TURKEY DAY ON THE WAY

Today, let's talk turkey.

Turkey is one of the easiest things to fix, but so many have never done it and are a bit overwhelmed.

First off, you want to allow roughly 2 pounds per person so if you have 10 adults, you need at least a 20 pound bird...I would allow 1 pound per child. This will feed everyone well and allow leftovers which are a MUST! Keep in mind that when you look at the tag with the weight, they are including bones...you are not getting 20 pounds of meat and an adult isn't going to eat 2 pounds of it.

When you buy your turkey, it needs to be bought with enough time to thaw or defrost. (I have a former friend who would say "dethaw." Huh?)

To thaw in the fridge you need to allow 1 day per 4 pounds. So, a 20 pound turkey will need 5 days....Thanksgiving is on Thursday. Your 20 pound bird should be bought and in the fridge by Saturday! There is another way to thaw...using a cold water bath, but this is a pain in the tush. You have to change out the water every 30 minutes. It's messy and you have a mushy, gross mess if there happens to be a hole in the wrap. Also, if the bird gets TOO warm, you do run the risk of bacteria in the meat. Just buy it a week early and keep it in the fridge.

Thursday morning you need to get up EARLY (if you want your feast at lunch) and work on prepping "Tom." If you buy that 20 pound turkey, you will need to bake it 3 1/2 to 4 hours. (Until a meat thermometer, stuck in the inner thigh (don't touch the bone) reads 180.) You really don't want a "self-basting" turkey, as that tends to mask the flavor of the turkey (IMHO). At the same time, if you buy a frozen bird, it doesn't get much better than Butterball....again, IMHO.

So, unwrap your turkey, rinse inside and out.

****VERY IMPORTANT**** Remove the bag with the giblets and neck.

Pat turkey dry with paper towels. Oil the skin. (here is where opinion comes into play) You can brush with vegetable oil, spray with cooking spray or rub with butter.

Personally, I like to take a handful of softened butter (quite literally) and rub it over the breast UNDER the skin AND on top of the skin. This will keep the bird moist and will brown the skin nicely.

Sprinkle both outside AND cavity with salt and pepper. Then fill the cavity with aromatics. (I personally don't do stuffing. The thought grosses me out (it also adds baking time) I do a pan of dressing.) I fill cavity with onion, celery, thyme, garlic, maybe lemon slices. You won't eat this, but it flavors the meat mildly.

Tuck the wings under the body to prevent them from browning too much. Tie the legs together. (You want to do this as the legs loosen from the body and the skin will break. You will end up with leg bones and meat just hanging off the body....broken skin and a lot of moisture lost) Some folks say to skewer the opening...I don't because I don't stuff with a side dish.

Put turkey, breast side up, (flat portion down), in a roasting pan. You NEED something heavy-duty. If you do buy a disposable roasting pan, it will need to be put on a cookie sheet or other heavy-duty baking pan. I have placed it flat on the pan, roasted it in a bag (in the pan) and put the turkey on a rack.) I have had success with all 3, so don't freak if you don't have a turkey-bag. I will say this, a bag helps with clean-up as the juices can really stick to the pan. Just be sure to cut a vent in the bag and allow enough room for the steam to "puff up" the bag. You don't want it to touch the top of the oven. My preference is to place it on a rack.

Put the turkey into a 325 degree oven and bake for at least 3 1/2 hours (for a 20 pound turkey). The last 30 minutes to an hour, you might need to tent some foil over the breast to keep it from getting too brown and too dry. You won't do this if you use a bag.

Before taking it out, check for doneness. One easy way is to grab a leg-bone and move it back and forth. If it moves easily, it should be done...or really close to being done. I like to check the temp. I stick a meat thermometer into the inner thigh (where it is thickest...NOT touching the bone) to see if it reads "180." If yes, I remove from oven.

Final step before carving....LET THE MEAT REST FOR AT LEAST 30 MINUTES. Keep it covered with foil to retain heat. Really, this step is very necessary. ANY meat that you roast should sit out for a bit. As the meat is roasting, the juice tends to head to the surface and evaporate. While the meat is resting, the juices redistribute leading to a moist meat. If you carve too soon, a lot of the juice will run out at the first cut.

Carve, either at the table or in the kitchen. (This is what I prefer. I carve it and arrange on a platter to put in the center of the table.)

Well, there you go. I hope this was helpful. Another great help is Butterball...the company. You can go to butterball.com and they can give you MANY turkey tips. They even have a hot line that you can call on Thanksgiving Day to help will any "uh-ohs" or other concerns you may have.

HAPPY TURKEY DAY!

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

So, I made these whoopie pies today. They are my latest, favorite things to make.

Anyway, these are a big hit, whenever I take them anywhere.

Today, in about 2-1/2 hours, I fixed about 60 of these. Lots of fun. Full of flavor. It doesn't get much better than this.

A lot of folks asked for the recipe......so here it is!

Cookies:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten

1 cup Pumpkin

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Filling:

4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

6 tablespoons butter, softened

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Directions

For cookies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease or line four baking sheets with parchment paper.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger and salt in medium bowl.

Beat butter and sugar in large mixer bowl on medium speed for 2 minutes.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Add pumpkin and vanilla extract; beat until smooth.

Stir in flour mixture until combined.

Drop by heaping measuring teaspoons onto prepared baking sheets. (A total of 72 cookies are needed for the recipe.)

Bake for 10 to 13 minutes or until springy to the touch.

Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

For cream cheese filling: Beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla extract in small mixer bowl on medium speed until fluffy.

Gradually beat in powdered sugar until light and fluffy.

Spread a heaping teaspoon of filling onto flat side of one cookie; top with flat side of second cookie to make a sandwich. Repeat with remaining cookies and filling.

THIS-N-THAT

I have been busy. What about you all?

The holidays are here. Thanksgiving is quickly approaching. And I...... just made my menu. :-(

I am SO behind, but it is all good.

I am now, officially, a CPR Instructor. I will be starting to teach soon, I hope. I need to observe a few classes before I start teaching. There are a few things I need to watch.

I'm nervous as all get-out.

No.... that isn't bold enough.

I'm completely terrified.....and excited.

My oldest son is doing well. He got his cast a little over a week ago, but his arm is quite swollen. So, they split the cast, and taped it. We go in on Monday to get it tightened. Then, the Monday after Thanksgiving is when he will have it removed. After that, he will have 4 more weeks of restriction. That puts us the day after Christmas. :-( Poor thing. He was wanted to try out for the basketball team and he will miss the entire season.

I am planning 2 parties for the last day of school before Thanksgiving break. One is a feast. One is a Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. Fun, but work.....on top of the 376 or so things that I feel are on my list. :-) But, I LOVE this time of year... just for this reason.

I didn't get to do my pumpkins this year. Still time? Maybe. I don't know if I can get the tiny pumpkins still. Oh well.... what do you do?

See, here's what happens. I plan all year. (If you read me at all, you know that I look forward to Christmas all year. :-) ) Anyway, I keep putting off stuff until timing is better. Or until I'm done with this, or finished with that. Then, I find that I am almost out of time.

Next year.... HAHA! We shall see.

I have a few Christmas crafts I am wanting to work on.

I was supposed to have my tree up LAST week.... didn't happen. I don't remember why. :-(

I have about 80 Christmas cards to make. I have NO idea how, or when, that will happen. *sigh* I don't have time to start, just yet.

Heck, I just got laundry caught up. Since I finished my long-term subbing stint, I have *maybe* had 3 days at home.

I have a list 2 miles long.

That makes me happy.

My teeth still hurt. Not as bad, but still. I'm tired of dental issues. SO. Tired.

OK.... I'm done.

I'll try to be back soon.

INJURED....AGAIN

My oldest boy..... this one....

Well, he had a bit of an accident today. He, one of his brothers (DS #2) and DH were going deer hunting. We had no school today, due to staff development, AND it is "youth hunt" weekend, so the 3 boys, and some friends, took advantage of the time off.

My boys got to the lease early. They started scouting out the feeders, and such, in order to be sure everything was ready for the morning. DH sent the 2 boys out on 4-wheelers.

Let's just say, "Thank God for helmets."

Basically, the boys went one way, DH another. (DS #1 has a phone.) They weren't at the lease 10 minutes when DH got a call from DS #1... "Dad. I'm hurt."

He had come over a slight rise, going down into a ditch.... except the ditch wasn't too deep or wide. He came over and the front end bit the dirt.... sudden stop. Head hit the handle bars (helmet.... he's OK), his leg got a bit banged up, but he took a lot of the impact on his right arm.

Yes, he has a buckle fracture. The 2nd break in his young life. Same arm, close to the same place. He is right-handed, so he will have a bit of difficulty with school work. Also, his guitar lessons will be put on hold. How long? Not quite sure.

He will go to an ortho. in the next 3-5 days and get a cast. I'm currently trying to figure that one out, as I'm supposed to chaperone a field trip on Monday, meet with 1st grade room moms on Tuesday, meet with 2nd grade room moms on Wednesday, and chaperone another field trip on Thursday. (I currently have no plans for Friday, but that is a week away. I'm SURE something will come up soon.)

Yeah.... that's the excitement in our house.

HOLIDAYS

So, the 2 of you who read know that I am all about the holidays.

I have already had two *panics* in the last few weeks.

The first involves cards. Usually, if I order them, they are in AND being worked on, slowly but surely, to go out BY December 5.

If I make them, I'm usually WELL underway with said crafting.

SO, what is she doing this year? SHE IS MAKING THEM!

Has she started yet? NO, SHE HASN'T!

eeeek!

Panic #2: I met with one of *my* teachers today, to talk about classroom stuff. (I 'm a room-mom in 2 classes and co-room mom in another.) Two of these classes will have relatively involved events, come Thanksgiving. The other? Not sure yet.

I was happily driving home when I realized that, after this week, we have 3 weeks before Thanksgiving break.

SREEEEEEE VEEEEEEEKS! (sorry.... inside joke)

I haven't even introduced myself to the other room moms.... the polite thing to do before I go in and take over everything. MUWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! (rubbing palms together.)

OK... I'm not THAT bad.

Really.

Anyway, I haven't introduced myself to the other room moms, to the parents... nothing like that. They are probably thinking that these teachers do not have a room mom. Of course, if they know that my child is in their classroom, then they KNOW who the room mom is, but there are a few folks out there who have not, yet, been formally introduced to yours truly.

That being said, upon this realization, I got on email, lickety-split, and asked the teachers when, NEXT WEEK, I can meet with them (with the other room moms) to get the ball rolling.

It is not too late. I have not run out of time. But, I mustn't dilly-dally.

HEH..... I used "lickety-split" for the first time.... EVER!

I know..... I know......

Yeah, I said I would be back "in the next few days." THAT was a few days ago.... OK.... about 10 days ago.

I haven't abandoned my blog. I really haven't. I have just been busy.

I told you, I think, about my long-term subbing position. Six weeks of....

Well, six weeks of trying to hold my family together. I don't know that I was a success in either job.

The students loved me. I loved them.

My children ate and wore clean undies.

We ate a LOT more junk and the clean undies haven't been folded in weeks.

Really.

I tell ya, now that I'm home, I appreciate the fact that my hubby has a job that allows me to stay home. AND that my hubby is supportive of my staying home.

That was a journey, to be sure. It is amazing how you can be so convinced that you need to do something...to take a specific path...you pray, you feel led, and it doesn't work out.

It is a distressing, really, when you are so sure that letter "A" is the answer. Letters "B," "C," and "D," don't even seem to be an option. But, then you look back and you realize that letter "R," which wasn't even on your radar, ended up being the answer that God had for you.

Once you look back, though, it is truly amazing to see that God had His hand on you, AND ON THE JOURNEY, the WHOLE TIME!!! I am SO blessed. I am SO thankful. I love God, and He loves me!

So, like I said, the teaching was enjoyable. As long as I didn't think about all the house stuff NOT getting done, I was OK. The problem came as soon as I walked out of the building with 3, of my 4 boys. We would have to go get #1 from another campus. Then, we would rush home to start homework, guitar practice, piano practice, JBQ practice, supper, baths.... we had no time to play. Tuesdays, being our worst day, looked like this: Come home and start homework, leave the house at 5:15, take #3 to piano, leave to get #1 to guitar, leave to pick up #3 and drop off #2 for piano, pick up #2 from piano, leave to pick up #1 from guitar, grab, and shovel some food, drop off #2 at baseball, take #1, #3, and #4 home, put #3 and #4 in bed, leave to get #2, come home and put #1 and #2 in bed (up to one hour late.)

Yeah.... we haven't started our lunches for the next day, nor have we gotten out our clothes. No.... I did that.... often not getting in bed until after midnight. THEN, I would get up at 5 to make sure that I got myself beautified, lunches made, kids up, fed, and dressed and #1 to school by 7:30 so I could be at school at 7:45. Our *easiest* days didn't have as much running around.

My youngest has been a terror.... I think it is because of my working. My kids didn't get my attention because I was busy. We were always rushing. I realize, now, that God didn't have me receive a contract for a reason. My family cannot handle my teaching full time.

That was hard to realize, and even harder to admit out loud - especially when you consider that my husband and I were convinced that this was the best thing for us.

I was raised Pentecostal. We take the Bible as it is... we don't add to it, nor do we take away from it. We are outspoken in our beliefs. I was raised to pray specifically. What does that mean? To put it simply....if your car is broken down, and you want a red VW bug, then pray for a red, VW bug.

Back in the summer, when DH and I started talking about my return to work, I had mixed feelings. I didn't know things would fall apart, as they did, I simply enjoy my time at home. I enjoy going out and shopping for the holidays, when I want. I enjoy volunteering in school. I enjoy, being able to drop and go, as needed, or desired. Mostly, I enjoy having the day with my husband, when he is home. Returning to work would end all of that. Not some. All.

Despite the mixed feelings, DH and I discussed it and both agreed that working was the best thing for us. And, then I started.....

Yeah, it didn't take long for me to pray, specifically, and earnestly, for a job that paid more than subbing, allowed me to leave work AT WORK, allowed me to spend time with my kids, allowed me to NOT go in, on the occasion that I had a sick kid, field trip, or whatever happenstance.

Sure, I felt a bit foolish. I even told God. I told Him that, even though I knew it was within His power, I knew it was a bit *selfish* to ask something so specific and so..... well.... great! (Shout out to my friend, NR, who encouraged me to pray this way, back at kindergarten end-of-year picnic.)

The resolution to this insanity?

Well, I didn't get a contract, and frankly, took it personally. BUT, on my first day as long-term sub, I was told of several posts they had, with me in mind. (All long-term, nothing with a contract.) Yeah.... a bit discouraging.

Meanwhile, I have a friend, who has a business (with her hubby) teaching CPR and had spoken with me about the possibility of teaching CPR. I don't know when I got serious, but it was looking good. I just didn't know if that was something I should do.

About 2 weeks into my post, I started praying specifically. I had already told God about my ideas. Now the prayer was, "God... if I am supposed to teach, I need a measure of grace...and money for a housekeeper. If I'm supposed to teach CPR, I need a CLEAR directive, as I have some long-term positions opening up to me."

About 15 minutes (literally) after that new prayer, I got a text from the one friend, with the CPR business, that says, "There is a local community college that wants to pick up another section of CPR. We can't do it. We told them we had another instructor in mind. They want to start the 'new-hire' process."

Is. That. Not. AMAZING?!?!?!

So, now, I'm fast-tracking to get my CPR Instructor Certification. WAY BEYOND COOL!

That is what is going on, in a nutshell.

That, and we are 9 weeks from Christmas.

NINE. WEEKS!

I gotta get my Turkey-Day posts up.

Stand by!

*TAP TAP TAP*

*click on images to enlarge*

Anyone out there?

Anyone?

Anyone know that I'm posting a blog?

It's not going to be that interesting right now. I just wanted to let y'all know what all is going on.

I have a LOT going on. Too much to blog about, right now. But, I do plan on blogging a bunch of stuff......

So, what has been going on? I have been teaching. But, I'm not under contract. I'm in a long-term sub. position... covering some one's maternity leave.

I was asked today if I ever thought about being a "real" teacher.....

"I am a real teacher."

"No! I mean... instead of *just* a sub, you becoming a REAL teacher."

"I am a real teacher."

*sigh* I don't know if I have lost my knack, or if I'm just too busy to do anything properly. The kids love me. I love the kids..... just some of them don't think I'm a real teacher.

So, I am finished with this assignment on the 14th. Around then, I can blog and *go public* with all that is going on. Big changes.... I'm taking some big chances. But, I have the support of my hubby and we both feel that God has led us to this.

Anyway, I can't say anything just yet. Stay tuned. :-)

On other news:

We celebrated a financial miracle last week.

My 3rd son's 1st surgery had a balance of around $28,000. Well, long story VERY short.... our surgeon is now, in-network. The 1st surgery was resubmitted and our balance went from about $28,000 to $288. (There are no typos in that statement.)

SO.... yeah..... we're still pretty stoked about it. That, along with the other stuff going on.... well, we are SO thankful to God. He is doing a great job providing.

Also, in great news, my 2 younger sons were water-baptized on the 11th. We are very excited and proud of them.... hopefully, I can get some pictures transferred. I'll work on that now.

Have a great day!