Thanksgiving Turkey

(This whole process takes about a week)

Thanksgiving Turkey
John Craw

Thaw the bird thoroughly in the fridge over 2-3 days.  Remove everything from the cavity and either throw it away (meaning the stuff inside like the neck and liver) or save it to do what you like with it.

Make your brine:
Make 4 cups of vegetable broth (or beef broth, or chicken or turkey or whatever type of bullion you have to make broth with)
Add 1 cup salt (can buy any kind, non-iodized is probably better)
1 Tbsp crushed dried rosemary
1 Tbsp dried sage
1 Tbsp dried thyme
1 Tbsp dried thyme
1 Tbsp black pepper
Boil everything together well.

Take it off the heat and cool it down to nearly refrigerator temperature using ice (or just let it cool on its own if you have time).  This usually takes quite a bit of ice.

Use a 5 gallon bucket, like from Lowes or Home Depot.  You can line it with a roasting bag or even trash liner if you want.  Place the turkey breast down in teh bucket and add the brine.  You may need to add liquid to make sure the brine covers the turkey.  I usually add a thing of cheap apple juice, what water works too.

Place the 5 gallon bucket in the fridge (usually requires removing a shelf temporarily) and keep it there at least 24 hours (48 is better).

On Thanksgiving day, thaw some bacon and set it aside.  Remove the turkey from the brine and save the brine.  Remove the turkey from the brine and save the brine.  Cut the skin in the midline with a razor blade or sharp knife and peel the skin from center off the breast but don't cut it off or tear it (I use a surgical dissection technique where you basically use scissors, place them under the skin while closed and open them between the skin and the meat to dissect it off).  Place the turkey in a roaster or roaster pan held off the bottom with the rack by at least a centimeter or so.  Pour enough of the brine into the roaster to come up to the bottom of the turkey.  Scoop out the spices left in the bottom of the brine and spread them over the exposed turkey breast meat like a seasoning rub (you can add olive oil to it or butter.  I use a little butter.)  Lay the strips of bacon over the turkey breast meat.  Pull the skin back over the bacon covered breast meat and attach it in the middle using tooth pics like straight pins.

Cook the turkey on NO HIGHER than 225 degrees.  It's vital not to cook it at high temperature.  Try not to remove the lid any more than is necessary to keep the temperature even and constant.  I use the meat prove to tell me when the deep portion of the breast near the thigh reaches at least 165 degree (the closer to 200, the better).  A well brined turkey cooks much faster than normal, so don't worry too much about the low temperature slowing it down too much.  It generally does take 3 hours or so to get the internal meat temp up to around 200 where the meat will be very tender.

Take out the tooth pics, take off the bacon, wipe off the spices if you want and carve it up.

Kid's Halloween Treats

*The pictures from Picky Palate are better than mine. I just made this super quick. You can spend a bit more time to make these look better. Eden was a little skeptical about eating this though. It was funny. Once she realized that its eatable, she took it all apart before eating...I think it freaked her out a little less.

Bug-a-Pillar Banana Dude
Recipe from picky-palate.com

1 ripe banana
Creamy Peanut Butter
Pretzel Sticks
Raisins
Red Fruit Snacks (optional)

Cut banana into 1 inch slices. Spread a thin layer of peanut butter on each slice (minus the last piece) then press gently back together, curving slightly if desired. Break pretzel sticks in half, then press into sides of banana for legs. Dip 2 raisins in peanut butter and stick on front banana slice for eyes, then dip red fruit snack in peanut butter and stick on bottom of banana slice for the tongue.

*Umm...these were really really good to eat. And play with...

Oozing Monster Apple Mouths

1 large Apple of choice
Peanut Butter
Mini Marshmallows

Core then cut the apple into fourths. Cut out a small wedge on the skin side of the apple. Blot inside with a paper towel then spread lightly with creamy peanut butter. Cut mini marshmallows in half and place over peanut butter to make the teeth.

Stuffed Green Peppers

*Orange peppers are a little sweeter, so my kids liked it better than green peppers. Plus, they were cute on Halloween.

*Can use pre-cooked rice. If you use cooked rice then take out the water and the 15 minute cooking time. You could also make with Italian sausage and hot sauce if you like it spicy.

Stuffed Green (or Orange) Peppers
Recipe from the Finlinsons

6 Green peppers
1 Pound ground beef
1/3 Cup onion, diced
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash pepper
1 lb (16 oz) can tomatoes
1/2 Cup uncooked long grained rice (white, brown, or wild)
1/2 Cup water
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 Cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 Cup corn (fresh, frozen, or canned), (optional)

Cut off tops of green peppers (save and dice tops), remove seeds and membranes. Cook green pepper cups upside down in a little salted water about 5 minutes; drain. Sprinkle inside of cups with salt.

Cook ground beef, onion, and green pepper tops until meat is lightly browned. Season with salt and pepper. Add tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, corn, water, and uncooked rice. Cover and simmer until rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in 1 cup shredded cheese. Stuff peppers; stand upright in baking dish. Bake, uncovered at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

April Fools' Day Breakfast Trick

April Fools' Day Breakfast Trick

Cold cereal
Milk
Food coloring

Place in cereal bowl a few drops of food coloring and cover with cereal. When the person puts the milk inside of the bowl, "AH!" the milk turns a different color!

April Fools' Day Lunch Tricks

April Fools' Day Lunch Tricks

Sandwich
Bag of Chips (and something else to fill it with)
Apple (and gummy worm)
Cupcake (frosting and candies that go on top)

Stick sandwich in a Ziplock bag that is stuck together on the inside with double sided tape, making the bag hard to open. Open the bag of chips, empty the chips, and put something in its place such as carrots or treats. Put the bag back together using double sided tape. Cut a little hole in the apple and stick a gummie worm inside. Make cupcakes that are decorated like other food such as spaghetti, mashed potatoes, peas and carrots (recipe here).

April Fools Cupcakes

April Fools' Cupcakes
Recipe from recipe book Hello, Cupcake!

• Regular cupcakes in a box (and ingredients to make) or
• Perfect Cake-Mix Cupcakes (recipe here) (we used these and they ended up really light and fluffy, but they create a really nice top that is easier to frost)
  

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Cupcakes
1 can vanilla frosting with a teaspoon cocoa powder and 3 drop yellow food coloring
Ferrero Rochers (1 for each cupcake)
Strawberry preserves (low sugar has the best color)
White chocolate, grated

1. Frost cupcake regularly.
2. Put frosting into a ziplock bag, cut about 1/8 inch hold in one corner. Squeeze onto cupcakes making look like spaghetti covering completely and spilling over on the sides.
3. In a bowl, mix Ferrero Rochers and 1/2 cup jam until they are completely covered.
4. Using mixed jam (a little softened), put a dab on each cupcake, followed by "meatball".
5. Sprinkle with white chocolate shavings, "Parmesan".

Mashed Potatoes and Gravy

Cupcakes
Same frosting as with spaghetti
Yellow Starbursts (1 for each cupcake)
Caramel Syrup (*I used syrup from a squeeze bottle and it was a little thin, so I had to add it right before serving or else it ran off and looked too thin.)

1. Frost cupcake with plenty of frosting and then making a divot with a spoon on top.
2. Place Starburst on to look like butter.
3. Pour caramel in the divot (melt first if thick), getting a little outside spilling over.

Peas and Carrots

Cupcakes
Green frosting (add a few drops of green food coloring to above frosting)
Orange Starbursts, cut into fourths
Green Runts or Skittles

1. Frost cupcake.
2. Add an arrangement of peas and carrots on top of cupcakes. (*I ran a little low on toppings)