Thanksgiving

I would love to give you all a nice big, gorgeous post today with lovely pictures and stories....but I am embarrassed to say that I did not prepare a post in advance.  I am stuck in the kitchen today making pies, getting serving dishes cleaned, and making sure Bodie doesn't eat any more ornaments off my Christmas tree!  (Seriously, the dog is THIS close to getting put in the corner)

But since I didn't prepare, I have one thing to share with you.  It's been a Cook family tradition for who knows how long.  And my awesome cousin, Kristen, from K Photography, took some pictures of their amazing.......drumroll please.......gumdrop turkeys.

I mean, how adorable are these?!  They go all out and have a competition about who can get the most creative.  Ours are simple, and barely resemble turkeys.  So I'm glad she had these pictures.  Have you ever seen these?  Does your family have a similar tradition?  It was our job as grandkids to put them together.  And eat a few spare parts along the way.

So that's it!  I hope you all have a wonderful holiday together!  I'm taking the day off to spend with my family and will be hiding somewhere from all the black Friday shoppers.  So I'll see you Monday!

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Cran-Raspberry Jello Salad

So we're almost to turkey day.  Did you get your turkeys taken out of the freezer over the weekend?  Our turkey is a 20 pounder (BIG BIRD!) and I'm injecting that bad boy full of lovely marinade on Wednesday night.  So I put it in the fridge Friday night.  The stuffing is made and in the freezer.  The rolls are made up to the second rise and are waiting in the freezer.  All that's left is pie.  And one other family tradition - Cran-Raspberry Jello Salad.

This is something that has become a staple at the dinner table on holidays.  I don't remember one single Thanksgiving without it - even at my grandparents' house.  My mom would make it and bring it because it was in such high demand.  Yes, it's a jello salad.  I understand that.  But it's such a wonderful twist on traditional cranberries at Thanksgiving.  But you must use the cranberry sauce, NOT whole cranberries.  That way it can dissolve right into the gelatin.  It's such a nice combination of sweet and tart.

Cran-Raspberry Jello Salad

Ingredients:

1 can cranberry sauce
1 small can crushed pineapple
1 small box raspberry gelatin
1 1/4 cups boiling water
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup chopped pecans
8 oz. package cream cheese
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup sugar

Directions:

1. Pour cranberry sauce into a 9x13 inch pan.  Using a fork, mash sauce until no chunks remain.

2. Drain crushed pineapple, saving juices.  Combine juice, lemon juice and enough cold water to make 3/4 cup.  Set aside.

3. Dissolve raspberry gelatin in boiling water.  Pour over cranberry sauce and whisk until sauce is dissolved.  Add cold juice/water mixture.  Whisk until combined.  Add pineapple and chopped pecans.  Cover with plastic wrap and allow to chill overnight or until set.

4. After set, cream together cream cheese and sour cream.  Add sugar.  Beat on high speed to whip together.  Spread over top of salad, cover again with plastic wrap, and put salad back in fridge.  Chill for a minimum of 1 hour before serving.

Serves 12

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Grandma Cook's Thanksgiving Stuffing

One of my favorite parts of Thanksgiving is a tradition that has been passed down through several generations now - my Grandma Cook's Stuffing.  It's been a staple on the Thanksgiving table for as long as I can remember.  Even when we weren't at my grandparents' house, it would still be part of the meal.  And I am pleased to say that I have converted several members of The Hubs' family to stuffing as well!  People who have sworn off stuffing and profess to hate the stuff try this version and fall in love.  The difference is that my grandmother would use a pork sausage in her stuffing.  It gives the dressing/bread cubes flavor and a little kick, but not so much that you feel like you are reaching for a glass of water to wash it down.

Now, a little something that I do - I like to buy Jimmy Dean's® Pork Sausage with Sage in it.  You can find it in the meat section this time of year.  That way, you can get a little added oopmh.  I also like to make my stuffing a week or two ahead of the holiday to keep myself out of the kitchen for the ENTIRE day on Thanksgiving and the day before.  I place it in an aluminum pan  and seal it tightly with heavy duty foil, then I pop it in the freezer.  I pull it out an hour or two before dinner on Thanksgiving and stick it in the oven for the regular baking time.  And no, I do NOT put the stuffing in the turkey cavity.  Too many risks for food poisoning!

Grandma Cook's Thanksgiving Stuffing

Ingredients:

1 cylinder pork sausage
1 onion, finely chopped
1 russet potato, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and finely chopped
1 box Mrs. Cubbison's Classic Seasoned Dressing or Cube Stuffing
1 tsp. sage
1/2 Tbs. poultry seasoning

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, brown sausage.  Add onion, potato, and carrots.  Saute until vegetables are tender.

2. Pour dressing/stuffing into a 9x13 inch pan.  Sprinkle sage and poultry seasoning over dressing.  Add warm meat and vegetable mixture and gently fold until all ingredients are incorporated.

3. Cover with aluminum foil.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes or until heated through.

**Tip: You can make this ahead of time and freeze until ready to use.  Just make sure the pan is tightly sealed with foil to avoid freezer burn.  Remove from freezer about 1 hour before heating.

Serves 6

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Slow Cooker Turkey Breast

If you're like us, and have a small family, making a ginormous turkey might not be up your alley for
Thanksgiving.  Don't fret, I have an answer for you!  You can get a wonderfully moist, tender turkey for your dinner if you have one thing - a slow cooker.  And you can always make this for times other than Thanksgiving.  I love making this for Sunday dinner (and leftovers the next day for sandwiches!).

First of all, turkey breasts are typically 4-6 pounds.  If you go by the rule of thumb for turkey weight, this is perfect for a family of 4-6.  When you cook a turkey breast in the oven, you have to be careful on the timing - just a little too long and it will dry out, a little too soon and it will be undercooked.  So using a slow cooker allows you to set it for a few hours and have a moist bird when you are done.  But MAKE SURE you add some type of liquid to keep it a moist heat - I choose chicken broth because it'll help with adding a little more flavor.  And one more tip - use a meat thermometer if you have one, the one that comes with the turkey may not pop out!

Slow Cooker Turkey Breast

Ingredients:

4-6 pound turkey breast
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. thyme
2 Tbs. olive oil
4 cups chicken broth

Directions:

1. Remove turkey from wrappings, remove any giblets and gravy packet.  Rinse and pat dry with a paper towel.

2. Lay turkey out on cutting board, breast side up.  Rub turkey with olive oil.  Combine all spices in a small bowl.  Rub spices all over turkey and in cavity.

3. Place turkey in slow cooker, breast side up.  Insert meat thermometer into breast (thickest part of the bird) or make sure timer that came with the turkey is visible.  Pour chicken broth into slow cooker.  Cover and cook on HIGH for 1 hour.  Reduce heat to LOW and cook for 5 hours or until internal temperature of turkey reaches 165 degrees or timer pops out.

4. Turn slow cooker OFF and leave lid on for 20 minutes.  Remove turkey from slow cooker and cut meat off to serve.

**To make gravy**
1. Using a turkey baster, remove 2 cups of liquid from bottom of slow cooker.  Add to a medium saucepan.  Bring to a simmer.

2. Combine 3 Tbs. flour with 2 cups cold water in a shaker.  Slowly pour into simmering broth and whisk constantly until gravy thickens.  Remove from heat and add salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 4-6

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Food FYI: Turkey

We are fast approaching Thanksgiving here in the United States.  So for this week, I thought I'd share a little with you about turkey.  Not the country, the Thanksgiving staple that so many men drool over this time of year.

Do you remember that bit from "A Christmas Story" where the dad sneaks into the kitchen to grab a bite of the not-yet-done turkey?  The mom screams from the basement, "Don't eat that turkey, it's not done cooking yet!  You'll get worms!"  Did you buy it?  And then remember the Bumpus hounds that came screaming in and devoured the entire bird while everyone else was busy in another room?  Oh the terror!  The disappointment.  That poor man.  All he wanted was turkey.

Well, I'm here to talk a little about turkey today.  Here's a few questions that I have always asked about:

Q: I'm having people over for Thanksgiving dinner.  How much turkey should I buy?
A: Rule of thumb is (without having leftovers) 1 pound per person.  So if you are like us (aka we live for Thanksgiving leftovers), we are having family over for dinner.  We will purchase a 15-20 pound turkey.  That should give us enough for our guests plus leftovers for some sandwiches the day after.

Q: I bought a frozen turkey.  How long should it take to thaw out?
A: First of all, let's talk defrosting safety.  NEVER EVER EVER EVER let your turkey thaw out on the counter.  Did I say EVER?!  You will give yourself and your guests salmonella poisoning!  No one wants to spend the day after Thanksgiving with those kind of leftovers.  Here are your guidelines:

• In the Refrigerator (Slow Defrost, safest): 24 hours for every 4 pounds (so if I buy a 20 pound bird, I will plan on letting it defrost in the fridge for 5 days)
• In the sink, submerged in cold water (Fast Defrost, still okay): 30 minutes for every pound (again, for a 20 pound bird, it will take 10 hours)

Q: I am planning on roasting my turkey.  How many hours will it take?

A: You should never cook your bird below 325 degrees.  This will ensure that the internal temperature of the turkey reaches a safe level quickly.  AND, it's safest if you don't stuff your turkey.  I wrap my stuffing in aluminum foil or put it in a large aluminum pan if I'm making a double batch and bake it separately.  Because I want you to be safe, I'm giving you guidelines for an UNSTUFFED turkey.  For a stuffed turkey, please see the guidelines on the USDA website.  And remember, these times are for roasting at 325 degrees:

• 4-8 pounds (generally a breast): 1.5-3.25 hours
• 8-12 pounds: 2.75-3 hours
• 12-14 pounds: 3-3.75 hours
• 14-18 pounds: 3.75-4.25 hours
• 18-20 pounds: 4.25-4.5 hours
• 20-24 pounds: 4.5-5 hours

So let's use the example of my turkey again. If I'm planning on roasting a 20 pound bird, and we're eating at 3:00 pm, I will put my turkey in a preheated oven at 10:00 am.  That will give my bird enough time to rest on the counter (keeping it juicy) and then for carving.  And when in doubt, the turkey "timers" that come with the bird are 99% of the time accurate.  I have only ONCE had a timer not pop out.  

Q: I am not using the timer that came with the turkey.  Instead I'm using a meat thermometer.  What should the internal temperature (aka the thickest part of the breast) be at before serving?

A: The safe temperature for consumption is 165 degrees.  

Q: Can you fry a turkey?

A: YES YES YES YES YES YES!  That is exactly how we do ours!  We bought a frying rig a few years ago, and ever since we made our first one we've been horribly addicted.  PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE note that frying a turkey can be extremely dangerous.  We take precautions - we don't fry near the house, hubs wears gloves, no one is outside around the fryer while it is going (aka curious little hands or pets), we ONLY use our professionally made fryer (never try to rig something up on your own), and we always have items near to put out a fire just in case.  The biggest tip I can give you for frying a turkey is to make sure that your turkey is completely thawed.  No ice.  If there is ice, when it hits the hot oil, it will cause the oil to bubble up, over flow, and catch on fire.  Bad situation for everyone involved. Dry the bird with paper towels before you slowly submerse it in the oil.

Now that I have scared the crap out of you.  Fried turkey is amazing.  Seriously.  And it's not difficult.  AND it cooks fast.  You want to make sure you are following the guidelines that come with your fryer as to how much oil to use (using peanut oil is best since it holds a temperature better than other oils). Generally you will want 3 gallons of oil per 10 pounds, but again, follow your instructions.  And never use a bigger bird than is suggested for your fryer.  Here are the guidelines for time, frying at 350 degrees:

• 3 minutes per pound for a 10-13 pound turkey
• 3.5 minutes per pound for a 14-20 pound turkey

Using my bird as an example again, it would take 1 hour and 10 minutes to fry my 20 pound turkey.  You would then let it sit and rest before carving.  So if we were eating at 3:00 pm, I would start frying my turkey somewhere around 1:00 pm.

Q: Can I marinade a turkey?

A: Yes!  You have a few options.  You can either do a traditional marinade (submersing the bird in a brine/liquid) or you can do an injectible marinade. I will be sharing my recipe for a turkey brine next week.  They sell kits for injectibles.  The best one we've tried I found at Bass Pro Shop, and it's a Cajun flavor.  OH DROOL!

Q: How long can I keep my leftovers?

A: Any turkey that is left out at room temperature for longer than 2 hours should be tossed.  So designate a clean up person (aka THE HUBS!) to get that delicious bird put away right after you are done eating.  You can refrigerate leftover turkey for up to 4 days.  If you are freezing leftovers, make sure they are wrapped really well and use within 6 months.  I usually divide my leftovers in half - half for consumption within 2 days after Thanksgiving, and then I freeze half for a casserole or chili later.

Q: Do you know the Turkey Song?
A: Why yes, yes I do.  I am old enough to remember seeing this for the first time.  Sigh.

So there you have it.  If you have any other turkey related questions, please feel free to leave a comment and I will try and answer them.  :)  

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BC Blueberry Pie

I lived in British Columbia (Vancouver) for a little under a year.  I loved it.  The climate, the culture, the food.  I seriously do.  There is such a diversity in the cultures there.  And being on the Pacific Coast, you get all kinds of fresh seafood.  But one of my favorite things there are the blueberries.  Huge, plump, sweet blueberries.  There are stands all over the place.  And then there's Granville Market.  Isles and isles of big fresh blueberries.  I found a restaurant there that serves fresh blueberry pie.  And I became addicted to it. That's right, I had to make it for myself.

We're not talking canned pie filling blueberries.  This pie still has those plump blueberries that pop in your mouth when you take a bite.  Holy cow, I'm drooling as I'm writing this!  The trick is to cook only half your blueberries to make a simple sauce.  That way you still get that "pop" when you bite into a fresh fruit pie.  It's an open pie (one crust) and if you want to really fill the shell, you can add another cup of uncooked blueberries.  Personally, I like to fill the rest of the shell with whipped cream.

BC (British Columbia) Blueberry Pie

Ingredients:

1 prepared 9 inch pie crust, baked and cooled
4 cups fresh blueberries
1 Tbs. flour
1 Tbs. butter, melted
1 Tbs. lemon juice
1/2 cup white sugar

Directions:

1. Combine flour, butter, lemon juice, and sugar in a medium saucepan. Add 2 cups of the blueberries and cook over medium heat. Stir frequently until sauce begins to boil and berries begin to pop open.  Remove from heat.

2. Add remaining 2 cups of blueberries and stir gently to combine.  Pour immediately into cooled pie crust.  Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until pie has chilled and is set up.  Serve with whipped cream.

Makes 1, 9 inch pie

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Banana Cream Pie

There is one pie that everyone can agree on at Thanksgiving.  In the Cook family, that pie is Banana Cream Pie.  This is the one pie that gets eaten first when my mom takes it to any of the family gatherings.  And it is the most requested on Thanksgiving.

This is also a pie that has followed us around the country, from mountain climates and altitudes, to sea level and humid, here to Vegas where it is so intolerably dry that the air sucks every ounce of moisture out of everything.  So there have been adaptations several times.  But this pudding holds it's own.  It is firm, but oh so creamy.  And honestly, nothing beats a homemade pudding.  The secret is that you MUST combine the sugar, salt, and cornstarch before adding the liquids.  And you MUST whisk that mixture constantly.  If you don't, it'll clump and curdle and just be oh so nasty.

Banana Cream Pie

Ingredients:

1, 9" prepared and baked pie crust
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 tsp. salt
3 cups whole milk
4 egg yolks
2 Tbs. butter
1 tsp. vanilla
3 bananas, sliced
Whipped cream

Directions:

1. Combine sugar, salt, and cornstarch in a medium saucepan. Whisk together slowly until mixed.  Slowly pour milk into mixture, whisking constantly to avoid lumps.

2. Cook mixture, over medium low heat, until pudding thickens and begins to boil.  Cook for 1 minute.  Pour half the mixture in with the eggs, whisking constantly.  Pour back into the hot pudding and cook for another minute.  Remove from heat.  Add butter and vanilla and whisk until butter has melted.  Allow pudding to cool slightly.

3. Layer sliced bananas in the bottom of the pie crust.  Pour warm pudding over the bananas.  Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until pie has completely chilled.  Top with whipped cream when serving.

Makes 1, 9" pie
Serves 8

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Pumpkin Pie

Sing it with me, "It's the most, wonderful time of the year!"  Pumpkin Pie time!  It is glorious.  Simply my favorite time.  I'd rather have Pumpkin Pie for  my birthday "cake" than an actual cake.  I think I was born in November for a reason.

Have you seen that episode of Friends where Monica wants Phoebe's recipe for chocolate chip cookies? Monica claims that they are the best cookies she's ever had.  They spend hours and days trying to figure out the recipe because it was actually Phoebe's grandmother's recipe, and her grandmother is dead.  At the end of the episode, Phoebe tells Monica that her grandmother got it from a French ancestor - Nestle Toullose.  Or spelled correctly, Nestle Toll House.  Yeah, this is one of those recipes.  Supposedly has been passed down through my family.  Pretty sure my ancestor's name was Libby.  :)

Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients:

1, 9" prepared, unbaked pie crust
2 eggs, beaten
1 can pumpkin
1 can evaporated milk
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, pumpkin, evaporated milk, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla.  Pour into prepared pie crust.

3. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes.  Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for another 40 minutes.Or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.  Allow to cool completely on a wire rack before serving.

Serves 8

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Apple Pie

For the year that The Hubs and I were dating, and then the whole first year we were married, he would brag about the apple pies that his Grandma J would make. I hated apple pie growing up because they were always too sweet and mushy for me. I hate canned apples (used for making pies).  Well, the first Thanksgiving that we were married, I endeavored on a quest to make an apple pie from scratch.  Apparently I nailed it because every time I make this pie, The Hubs is drooling during preparation, baking, and the time it takes to cool.





The secret to my apple pie is that I use several different types of apples.  Gala and Granny Smith are my go to apples, and I ALWAYS put one Golden Delicious in - it's a bit softer than the rest, so it just gives it more added texture.  I also like Honeycrisp, Fuji, and Braeburn.  And if I absolutely must, I add a Red Delicious.  So this is the makeup of a typical Apple Pie for me:

2 Gala
2 Granny Smith
1 Golden Delicious
1 Honeycrisp or Braeburn
2 Fuji

And if I could tell you one thing to buy to make preparing this pie easier, it would be a lovely apple corer/peeler.  They can either suction to your countertop (that's what I have) or they can clamp onto it.  They are so handy to have because you stick the apple onto the prongs, crack the handle, and it will peel, core, and slice your apples for you.  All I do afterwards is cut the apple in half to have smaller slices.  This has taken me from a 1 hour prep time (peeling and slicing every apple) to literally 15 minutes or less.  

Apple Pie

Ingredients:

8 medium apples
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
Dash of salt
2 Tbs. butter, cut into cubes
Pie crust recipe for 2 pie crusts

Directions:

1. Peel, quarter, core, and thinly slice apples. Place in a bowl and cover with cold water and 1 Tbs. lemon juice to prevent apples from becoming dry, brown, and mushy.

2. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

3. Make your pie crust, placing one crust in the bottom of a 9 inch pie pan.

4. In a large colander, drain apples. Combine sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a bowl and add apples. Stir to coat apples. Pour apples into crust lined pie pan.

5. Place butter cubes over the apple mixture. Place second pie crust on top of apples, seal crust, and flute. Cut 4 slits in the crust to allow pie to vent.

6. Cover outer edges of pie with aluminum foil, folded over edges to prevent burning. Remove aluminum foil during remaining 15 minutes of cooking. Cook for 40-50 minutes or until mixture is bubbling up through vents. Allow to cool for 2 hours before serving.

Makes 1, 9" pie
Serves 8

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Pumpkin Pecan Pie

This little beauty is a family recipe that I LOVE.  It is, by far, my favorite pie.  And thus, it is the perfect way to bring in Pie-tober.  It brings together the flavors of both pumpkin and pecan pie.  But I will tell you right now, the combination gives the pumpkin a richness that you just don't get with plain pumpkin pie.  And it is super simple.

SPOILER ALERT!  As you are looking through the ingredients, don't be turned away from this recipe just because it has dark corn syrup in it.  99% of pecan pies contain some type of corn syrup.  You just can't get the richness without it.  And yes, there is also sugar in it.  People, this is a dessert - it's supposed to be unhealthy!  And if you really love pecans, feel free to add more pecan pieces to the bottom of the pie.  It will not affect the baking time.









A great thing about this pie is that it refrigerates well.  That means you could make it a day or two ahead of Thanksgiving and it would taste even better when you serve it on the holiday.  That's one of my favorite things about Southern cooking - it gets better with age.  Not too much age, but just a couple days is perfect.  It gives the flavors time to blend.  Top it with a scoop of real whipped cream and you have one of the most decadent pies I've ever had.

Pumpkin Pecan Pie

Ingredients:

1, 9" pie crust, uncooked
3 eggs
1 cup dark corn syrup
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Pecan halves (for garnish)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lay pie crust into pie pan and flute edges.

2. In a large bowl, beat eggs on low speed.  Add corn syrup, sugar, butter, pumpkin, and vanilla.  Beat on medium speed until blended.

3. Pour chopped pecans into unbaked pie crust and pour pumpkin filling over pecans.  Place pecan halves on top of pumpkin mixture, around edges and in center.

4. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.  Allow to cool completely before serving.

Makes 1, 9" pie
Serves 8

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