I'm back!! Thanksgiving is on the way!!

November 4, 2005

Well, it certainly has been a while since I wrote anything! As you may remember, my relationship with computers is a bit dicey, at best. My old iMac was not behaving very well, and finally I succumbed to the lure of a more up to date computer. Now, it is still a guess as to whether I know what I'm doing on this new one, but I am going to take a chance and type away!

Most recently I have been starting preparation for Thanksgiving. That means gathering together all the recipes I intend to use. I usually put together a small notebook for this purpose. That way I only need to look in one place for all the information I need. While shopping a few days ago I bought canned pumpkin, fresh cranberries {into the freezer!}, dried sage for the stuffing, raisins, dates, and nuts.The best pumpkin bread in the world is already in the freezer, as well as banana bread. I will put together a batch of my mince pie fillig and store it in the freezer also.

Here is what I do:

For one hefty 9" pie, I use two pkgs. of dried mince pie filling, that I reconstitute as the package instructs. Once the filling is bubbling away on the stove I add 1/2 cup raisins, 2 apples--peeled and finely chopped, generous shakes of nutmeg and cinnamon, a small shake of cloves. Then I stir in about 1/4 cup molasses and stir it well, before I remove it from the stove. Now I add 1/2 cup chopped walnuts. When it's cool I pack it in a freezer container and freeze it. It takes a while to thaw so remove it from the freezer two days before pie baking day and let it thaw in the fridge.

My husband was just reading over my shoulder and said "Don't forget to mention the JELLY!" So I guess I will mention the JELLY. I love to make jelly, and in particular I love to make the more unusual kinds of jelly. "Queen Anne's Lace Jelly" for instance. Yes, You read it right! Queen Anne's Lace! Of course this a jelly that you must make in the summer, when the fields are full of the lacy weed. And you need to pick a LOT of Queen Anne's Lace to make the jelly. I will give the recipe next summer so that you can head right out to pick a basket full! Once the jelly is in jars you can see the lovely pale pink color and when you open a jar during the winter, the scent is heavenly. Close your eyes and you could swear that you are out in a field of wild flowers.

Now, back to preparing for Thanksgiving.

I usually make a large batch of rich turkey stock for gravy making. Several years ago I read a recipe that uses turkey wings as a base, and it works really well. My recipe has evolved over the years, and has become more simplified. I buy 5 or 6 pounds of turkey wings and place them in a shallow roasting pan to which I add several carrots, cut in chunks, celery stalks -- chopped, and onions -- sliced. I salt it well, and place the pan in a 375 degree oven and bake for an hour or so---until everything is golden and juicy. All of this gets dumped into a large stock pot and boiling water {to cover} is added. Simmer this for at least an hour adding water if needed. Allow this to cool so that you can handle it without burning yourself. Remove the solids and refrigerate the remaining liquid. The fat will rise to the top and solidify, making it easy to remove. This liquid can be made ahead and frozen until you are ready to make the gravy. {an after thought--if you have a large pot with an insert that you would use for pasta--the kind that can be lifted out once the cooking is done, this simplifies the removal of the solids}

I also prepare my own pie crusts ahead. After the dough has been made I shape it into discs--one for each pie crust that I will need, and wrap them well in plastic wrap. Slide them into plastic zip-locs, and transfer them to the refrierator the day before you are going to make your pies. {Of course if pie crust is your "waterloo", don't hesitate to use prepared crusts--I find that they actually taste better if you roll them a bit thinner than they come, because the crusts seem to be more delicate}

A few days before the big day I chop lots of onions and saute them in butter for my stuffing. These can be refrigerated until you make the stuffing. I'm too much of a New Englander to BUY bread cubes for the stuffing, so about a week before the day, I start drying bread and tossing it into a large brown paper bag. This can be stored safely at room temperature, until needed. NEVER STUFF THE TURKEY THE DAY BEFORE YOU INTEND TO COOK IT!!!. Since I have a few vegetarian guests I prepare the stuffing without animal products and bake some in a casserole. Along with the mashed potatos, squash, peas, and corn custard that are all vegetarian friendly I prepare a batch of Portabello mushroom gravy and pan seared tofu. Never let it be said that anyone leaves my table hungry!

Now that I have rambled on about Thanksgiving, I will sign off--with hopes that you will share some of your ideas for a happy, stress free holiday.

Thanks for visiting - Auntie Lorraine