Oh my gosh, you all did such a great job telling me what you would buy for yourselves at Home Depot. I know lots of people want paint…and Christmas decorations…and stoves….and screwdrivers. I could read about you all for hours, I swear.
But without further ado, the winner of the $100 Home Depot gift card is Jessica R comment #150. (aol email) She said “If I were a responsible person I would say paint for my bedroom and organizing stuff for my closet. Since I’m not, I’ll be honest and say shiny sparkly lighty things for Christmas.“ Jessica, check your email!
BUT WAIT…don’t forget about the Sister Sue Design giveaway…your last chance to enter is tomorrow.
And also, the ruby & roja year of blog fabulous-ness ends tomorrow…
and make sure you come back tomorrow morning, I have a wonderful giveaway from a wonderful Etsy shop, I’ll give you a hint: beautiful.
This next week is going to be very busy for me and my family. Did I tell you I’m hosting Thanksgiving this year? I am. I’ve NEVER made a turkey before, in fact, I don’t think I’ve even touched a raw turkey before, so I’m in the dark. Can you give me some turkey tips in the comment sections, please? I need all of the help I can get. In fact, I need so much help, that if you want to come make my turkey for me??? I’ll let you! I KNOW!!
Anyway, I won’t be around much, but there will be some giveaways scattered here and there…lots of treats for you lovely people.
I hope you all have an amazing Thanksgiving weekend. Just please, please, please take a moment and really remember what you are thankful for. If you do it right, it will take longer than a moment…
Simply the best turkey receipe is from the Barefoot Contessa Cookbook. I LOVE this receipe and it is SO EASY! I have made it the past few years with RAVE reviews, enjoy!
Here’s the link to the receipe on food network….
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/perfect-roast-turkey-recipe4/index.html
Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
Simply the best turkey receipe is from the Barefoot Contessa Cookbook. I LOVE this receipe and it is SO EASY! I have made it the past few years with RAVE reviews, enjoy!
Here’s the link to the receipe on food network….
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/perfect-roast-turkey-recipe4/index.html
Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
The Alton Brown Good Eats Turkey recipe is the one I use. I’ve used that recipe for the last 5 years. Simply the best around.
The Alton Brown Good Eats Turkey recipe is the one I use. I’ve used that recipe for the last 5 years. Simply the best around.
Shane is dying to make a turkey but neither mom will give it up yet, so he would happily cook your turkey.;) Does that sound horribly dirty, or am I just thinking like an 8th grader?
Shane is dying to make a turkey but neither mom will give it up yet, so he would happily cook your turkey.;) Does that sound horribly dirty, or am I just thinking like an 8th grader?
The best ever turkey
Ingredients
1 (14 to 16 pound) frozen young turkey
For the brine:
1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 gallon vegetable stock
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1/2 tablespoon allspice berries
1/2 tablespoon candied ginger
1 gallon iced water
For the aromatics:
1 red apple, sliced
1/2 onion, sliced
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup water
4 sprigs rosemary
6 leaves sage
Canola oil
Directions
Combine all brine ingredients, except ice water, in a stockpot, and bring to a boil. Stir to dissolve solids, then remove from heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
Early on the day of cooking, (or late the night before) combine the brine and ice water in a clean 5-gallon bucket. Place thawed turkey breast side down in brine, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area (like a basement) for 6 hours. Turn turkey over once, half way through brining.
A few minutes before roasting, heat oven to 500 degrees. Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick, and cup of water in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes.
Remove bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard brine.
Place bird on roasting rack inside wide, low pan and pat dry with paper towels. Add steeped aromatics to cavity along with rosemary and sage. Tuck back wings and coat whole bird liberally with canola (or other neutral) oil.
Roast on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees F. for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cover breast with double layer of aluminum foil, insert probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and return to oven, reducing temperature to 350 degrees F. Set thermometer alarm (if available) to 161 degrees. A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting. Let turkey rest, loosely covered for 15 minutes before carving.
The best ever turkey
Ingredients
1 (14 to 16 pound) frozen young turkey
For the brine:
1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 gallon vegetable stock
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1/2 tablespoon allspice berries
1/2 tablespoon candied ginger
1 gallon iced water
For the aromatics:
1 red apple, sliced
1/2 onion, sliced
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup water
4 sprigs rosemary
6 leaves sage
Canola oil
Directions
Combine all brine ingredients, except ice water, in a stockpot, and bring to a boil. Stir to dissolve solids, then remove from heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
Early on the day of cooking, (or late the night before) combine the brine and ice water in a clean 5-gallon bucket. Place thawed turkey breast side down in brine, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area (like a basement) for 6 hours. Turn turkey over once, half way through brining.
A few minutes before roasting, heat oven to 500 degrees. Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick, and cup of water in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes.
Remove bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard brine.
Place bird on roasting rack inside wide, low pan and pat dry with paper towels. Add steeped aromatics to cavity along with rosemary and sage. Tuck back wings and coat whole bird liberally with canola (or other neutral) oil.
Roast on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees F. for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cover breast with double layer of aluminum foil, insert probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and return to oven, reducing temperature to 350 degrees F. Set thermometer alarm (if available) to 161 degrees. A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting. Let turkey rest, loosely covered for 15 minutes before carving.
OK, shh about this, but if I were doing it again this year, I would totally get it cooked at Fresh Market (do you have one near you? — they’re fabulous) and not bother to mention it. Or maybe I would — no one would really care, would they? I got an ad from Fresh Market and it was pretty reasonable. Maybe too late to order though. In that case, I just bought a free range turkey last year and followed the directions that came with it. It was pretty good.
My turkey dinner this year, however, will be far better because my brother and sister-in-law, the gourmet team from heaven, are having my whole family. And for that I am truly thankful!!
Have a great holiday!
OK, shh about this, but if I were doing it again this year, I would totally get it cooked at Fresh Market (do you have one near you? — they’re fabulous) and not bother to mention it. Or maybe I would — no one would really care, would they? I got an ad from Fresh Market and it was pretty reasonable. Maybe too late to order though. In that case, I just bought a free range turkey last year and followed the directions that came with it. It was pretty good.
My turkey dinner this year, however, will be far better because my brother and sister-in-law, the gourmet team from heaven, are having my whole family. And for that I am truly thankful!!
Have a great holiday!
I have never made one but a co-worker is putting foil on his to make it look like the bird is suntanned.
yes, i’m serious.
I have never made one but a co-worker is putting foil on his to make it look like the bird is suntanned.
yes, i’m serious.
Shoot, that’s not my name! Congrats Jessica!
Good luck with your turkey. I won’t even look at raw poultry, let alone touch it so you are on your own. My husband spent a million dollars (slight exaggeration) on a Turducken this year.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Shoot, that’s not my name! Congrats Jessica!
Good luck with your turkey. I won’t even look at raw poultry, let alone touch it so you are on your own. My husband spent a million dollars (slight exaggeration) on a Turducken this year.
Happy Thanksgiving!
The easiest way, and most consistent way I’ve found to do a turkey without drying it out is to use an oven bag.
Remove giblets and rinse turkey. Pat dry. Stuff it if you want, and rub butter all over the skin.
To prepare oven bag, add 1 tbsp of flour and shake it so it coats the inside. Put turkey in bag, breast side up.
Put bagged turkey into roasting pan. Seal bag with twist tie. Cut three or four 1 inch slits in the bag (on the top side). Put thermometer in the thigh (much more reliable than the pop-thing), careful not to hit bone (this will mess up the temperature reading).
Cook according to directions on oven bag box.
When almost done (within 5-10 degrees), remove turkey and tent with foil. This will allow you the 30 minutes or so you need to finish the rest of your sides in the oven.
Enjoy!
The easiest way, and most consistent way I’ve found to do a turkey without drying it out is to use an oven bag.
Remove giblets and rinse turkey. Pat dry. Stuff it if you want, and rub butter all over the skin.
To prepare oven bag, add 1 tbsp of flour and shake it so it coats the inside. Put turkey in bag, breast side up.
Put bagged turkey into roasting pan. Seal bag with twist tie. Cut three or four 1 inch slits in the bag (on the top side). Put thermometer in the thigh (much more reliable than the pop-thing), careful not to hit bone (this will mess up the temperature reading).
Cook according to directions on oven bag box.
When almost done (within 5-10 degrees), remove turkey and tent with foil. This will allow you the 30 minutes or so you need to finish the rest of your sides in the oven.
Enjoy!
Use a cooking bag! Easy and the turkey is delicious! Good luck!
Use a cooking bag! Easy and the turkey is delicious! Good luck!
We don’t use a cooking bag because my grandma would have killed me…but I have heard that’s a great way to keep it moist.
One year though, my husband made some herb butter and rubbed it under the skin, and it was TO DIE FOR!
The biggest piece of advice I have, was told to me by Gram, every year, even if I only needed it the first time is: to know if the turkey is done, jiggle the leg. If it feels like it will “fall off” the turkey is done!
We don’t use a cooking bag because my grandma would have killed me…but I have heard that’s a great way to keep it moist.
One year though, my husband made some herb butter and rubbed it under the skin, and it was TO DIE FOR!
The biggest piece of advice I have, was told to me by Gram, every year, even if I only needed it the first time is: to know if the turkey is done, jiggle the leg. If it feels like it will “fall off” the turkey is done!
I always use a cooking bag too. It really does the best job and it’s never failed me.
I always use a cooking bag too. It really does the best job and it’s never failed me.
You got me…I’ve never cooked a turkey either. So I have ZERO advice to give.
I suck! I’m sure you will do a fabulous job though! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
You got me…I’ve never cooked a turkey either. So I have ZERO advice to give.
I suck! I’m sure you will do a fabulous job though! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Gotta have a turkey cooking bag! It’s the best, seriously. Throw the turkey in and walk away. Do nothing…okay, cook the rest of the crazy huge Thanksgiving meal. Then do nothing to the turkey. When done (use a meat thermometer) pull out, let cool and serve a wonderfully EASY and moist YUMMY YUMMY turkey. My husband and I have used the turkey bags for the past 10 years that we’ve cooked Thanksgiving dinner and had no complaints at all!!
Good luck! I’m just tickled I get out of cooking this year! We’re actually going to my in-laws instead of them coming to us! Yay for me!
Gotta have a turkey cooking bag! It’s the best, seriously. Throw the turkey in and walk away. Do nothing…okay, cook the rest of the crazy huge Thanksgiving meal. Then do nothing to the turkey. When done (use a meat thermometer) pull out, let cool and serve a wonderfully EASY and moist YUMMY YUMMY turkey. My husband and I have used the turkey bags for the past 10 years that we’ve cooked Thanksgiving dinner and had no complaints at all!!
Good luck! I’m just tickled I get out of cooking this year! We’re actually going to my in-laws instead of them coming to us! Yay for me!
Get up early and cook the turkey on a lower heat all day. This was all the juices stay in and the skin gets nice and crispy. Also, a really good pumpkin pie is always a welcomed addition.
I love Thanksgiving and can’t wait to host a huge one at my place…..in a few years. Good luck!
Get up early and cook the turkey on a lower heat all day. This was all the juices stay in and the skin gets nice and crispy. Also, a really good pumpkin pie is always a welcomed addition.
I love Thanksgiving and can’t wait to host a huge one at my place…..in a few years. Good luck!
Okay, so I’m in the same boat as you. I’m hosting as well and we are having like 16 people over. I keep freaking out over the turkey. I mean if I screw up the turkey then that’s like the whole point of the meal. Everyone keeps telling me you can’t screw up a turkey. We’ll see. I’ve made one in my lifetime and it turned out “okay”. I took out the gibblets and stuff but I had no idea there was a neck and other stuff too. It cooked right along with the actual turkey. But this is our little secret. No need to blab to all. M’kay?
Okay, so I’m in the same boat as you. I’m hosting as well and we are having like 16 people over. I keep freaking out over the turkey. I mean if I screw up the turkey then that’s like the whole point of the meal. Everyone keeps telling me you can’t screw up a turkey. We’ll see. I’ve made one in my lifetime and it turned out “okay”. I took out the gibblets and stuff but I had no idea there was a neck and other stuff too. It cooked right along with the actual turkey. But this is our little secret. No need to blab to all. M’kay?
Oh, and I forgot to mention that it’s also Lil Monte’s birthday so it’s Thanksgiving/birthday party which is how it ended up at my house. Plus we are having about 10 extra people over for cake too. Pity me would ya.
Oh, and I forgot to mention that it’s also Lil Monte’s birthday so it’s Thanksgiving/birthday party which is how it ended up at my house. Plus we are having about 10 extra people over for cake too. Pity me would ya.