candies next to each other. It is ok to have them touching but do not let them overlap.

Place baking sheet in oven and let bake for 8-10 minutes. I let mine cool for 2 minutes then I trimmed it with a pizza cutter because it baked in a strange shape.

 Some people may have better luck and have it baked to perfection, but of course not me, so I trimmed it and it came out great!

Let cool compleatly before handling.

So easy and so cool! And the best part is that after all the guests have gone, you can eat it!

I will be using mine as a plate for cookies and milk for ol Saint Nick!

If you do make one, come back and let me know how it turned out!

Happy Holidays!