Christmas Games

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Eggnog

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Christmas Home Decorations

Christmas Tree Decoration

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Christmas Wreaths, Garlands,

Christmas Greenery and Christmas Ribbon
Artificial Christmas Wreaths and Pre-lit Christmas Wreaths
Artificial Garland and Lighted Christmas Garland.
Decorated Country Holiday Garland
Decorative Christmas Wreaths
Mistletoe, Christmas Greenery, Christmas Picks
Artificial Spray Snow For Windows
Unique Christmas Ribbon

Christmas Costumes Santa Suits
Santa Claus Hats.
Santa Clause Suits and Santa Costume.
Santa Beards Santa Claus Belts and Accessories.
Santa's Elves and Children's Santa Claus Costume.

Unique Christmas Ornaments

Angel Ornaments
Animal Ornaments Christmas
Baby First Christmas Ornament
Capiz Shell Christmas Ornaments
Cat Ornaments.
Crystal Christmas Ornaments and Silver
Dog Ornaments
Fish Ornament
Gingerbread Ornaments
Gold and Cream Ornaments
Gold Ornament and Red Christmas Ornaments.
Hunting Christmas Ornaments
Miniature Ornaments
Nativity Christmas Ornaments
Nutcracker Ornaments
Our First Christmas Together Ornament
People and Profession Tree Ornaments.
Red and White Candy Ornaments.
Santa Ornaments.
Snowman Christmas Ornament
Sports Ornaments.
Western Christmas Ornaments
Miscellaneous Holiday Ornaments

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Thanksgiving Day is a harvest festival celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Traditionally, Thanksgiving is associated with giving thanks to God for the harvest and expressing gratitude. While historically religious in origin, Thanksgiving is now primarily identified as a secular holiday.

History of Thanksgiving

For thousands of years, mankind has set aside a day each year to celebrate bountiful annual harvests. Before the establishment of formal religions, many ancient farmers believed that their crops contained spirits which caused the crops to grow and die. Many believed that these spirits would be released when the crops were harvested and they had to be destroyed or they would take revenge on the farmers who harvested them. Some of the harvest festivals celebrated the defeat of these spirits. Harvest festivals and Thanksgiving celebrations were held by the ancient Greeks, the Romans, the Hebrews, the Chinese, and the Egyptians.

What is the history of Thanksgiving in United States? The initial "Thanksgiving" feast, held in 1621, was really a traditional English harvest celebration. The Pilgrims shared it with the Native Americans because they had taught the colonists to plants crops and hunt wild game. Without the Native Americans, the Pilgrims may not have survived the harsh winter and been able to celebrate their first harvest of plentiful crops in the New World. The colonists' first harvest feast lasted for three days. Food was served all at once, instead of in courses, so people ate whatever they pleased in the order that they desired. The more important members at the feast were given the best pieces of meat, while the rest of the diners ate whatever was closest to them. Since the Pilgrims didn't use forks or plates, they ate their meal straight off the table with spoons, knives or their fingers. They used large napkins to wipe their hands and also wrapped it around food when it was too hot to hold.

The history of Thanksgiving demonstrates that feasts like the one at Plymouth were held throughout the colonies after fall harvests. However, all thirteen colonies did not celebrate Thanksgiving at the same time. In 1789, George Washington became the first president to declare Thanksgiving a holiday. By the mid-1800s, many states observed the Thanksgiving holiday. Meanwhile, the poet and editor, Sarah J. Hale, had begun lobbying for a national Thanksgiving holiday. During the Civil War President Abraham Lincoln looking for ways to unite the nation, discussed the subject with Hale. In 1863 he gave his Thanksgiving Proclamation declaring the last Thursday in November a day of Thanksgiving.

In 1939, 1940, and 1941 Franklin D. Roosevelt, seeking to lengthen the Christmas shopping season, proclaimed Thanksgiving the third Thursday in November. Controversy ensued, and Congress passed a joint resolution in 1941 decreeing that Thanksgiving should fall on the fourth Thursday of November, where it remains. What is Thanksgiving today? At its heart, it's a holiday where family and friends congregate to catch up, reminisce, tell jokes, share scrumptious food and generally give thanks for all the good things in life-exactly what they did at the very first Thanksgiving.

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Christmas^[2] or Christmas Day^[3][4] is an annual holiday that, in Christianity, commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ.^[5][6] It is celebrated on December 25, but this date is not known to be Jesus' actual birthday, and may have initially been chosen to correspond with either the day exactly nine months after some early Christians believed Jesus had been conceived,^[7] a historical Roman festival,^[8] or the date of the northern hemisphere's winter solstice.^[9] Christmas is central to the Christmas and holiday season, and in Christianity marks the beginning of the larger season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days.^[10]

Although traditionally a Christian holiday, Christmas is also widely celebrated by many non-Christians,^[1][11] and some of its popular celebratory customs have pre-Christian or secular themes and origins. Popular modern customs of the holiday include gift-giving, music, an exchange of greeting cards, church celebrations, a special meal, and the display of various decorations; including Christmas trees, lights, garlands, mistletoe, nativity scenes, and holly. In addition, Father Christmas (known as Santa Claus in some areas, including North America, Australia and Ireland) is a popular mythological figure in many countries, associated with the bringing of gifts for children.^[12]

Because gift-giving and many other aspects of the Christmas festival involve heightened economic activity among both Christians and non-Christians, the holiday has become a significant event and a key sales period for retailers and businesses. The economic impact of Christmas is a factor that has grown steadily over the past few centuries in many regions of the world.

Celebration

Christmas Day is celebrated as a major festival and public holiday in most countries of the world, even in many whose populations are not majority Christian. In some non-Christian countries, periods of former colonial rule introduced the celebration (e.g. Hong Kong); in others, Christian minorities or foreign cultural influences have led populations to observe the holiday. Major exceptions, where Christmas is not a formal public holiday, include People's Republic of China, (except Hong Kong and Macao), Japan, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Thailand, Nepal, Iran, Turkey and North Korea.

While most countries celebrate Christmas on December 25 each year, some eastern national churches, including those of Russia, Georgia, Egypt, Armenia, Ukraine, FYROM and Serbia celebrate on January 7. This is because of their use of the traditional Julian Calendar, under which December 25 falls on January 7 as measured by the standard Gregorian Calendar.

Around the world, Christmas celebrations can vary markedly in form, reflecting differing cultural and national traditions. Countries such as Japan and Korea, where Christmas is popular despite there being only a small number of Christians, have adopted many of the secular aspects of Christmas, such as gift-giving, decorations and Christmas trees.

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1. Make the salt brine by dissolving 1/2 cup salt in 4 cups of cold water.

2. Place chicken parts in a large glass bowl, add enough salt brine to cover, cover with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator to soak overnight.

3. The next day, drain off the salt brine and add 1½ cups buttermilk to the bowl. Allow the chicken to soak in the buttermilk for a couple of hours (or until ready to cook) turning the chicken several times to make sure all the pieces get to soak.

4. To make the breading: Add salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder and sage to 1 cup of flour.

5. In a very large, heavy skillet, add vegetable oil or shortening to ½ deep, and heat over a medium flame. Be careful of overheating or you'll burn the flour coating, but if the oil isn't hot enough it will soak into the coating (making it greasy). Test the temperature by dropping a pinch of flour into the hot oil. If it sizzles right away without smoking, it's perfect.

6. Dredge each piece of the buttermilk-coated chicken in the seasoned flour and place them skin side down in the skillet. Do not to crowd the pieces in the pan to achieve the best all-over crispiness.

7. Cover the pan with a loose fitting lid to vent some of the steam and cook to a deep golden brown (approx. 15 min.). Turn the chicken over with tongs and cook an additional 15 minutes or until deep golden brown. Chicken is done if the juices run clear and there is no sign of pink near the bone.

8. Drain the cooked chicken on a wire rack over a baking sheet. Serve on a warm platter.

Labels: chickenrecipes

One of the best tips I found about baking ham is to place the meat cut side down on the roasting pan and cover the ham with a foil tent. This preserves the moisture in the ham. The foil is removed for the last 15-20 minutes of cooking. To burnish the glaze, turn your oven to broil for 5 minutes. Make sure to watch the ham carefully, because these glazes which are high in sugar can burn very easily.

Make sure to read the label on the ham you purchase. Partially cooked hams need to be baked about 20 minutes per pound, until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F. Fully cooked hams need about 10 minutes per pound baking time, just to reheat them.

You can buy bone-in or boneless hams. Bone-in hams tend to be more flavorful, but they are more difficult to carve. I prefer boneless hams, just because the presentation is nicer. If you serve a bone-in ham, figure on 1/2 to 3/4 of a pound per person. For boneless hams, 1/4 to 1/2 pound per person is an accurate serving measure. Buy the higher amount to ensure lots of leftovers!

Spiral sliced hams are a newer invention. These are fully cooked hams that are sliced using a special machine so the meat literally falls apart into thin slices. These hams usually have a glaze baked onto them so all you need to do is heat the ham according to directions that come with the ham.

Leftover ham should be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. For longer storage, you can freeze the ham and store it up to 2 months.

Have a wonderful Christmas with family and friends. And make sure to check back here the day after Christmas for ideas about Christmas leftovers.

Traditional Christmas Dinner

• Honey Glazed Ham
  The glaze on this ham is made of honey and butter. It adds delicious flavor and color to your holiday ham.
• Potatoes Grand Mere
  This perfect recipe for scalloped potatoes is rich and delicious. I only serve it on holidays.
• Carrot Pineapple Gelatin Salad
  This salad is traditional in my family. I love the color and the sweet flavor it brings to the meal. Try it!
• Creamy Molded Cranberry Salad
  I just found this salad recipe after it was lost for years. I was so happy to see it again. The color and flavor are perfect for Christmas. There are a lot of recipes out there similar to this one, but none I could find that are molded. I think that makes this salad special and adds a touch of elegance. Ground cranberries are sweetened with sugar and marshmallows, and suspended with celery and nuts in a creamy gelatin mixture. Yum!
• Sour Cream Cherry Fruit Salad Mold
  This gorgeous salad has the most incredible pink color. It's full of nuts and fruits, and perfect for a celebration.
• Parker House Rolls
  These tender and delicious rolls must be on the holiday table at my house. You can make them the day before Christmas and reheat in the oven or microwave before serving.
• Special Green Beans
  The fresh crisp tender texture and flavor of these beans make them the perfect side dish for this rich holiday dinner.
• Christmas Cookies
  This selection of cookies include my family favorites. My personal favorite? Butter Pecan Turtle Cookies!

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12 to 14 lb. turkey (not pre-basted or kosher) - 1 cup sugar - 1 1/2 cups kosher salt - 2 bay leaves, broken into pieces - 1/3 cup fresh chopped thyme - 1 head of garlic, peel and separate cloves - 4 juniper berries, smashed - 4 allspice berries, whole

Container: Large Stockpot

Prep Time: 30 minutes How to Combine the sugar, salt and 4 quarts of water in a large bowl and stir until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Add the remaining ingredients. Place the turkey in the stockpot and add the brining solution. Add enough cold water to the stockpot so that the turkey is completely submerged. Cover the container and place in the refrigerator or another cold storage area. Allow the turkey to stand in the brining solution for about 10 to 12 hours. After the required soaking time, remove it from the container and thoroughly rinse under cold water. The brining solution should be discarded because it cannot be reused. The turkey can be cooked using several cooking methods, such as roasting, grilling and deep frying.

Labels: turkeybrinerecipes

3/4 cup butter
2 1/2 cups chopped onions
2 cups chopped celery
4 teaspoons dried sage
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried savory
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon marjoram
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
14 cups dried white bread, cubed

In a large frying pan, melt butter over a medium heat. Fry onions and celery together with the dried herbs, salt and pepper, stirring often, until vegetables are tender, about 10-15 minutes.

Transfer the mixture to a very large bowl. Add the bread cubes and mix well.

If you are making the stuffing ahead: Transfer the cooked vegetable mixture to a large bowl. Let cool and refrigerate in an airtight container for 24 hours. Mix with bread cubes before stuffing the bird.

Stuff the turkey at both ends with this mixture. (see our Roast Turkey Recipe for directions on stuffing the bird).

* Stuff the turkey just before baking it. Do NOT stuff the bird ahead and let it sit, even in the refrigerator. It can become infected with bacteria and make you quite ill.

Labels: turkeystuffing

• 1 small (golf-ball sized) onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1 lemon, scrubbed clean
• 12 fresh sage leaves
• Large handful fresh flat-leaf parsley (about 1/2 cup, from 12 stems)
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for oiling pan
• 1 teaspoon salt plus more as needed
• 6 fresh bay leaves
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 boneless turkey breast halves, skin on (about 2 to 2 1/2 pounds each)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup apple or regular brandy (recommended: Calvados)
• 2 to 3 cups apple cider
• Salt and pepper

How to

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Oil a roasting pan and set it aside.

Put the onion into the bowl of a mini food processor. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the zest from the lemon in thin strips, being careful not to cut into the bitter white pith. Add the lemon zest to the food processor and reserve the whole lemon for another use. Chop the onion and lemon zest until fine. Add the sage, parsley, olive oil, and 1 teaspoon salt and pulse until it forms a coarse paste.

Put 2 of the bay leaves and the butter into a small pan and heat over medium-low heat until the butter is bubbling. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Put the turkey breasts on a work surface. Carefully run your fingers between the skin and the flesh from 1 end, being careful not to pull it completely off, creating a pocket. Season the turkey breasts generously with salt and pepper. Stuff half of the herb paste under the skin of each breast, and spread it evenly under the skin. Transfer the breasts to the roasting pan, and slide 2 bay leaves underneath each one. (The heat of the pan will release the bay leaf oils and flavor the breast.) Using a pastry brush, baste the breasts with half of the bay butter. Place the turkey in the oven and immediately decrease the temperature to 400 degrees F. After 20 minutes, baste the turkey breasts with the remaining butter, and roast for an additional 20 to 25 minutes, until cooked through, and a thermometer placed in the thickest part of the breast registers 170 degrees F.

Remove from the oven, transfer to a platter, cover, and let rest for 10 minutes before carving while you make the gravy.

Put the roasting pan over the burner on medium heat. Sprinkle the flour over the pan juices, and cook, stirring, for a few minutes. Add the apple brandy, and scrape the pan to lift the bits that are stuck to the bottom. Cook for a minute to burn off the alcohol, then, while stirring, pour in the apple cider. Bring to a simmer, and stir until thickened. Season with salt and pepper.

Slice the turkey breast on the diagonal, and serve with warm gravy.

Labels: turkeybreastrecipes

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 carrot
• 1 rib celery
• 1/2 yellow onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 cup apple juice
• 8 cups homemade chicken stoke or turkey stock
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns, whole
• 4 sprigs fresh parsley
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 bay leaves

To make the gravy

• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• Gravy Base just made
• 1/2 cup reserved turkey fat
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour

Making the Gravy Base

1. Heat the butter and oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped vegetables, garlic, turkey neck and sauté until the vegetables are caramelized. (approximately 15 minutes). Stir occasionally to prevent sticking and burning.

2. Deglaze the pan with apple juice and stir, scraping up the brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Reduce until the juice evaporates to an essence. (Approx. 5 minutes)

3. Add the chicken stock, peppercorns, and herbs. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered for one hour. Strain gravy base and set aside.

Making the Gravy

4. Remove turkey from roasting pan. Pour off pan drippings and reserve. Place pan over high heat and deglaze with white wine. Skim the fat from the reserved pan drippings and reserve.

5. Add the Gravy Base and the defatted pan drippings back to the pan and bring liquid to a boil over medium heat.

6. Make a roux by heating the reserved turkey fat and enough butter to make 1/2 cup in a small sauté pan. When the fat is hot, add flour and whisk to combine.

Labels: turkeygravyrecipes

	Sonoma Jack Garlic & Herb Cheese
	Water Crackers
	Nonni's Biscotti
	Caramel Popcorn
	English Tea Cookies
	Beth's Chocolate Chip Cookies
	Lindt Lindor Chocolate Truffles
	Cheese Straws
	Toffee Pretzels
	Holiday Almonds
	Chocolate Wafer Cookies
	Cashew Roca
	Almond Roca
	Licorice Petites
	Dolcetto Chocolate Wafer Rolls
	Cheese Swirls
	Fudge
	Truffle Cookies
	Panetini
	Ghirardelli Chocolate Bar
	Smoked Salmon
	Caramel Apple Bites

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Daily Mail Supermarkets are battling to sell you the cheapest Christmas feast - so which ... Daily Mail Plump and good-looking turkey, which turned an even brown colour after cooking. The flavour was good: succulent and meaty. The generous sizes are perfect to ... See all stories on this topic

Game goes gourmet News-Leader.com No matter what wild game you select, the key to perfecting it into the focal point of an elegant Christmas feast is in the pre-prep (prior to cooking), ... See all stories on this topic

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Google News Alert for: turkey cooking

Don't Let A Turkey Spoil Your Christmas Medical News Today (press release) For more information on how to prepare your Christmas dinner safely, or to use our online turkey cooking or defrosting calculators, follow the link below to ... See all stories on this topic

Let's talk turkey - food safety tips for the season The Boundary Sentinel Store and thaw safely: Keep fresh turkey refrigerated no longer than three days before cooking. There are three ways to thaw frozen turkey in its wrapper: ... See all stories on this topic

Times LIVE This turkey is so delish. and the gravy awesome Times LIVE Preheat the oven to 190C. Coat a deep roasting pan with cooking spray. Clean the turkey and transfer to the prepared pan. Add the onions, carrots, ... See all stories on this topic

Five ways to look after your pets this Christmas WalesOnline Although you may be busy opening presents or cooking the turkey, make sure your pet sticks to the same routine. Get someone to feed the cat at its usual ... See all stories on this topic

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The Canadian Press For a change from traditional holiday turkey dinner, try roast beef or ham The Canadian Press "At one time, a huge turkey at Christmas was a splurge item when families were so much larger," says the executive chef at The Good Earth Cooking School and ... See all stories on this topic

The bluffers' guide to Christmas dinner Mayo News Top tip: If cooking Turkey, rub butter with salt and herbs under the skin all over the bird to increase its succulent nature. Prepare the bird on Christmas ... See all stories on this topic

Recipe: Cranberry Orange Mini Muffins Seattle Times Line miniature muffin pans with paper baking cups or spray cups with nonstick cooking spray. 2. Combine flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt; ... See all stories on this topic

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Los Angeles Times Christmas turducken: A whole lot of a good thing Los Angeles Times One thing I've always appreciated is that, unlike a turkey that has to be carved, a turducken can be simply sliced like a loaf of bread or a meatloaf. ... See all stories on this topic

Turkey meatloaf Toronto Star Serve this Italian-style meatloaf with a thick, spicy tomato sauce. Don't be tempted to skimp on the pancetta: its fat compensates for the lean turkey, ... See all stories on this topic

'Retro 50's diner' approved Seacoastonline.com ... version of a 50's diner by serving cage-free eggs, naturally raised chicken, a turkey bacon option and turkey meatloaf, in addition to the standards. ... See all stories on this topic

Rudy's Deli offers healthy, homey lunch San Antonio Express Using bread baked in-house, Boar's Head meat and cheeses and a skilled hand, Salinas turns out sandwiches such as the Rudy's Classic, ham, turkey, ... See all stories on this topic

The Green Gourmet comes to Delray Beach Sun-Sentinel.com Look for pot roast, meat loaf, turkey meat loaf, roasted chicken, lasagna, salmon, tomato and five-bean soup. Each day, he features 15 different side dishes ... See all stories on this topic

Unusual holiday dinners Baltimore Sun (blog) ... traditional holiday meatloaf each year has never taken a photo of it -- no surprise there -- so we're stuck with a picture of a beautiful turkey dinner. ... See all stories on this topic

Oh, for a Trader Joe's Mail Tribune Started in May by Stacie Brink of the Applegate, the group "went viral" in the last few weeks, with members praising Trader Joe's turkey meatloaf, hummus, ... See all stories on this topic

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The Post-Standard - Syracuse.com (blog) What's for Christmas dinner? Syracuse-area Wegmans chef offers tips The Post-Standard - Syracuse.com (blog) So what's for Christmas dinner? Ham? Roast beef? Seafood? It's a puzzler. Thanksgiving dinner menus rarely vary, but Christmas is altogether a different ... See all stories on this topic

My kitchen smells like Christmas Posted On: Wednesday, Dec. 16 2009 05:48 AM Killeen Daily Herald Or wasting time trying to figure out how to cut recipes in half so you don't end up with more of one kind than your family will eat. ... See all stories on this topic

Bay Area Food & Wine Events San Jose Mercury News 415-434-1100. complete holiday dinner (available the week of Dec. 21 and the following weekend) is a Christmas vacation in Italy at your own dinner table. ... See all stories on this topic

SunHerald.com (registration) A SOUTHERN CHRISTMAS SunHerald.com (registration) Thinking back, our Christmas menu varied. When the years were lean, so were the dinner choices. During good times, the menu expanded, especially in the ... See all stories on this topic

Christmas gifts from the heart Waynesville Smoky Mountain News They cook wonderful meals for the family and print the recipes. Each year we love the ritual of planning and cooking a truly spectacular meal for Christmas ... See all stories on this topic

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Books worth giving Arizona Daily Star And, even though chicken scored a spot in the title, Cornish game hens and a few turkey recipes offered other fowl options. Meals include soups and salads ... See all stories on this topic

Chefs' favorite holiday recipes Jackson Clarion Ledger Lay out a sheet of parchment paper just slightly larger than a portion of turkey scallopine. Lay out a sheet of aluminum foil over parchment paper. ... See all stories on this topic

Frederick News Post (subscription) Marathon baking day has sweet ending Frederick News Post (subscription) Leijon tests cookie recipes throughout the year. Besides tasting good, the cookie has to be durable for packaging and freezing. ... See all stories on this topic

'Ciao Italia' host shares memories, recipes for feast of the seven fishes Taunton Daily Gazette "When we got up we'd have panettone and for dinner we'd have lasagna, braciole, sausage and meatballs and THEN we'd have turkey." Esposito is the author of ... See all stories on this topic

Chefs share favorite holiday recipes Jackson Clarion Ledger His Turducken Pinwheel rolls the three breast meats of turkey, duck and chicken around a wild rice pilaf. The result is a tender, tasty triumvirate of ... See all stories on this topic

Different tastes for holidays Record-Searchlight The Record Searchlight asked readers for their favorite main dish recipes. Here's what they shared with us. News assistant Jessica Skropanic can be reached ... See all stories on this topic

Recipes from around globe, foods from across country fill Erie residents ... GoErie.com For many Erie area residents, Christmas isn't really about the turkey or the ham. It's about reviving recipes for traditional foods so they march on through ... See all stories on this topic

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Talking Retail FSA offers safe turkey cooking tips Talking Retail The fsa's TV and radio adverts offer safety advice about the preparation and cooking of turkey. The main tips are don't wash it, as this can spread germs to ... See all stories on this topic

Cook a safe turkey this Christmas Belfast Telegraph Yet 27 percent of us still worry about cooking our turkey properly. That is why Safefood is calling on people to ensure their turkey is properly cooked this ... See all stories on this topic

Family debate: Goose or turkey for Christmas Chicago Tribune •Calculate 1 1/2 pounds per serving when ordering the goose (lots of fat is lost during the cooking). The larger the goose, the higher the ratio of meat to ... See all stories on this topic

Opryland Hotel kitchen shares secrets to cooking for a crowd The Tennessean Mandrell preferred chicken to turkey, for example, in the holiday main dish with cornbread-cranberry stuffing. (Swann said the staff often calls it ... See all stories on this topic

If it's Christmas, it's time to fire up the grill Baltimore Sun Usually these chilly cooking sessions last about 30 minutes to 40 minutes, depending on the temperature and the wind. It is a recipe I found some years ago ... See all stories on this topic

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New York Times (blog) The Way We Ate: Christmas Dinner for $2.50 New York Times (blog) ... 1907, the article isn't just a game plan for a budget Christmas dinner. It's an exceptionally cheesy love story, with recipes. The piece is unsigned, ... See all stories on this topic

The best holiday iPhone apps CNN (blog) Here comes (the free) Mixologist: Drink Recipes to the rescue! You've got almost 8000 recipes at your disposal. Pick the liquor, pick the spritzer and shake ... See all stories on this topic

Racine County's Recipe Box: Cookie time! Journal Times The cookies were baked for the Christmas Cookie Bake Sale to be held on Dec. 18 at the Spring Street branch of Educators Credit Union. ... See all stories on this topic

Memphis Commercial Appeal (blog) 12 Days of Christmas Recipes: Anchovy Puffs Memphis Commercial Appeal (blog) By Jennifer Biggs on December 13, 2009 5:26 PM Share: Starting today, I'm going to run a recipe from my family or friends--my holiday gift to you--until ... See all stories on this topic

Dallas Morning News Chef Kent Rathbun loses 70 pounds with Weight Watchers mobile Dallas Morning News ($9.99) Get easy recipe options from Holly Clegg, author of the Trim & Terrific(tm) cookbooks with the app version of her Mobile Rush-Hour Recipes. ($4.99) See all stories on this topic

Christmas in Germany Ledger Independent She often talked with me about the traditions and also taught me to make many German recipes. The first thing we made together was a Black Forest Cherry ... See all stories on this topic

Community calendar Daily Comet A free Christmas Dinner for Terrebonne Parish seniors and citizens in need is set for 11 am to 1 pm Sunday at the East Houma Bingo Hall, 425 Grand Caillou ... See all stories on this topic

B is for book (and baking) Belleville News Democrat Berenbaum has a reputation for meticulous recipes of daunting length, and this 512-page book is no exception. But, oh, you've rarely seen such cakes: White ... See all stories on this topic

Keeping warm with a holiday romance Bellingham Herald And oh my gosh, the recipes! Wiggs sprinkles tantalizing food references through her books and then shares recipes in the back. In "Lakeshore Christmas ... See all stories on this topic

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Slow-roasted turkey The Province By Anthony Sedlak, For Canwest News servicedecember 14, 2009 For this season's holiday feast, prepare this perfect Slow Roasted Turkey recipe with all the ... See all stories on this topic

TimeOutDubai.com Christmas cooking TimeOutDubai.com Christmas recipes from Verre executive chef Matt Pickop and Paul Lupton of Rhodes Mezzanine... Discuss this article 1 Remove the turkey legs and debone. ... See all stories on this topic

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TV chefs disagree on cooking times for turkey Mirror.co.uk The roasting times they recommend for a family-sized turkey vary by more than TWO HOURS, our survey shows. We compared their times and methods based on a ... See all stories on this topic

Talking turkey Irish Times (blog) This year we learned that one-in-five people who cook a turkey will risk food poisoning because they think they can tell whether or not the bird is cooked ... See all stories on this topic

Daily Mail Turkey à la dishwasher, anyone? How to re-ignite the love affair between you ... Daily Mail 'People hate cooking turkeys because of the stress,' says Mr Marks, 'but if you have a covered barbecue, you can cook the turkey on that, whatever the ... See all stories on this topic

goodtoknow Roast turkey with herby cranberry stuffing goodtoknow Weigh the stuffed turkey to calculate the cooking time. Allow 20 minutes per kg, plus 90 minutes. You'll need to leave the turkey to rest for 20-30 minutes ... See all stories on this topic

Copenhagen: reasons to be cheerful Business Green ... coverage of the Copenhagen Summit with cooking a turkey, advising that opening the oven door every 10 minutes is "not going to do the turkey any good". ... See all stories on this topic

No roof for Christmas, but tequila on hand Salt Lake Tribune After 21 years cooking the turkey, it should be a snap. Turns out it was more of a bang. At 10:30 am as the oven was preheating, Chris and I noticed smoke ... See all stories on this topic

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Bwog (blog) Get Up for John Jay Brunch and Get To Know Wilma, Omelet Queen Bwog (blog) ... own to determine where the pizza is, whether they want "Skim Milk" or "Cold Milk" in their coffee, or whether that "Turkey Meatloaf" is in fact vegan. ... See all stories on this topic

2010 College Food Trends: Students Crave Global, National and Regional Comfort ... PR Newswire (press release) Apricot-glazed Turkey 2. Meatloaf with Frizzle-Fried Onions 3. Vietnamese Pho (Rice Noodle Soup) 4. Vegetarian Lentil Shepherd's Pie 5. ... See all stories on this topic

Daisy Cafe not just for cupcakes Wisconsin State Journal Burgers and intriguing varieties of meatloaf such as turkey, pesto and feta or chorizo with pepper jack (plus no-meat loaf with mushrooms, ... See all stories on this topic

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Labels: christmas cakes, christmas cookies, christmas dinner recipes, christmasdinnercakes, christmasdinnerrecipes, chritmascakes

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Washington Post A super-sized Subaru, stuffed for the holiday Washington Post Thanksgiving dinner at our oldest daughter's house in Cornwall, a few miles above the Woodbury shopping center, was happiness filled with family, ... See all stories on this topic

Many Join Community Thanksgiving Dinner East Aurora Advertiser The Community Thanksgiving Dinner included a variety of people. For many it was a choice between eating at home or joining a few hundred others for a ... See all stories on this topic

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guardian.co.uk Tom Norrington-Davies' last-minute Christmas recipes guardian.co.uk ... his fast festive menu, complete with roast, fruity pudding – and something for sprout haters Everything you need for the complete Christmas dinner. ... See all stories on this topic

O Christmas cookies! | Philadelphia Inquirer | 12/06/2009 Philadelphia Inquirer William Woys Weaver, the Devon-based food historian and Yoder's friend, contributed the cookie recipes, part of his campaign - which we'll get to another ... See all stories on this topic

Holiday cookie recipe of the day: Glazed Cranberry Nut Drop Cookie Grand Junction Free Press AP Test Kitchen It's the 25 holiday cookie recipes of Christmas. Every day through Dec. 25, we will feature a festive recipe. Join the Free Press in baking ... See all stories on this topic

Best holiday Web sites Chicago Tribune A search on "Christmas" pulled up guides to Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, including videos, photos and recipes. DECORATING-- Omnifarm.com: Love the tree ... See all stories on this topic

Religion calendar for the Erie region GoErie.com -CASCADE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH: Free community Christmas dinner, with music by Heaven's Gate, 5-7 pm, 1001 W. 21st St. Everyone welcome. Call 452-3364. ... See all stories on this topic

Have yourself a green Christmas Kidderminster Shuttle This, and more Christmas vegan recipes, are available from the Vegan Society at www.vegansociety.com. Easy nut roast (Serves 4-6) 1 medium sized onion or 1 ... See all stories on this topi

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Labels: turkeycooking

1 tbsp. lard or cooking oil

4 serving pieces turkey*

1 to 2 c. turkey or low-fat/nonfat chicken broth*

1 9- to 10-oz. jar mole paste

4 servings cooked rice

Over medium-high heat, melt the lard or heat the cooking oil in a large, ovenproof pan. Brown the turkey pieces. Cover the pan and put it in the oven at 325ºF for 40 to 60 minutes, until the turkey is tender.

Transfer the turkey pieces to a plate. Pour the pan juices into a heat-proof measuring cup. Use a turkey baster to remove the fat that floats to the top of the cup.

Add broth to make 2-1/2 c. of liquid. Pour the liquid into the ovenproof pan and add the mole paste. Stir the mixture until all lumps are dissolved.

Cook the mole over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it becomes thick. Put the turkey pieces back in the pan and spoon the sauce over them. Lower the heat and cook gently for 10 minutes. Serve the mole with rice.

Preparation time: 25 minutes Cooking time: 50 to 70 minutes Serves 4

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Rice Pudding:

2 envelopes unflavored gelatin

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. water

½ tsp. salt

2 c. milk

½ c. cooked white rice

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 c. chopped almonds

1 c. chilled whipping cream

1. In a saucepan, heat gelatin, sugar, water, and salt. Stir until gelatin is dissolved (about 1 minute). Stir in milk, rice, vanilla, and almonds.

2. Place the saucepan in a bowl of ice water, stirring occasionally for about 15 minutes, until mixture thickens slightly.

3. Beat chilled whipping cream until stiff. Fold into rice mixture.

4. Pour into an ungreased 3/2quart mold. Cover and chill for 3 hours.

5. Turn out and serve cold with raspberry sauce.

Preparation time: 45 minutes Chilling time: 3 hours Serves 8

Raspberry sauce:

1 10-oz. package frozen raspberries, thawed

½ c. apple or currant jelly

1 tbsp. cold water

3/2 tsp. Cornstarch

1. In a saucepan, bring raspberries (with juice) and jelly to a boil.

2. Combine water and cornstarch in a bowl. Then stir into raspberries. Bring to a boil again, stirring constantly for 1 minute.

3. Serve warm sauce on top of cold pudding.

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1/4 lb turkey,Ground

1/2 t fresh ginger,Minced

1 t green onion,Minced

1 t water chestnuts,Minced

1/2 t soy sauce

1/2 t black pepper,Ground

1/4 t red pepper flakes,Crushed

-(no seeds)

1/4 t salt

1/8 t garlic powder

1 egg,beaten

Vegetable oil for frying

12 wonton wrappers,(3 x 3-inch

- size)

**On the side**

Hoisin sauce

1. In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients except the egg, wrappers and oil. Add 1 tablespoon of the beaten egg. Save the rest of the egg for later. Preheat oil in a deep fryer or a deep saucepan to 375 degrees. Use enough oil to cover the pot stickers -- 1 to 2 inches should be enough.

2. Invert a small bowl or glass with a 3-inch diameter on the center of a wonton wrapper and cut around it to make a circle. Repeat for the remaining wrappers.

3. Spoon 1/2 tablespoon of the turkey filling into the center of one wrapper. Brush a little beaten egg around half of the edge of the wrapper and fold the wrapper over the filling. Gather the wrapper as you seal it so that it is crinkled around the edge. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

4. Deep-fry the pot stickers, six at a time in the hot oil for 3 to 5 minutes or until they are brown. Drain on a rack or paper towels. Serve with hoisin sauce for dipping. If you want some crushed red pepper or cayenne pepper to the sauce.

Serves 3 to 4 as an appetizer.

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1 4 mushrooms --,Sliced

1 TB Butter

: Salt And Pepper

6 oz Roasted Turkey

1/4 c White Cheddar Dipping Sauce

7 Inch Baguette -- Sliced

2 oz Swiss Cheese -- Sliced

Preheat the oven to 450. Saute the mushroom slices in the butter. Season with salt and pepper. Heat the roasted turkey breast in a microwave until warm. Heat the white cheddar dipping sauce until hot. Slice the baguette without cutting all the way through. Hinge the bread open and spread some of the cheese sauce on the faces of the bread. Load the turkey breast into the sliced baguette. Salt and pepper it. Pour the remaining cheese sauce over the turkey.

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1/2 c. cooked, enriched noodles

4 oz. cooked turkey, bite-size pieces

1/2 c. green beans, divided

1/4 c. canned, sliced mushrooms

1 oz. red onion, chopped

1 tsp. chopped pimento

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. salt

2 tbsp. skim milk

Combine noodles, turkey, 1/4 cup green beans, and mushrooms. Add onion, pimento, nutmeg and salt. Pour into baking dish. In blender, combine remaining green beans and milk. Mix until smooth. Add green bean sauce to casserole. Mix well. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

1 serving.

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4 oz. cooked turkey or chicken, bite size pieces

1 (3 oz.) boiled potato, chopped

1 tbsp. mayonnaise

1 tsp. chopped pimento

1/2 tsp. dehydrated parsley flakes

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. sage

1/4 tsp. salt

Dash of pepper

Lettuce leaves

Combine all ingredients except lettuce; mix well. Chill. Serve on lettuce leaves.

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Possibly the simplest way in which to utilize left-over turkey meat is to make it up into hash. Such a dish may be used for almost any meal, and when made according to the recipe here given it will suit the taste of nearly every person.

2 Tb. butter

1/2 c. coarse rye-bread crumbs

1 small onion, sliced

2 c. finely chopped cold turkey

1/2 c. finely chopped raw potato

1/2 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

1 pt. milk

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--In America, roast turkey is usually considered as a holiday dish, being served most frequently in the homes on Thanksgiving day. However, at times when the price is moderate, it is not an extravagance to serve roast turkey for other occasions. Roasting is practically the only way in which turkey is prepared in the usual household, and it is by far the best method of preparation.

Occasionally, however, a very tough turkey is steamed before roasting in order to make it sufficiently tender. The preparation of roast turkey does not differ materially from the method given for the preparation of roast chicken. After the turkey is cleaned, drawn, and prepared according to the directions previously given, rub the inside of the cavity with salt and pepper. Then stuff with any desirable stuffing, filling the cavity and also the space under the skin of the neck where the crop was removed. Then sew up the opening, draw the skin over the neck and tie it, and truss the turkey by

forcing the tip of each wing back of the first wing joint in a triangular shape and tying both ends of the legs to the tail. When thus made ready, place the turkey in the roasting pan so that the back rests

on the pan and the legs are on top. Then dredge with flour, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and place in a hot oven. When its surface is well browned, reduce the heat and baste every 15 minutes until the turkey is cooked. This will usually require about 3 hours, depending, of course, on the size of the bird. For basting, melt 4 tablespoonfuls of butter or bacon fat in 1/2 cupful of boiling water. Pour this into the roasting pan. Add water when this evaporates, and keep a sufficient amount for basting. Turn the turkey several times during the roasting, so that the sides and back, as well as the breast, will be browned. When the turkey can be easily pierced with a fork, remove it from the roasting pan, cut

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The preparation of a plucked turkey for cooking is almost identically the same as that of a plucked chicken. Begin the preparation by singeing it; that is, hold it over a flame and turn it so that all the hairs on the skin will be burned off. Then look the skin over carefully, remove any pin feathers that may not have been removed in plucking, and wash it thoroughly. Next, cut off the head, leaving as much of the neck as possible. Draw the tendons from the legs as in preparing chicken; the ease with which this can be done will depend greatly on the length of time the turkey has been killed. Then cut off the legs at the first joint above the foot.

Having prepared the external part of the turkey, proceed to draw it. First, remove the crop by cutting a slit lengthwise in the neck over the crop, catching it with the fingers, and pulling it out. Next, cut a slitbetween the legs, below the breast bone, and draw out the internal organs. Clean and retain the giblets. Remove the lungs, wash out the cavity in the turkey, and cut off the oil bag on the back, just above the tail.

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Turkeys rank next to chickens in popularity as food. They are native to America and are perhaps better known here than in foreign countries. Turkey is a much more seasonal food than chicken, it being best in the fall. Cold-storage turkey that has been killed at that time, provided it is properly stored and cared for, is better than fresh turkey marketed out of season.

The age of a turkey can be fairly accurately told by the appearance of its feet. Very young turkeys have black feet, and as they mature the feet gradually grow pink, so that at more than 1 year old the feet will be found to be pink. However, as the bird grows still older, the color again changes, and a 3-year-old turkey will have dull-gray or blackish looking feet. The legs, too, serve to indicate the age of turkeys. Those of a young turkey are smooth, but as the birds grow older they gradually become rough and scaly. A young turkey will have spurs that are only slightly developed, whereas an old turkey will have long, sharp ones.

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Labels: cooking turkey, easyturkeycooking, thanksgiving celebrations, thanksgiving day, thanksgiving day recipes, tips for cooking turkey, turkey, turkey recipe, turkeycooking, turkeycookingtips

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Basic Fresh Pasta Dough

1 cup Unbleached flour

1 cup Semolina or durum flour

1 tsp Salt

1 Tbs Olive oil

3 Eggs (or more); beaten

• PLACE ALL ingredients except egg into a food processor. Add the egg a bit at a time while pulsing. When the dough forms into pellets, you've added enough eggs. Turn the dough onto a work surface and knead together into a stiff mass. Let rest for 15 minutes before rolling into pasta.

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Labels: cooking turkey, thanksgiving celebrations, thanksgiving day recipes, turkey recipe, turkeycooking

Labels: cooking thanksgiving dinner, cooking turkey, easyturkeycooking, thanksgivingdinner, turkey recipe, turkeycooking, turkeyrecipes

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Thanksgiving celebrations are all about gathering together and enjoying the companionship of friends and family. While the turkey dinner may be the highlight of your Thanksgiving party, make sure the events before and after dinner are just as memorable.

Pick Your Party Type
Decide what kind of Thanksgiving party you want to host. Consider all the factors, such as how big your space is and if kids will be attending. If it’s a big family affair with lots of children, don’t plan a formal dinner party. If you’re just inviting a few close friends over, it might be fun to dress up and use the best china. After thinking about all these factors, make the final decisions on a guest list and the style of party you’re planning.

Decorations
To make your gathering feel truly festive, decorate the house with lovely and inexpensive decorations. The rich natural colors of fall provide a perfect backdrop to the day. Whether you are having a formal or a casual Thanksgiving party, these decoration ideas can transform your home into a cornucopia of comfort and style.

Outdoors

• Welcome everyone by hanging a festive fall wreath on the front door. You can make one with supplies from your local craft store or purchase one.
• Decorate your entryway with pumpkins. Gather a variety of pumpkins in different colors, sizes and textures, and arrange them artfully among some fall foliage.
• Arrange decorative gourds and Indian corn in some wicker baskets or empty flower pots and arrange them on each step leading to your front door. Tie orange, brown or other autumn-colored ribbons to the pots.
• Make a whimsical scarecrow with old clothes, a painted pumpkin head and a floppy straw hat. Seat it on a hay bale, and decorate around it with dried corn stalks and pumpkins.

Indoors

• Create simple clusters of fall beauty with varying sizes of pillar candles set atop silk autumn leaves. Add gold ribbons for extra sparkle.
• Make nut pillars by taking Styrofoam shapes and hot-gluing various nuts (in the shells) , completely covering the foam center. Walnuts, pecans, almonds and even acorns work well.
• Use fall colors to accent the table, such as a rich brown table runner or burnt orange napkin rings.
• Try hanging garlands of artificial autumn leaves over window treatments and above doorways. Accent with bundles of dried flowers.

Pre-Dinner Activities
If the guests are arriving at least an hour before dinner, it’s a good idea to have a few things for them to do during the Thanksgiving party while you’re attending to last-minute dinner tasks. Depending on the age of your guests, you can keep everyone busy until its time to dine.

For kids, prepare a station with crayons, pencils and a few Thanksgiving-related activities, such as coloring pages, crossword puzzles or hidden pictures. Don’t try to do a detailed craft that needs your attention to explain because you’ll simply be too busy at this point. Save the fun projects for after dinner when everyone is relaxing.

For adults, have a few appetizers set out. Nuts, cheese and crackers, chips and dips or a veggie tray are good starters. Recruit a helper to prepare beverages for everyone, from a little wine to refreshing soft drinks. Create a welcoming atmosphere for the Thanksgiving party with soft music playing and perhaps a few family photo albums setting out for relatives to browse through.

Post-Dinner Activities
While many families head to the TV to catch some great college football games, other families like to play games and spend quality time together. Here are some Thanksgiving party ideas on how to keep everyone entertained while they’re digesting and waiting for pumpkin pie.

Play games. Choose family favorites where everyone can play, such as Win, Lose or Draw, dominoes, Scrabble, Monopoly or other traditional competitions. Or get really creative and organize a Jeopardy-style game with either Thanksgiving trivia or guest-specific questions, such as “This person’s high school tennis team won the state championship.”

Create a slideshow. Bridge generations and bring long-distance relatives closer by renting an LCD projector and showing a compilation of family photos or snippets of home videos.

Take it outside. Many families have outdoor traditions, such as sledding, touch football, 4-wheeling or snowmobiling.

Get crafty. Establish a craft tradition while some guests watch the big game. Try sewing a baby quilt for an expecting family member, creating homemade Christmas ornaments or adding a few pages to an annual Thanksgiving family scrapbook. Don’t forget a craft table for the kids, including turkey puppets, marshmallow and apple turkeys or paper pilgrim hats.

Be thankful. If the mood is right, try a simple devotional. Say a traditional Thanksgiving prayer, read scripture or just give guests the opportunity to express gratitude for things and people in their lives.

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For most people, the key to preparing the perfect Christmas meal is cooking the turkey. University of Bristol physicist, Dr Peter Barham explains how applying scientific principles in the kitchen at Christmas can help you achieve the perfect festive fowl.

Meat consists of muscle fibres, connective tissues and fats. The muscle fibres largely consist of two proteins, myosin and actin. When muscle fibres are heated above about 40ºC the proteins start to denature, the resulting change of shape involves the proteins coiling up. This coiling process inevitably causes some contraction of the muscle.

As meat is cooked, so heat flows in and more proteins are denatured. The denatured proteins shrink making the meat progressively tougher. Thus the longer you cook any meat the 'tougher' the muscle fibres will become.

The connective tissues (collagen, reticulin and elastin) that join the muscles to the bone and wrap around the muscle fibre bundles, are too tough for us to bite through (and remain largely indigestible) before they are heated. However, after prolonged heating to a temperature above 60ºC the collagen triple helices are destroyed and tough collagen becomes soft gelatin. Accordingly there must be a compromise between overheating the muscle fibres and producing a tough product, and not heating enough to denature the collagen, which would again leave tough meat.

The remaining important components of meat are fats and water. In fact most of the turkey (about 60%) is water, making it the largest single component. When meat is cut some water flows out and the meat becomes a little wet. However, most of the water in a piece of meat remains bound to the proteins. When proteins are denatured some of this bound water can escape. You can see this when you fry meat; after a short cooking time, some liquid (mostly water) will start to flow out of the meat and as it boils in the hot fat it ‘spits’ at you. If significant amounts of water are lost in this way the cooked meat will seem dry.

Once you have managed to produce the right moist and tender texture you will still have to obtain the perfect flavour. By far the largest component of flavour is the aroma (detected in the nose), rather than the taste (detected in the mouth); so flavour is dominated by small volatile molecules.

Cooking proteins generates lots of new small volatile molecules. The ones we recognise as having "meaty" aromas are mostly generated through a series of reactions between proteins and sugars known collectively as the Maillard reactions. The chemistry is to say the least complex - people have devoted their entire lives to trying to unravel a small part of the possible reactions. Fortunately, you don't need to know much about the overall reaction scheme. The important reactions that generate the cooked turkey flavour only really start at a respectable rate above about 140°C, but if the temperature exceeds 200°C then different reactions leading to bitter and even carcinogenic compounds can set in.

Putting all this together you can see you will need to make a series of compromises to cook a "perfect" turkey. The outside needs to be heated to between 140 and 200 °C to make sure the Maillard reactions provide plenty of the "Turkey" flavour for the gravy. The tender breast meat wants to be heated to no more than 55 to 58°C to keep the muscle proteins from contracting and becoming tough. The tougher, collagen rich, legs and wings need to be heated to a higher temperature (say around 65 to 70°C) to denature some of the collagen.

There are as many different approximate solutions as there are cookery writers. The simplest is of course to bone the turkey and cook the different parts separately. This is fine in a restaurant where you simply put the carved meat on the plate, but at home you want to put a cooked turkey on a plate and carve it in front of the family. My own favoured cooking method is to cover the more delicate breasts with aluminium foil to keep them from getting too hot as the wings and legs cook and only remove this foil towards the end of the cooking. To reduce the evaporation of water and to improve heat transfer I cook in a moist oven (keeping stock under the turkey as it cooks).

You need to heat to the meat to as near as possible to the ideal temperatures mentioned above, but how long should you cook the turkey?

The oven will of course be at a higher temperature (say 160°C) than the turkey so there will always be a temperature gradient - the turkey will be ready when the parts furthest from the outside reach the desired temperature.

Solving the thermal diffusion equations for the ideal spherical turkey shows that the cooking time depends linearly on the temperature difference between the oven and the uncooked turkey and also on the square of the radius of the bird. To sort that one out just ask a physicist.

A simpler, and more practical approach is to use a probe to measure the temperature inside the different parts of the bird so that you can control when to take off the foil and when to take the turkey out of the oven.

Once you’ve cracked the turkey, of course, you still need to worry about the vegetables, the gravy, the stuffing and of course the pudding before you can rest on your laurels as a chemist!

Source: University of Bristol

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Orange Sweet Potato Casserole
Ingredients You Will Need:
Sweet Potatoes (think about one-half to one sweet potato per person)
Orange juice to cover
A few dashes of nutmeg

Topping:
1 stick butter
1 cup flour
¼ cup packed brown sugar
¼ cup white sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Cook, boil or microwave sweet potatoes until almost done. At this point, you can wrap the potatoes in foil and assemble the casserole the next day.

If making the same day, let potatoes cool. Cut into slices, and arrange in a greased casserole. Pour enough orange juice in to cover the potatoes about three-quarters high.

Then start the topping. Cut the butter into the rest of the ingredients until you have a crumbly mix. You can adjust the amounts if you would like more topping. The topping can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator an airtight container.

If refrigerated, bring ingredients to room temperature on Thanksgiving. Cook covered for 30 to 40 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven. Uncover for the last 10 minutes for a browner top.

Variations:

• Use yams instead of sweet potatoes.
• Use both yams and sweet potatoes.
• Substitute maple syrup for part of the orange juice.
• Eliminate the cinnamon topping, and add marshmallows to the top of the casserole during last 10 minutes.

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Try to pick dishes that, after assembled, have about the same length of cooking times, even if those times slightly exceed 30 minutes. If your turkey is a little bit cooler than you might like when you serve it, your guests will not mind if your gravy and side dishes are piping hot.

Don’t forget your bread or rolls. Bread or rolls can always be wrapped in foil and tossed in on top of cooking casseroles to heat.

Recipes for Side Dishes
Mashed Potatoes
You can actually make mashed potatoes a few days ahead of time and reheat. Add gobs of butter to melt as the potatoes are served. For a tasty alternative, try:

Mashed Potato Casserole
Ingredients You Will Need:
5 pounds potatoes
2 egg whites, room temperature
1 cup sour cream, room temperature
6 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
½ teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter

Peel and quarter the potatoes, and place in boiling water until they can be pierced with a fork. After draining, mash the potatoes until smooth.

Slightly beat the eggs. Add all ingredients except the butter to the mashed potatoes until well blended.

Spray a large casserole with cooking spray. Spread the potato mix into the dish. Dot with butter pieces. After the casserole cools a little, cover it and refrigerate.

On Thanksgiving Day, bring the casserole to room temperature. Cook covered in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 40 minutes.

Variations:

• Leave the potato skins on.
• Use red potatoes.
• Use low-fat sour cream and cream cheese.
• Top with shredded mozzarella cheese before cooking.

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Planning Your Thanksgiving Recipes
Take a realistic look at your kitchen before you plan for Thanksgiving. You will not really be able to serve a hot ham and a cooked Turkey if you only have one oven, unless you choose to barbeque or smoke your turkey.

The same thought applies to side dishes. Realistically speaking, are you really going to be able to heat soup, make gravy, boil potatoes for mashed potatoes, steam spinach and make stovetop stuffing at the same time if you only have four burners on your stove? You might consider eliminating a dish or two or substitute one new dish for two others.

Think simple. Not every side dish has to be an elaborate affair, particularly if you are having several side dishes. Fresh may trump complicated when paired with lack of time when planning Thanksgiving dinners.

Doing the Prep Work
Do as much of the prep work for Thanksgiving meals in advance so that you have more time to relax and enjoy your guests. For example, you can clean and trim lettuce and other vegetables, set the table and arrange serving dishes the day before.

One way to cut down work time on Thanksgiving Day is to prepare casseroles in advance. For example, instead of making mashed potatoes on Thanksgiving, make your mashed potatoes in advance or assemble a mashed potato casserole. Make a sweet potato dish that just needs to be reheated. Put together your stuffing, particularly if you are not using the pre-packaged kind, prior to the big day.

Microwave Ovens
While many foods taste differently when microwaved, you do not have to completely ignore your microwave. Use your microwave to bring pre-prepared dishes up to room temperature, and then add a little more heat before you put them in the oven. This can help cut down on overall cooking times.

More Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipe Ideas
When looking at your side dishes, you have a key window of opportunity for cooking or re-heating. This is, of course, the time when your turkey is resting before carving. If you have only one oven, this gives you about 30 minutes of cooking time after your bird comes out of the heat.

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There are dozens of tips and tricks out there for simplifying your Thanksgiving meal. For instance, there's the idea about asking various family members to bring side dishes and/or desserts to have more of a potluck-style Thanksgiving. This can work-if you have other people who can cook coming to your get-together. Another idea I have seen is to buy prepared foods to serve to your family, either online or locally. That is a good idea, if your family doesn't rebel against the idea-and if you can afford it; buying Thanksgiving dinner can be quite expensive.

I have another tip that you may not have considered. What is my idea? Let the kids cook! Now, before you start shaking your head at the very thought, let me explain. I'm not suggesting that you allow young children hang out in the kitchen while the head cook is working on the turkey or a complicated side dish. What I propose is that you find a simple recipe or two that one adult can lead the children in making-recipes that can be a part of the Thanksgiving dinner.

Why is this a great idea? Two reasons. First of all, it will get the kids out of everyone's way, keeping them engaged in a meaningful (but fun) activity. The kids will get a sense of pride out of being able to contribute to the Thanksgiving meal in such a big way. Usually, kids are relegated to making crafts or going off to play out of the way while the adults work on the dinner; by getting the kids to help out with the dinner you are showing them that they are valuable members of your family. So, what is the second reason? It's simple-if you allow the kids to help out in making a dish or two for the Thanksgiving meal, that means that the adult cook has less work to do! This is a win-win situation here!

Perhaps you are wondering what kinds of recipes would be easy enough for kids to cook that would be suitable for a Thanksgiving dinner. There are actually quite a lot of delicious recipes you can find on the internet that would serve this purpose quite well. You will want to choose recipes that do not have a lot of adult-only preparation (such as slicing and dicing). Look for dishes that have a good deal of activities that kids can do, such as mixing, pouring, adding ingredients, and blending. Try searching for suitable recipes on Easy Kids Recipes, Taste of Home's Simple & Delicious, and AllRecipes.com.

In case you don't want to search, though, here are a few of my favorites that kids can make that would make great additions to any Thanksgiving dinner. Here's one, adapted from a recipe on Easy Kids Recipes:

Boil the sweet potatoes until soft, about 5 minutes. Let cool. Have kids mash them in a bowl. Let kids add remaining ingredients, one at a time, mixing well. Serve warm.

Here's a great side dish that is prepared in the slow cooker. I adapted this from a recipe I found on AllRecipes.com.

Let kids use a dull knife to cut the cream cheese into squares. Have the kids add the corn to the slow cooker; then have them add the cream cheese, butter, milk, and sugar. Allow the kids to stir lightly. Cook on High for 2-4 hours or Low for 4-6 hours.

You can even have the kids prepare a tasty dessert for the family! I adapted the recipe below from one I found on Taste of Home's Simple & Delicious.

Have kids put the softened ice cream into a large mixing bowl. Then let kids add the remaining ingredients, one at a time, mixing well. It doesn't matter if the ice cream gets really soft at this point; the dessert needs to be mixed well. Help the kids pour the ice cream mixture into the graham cracker crust. Freeze for 4 hours or until firm.

There are a lot of other recipes that you can adapt to allow the kids at your Thanksgiving gathering to make. And just think-the more you let the kids make, the less the adults have to prepare, right? Plus, fixing Thanksgiving dinner this way really is more fun for everyone. Give it a try this year-I'm sure you will agree.

Labels: cooking thanksgiving dinner, cooking turkey, thanksgivingdinner, tips for cooking turkey, turkeycookingtips

When you follow the appropriate steps for thawing, handling and cooking Thanksgiving turkey, presenting the result of following perfect turkey cooking safety measures—a fantastic main dish—can actually be one of your proudest moments at your first Thanksgiving dinner.

Handling the turkey after thawing is the prime window for bacteria to get into the environment. When its time to cook the turkey, first preheat the oven and make sure your hands, sink and roasting pan are clean. Rinse the turkey off in the sink and place it directly in the roasting pan. Prepare the turkey with any number of rubs, oils or spices that you want as directed by your recipe. Once the turkey is in the oven, clean all surfaces that the turkey or turkey juice touched—sink, counter, hands and more. You can even use a mild bleach solution to disinfect.

Recently, food safety controversy has erupted over stuffing the turkey. Most experts now recommend preparing stuffing outside of the turkey and not stuffing the turkey at all. However, if you insist on doing it because that’s how Grandma always did, ensure that the stuffing is very moist and packed loosely in the turkey cavity.

To positively ensure that the turkey is safe to eat for the Thanksgiving meal, invest in a meat thermometer. These only cost a few dollars and will give you peace of mind that the meat has cooked to the right temperature to kill any bacteria. A turkey should be cooked at no lower than 325 degrees Fahrenheit, and some recipes call for slightly higher, but don’t ever go lower.

After the appropriate amount of time for cooking the turkey has passed according to your recipe, insert the meat thermometer into the thickest part of the turkey breast. If the thermometer reads 165 degrees F or more, the turkey is ready to offer at your first Thanksgiving dinner. If the internal temperature is less than 165 degrees F, the turkey needs more time to cook. If you stuffed the turkey, insert the thermometer into the center of the cavity and ensure that temperature also reads 165 degrees F.

Don’t forget to keep leftover turkey safe as well. Any leftovers should not sit out for more than two hours without being refrigerated. If the meat has been out for longer than that, it is no longer safe to eat. For guests who are planning to take some turkey along on their Thanksgiving travel, let them know that unless they live nearby, the meat won’t make it safely.

Labels: cooking turkey, easyturkeycooking, tips for cooking turkey, turkeycooking, turkeycookingtips

• 250g Fresh Turkey Mince
• 4 green onions, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1⁄3 cup coriander leaves, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 medium pita pocket bread
• 80g mixed salad leaves
• 2 tomatoes, seeds removed, finely diced
• 1 small green capsicum, finely diced
• 1⁄2 cup thick Greek-style natural yoghurt
• 1⁄4 cup mint leaves, finely chopped
• 1⁄4 cup coriander leaves, finely chopped
• Salt and pepper, to season

Instructions

Preheat oven to 150°C. Combine turkey mince, green onion, coriander, cumin, cayenne pepper, fresh coriander and lemon juice in a large bowl. Season. Form tablespoonfuls of mixture into patties and place on a tray.

Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a non stick frying pan over medium heat. Add half of patties and cook for 3 minutes on each side or until golden and cooked through. Transfer to tray and place in oven to keep warm. Add remaining oil to frying pan and cook remaining patties.

Cut each pita bread in half and split open. Fill pockets with salad leaves, tomato and capsicum. Place 2 patties in each pocket and serve with a spoonful of yoghurt and herb dressing.

To make yoghurt and herb dressing: Combine yoghurt, mint and coriander in a bowl. Season.

• Serves 4
• Preparation time: 15 minutes
  Cooking time: 12 minutes

Labels: cooking turkey, easyturkeycooking, thanksgiving day, turkey, turkey recipe, turkeycooking, turkeyrecipes

Labels: cooking turkey, easyturkeycooking, thanksgiving day, turkey, turkey recipe, turkeycooking, turkeyrecipes

· Turkey - uncooked, frozen or fresh, with or without neck and giblets, with or without broth injected - note: you can now get organic and kosher turkeys - at about double the price - but without any hormones!

· Herbs: Thyme, sage, marjoram, paprika, rosemary, pepper

· 2 medium onions or one large onion

· Turkey cooking bag

· Meat thermometer

Labels: cooking turkey, turkey recipe, turkeycooking, turkeyrecipes

Labels: cooking turkey, thanksgiving day, turkey, turkeycooking

• Purchase one pound of turkey per person. This will allow for some leftovers.
• Factors such as incorrect oven temperature, the temperature of the turkey at the time it is placed in the oven, and the number of times you open the oven door will affect the length of cooking time.
• An oven temperature of 325ºF (max 350ºF) is best for roasting turkey. Higher temperatures may toughen the protein and cause shrinkage. Temperatures lower than 300ºF are not safe.
• Avoid interrupting the roasting time. Cook turkey at 325ºF until thoroughly done. Do not partially cook at one time to complete at a later date.
• A few slices of lightly buttered bread, placed under the turkey, will prevent it from sticking to the pan.
• For more flavour, place strips of bacon across the breast and around the drumsticks. Secure with toothpicks.
• If drumsticks are browning faster than the breast, simply wrap drumsticks with aluminum foil to slow the browning process.
• When roasting an unstuffed turkey, season the cavity with salt, pepper, poultry seasoning (if desired) and add two quartered onions.

Labels: cooking turkey, thanksgiving day, turkey, turkeycooking

• Preheat your oven to 325ºF.
• If you want to stuff the turkey, stuff it lightly and just before it goes into the oven. Never stuff turkey the day or night before.
• Stuffing can be prepared separately in a covered baking dish. Place it in the oven during the last 30 minutes of the turkey's roasting time.
• Many people wonder how to cook a turkey in the pan - breast up or breast down. Turkey should be placed breast up on a rack in a shallow pan.
• Insert an oven-safe meat thermometer into the thickest part of the inner thigh just above but not touching the thigh bone.
• Roast uncovered or loosely covered with foil. If you choose to baste your turkey, limit the number of times you open and close your oven (once an hour is enough). Opening the oven will lengthen the cooking time.
• Roast turkey until the meat thermometer reads 170ºF for an unstuffed turkey or 180ºF for a stuffed turkey.
• Remove turkey when cooking is completed and let stand for 15 to 20 minutes before you carve it to allow the juices to settle.

Labels: cooking turkey, thanksgiving day, turkey, turkeycooking

• When storing fresh turkey remove giblets and refrigerate in covered container for use within 2 days.
• Whole turkeys can be frozen for 1 year, parts for 6 months. Once the turkey is thawed, treat as fresh turkey and do not refreeze until it is cooked.
• Cooked turkey may be stored in a covered container, plastic bag or wrapped in aluminum foil for up to 4 days in the refrigerator, or up to 3 months in the freezer.
• After cooking, keep the turkey hot, above 140ºF or refrigerate below 40ºF. Do not leave turkey at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

Labels: cooking turkey, thanksgiving day, turkey, turkeycooking

• Remove plastic wrap from thawed turkey.
• Remove neck and giblets from body cavity.
• Rinse turkey well inside and out with cold water. Thoroughly pat dry with paper towels.
• Always wash hands thoroughly in hot soapy water before and after preparing foods and handling raw meat.
• Do not let raw meat juices touch ready-to-eat foods either in the refrigerator or during preparation.
• Do not put cooked foods on the same plate that held the raw product.
• Wash utensils, dishes and surfaces used for cutting turkey with hot soapy water. Then rinse using a sanitizing solution of one capful of chlorine bleach in 4 cups of warm water.
• Thoroughly rinse surfaces, dishes and utensils with hot water.
• Keep cutting board and utensils in good repair as they can harbour bacteria inside cracks and crevices.

Labels: cooking turkey, thanksgiving day, turkey, turkeycooking

Thawing a Turkey

Never thaw a frozen turkey at room temperature. Leave it in the original plastic package and follow one of the following methods to thaw your turkey:

• Refrigerator Method: This method is ideal as it keeps the meat cold until it is completely defrosted. Place turkey on a tray in the refrigerator, allowing 5 hours per pound defrosting time.
• Cold water method: In a large container, cover turkey completely with cold water. Change water at least every hour, allowing 1 hour per pound defrosting time.
• Frozen pre-stuffed turkey. Do NOT thaw. Cook from the frozen state and check the product label for further instructions.

Labels: cooking turkey, thanksgiving day, turkey, turkeycooking

Labels: cooking turkey, thanksgiving day, turkey, turkeycooking