Category Archives: Food

Salad help, anyone?

Okay, I have a few Thanksgiving entries to make, but nothing huge. Mostly an entry with a photo or two, and to tell you all about our two new recipes.

For the moment, though, I’m here to ask a question. I need help. Help with salads. Or even just the green things that go into salads.

Bill and I, as we’ve mentioned, are members of a CSA most of the year here. This year, it started in mid-April and will last until mid-December. It’s pretty darn good for us, and it results in our having a lot of food that’s healthful for us around & to be eaten.

The downside, though, is lettuces. Lots and lots of lettuce. Lettuce invades our home, takes over our fridge and makes us crazy.… Continue reading →

Next time, I’m doing it my old way.

I went to brine my turkey today. As I mentioned yesterday, I ended up with a 16.55 lb turkey for these festivities.

I wanted to do something simpler than last year’s brine, both in terms of set up & flavor. So, I went poking around. Like last year, someone at one of my other internet haunts recommended a site that I thought looked great. No boiling, clear instructions on just how much salt to use per gallon, instructions on time.

Basically, drop your turkey into your brining bag, dump in enough water to submerge (or basically so), then dump in the appropriate amount of salt. Brine for 12 – 24 hours. (Note, I do not have a bowl large enough, and they do recommend turkey in bag, then whole thing in bowl, THEN water and so on.)… Continue reading →

A funny thing happened on the way to the turkey.

Funny how things change.

So, I just posted a big ol’ thing on this special turkey I was planning on serving for Thanksgiving. A turkey that’s currently in my freezer. A turkey I am suddenly thankful I haven’t started to thaw yet…

You see, right after posting that, my guest list doubled. Which isn’t hard to do. Originally my guest list was two people. Then one of them asked if she could bring two more who weren’t yet in a Thanksgiving celebration. I said yes, then contemplated how 8.43 lbs of turkey seems too little for 6 people.

I mean, it’s really not. It just means minimal leftovers, which is also okay, if not ideal.

Then, on Twitter, a Twitter-only (so far) friend who had agreed to be a delivery point for a local farm said someone backed out on three turkeys, and she needed someone to take them off her hands.… Continue reading →

Let’s discuss Thanksgiving, shall we?

It’s kind of astounding to me that I’m on my second Thanksgiving with this blog. While it’s been (I admit) pretty dead this year (our wedding and honeymoon month of October is completely dead), I’m still thinking about it & considering it. I figure that I enjoy Thanksgiving so much, and I’m thankful for the urge to play games (see the whole challenge aspect of this blog) that now’s probably the time to breathe some new life into this thing.

So, for today I thought I’d share a bit of my Thanksgiving menu with everyone[1], and ask what your Thanksgiving plans and/or menu are. Tomorrow, I’ll update with yet more menu.

Last year we bought a huge turkey from the folks at … Continue reading →

Smitten Kitchen’s Naked Tomato Sauce

I have told you all in the past how much I didn’t like tomatoes. I liked ’em ok in sauce, ketchup and, you know, things like that. Cooked, let’s say. Then Corrine and an unknown farmer came into my live & bulldozed that into oblivion. You all know that.

Now I really like tomatoes, in season. I still kind of find winter tomatoes repulsive. So now, possibly more than any other food in the world, I’m vaguely obsessed with finding a way to preserve this for the future. Of course, I’m pretty new at this “preserving things”, so it’s going slowly.

The other day I managed to can a dozen pint jars of tomatoes. I don’t know if that’s a reasonable size or not, but I decided it seemed better than quarts for a family of two.… Continue reading →