Happy Thanksgiving!

by holly{Bruce}

A girl hopes this finds everyone well. As Thanksgiving approaches here in the U.S., we find ourselves looking back over the past year. As we get older, it’s always the same old observation - “where did the time go?” Some years seem uneventful, while others are all too unforgettable, for one reason or another.

holly attended catholic schools from elementary through high school. There was one teacher in particular, during her middle school years, whom she’ll never forget. Sister Kathleen was young and full of energy. She was well-liked by all the students, and tolerated by the other sisters.

She led us in a prayer one time, which holly found hard to accept. A girl would have to say she still doesn’t accept it to this day. In the prayer, Sister gave thanks for danger, grief and sorrow. Of course, holly wasn’t alone in her lack of understanding of this. Sister’s explanation was that danger made us feel alive in a way we never felt before. Sorrow and grief were sensations that made us appreciate the good times once they came our way. There were other applications made to religious and spiritual matters, which aren’t relevant here.

Over the years, these comments came to mind during times of trouble. But they provided no comfort or yielded no understanding. For this girl, she finds strength in other ways. She was raised to believe family and friends are our greatest source of strength, especially in times of trouble. For holly, when she’s worried about something or going through hard times, she retreats into herself. She finds it difficult to talk about hurts and fears. Over the years, those close to her understand that, and just allow her be silent. It’s enough knowing they, along with Master, are available if needed.

So Thanksgiving is more than just “turkey day,” although sometimes it may seem that way as we get too worked up over all the details which go into planning for the feast. It’s a day for us to connect with extended family members and friends. And we don’t have to be together, shoulder to shoulder, to connect. We can be thousands of miles away from friends and loved ones, but still connect in memory.

Traditional Turkey Basics

Okay, well maybe it’s not all about memories. You don’t want your Thanksgiving feast to be problematic, with visions of eating dinner at 10 pm. If you’re new to cooking a turkey, or maybe you do so only once a year, you may have questions. Many people puzzle over whether to buy a fresh or frozen turkey, they wonder how large of a bird to buy, when to begin thawing and how to safely thaw the turkey. This website will truly answer all these questions:

http://www.butterball.com.

They provide a format in English and Spanish. They’ll provide tips for safe handling and preparation. There are guides for serving sizes, as well as holiday and leftover recipes. They’ll even provide step-by-step instructions on how to clean, prepare and cook the bird.

holly has always found the meat more flavorable if you stuff the bird. Also, she doesn’t like the constant basting either. The most reliable way she has found to cook a turkey with great success (and no basting) is with the use of Reynold’s Brand Oven Bags for Turkeys and Hams. You can find them at the grocery stores, K-Mart and Wal-Mart for a very reasonable price. They even include recipes for holiday turkeys and hams. The following website can give you more information on this product as well:

http://www.reynoldskitchens.com.

To find the product first click on Our Family Of Products on the upper left hand side. Then click on the 2nd link: Reynolds Oven Bags, also found on the left.

Many people enjoy staying at home and prefer a more intimate dinner. They also don’t welcome the waste which can go into making a bird for just a couple or small family. When this is the case, a turkey breast is always a good alternative. This following recipe is fairly easy and lends itself to all the traditional side items of a Thanksgiving meal.

Cider-Baked Turkey Breast

Ingredients:
5 pound turkey breast
2 cups apple cider, divided
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tablespoons cornstarch

Directions:
Place turkey breast, skin-side up, in a large roasting pan. Bake at 450 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove the turkey from the oven and reduce heat to 325 degrees. Combine 1-1/2 cups of cider and soy sauce together in a mixing bowl, then pour over turkey breast. Insert the meat thermometer into the thickest portion, cover and bake until thermometer reaches 170 degrees, or about 1-2 hours. Remove turkey breast and set aside. Whisk the remaining cider and cornstarch together, then add to pan drippings and whisk well. Return the turkey breast to the roasting pan and bake until sauce thickens (about 15-20 minutes). Slice turkey and serve.

Yields: 6 servings

holly is a bit of a traditionalist (or a prude by others’ standards) when it comes to deep frying a turkey. Many people love it, as they say it frees up more oven space for the other food items. But still, it’s a shame to miss out on that aroma filling the house. Our 9 year old son has been stuffing the turkey since he was 4, and she couldn’t imagine denying him the pleasure of that (yes, he truly looks forward to that every year).

While a girl has never deep fried a turkey on her own, she has assisted her brother with it. It is very tasty, but not the healthiest way to cook a bird. The following recipe can provide some guidance and an overall view of how it’s done.

Deep-Fried Turkey

Ingredients:
8-10 pound turkey, fresh or thawed
5 gallons vegetable oil
dried sage, salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
Remove the timer, neck and giblet packages from the turkey. Rinse the bird inside and out, patting dry with paper towels. Set up a pot, basket and burner designed for outdoor deep frying on a level dirt or grassy area (staying away from trees and pavement, as much as possible). Pour enough oil into the fryer so that it will completely cover the turkey but won’t overflow once the turkey is immersed. Heat the oil to 325 degrees. While the oil is heating, sprinkle the inside and rub the outside of the bird with desired seasonings. Place the turkey in the basket or on the metal stand with legs pointing upward, and slowly lower into the oil. Heat approximately 3 minutes per pound; then turn off the heat after-wards. Gradually lift the bird out of the oil, allowing the oil to drain into the pot. You can use an oven rack on which to rest the bird. Turn off the propane. Test the turkey for doneness by inserting a meat thermometer into the breast part of the turkey. Without touching the bone, the thermometer should read 180 degrees. Allow the bird to sit for 15 minutes before serving.

Yields: 8-10 servings

Tips:
1. For safety reasons, it’s best not to deep fry a bird over 12 pounds.
2. Don’t stuff the turkey.
3. Never operate an outdoor deep fryer indoors, including the garage.
4. Use long oven mitts for protection.
5. Never allow young children around while operating an outdoor deep fryer.

If you find yourself a guest for the holiday dinner, you may wish to bring something (if permitted to do so). A girl finds while folks may say “just bring yourself” they do appreciate the effort to bring something, especially something different. And you don’t want to compete with your host/hostess’ pies. This recipe is a little out of the ordinary for Thanksgiving dessert, but easy to make and a nice companion to pumpkin or pecan pies.

Pumpkin Cobbler

Ingredients:
3 eggs, beaten
15 ounce can pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
12 ounce can evaporated milk
1 cup granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
18 ounce package yellow cake mix
1-1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 cup chopped nuts

Directions:
Mix the first 8 ingredients together in a large mixing bowl, then pour into an ungreased 13 by 9 inch glass baking pan. Sprinkle the cake mix over the top, then drizzle with butter. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Take out of oven and sprinkle with the nuts. Return to the oven and bake for another 15 minutes.

Yields: 15 to 18 servings

And, last but not least, leftover recipes. You’ll also find leftover tips on the butterball website, listed above. One does find these to be the necessary basics:

Turkey Leftover Tips:

1. Immediately remove the stuffing from the bird and refrigerate separately.
2. Refrigerated leftovers should be consumed in a couple of days.
3. Turkey dries out quickly, so remove the meat from the bone by the following day. (Better yet if done after dinner, time and energy permitting, that is).
4. If you wish to freeze turkey leftovers, cut the meat into cubes and freeze in 2-3 cup portions. Such sizes lend themselves more easily to casserole dishes, without the waste of extra meat.
5. Never re-freeze leftovers. You’ll need to consume them the same day of thawing.

Creamy Turkey Casserole

Ingredients:
10-3/4 ounces can cream of mushroom soup
10-3/4 ounces can cream of celery soup
1-1/2 ounce package onion soup mix
1 cup instant rice, uncooked
1-1/2 cups milk
2-3 cups turkey, cooked and cubed
bread crumbs or crushed corn flakes for garnish

Directions:
Combine the first 6 ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Spread into an ungreased 13 by 9 inch glass baking pan. Sprinkle with bread crumbs or crushed corn flakes. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Yields: 6 servings

Angel Hair Pasta

Ingredients:
3 cups turkey, cooked and cubed
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 cups sour cream
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted and divided
10-3/4 ounces can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
8 ounce package of angel hair pasta - cooked
1 sleeve of round, butter flavored crackers - crushed

Directions:
Combine the turkey, cheese, sour cream, 1/4 cup butter, soup, onion and celery together in a large mixing bowl, stirring well. Place the pasta in an ungreased 2 quart glass casserole dish, then pour the turkey mixture on top and set aside. Toss the cracker crumbs with the remaining butter and sprinkle on top of casserole. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes.

Yields: 4 to 6 servings

A girl wishes everyone all the best this month. Thank you for reading, and should you wish to share any holiday recipes for next month, please feel free to e-mail them to her.

holly {Bruce}
E-mail: holly_anne1@yahoo.com