Let's Talk Turkey

That's right everyone, I am going to speak plainly about how to make a delicious turkey dinner. Well.. the bird part anyway!

I may have made some mistakes in the past, but I think I have learned from my mistakes and now am pretty accomplished at making a holiday meal. 

Here are a few of my top tips for making a turkey (and how to easily carve the bird).

What says Thanksgiving the most?

I guess turkey does, but I'm getting to that soon...

So other than turkey, what says Thanksgiving the most?

Brussel sprouts!

And I am one of those crazy people that have always loved them... But don't ignore me now! They don't have to have that old cabbage taste, not if you don't overcook them. So listen to me and you might end up loving this veggie!

But before I tell you how I cook them now, here's a little story from when I was a child and helping my mom with the grocery shopping.

I was never an ordinary child. I corrected people's grammar, I was tidy, and I loved brussel sprouts. So when I saw the brussel sprouts in the store, I wanted them! I loved them because they were like baby cabbages. And I loved all small things.

I asked for the brussel sprouts and since my mom didn't like them, she wasn't sure what to do... Please me and have to eat the dreaded veg or say no to a child wanting the dreaded veg?

After I whined for a while I got them.  How could you deny a child that kind of "treat"?

But now I live in my own house so we have brussel sprouts I lot more frequently and I am always trying out new recipes to keep my old lady veggie cool.

Cabbage Patch Kids

I grew up in the age of Cabbage Patch Kids and never thought much about how weird the Cabbage Patch story was. I mean children hatching from a cabbage patch? That's pretty bizarre...

But the dolls were successful and I sure had my fair share of them. 

Wa Wa the Cabbage Patch Kid was my first doll and I loved her. She had a little patch of short blond hair, a pink outfit to match my own, and I think I dragged her pretty much everywhere.

I might even still have her in my old bedroom at my mom's house, just waiting for me to give to my child one day. Hopefully I didn't chew her up too bad...  

As much as I loved playing with my Cabbage Patch Kids as a child, I equally love playing with cabbage recipes today. 

I wonder if my current love of cabbage stems from my old love of the dolls?

Rooting for the Underdog

If you love reality TV or watching the Olympics like I do, you'll know what I mean when I say I love rooting for the underdog.

It's just not a lot of fun if you know what the outcome's going to be or if the biggest, strongest, or most talented person always wins.

My feelings on that might be because I know that I am not the biggest, strongest, or most talented, but even if I was, I don't think I would want to watch me win all the time.

Unless there was a good prize... But that's a different matter...

So, since I love to root for the underdog, I love to try all kinds of food.

This recipe is actually something I love, but I know that it gets a bad rap and is often thought of as an underdog.

Relish the taste

This post might have the simplest recipe I have ever shared, but it's very fitting for the season and easy is what you need for a stressful day like Thanksgiving.

About five years ago Luke and I celebrated our first Thanksgiving together and I was excited to share my cooking with him.

I knew that this wasn't the first night he would taste something I had prepared, but it was the first holiday meal with a lot of side dishes and treats. It was something special.

So, I cooked and cleaned and got everything ready. Finally it was time to eat and I thought I had done everything well.

Did you see the word thought?

Anyway, it was time to carve the bird and I stuck my knife in, but it wouldn't go through. All I could think of was that the store sold me a breast-less turkey!

But, I didn't let it ruin my night. Despite the bird situation, we ate, laughed, and had a great time.

Then we cleaned up...

That was when I discovered I made a rookie mistake. I had put the turkey in the roaster upside down...

Hey, at least the sandwiches were moist!

Here's a simple recipe to help you through the stress of the holiday. It's not much, but it tastes great and is as easy as can be.

Happy Birth-Jay

Today is my brother J's 21st birthday! He lives far from me, or else I would have invited him over for dinner and birthday cake.

J doesn't get as excited about food as I do, but I think I could have made him something he would have loved.

He really likes beef jerky and I am sure he would love my recipe, but that's not something he would choose for dinner.

Actually maybe he would choose that... But that wouldn't be something I would have offered him for dinner tonight because as we all know, I love balanced meals.

No, tonight I would have made J something with sausage in it. He loves sausage and this meal is something so flavourful that I didn't even need any salt or pepper.

The New Ants on a Log

How do make such a classic snack into something new? 

I did it! I took that boring piece of celery slathered with peanut butter and topped with raisins to a new level of tastiness. 

But it's not at all what you'd expect. For one thing, it's no longer a snack. It's a dinner! And for another, it's not just for kids, adults will love this too. 

Alright, I won't keep you waiting any longer. 

Just one more thing... Remember your wallet when you run out to the store for the ingredients of this dish. I know I get forgetful when I get hungry.