Stuffed.
Ok, I'm awakening from my turkey-induced stupor to update you on a few things:
1.) I had a rockin' fall party last Monday. On the menu were hummus and appropriate dippers, crudites, sliced pork loin with rolls and a variety of spreads (this appetizer was gone, gone, gone!), chunked-up fruit with a de-lish dip (mascarpone cheese, heavy cream, sugar, vanilla, and rum - YUM), pork/ground beef meatballs in a tomato-garlic sauce, an unbelievable salmon spread with fun little crackers (thank you, Barefoot Contessa), chips and dip, assorted cookies, pecan tartlets, and mini carrot cake cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. Oodles of people that I really like came, and I think it was nice to see everyone before the holiday craziness sets in. Whenever I have a party, I think, "Wow! That was so fun! We should entertain more often!" And then I don't have another party for months and months. I'm going to try to work on that.
2.) Thanksgiving was WONDERFUL! I made the turkey, cranberry relish, gravy, and appetizer plates. Turkey - everyone really seems to like my turkey, but it's really nothing special. Here's what I do: I rinse the turkey, pat it dry, and stuff the cavity with cut-up onions and garlic. I butter the outside like crazy and sprinkle it liberally with salt, pepper, and sage. I put it in a pan, and I put some chicken broth in the bottom of the pan to keep the bird moist. I bake it at 450 degrees for 30 minutes, uncovered. This cooks the outside of the bird and helps seal in the juices. Then, I tent the pan with aluminum foil and turn the heat down to 375 degrees or so. Bake the bird for the appropriate amount of time based on its weight. Yesterday, when I was baking a 14-pounder, this was about 2 hours or so at 375. I keep a small sauce pan on the stove filled with chicken broth, butter, salt, pepper, and sage. Every 30 minutes, I take the bird out, remove the foil, baste, put the foil back on, and put the bird back in the oven. Once the bird is almost finished, I baste one more time, remove the foil, and put the bird back in the oven with the heat kicked up to 450 degrees for about 25 minutes. This allows the bird to brown and makes the skin nice and crispy. I usually turn the pan around in the oven once during this process so the bird browns evenly. Once the bird is done, let it rest for 30 minutes to an hour. (Don't worry, it will retain its heat.) It was SO JUICY this year! Yum!
We also had some new side dishes, courtesey of my brilliant sister: balsamic-glazed brussel sprouts with proscioutto, maple-roasted squash, and a sausage and apple stuffing. After which, we laid around on the couch, talking and laughing. All in all, a FABULOUS Thanksgiving.
1.) I had a rockin' fall party last Monday. On the menu were hummus and appropriate dippers, crudites, sliced pork loin with rolls and a variety of spreads (this appetizer was gone, gone, gone!), chunked-up fruit with a de-lish dip (mascarpone cheese, heavy cream, sugar, vanilla, and rum - YUM), pork/ground beef meatballs in a tomato-garlic sauce, an unbelievable salmon spread with fun little crackers (thank you, Barefoot Contessa), chips and dip, assorted cookies, pecan tartlets, and mini carrot cake cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. Oodles of people that I really like came, and I think it was nice to see everyone before the holiday craziness sets in. Whenever I have a party, I think, "Wow! That was so fun! We should entertain more often!" And then I don't have another party for months and months. I'm going to try to work on that.
2.) Thanksgiving was WONDERFUL! I made the turkey, cranberry relish, gravy, and appetizer plates. Turkey - everyone really seems to like my turkey, but it's really nothing special. Here's what I do: I rinse the turkey, pat it dry, and stuff the cavity with cut-up onions and garlic. I butter the outside like crazy and sprinkle it liberally with salt, pepper, and sage. I put it in a pan, and I put some chicken broth in the bottom of the pan to keep the bird moist. I bake it at 450 degrees for 30 minutes, uncovered. This cooks the outside of the bird and helps seal in the juices. Then, I tent the pan with aluminum foil and turn the heat down to 375 degrees or so. Bake the bird for the appropriate amount of time based on its weight. Yesterday, when I was baking a 14-pounder, this was about 2 hours or so at 375. I keep a small sauce pan on the stove filled with chicken broth, butter, salt, pepper, and sage. Every 30 minutes, I take the bird out, remove the foil, baste, put the foil back on, and put the bird back in the oven. Once the bird is almost finished, I baste one more time, remove the foil, and put the bird back in the oven with the heat kicked up to 450 degrees for about 25 minutes. This allows the bird to brown and makes the skin nice and crispy. I usually turn the pan around in the oven once during this process so the bird browns evenly. Once the bird is done, let it rest for 30 minutes to an hour. (Don't worry, it will retain its heat.) It was SO JUICY this year! Yum!
We also had some new side dishes, courtesey of my brilliant sister: balsamic-glazed brussel sprouts with proscioutto, maple-roasted squash, and a sausage and apple stuffing. After which, we laid around on the couch, talking and laughing. All in all, a FABULOUS Thanksgiving.
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