Our Turkey Experience

As promised, here is the report on our first turkey:

It looked great coming out of the oven but I think it was a little on the dry side.  We followed a recipe that I found on Whole Foods' website for Honey and Rosemary brined turkey.  We didn't baste it or inject it because everything I read said that you don't have to do that when you brine.  I don't know if that would have made a difference.  The taste was good.  I was hoping to be able to taste the rosemary and honey but it tasted like normal turkey.  We'll try again next year!

We had a wonderful dinner at Rebecca's and Ariel's home.  Rebecca also made a turkey that she brined.  Her turkey was nice and juicy!  I have to ask her if she injected or basted.

We also made stuffing.  We like to add chicken sausage, ground pork, ground beef, black and green olives, dried cranberries, dried apples, golden raisins and regular raisins.  I love stuffing!

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Blessings,
SP

My First Apple Pie

This Thanksgiving will be the year of firsts; my first apple pie and my first turkey.

The turkey thing has me shaking in my boots. I don't know why I have always feared this giant fowl. Maybe it's all the scary things you hear about improper turkey handling or the daunting task that requires hours of preparation.

 As for the apple pie, well I have made other pies before but never an apple pie. Why? I guess I have been discouraged by my poor pie crust skills.

Well my friends, the time has come to take my cooking skills to the next level. I have watched dozens of you tube videos and have read countless blogs and online articles. I am ready.

Apple Pie: Done!
Turkey: In Process (bathing in a very fragrant briny bath). Will keep you posted.

 

  

 

 I found the pie recipe here and thought it was interesting that the butter and sugar sauce is poured over the top crust instead of mixing it in with the apples.  It makes the crust moist and caramelly-looking.  And it received five stars and didn't seem too difficult.  I thought it would be a good choice for my first. I didn't use granny smith apples, I used whatever I had on hand.  I think it was gala.

The pie crust recipe is from the November issue of Martha Stewart Living.

So for my first apple pie, I think this passes the eye test.  I'll have to wait until tomorrow to see if it passes the taste test.

Cheers!

SC

New Beginnings

 It's not yet January 1st and already I am making New Year's Resolutions.  I guess there is no good time like the present to make changes.

After several months of basically doing nothing but work, I am ready for a change.  I don't know why I fell into such a slump.  We are working on a very mentally draining project at the university.  I could blame it on that.

Or it could be that the less I did, the less I wanted to do.  You know when you are in a creative groove, the more you create, the more creative you become.  It's like that, only the opposite.

Unfortunately, my creativity is not the only thing that I let go.  I fell off the health bandwagon too.  I feel so tired when I come home from work, I have not been cooking very much and I have been eating very little whole foods (thanks to the catered lunches at work), and I just about stopped exercising too.

So, after weeks of feeling exhausted, guilty, and blahhh, and ten lovely pounds later, I am starting over...again.

Feeling recharged, I went for a run this morning, made myself a healthy breakfast and resolved to finish my knitting project as well as other projects on my list.

Later today, I will go to the grocery store and buy lots of fruits and veggies and I will say stay clear  of the lunches at work.

I will try to keep up with my blog.

I've missed me!