Let's talk turkey and Christmas treats

Gita, I was going to suggest the same thing...the baster!!! too funny!

The thing I dislike most about using either a baster or a separator is cleaning it... I'm never quite sure all the grease is gone from the narrow parts... guess I need to find a skinny little brush!

They sell the baster with the skinny brush cleaner at Pampered Chef

Thanks gal friends!
I think the Coke in the gravy is REALLY flying by the seat of your pants, LOL!
My mom would have all the drippings in the pan, and use a small metal lidded cup to shake up a flour -water mixture. I think that cup was specifically for that purpose. And then stir and cook that in. That was to avoid the lumps. Wondra was not in her repertoire.
Gita, I do use a baster to baste so with that, I could just use an extra Pyrex cup for drippings handling.
Funny thing with chicken fat- it rinses off your hands so easily. Maybe its one of the ' lighter' fats. Pork fat OTOH, seems especially thick and hard when I've had it on chilled drippings etc. Ew

My cousin buys a new baster every turkey to avoid the question of cleaning. They sell them for a buck every TG anyway, and whats a buck these days? I think I could support throwing away a $1 plastic baster. But I still have not thrown away one LOL

Cross posted-- whats your excuse to be up so late? I got up to see if DS had gotten home (he had : ^))

Well since I know everyone her is nonjudgemental --

I will admit to this......

Our Thanksgivings would not be an authentic Thanksgiving without what my son and daughter have name "mom's power pellets" --- and I still say "THERE AIN'T NOTHIN WRONG WITH A FEW FLOUR LUMPS" "EAT IT AND SHUT UP!"

I wash my baster by filling a container with hot water and dish-detergent.
Then I just suck and squirt--in and out in and out with the baster.

I also wash mine in the dishwasher. Put the bulb, upside down, in the utensils holder and put the
baster tube in there as well--fat end down.
Since I am not too concerned about germs--this is OK for me.

I have had "cheap" basters (like maybe the $1 ones), but they do not hold the suction too well.
The one I have has a rubber bulb and it holds really tight once I get it all the way down on the tube.

LOL! ME??? Throw something away??? NAHHHH! ....:o)

Gita

Now I forget on which food Post someone asked me to dig back and find the earlier
Thread on some old, ethnic recipes from MY neck of the woods....

Well--I found the Thread---it is from April, 2004.
This is where I encountered "Sveiks"--and I thought she was Latvian--turned out she
was of Lithuanian descent...
About half way down the Thread (there is only 31 entries) we started talking a few specific recipes.
Not too many.....
This Thread started and ended in April, 2004. Seems that is where I "met" Frank (Herbie).
I was still using GW.

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/425745/

I believe there was another Thread that had a lot more recipes on it.
I believe it was called: "Eastern European Foods".....
I know I was an active participant on that one.

Anyone want to give try finding that one? Maybe....3 or 4 years ago????
I have not had much luck with "searching"....

Gita

Gita is this it? http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/883070/?hl=Eastern+European+Foods


Here is a recipe for making your own "Pumpkin Pie Spice"

1/2 teas. cinnamon
1/4 teas. Ginger
1/8 teas Allspice
1/8 teas Nutmeg

I make about 4-5 times the amount and keep in a tightly sealed container. Doing this uses up the individual spices faster, keeping a fresher supply.

Lady--NO! That one is "Mid-Eastern" foods.....I will look through it anyway---
but I am not a lover of anything spicy....

The one i was remembering is----"Eastern European Recipes"--(foods?)...

Thanks for trying! Can you dig up the Eastern European one?????

How are you? You seem to be back in your old mode of posting and participating....
SO glad you are feeling better and up to all this.....You have been through a lot!

Wishing you all things positive! Gita

Ha missingriosie--we call it bean gravy, it is sometimes served here too , ahem

when they say something about power pellets this year --I will borrow your bean gravy description - I like it.

As with mashed potatoes, a few lumps give gravy that authentic homemade look!

I'll give this another try for you Gita. Hope this is the one. If you could remember some of the recipes in the thread that might help.

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/795466/?hl=Eastern+European+Recipes

I am much better but not up to the speed I was. I slowed down quit a bit.

Likewise, I could call them power pellets! I forgot that we also have 'beans' in the potatos too at times...

Lol we always called our power pellets and beans "giblets!

What do you all do with yours by the way?

We also had gravy priorities:
1) Taste (this trumpt all else)
2) Color (for those who eat with their eyes) Some how the turkey gravy I remember as a kid thru college was darker than that I see now. How could that be? More dark meat juice?
3) Temperature The function of gravy at our back in the day TDay feasts was to warm up the by then cool mashed potatoes and dressing!

If gravy was hot it was 'good' and if it was hot and tasy it was 'great' Consitancy or lack thereof was never commented on one way or another.

Jill, I tried your applesauce under the skin on an oven stuffer the other day, with a twist. I ground my 4c rub, cumin, caraway, celery, and coriander seed. I dusted a little in the applesauce, a little on the cut up apples for stuffing, and rubbed the rest all over the exterior. I served it with a smoked ham hock, mixed bean soup, cheesy scalloped potatoes, and cauliflower,carrot and chopped dried cranberries for the veggie. It came out very tasty with compliments all around.
Ric

Glad you liked that trick, Ric, and that menu sounds scrumptious!

The secret to dark rich looking gravy is to burn the meat. LOL Or add coffee... or anybody ever use a little dark brown bottle of "Kitchen Bouquet?"

For some of us "newbies" here is a link to Jill "talking turkey" Great article!

http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/1910/

Jill, I suspect that my family used the secret of dark gravy by burning the meat but I assure you it wasn't intentional as are so many similar "discoveries"

Lady--Bless your heart!!!!

You found the Thread i was looking for! Thank you! Thank you!

I just bumped it up and hope all the people that wanted some of all these great recipes will
take a look and read it and copy all these amazing. old recipes...

Chris--You are an Angel!!!!! Much obliged!!!!

Gita

Here is the link--again....Make sure you check through it!

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/795466/?hl=Eastern...

JUST A QUICK BIT OF HOLIDAY ADVICE:

When serving love, skip moderation...go for abundance! Remember- no calories!

Anyone know which makes a spicier pumpkin pie....using the pumpkin pie spice or adding the spices separately??

Jen, I always add each spice separately. Maybe adding a touch of ground cloves will spice it up for you. I did post a recipe to make your own pumpkin spice a few posts above this. I use that mix in my Pumpkin-Cranberry Bread.

Back from a search http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/spicy-pumpkin-pie-ii/Detail.aspx

This message was edited Nov 22, 2010 6:29 PM

Robin, thats a nice message

DH just asked last night, do we have a turkey yet?
I have two already, frozen, 49 cents a pound--and plan to get a fresh one today for TG.
I used to threaten to stop cooking TG dinner ---but this isn't the year for that. The symbolic gathering and sharing with family is really important to me this year.

As I'm getting older I like to have family around.

I haven't really 'announced' this here, but this TG will be my first without Mom. She passed away in September. For the first years of our marriage we would always go to my Moms (partly) because she would be alone if we didn't. (Dad remarried and had a housefull-- it was not fair in my mind to skimp on Mom in order to visit Dad also while he had a whole new family to love him.) Then one year it transitioned to having her at our house. I was glad we weren't so far, so that we could do it. She still made the pumpkin pie. (She had mastered from-scratch crust--- I buy or use food procesor) Last year was the first year I made everything. And I threatened that the first year without Mom I would NOT make TG dinner.
But this year we have one son out at college for the first time and a DD trying to decide whether she will want to go away her first year ( lord willing we can afford what she asks for) So I find I want to give them their traditional dinner at home... sad tho it will be at times....maybe next year will be the year to say no.
Look on the bright side- I don't have to straighten up the house for Mom.

Sally, I've been holding you close in my heart while making holiday plans and preparations this year... I think the "first without" special days are really hard!

Thanks, critter--and knowing what a big heart you have--I may just put my feet up and stay awhile LOL
You're a sweetie

OK, when I want a ginger snap pie crust I add about a tbs. spoon of ginger and a tsp. of cinnamon to my flour to blend it in before adding any wet ingredients. After the dough has been rolled and placed in the plate I sprinkle it with brown sugar which I gently press into the dough, I'm sure you could roll the sugar into the dough before placing it in the plate. Ric

Oh, that sounds easy enough, Ric! I was envisioning something a lot more complicated, LOL. I bet I could even dust a ready-made crust with cinnamon & brown sugar... :-)

My first one too, Sally...even though I hadn't spent the holiday with her in a couple years, I always called her and knew she was with part of our family somewhere...but am comforted to know she's spending it with a lot larger family that went on before...

aw Jen, I knew it was for you, and there are others here for whom it hasn't been too long. I didn't want to ignore that. Hugs all around.

Do we start prep tonight? I could chop onions and celery, bake a p pie, since I brine my turkey I can take the neck etc out and simmer up some broth....

Pizza and salad for dinner tonight LOL

I'm so glad I got all my prep work done. Apple pie baked(smells wonderful!!!). The only things I didn't prep were potatoes for mashed and the corn casserole(I thought it would get too mushy if premixed)

Hope you all have a blessed Thanksgiving!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Whew, have finished up the prep for tonight. MIL and SIL started cooking this afternoon while I was still at work. They did the pies, potatoes, dump cake, deviled eggs, stuffed celery - and when I got home I did the linguini cole slaw and Gita's apple/cranberry sauce. Gita, it smells and tastes wonderful. Tomorrow morning will get up early and get the turkey and stuffing in the oven. Only other thing to put together in the corn casserole. Family arriving tomorrow are bringing green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, mac & cheese, appetizers, and probably more than what they signed up for! Should be pretty easy other than timing when things come in and out of the oven. Count is now down to 21 adults and 8 children for dinner - 6 others will eat elsewhere and then come visit afterwards.

Sally and Jen, I know the holiday celebration will be bitter sweet for you guys. Lots of hugs your way.... Terri

We celebrated our Thanksgiving this evening: Turkey legs, thighs, chicken gizzards, homemade stuffing & gravy, peas & corn mixed, tossed salad with garlic caesar dressing and just a little cranberry sauce. Going over to daughter's tomorrow to celebrate (again).

My pumpkin custard pies came out looking good. I chickened out of doing the pumpkin chiffon and didn't feel well enough to make the pecan. Holly's been working on her stuffing all evening, sneaked bites were yummy. Sure hope I feel better tomorrow and have an appetite. Ric

Here's the cherry. It cracked while I was carrying it to put it on a cooling rack. Still will be yummy.

Ric, I sure hope you're feeling better asap!!

*whew* checked the turkey and it is thawed. We bought it Tuesday, which would have been cutting it close with a big bird, but this one is just 16 pounds.

Those giblet bags definitely don't come from the bird they're tucked into, but the tiny little liver was a perfect little snack on toast this morning. I miss Blake-kitty every time I cook a turkey liver... he's the only other one who liked it!

Made a little stock for the gravy with the neck & other giblets (gizzard could have come from this size turkey, heart came from one far larger LOL). Smells good already in here!

Just noticed this thread, but a day late! Still, since you were talking about chestnuts in some of the earlier posts, I made this soup yesterday as part of my Thanksgiving menu and if you like chestnuts it's really really good. I used some Chinese chestnuts from our tree, and some packaged chestnuts I'd bought on sale a couple of years ago and wanted to use up. Instead of crème fraîche I used sour cream.

Creamy Chestnut Soup

This smooth, rich chestnut soup hails from the Auvergne region of France.
Source: Saveur
4 tbsp. butter

1 medium onion, roughly chopped 

1 carrot, peeled and roughly chopped 

1 rib celery, roughly chopped 

1 clove garlic, roughly chopped

Kosher salt, to taste

1 24-oz. bottle peeled cooked chestnuts, drained, 

or 1 1/2 lbs. peeled roasted chestnuts

1/3 cup crème fraîche

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 tbsp. dry sherry, such as amontillado
1. In a 4-qt. saucepan, heat butter over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, celery, and garlic. Season with salt and cook, stirring occasionally until tender and lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Add 6 cups water, chestnuts, and salt; simmer over medium-low heat until chestnuts are tender, 45 minutes.
2. Purée soup with an immersion blender or in batches in a regular blender. Whisk in crème fraîche, black pepper, and sherry. Season with more salt to taste. Serve hot.
SERVES 6

Ok, Here's a pix our daughter took of us yesterday at her house during Thanksgiving. I was so happy and Bob was half asleep from eating all that turkey.