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November 23, 2006
Thanksgiving timeline 2006
Turkey:
I had a fully thawed Butterball 22.41lb bird, which was purchased late Saturday night, I believe. I put it in a container store box in the garage (covered) and made sure that as it thawed, the temperature was kept cool. Monday night, I started throwing ice in the box, and continued through Wednesday morning. The turkey was chilled, but it was fully thawed.
Wednesday I took a whole pack of thyme, almost a full pack of sage, and a hefty stick of rosemary (probably two if they were small), and shoved it in the cavity. All of the giblets were removed, the neck also came in a plastic bag, so I tore that open and put it in the bottom of the pan. There was a lot of blood to mop up -- I might not thaw it as much next year. Breast side down, of course. At 3PM, Removed the second rack from the oven and pre-heated to 350. Put the bird in and baked for 1 hour at 350. Turned the heat down to 200, and continued to bake til 8am. At 8am, I threw in three large washed sweet potatoes, individually wrapped in foil. Those SHOULD be done by the time the turkey comes out around 1.
Sweet Potatoes:
Just scrubbed and trimmed three large organic sweet potatoes, wrapped each in heavy duty foil and threw in with the turkey at 200 degrees from 8am on.
Cranberry Relish:
4-1/2 to 5 c. sliced raw cranberries
14 oz jar of danish orange marmalade
3/4 c superfine sugar
2 T. grated ginger
1/4 tsp orange oil
3/4 c. walnuts, finely chopped
Put marmalade in a sauce pan with grated ginger and sugar. Add in 1-1/2 c. of cranberries. Heat on medium low until the mixture liquifies and begins to warm. Turn heat up to medium until it gives up one bubble, dump in another 1-1/2c. of cranberries. Stir to coat and turn heat off (keep the pan on the burner). Add 1/4 tsp orange oil. Stir, then add walnuts and stir again. Remove pan from burner and add remaining cranberries. Stir, taste and correct any imbalances. pack in plastic containers and put in fridge.
Strawberry Pretzel Jello Salad:
3c. crushed pretzels (used a 10oz bag of Snyder's Olde Tyme pretzels, saved the extra crumbs for the stuffing, i.e. do not use the full 10 oz in this).
1/4c. super fine sugar
3/4 c. butter.
Melt butter, mix into pretzel crumbs and sugar. Line a 9x13 pan with nonstick foil. Pat pretzel mix into the bottom of the pan. Bake at 350 for 8 minutes. Take out and let cool (I did this around 2pm on Wednesday, and let it cool overnight.)
8oz cream cheese (room temp)
1 c. confectioner's sugar (NOT packed)
8oz Cool Whip
Mix softened cream cheese with confectioners sugar until smooth. Fold in Cool Whip 1/4th at a time to make sure that it's thoroughly mixed. Spread in a thin layer over the pretzel crust. Refrigerate. (Made this part at 8:30am on Thursday).
16oz frozen strawberries
8oz can crushed pineapple
6 oz box strawberry jello
2 c boiling water
Boil water, dissolve jello in water. Pour over strawberries and pineapple. Stir until jello has cooled and begun to thicken. Spoon strawberries over cream cheese layer, pour jello over top. Refrigerate. (I actually did 20oz strawberries and the pineapple and it overflowed the foil a little bit, so next year, just the one 16 oz bag of strawberries).
Stuffing:
3/4 loaf Safeway french bread
2 large onions
4 ribs of celery
chopped italian parsley
2 tsp Bell's seasoning
1 c. butter
big tablespoon in 3 c water better than boulion roasted vegetable in water
1-1/2 c pretzel crumbs
saute onions, add celery, add broth mix, add pretzel crumbs, add bread cubes
Baked at 400 for 1 hr. Seemed to be too much water/butter in the stuffing, but it made it very similar to what it would be like cooked in the bird.
wake up:
get stuffing going (cube bread, find broth mixes, saute onions, celery, seasonings, cook on stovetop until turkey comes out, then throw in oven to crisp)
mashed potatoes (two packs regular, one pack garlic, 5 c water, 1 c whipping cream) wash and chop chives, cheese and sour cream
gravy (one turkey, one onion, 1-1/2 c water, 1/2c cream)
green beans
corn
Full meal:
turkey
stuffing
mashed potatoes
sweet potatoes
green beans
corn
gravy
cranberry relish
butterflake rolls
Posted by jodikins at November 23, 2006 8:37 AM