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olga_6b

Thanksgiving Cooking

olga_6b
15 years ago

Remember we used to do it in the past and it was a lot of fun.

What do you plan to cook for Thanksgiving this year? Let's share our favorite simple recipes.

Somebody posted a cranberry souce recipe here several years ago, I liked it a lot and do it now every year, it is so simple and refreshing. Many thanks to the person who posted it.

One bag of cranberries

One whole orange with peel cut in quarters

2/3 cup or less sugar (depends on your taste)

1 cup of wallnut pieces.

Put sugar and orange in food processer and make a coarse mix, add cranberries and pulse couple more times. Add wallnuts. You can serve it right away, but it is much better if you put souce into fridge o/n.

No cooking, very fresh and kids love it.

Olga

Comments (105)

  • strawchicago z5
    3 years ago

    Carol: Eating turkey weekly was what helped me to lose weight down to 110 last year, then my weight shot up with less shopping with Covid and stuffing myself with brie and baguette.

    Turkey skin is high in lysine, necessary for sleep. We always sleep well with turkey skin's drippings for gravy. One time I made turkey egg-rolls with kale (fried in light-olive-oil) and ALL 3 OF US SLEPT LOUSY .. the skin was missing. I welcome turkey fat & skin, but I don't trust highly-processed light olive oil.

    I freeze turkey breast in small pouches soaked in gravy to keep it moist. The gravy with skin-drippings is the best part of the turkey.

    Excerpt from below link on how L-Lysine helps with anxiety: "Lysine is one of the nine essential amino acids and it has been linked to reduction of anxiety levels based on many studies conclusions."

    https://www.psysci.co/l-lysine-for-anxiety/

    Lysine is needed to prevent cold-sores.

    "Lysine is an essential amino acid involved in the creation of collagen (1) and retention of calcium. (2) Lysine may also help alleviate herpes simplex infections, and reduce the recurrence of cold sores. Low lysine levels have been found in people with Parkinson's, hypothyroidism, kidney disease, asthma, and depression. (2)

    https://www.myfooddata.com/articles/high-lysine-foods.php

  • rosecanadian
    3 years ago

    Hmmm...I have the remnants of a cold sore from a couple of weeks ago when I had a sore throat. I also have kidney disease. I also suffer from anxiety. I've never heard of lysine before. I guess this is a pill you can find at the grocery store??

  • strawchicago z5
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Carol: When I was 33 year old, I slept lousy with soy-milk and low-fat (zero turkey nor poultry skin). I was skinny & unhappy ... so I took Lysine-pill to improve my sleep. DID NOT HELP WHATSOEVER.

    People sleep well after Thanksgiving dinner since turkey, esp. turkey skin is highest in lysine, necessary for sleep and to treat anxiety. Lysine is best taken in food (in conjunction with fatty acids) rather than a chemical powder in a pill.

    Excerpt from below link: "The three most common amino acids involved in the synthesis of collagen are proline, glycine, and lysine. Lysine is an essential amino acid, meaning our body can’t naturally synthesize it, so we need to get it from food products. Turkey is rich in choline, which is converted into glycine for the production of collagen."

    Turkey for lysine

    Collagen is essential for: Collagen info.

    • maintaining a healthy gut
    • maintaining a healthy weight
    • reducing anxiety
    • improving mood
  • rosecanadian
    3 years ago

    So do you have turkey very often? Cause we only have it at Christmas...well, I do save the carcass and make a soup from it.

  • strawchicago z5
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Turkey is cheap at $1.29 per lb., so we have it often at least twice a week. They sell more small turkeys nowadays so it's easier to defrost them in refrig. If I get an 11 lb. frozen turkey that fits well in refrig. My daughter gets tired of eating brown rice so turkey and mashed potato is a nice change.

  • summersrhythm_z6a
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    This thread reminds me about Chris in NJ. He sure knows how to cook and bake. What happened to him? Anyone knows? Maybe he got in a PHD program.........

  • rosecanadian
    3 years ago

    Straw - I'm not that crazy about brown rice as it's supposed to absorb arsenic from the ground much better than white rice. Hmmmm....getting a small turkey once in awhile is a great idea!

  • strawchicago z5
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Brown rice's heavy metals (lead and arsenic) are easily rinsed off. I always rinse off my brown rice at least 4 times. I grew up eating white rice and the constipation was awful .. sister got hemorrhoid's at young age due to lack of fiber in eating white rice. White rice is also responsible for the high rate of diabetes in Asian countries. White rice also have arsenic and lead, but less than brown rice.

    Brown rice is high in magnesium & fiber & vitamins. Its arsenic & lead are easily removed by this method: "According to an experiment that aired this week on the BBC show Trust Me, I’m a Doctor, soaking rice overnight and cooking it with extra water can reduce levels of the carcinogen by up to 82%.

    Experts say this cooking method is a simple way to limit exposure to arsenic.Meharg and host Michael Mosley found that when they cooked one part rice with five parts water, only 43% of the arsenic originally detected in the rice remained. And when they soaked the rice overnight and then used the 1:5 cooking method, only 18% remained. Then, cook until tender—making sure the rice doesn’t boil dry—and rinse one last time with hot water before serving."

    *** The above method of soaking rice overnight, rinse off rice a few times, then cook with 1 part rice to 5 part water, then rinse the rice before serving gets rid of 90% of arsenic and lead.

    Another method is the quick-soak in high heat, see below link "The PBA method involves parboiling the rice in pre-boiled water for five minutes before draining and refreshing the water, then cooking it on a lower heat to absorb all the water. Brown rice contains more arsenic than white rice (milled). This milling process removes arsenic from white rice but also removes 75-90% of its nutrients."

    https://phys.org/news/2020-11-cooking-rice-arsenic-retains-mineral.html

    *** White rice loses 90% of nutrients & vitamins through the milling process compared to brown rice. So eating white rice is just empty calories like white flour & white sugar. Most of my 8 older sisters are on diabetes-meds or pre-diabetes, only 2 of us (including me) don't have diabetes .. I have been eating brown rice since I was 25, now at 59, so far no problems with lead or arsenic poisoning.

    From Dr. Axe: "A 2010 study out of Harvard School of Public Health revealed that if you consume a little over two servings of white rice (about 12 ounces) per week, making the switch to brown rice could decrease type 2 diabetes risk by an estimated 16 percent."

    I'm gluten-intolerant so I eat 2 servings of brown rice per day, or 14 servings per week, making the decrease in diabetes to be 96%.

  • Stephanie, 9b inland SoCal
    3 years ago

    Rice grown in California and India has less Arsenic than rice grown in Texas and the rest of the SouthEast. The farmers in the SE spoiled their soil by using Arsenic based pesticides on especially for cotton crops. If those farms grow rice later the arsenic is taken up readily into the kernel of rice.

    https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2015/01/how-much-arsenic-is-in-your-rice/index.htm

  • rosecanadian
    3 years ago

    Straw - I had no idea that there is a high rate of diabetes in Asian countries. I thought that with their low intake of sugar, diabetes would be really low. Go figure. I'm always amazed by how much nutritional information you know...rose and people food. :) Good job in making brown rice so healthy!! :)


    Stephanie - I didn't know that...I'll try and remember that the next time I buy rice. I really like the taste of California grown walnuts...so that should help me remember.

  • strawchicago z5
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    I grew up as a chubby child so losing weight & nutrition is my life-long interest. All my 8 older sisters were super-skinny when they were young. I read Prevention Magazine for decades, back when I was in my 20's (I'm now 59). I read only 4 books on roses, but at least 20 books on nutrition & medicine. One's weight is pre-determined by birth-order, it's documented that the oldest child is leanest, and the youngest child is genetically pre-disposed to being heavier. Also babies born to older mother tend to be heavier than babies born to younger mother.

    Prevention magazine had an article on this. True, my second oldest sister is always SKINNY in her late 70's, there was a famine when my Mom was pregnant with her.

    I'm the youngest among 9 girls, and I was born chubby. My 2 younger brothers also have to work hard to stay at normal weight. My husband is the oldest child so he's always skinny, versus his youngest sister struggles with weight gain at mid-life.

    Carol: what is your birth-order? How old your Mom was when she gave birth also pre-determines your metabolic rate.

  • rosecanadian
    3 years ago

    hmmmm...I think she was 35. I have pictures of my great grandmother in the old country (Slovakia) standing in a field. She has my figure (even bigger) with wide hips...my grandmother looked the same...even bigger than me....my mother the same...even bigger than me. Sigh...

    This is really interesting....and it's so unfair! LOL

  • strawchicago z5
    3 years ago

    35 is an older age for a Mom with slower metabolism, and you as a baby inherited that as well. When I was 32 year old I had to run 2 miles per day and STARVED to keep myself at normal weight. My Mom was past 40 when she gave birth to me, I'm the youngest among 9 girls.

    My skinny older sisters were born when Mom was under 20 year old with faster metabolism. My skinny husband was born when his Mom was very young.

    I no longer strive toward a particular weight since my weight is pre-set when I was born.

    But I strive toward eating healthy, God-made stuff rather than man-made. My very skinny sisters have health problems: diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol, so being skinny doesn't mean health. I also know skinny folks with cancer.

  • DDinSB (Z10b Coastal CA)
    3 years ago

    Just to add to the potpourri here -- I don't eat a ton of rice, but my husband loves it and eats a lot of it. Apparently, brown rice has a lot fewer lectins (bad for you/your guts) than white rice. BUT. Basmati Rice (yes, even white basmati rice) has less in the way of lectin than other rice varieties, and if you cook it in a pressure cooker / instant pot, you can remove even more of the lectins, so if you prefer white rice, I recommend Basmati Rice in an Instant Pot! Basmati Rice is also supposed to have the lowest GI load of any rice - though of course diabetes experts would prefer you eat the whole grain Basmati...

  • rosecanadian
    3 years ago

    We eat such a small amount of rice, that I don't worry about it. But you all have it figured out. :) :)


    Teresa - yeah...so unfair that our weight/heart condition and so many other things are predetermined for us. I've been walking for 2 hours at the off-leash dog area (huge, huge 11 sq. km/ 4 sq. miles). There are so many paths and you can see the mountains and downtown and chinook arches. It really is a mood lifter. Mon, W, and Thursdays 2 hour walks and Tues, Thurs weights. Weekend is for resting. :) I'm back down to having lost 26 lbs. I'm hoping to get that to keep going down.

  • strawchicago z5
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Carol: You are an inspiration for walking your dogs. I don't have dogs (allergic to animals), and my exercise in zone 5 winter is down the basement with treadmill and bowflex. I prefer digging in the garden with a pitchfork but it's very windy and cold outside. Congratulations on losing 26 lbs, and I love to hear about your progress and walking. Saw this on the news yesterday 11/17/20:

    https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/youre-twice-likely-die-covid-180132427.html

    "Soon after we started to treat COVID-19 patients in early February in Wuhan, we noticed that nearly half of the patients who died had high blood pressure, which was a much higher percentage compared to those with only mild COVID-19 symptoms," said Ling Tao of the department of cardiology at Xijing Hospital in Xian, China.

    "An estimated 103 million U.S. adults have high blood pressure, according to new statistics from the American Heart Association," says heart.org. "That's nearly half of all adults in the United States."

    The scientists reviewed the records of nearly 3,000 patients in Wuhan, the initial epicenter of COVID-19. A bit under 30% of them had high blood pressure, and of those, 4% died. (1.1% of those with normal blood pressure died.) Not to mention, "Patients with a history of hypertension but without antihypertensive treatment were associated with a significantly higher risk of mortality compared with those with antihypertensive treatments"—in other words, 7.9% died when they stopped taking their heart medication."

    From Straw: Last month I used 2 TBS of pink salt to dry-brine 11 lb. turkey. That was too much, saw my daughter finished all her RAW veggies, so I'm cutting down to 2 teaspoons of salt to dry-brine the turkey. Salting the turkey works if one uses the 450 F high heat initial temp., but I'll use the low-heat method: Spread onions, carrots, celery, garlic, bay leaves, and black peppercorns evenly across a rimmed baking sheet. Pour 1 cup stock into baking sheet. My way is to roast the veggies FIRST at 400 for 15 min. before pouring broth and LOWER oven to 275 F. I want roast veggies, NOT boiled veggies. Place a wire rack on top of the baking sheet. Place turkey on top of rack on top of vegetables. Roast until breast piece registers 150°F, 2 hours for a small turkey (11 to 12 lb.). Since I cut the turkey into pieces, it came out to be 1 1/2 hr. for the breast & thighs, and 2 hr. for the drumstick & bony parts. I took out the breast & thighs first after 1 1/2 hr. at 275 F.

  • rosecanadian
    3 years ago

    I always roast my veggies in tin foil. You are making me drool over having turkey!!! YUM!!!

    I didn't know that about high blood pressure and COVID deaths.

    It was freaking cold outside for our walk today. We had a lot of fog...so there was a lot of moisture in the air...plus a strong wind. There were 5 people that we saw walking...not many people wanted to bother. We walked for 1 1/2 hours...just too cold. The wind also wrecked havoc with my balance...it doesn't take much to make me imbalanced...so I had to stop every once in awhile to gain my balance.

    I want turkey!! :)

  • sultry_jasmine_nights (Florida-9a-ish)
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    I always buy extra turkeys when they go on sale and put them in the freezer (we have another extra big freezer besides the side by side freezer in our fridge) like to roast them and separate all the meat into ziplocks or vac sealer bags for sandwiches, quick turkey enchiladas, etc.

    DH has a smoker and we smoke meats sometimes too. I like the whole-turkey meat better than regular turkey lunchmeat for sandwiches..lunchmeat is so full of who knows what/perservatives etc. Sometimes we make our own sausages too.

    I do a lot of bulk shopping and precook chicken, pork/beef roasts etc and shred them and break them down into quick meal portions for street tacos, Navajo fry bread enchiladas, pulled pork, chimichangas, etc lol.

    We are usually so busy, it really helps to have stuff in the freezer ready to go. I also pre-make a lot of sauces..Italian sauce for spaghetti, lasagna, eggplant parmesan, or Italian Wedding soup etc.

    Then I make a couple versions of salsas that (mole, green, red, & dirty, ) that can be used for anything mexican as salsa or enchilada sauce or added to Mexican soups etc.

    I usually make my sauces and put them in the freezer in mason jars or plastic jars of various sizes. You can pressure can them as well.


    If you have extra pumpkin puree from making pies, you can put it in ice cube trays, then into freezer bags to make pumpkin lattes or add it to soups etc. It seems to be a nice thickener for soups besides being healthy. Picky eaters dont even realize there's pumpkin in their soup lol.

    It can be added it to a stir fry or you can also thaw it to add to breads, brownies etc.

  • strawchicago z5
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Sultry: Thank you for those tips on pre-made frozen meals. I love my deep-chest freezer, only $200 and it runs on $40 of electricity per year. I have it since 2001. Save lots of money on grocery & save time since we never eat out at restaurant. Making home-made meals cut down on the salt. At 59 my blood pressure is quite low, and husband's blood pressure dropped to normal at 62 with the freezer. Sam's club sells 6 packs of frozen Cornish hen, and I prefer the tender taste of Cornish hen over chicken. The skin on roast Cornish hen is absolutely delicious.

    Since Cornish hen is frozen, it needs defrosting in A BOWL in refrigerator for 3 days. The plastic wrap around Cornish hen DID NOT KEEP the blood from oozing out and dripping down my refrigerator. Spent 1/2 hour cleaning the refrigerator !! Lesson learned: always defrost meat in a PLASTIC BOWL to catch the blood from dripping down.

    I chopped each Cornish hen into halves to cook faster. Let the bony cavity faced down.

    I mixed 2 TBS minced fresh ginger with 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, plus 2 TBS minced garlic ... mix this with 2 TBS melted butter and 1/4 cup of olive oil. Then I slip this fat UNDER THE SKIN of Cornish hen. This fat under skin helps the skin to be crispy. Smear more butter on top of the skin (butter helps to brown the skin). Then sprinkle Spanish paprika and soy sauce on top for deeper color. Cornish hen is dry meat so generous fat helps to keep it moist, esp. on the breast meat.

    I coarsely chopped onions and celery and spread on a greased roasting pan (thick roasting pan like Circulon is best). Crank the heat to 400 to brown the veggies in oven for 10 min. Then put 4-halves of Cornish hen (from 2 whole ones), bone-down on the roasted veggies. Cook the meat for 15 min. at 400 to brown the skin, then turn the heat down to 350 and leave in oven for 20 to 30 min. Total cooking time is less than 45 min. Meat is more tender than roast chicken at store, and the skin is YUM. Plus it's much less salt than store-bought roast chicken. 2 whole Cornish hen make 4 servings.

  • kaleidoscope eyes
    3 years ago

    this is my favorite side dish-Broccoli Salad:


    5 cups fresh chopped broccoli
    1 pound bacon - cooked and crumbled
    1 cup golden raisins
    1 cup mayonnaise
    1/2 cup white sugar
    2 tablespoons white wine
    vinegar (or plain white vinegar)
    1 red onion, chopped
    1 cup sunflower seeds nuts

  • rosecanadian
    3 years ago

    Sultry - wow!!! I'm impressed!!! :)


    Teresa - yup...so agree on the bowl to catch the blood. Been there, done that. LOL


    Kaleidoscope - that sounds delicious!! YUM!!

  • strawchicago z5
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Made turkey today Nov.24 by cutting turkey into small pieces. I used Sam's club frozen turkey with no hormones & no antibiotics (already brined in 3% salt solution). The low-heat method at 275 F for 2 hrs. result in MOISTER turkey !! I used only 2 teas. of pink salt and Weber no-salt chicken spices to rub the turkey with butter & olive oil & parsley.

    First I spread onions, carrots, celery, garlic, bay leaves, and black peppercorns on greased roasting pan. I roasted the veggies FIRST at 400 for 15 min. before pouring 4 cups of UNSALT CHICKEN BROTH and LOWER oven to 275 F. I want roast veggies, NOT boiled veggies. Place a wire rack on top of the baking sheet. Place turkey on top of rack on top of vegetables. COVER turkey WITH FOIL. Roast until breast piece registers 150°F, 2 hours for a whole turkey (11 to 12 lb.).

    Since I cut the turkey into small pieces, it came out to be 1 1/2 hr. for the breast & thighs, and 1 and 3/4 hr. for the drumstick & bony parts. I took out the breast & thighs 15 min. before the rest. Covering the turkey and roasting at 275 F resulted in very moist meat, even the meat on the neck was moist, and the gravy was the best ever. I like the Pioneer woman method the most at 275 F:

    https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/food-cooking/recipes/a11883/roasted-thanksgiving-turkey/

  • rosecanadian
    3 years ago

    Mmmmmmm!!! Turkey!!!! Your method sounds wonderful, Teresa!!! :)

  • strawchicago z5
    last year
    last modified: last year

    Bump this up to remind myself that 275 F oven is best for cut-up turkey. Since I don't pre-brine my turkey, LOW TEMP. is best

    sultry_jasmine_nights (Florida 8b) Would love your salsa recipe. THANK YOU. I have too many tomatoes and my freezer is jammed packed. If I make salsa, it will shrink down the tomatoes.

    Yesterday my daughter didn't eat much of the enchilada I made, perhaps I should use shredded meat, rather than ground beef. How do you make your: "precook chicken, pork/beef roasts etc and shred them and break them down into quick meal portions for street tacos, Navajo fry bread enchiladas, pulled pork, chimichangas"? Thank you.

    Still have lots of fresh tomatoes as of 10/31/22 in my zone 5a.


  • summersrhythm_z6a
    last year
    last modified: last year

    Those tomatoes look like Cherokee Purple. I have tons of green ones I picked before the 1st frost. I might do Thanksgiving fish this year. easier to bake. :-)

  • erasmus_gw
    last year

    Does anyone have a good brussel sprout recipe? Every Thanksgiving I pretty much cook the same stuff. My son, who is a chef or was in his former life but is now a chef for his family, sometimes brings some sides. But we always have a turkey, dressing, sweet pototo casserole with the pecans and brown sugar topping, green bean casserole though I add cream cheese and cheddar. We usually have cooked cranberries and sometimes the fresh relish Olga mentioned but with slivered almonds and maybe some candied ginger. We always have rolls, pecan pie, and pumpkin pie, and sometimes my DIL brings chocolate chip pie. It is enough. But sometimes I'd like some crunchier vegetables. This summer we enjoyed " Mexican Street Corn". That could be good.


    I found out that a better cut of beef is definitely better with my roast beef recipe in which you start out for 30 min. with a 500 degree oven then turn it off for two hours. Husband bought a NY strip roast and that was simply a cut above. Delicious. To reheat it, I think microwaving it for the shortest possible time to get it warm is good. Too much microwaving makes it taste terrible, dries it out , toughens it up. Reheating it in au jus usually overcooks it. I like to make beef burritos with leftover roast beef. I cut it up in fajita size pieces, brown in olive oil with onions and green peppers and maybe poblanos, serve in tortillas with sour cream, guacamole, lettuce, fresh tomatoes, and a little cheese and salsa.


    Yesterday I went to Walmart for a few groceries and ended up buying a lot including a frozen turkey for Thanksgiving. A lot of people seemed to be stocking up. The Walmart employee at the door said it's good I got my groceries early because prices are expected to go up a LOT. I asked why, if it's a diesel shortage, and she said she doesn't know. But we've been having a diesel shortage. Could get worse I guess. She also said customers are supposed to keep the total under $200. I have never heard of such a thing.


    I had a good year for dieting and up till Oct. I felt a lot better. Have been walking more and using strength building exercise equipment they installed all along the walk trail at our rec center. But since my birthday I lost my good focus on my diet and then there was my husband's birthday and we have become more indulgent and I undid all my good work on the diet. But I just get back up and do my best.

  • fig_insanity Z7b E TN
    last year
    last modified: last year

    @erasmus_gw Here's the brussels sprout recipe my family eats several times each winter. It pairs great with turkey, beef, fish. We basically eat it with everything, So easy, but it tastes like a gourmet dish.

    BALSAMIC GLAZED BRUSSELS SPROUTS

    • 1 lb. fresh brussels sprouts
    • 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
    • kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper
    • 6 oz. uncooked bacon, chopped
    • 1 Tablespoon honey
    • 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
    • feta cheese (crumbled) for garnish, to your taste (optional, but soooo good. I use LOTS, lol)

    Preheat oven to 400° F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

    Rinse brussels sprouts and pat them dry. Trim the base of each sprout, and cut each sprout in half lengthwise. Lay on parchment-lined baking sheet and drizzle olive oil on top, followed by a good sprinkle of kosher salt and a few generous cranks of fresh cracked pepper (fresh ground is important. it raises the taste level from a 8 to a 10). Toss everything together; spread in a single layer. Sprinkle bacon on top and bake in oven for 20 minutes.

    Whisk together the honey and balsamic vinegar until combined. Remove brussels sprouts from oven, drizzle mixture over the sprouts, and toss until evenly coated. Return to oven for an additional 20-25 minutes, until brussels sprouts and bacon are crispy. Sprinkle crumbled feta cheese over the top Serve immediately. And I mean immediately. It's best piping hot.

  • erasmus_gw
    last year

    Thanks for these wonderful recipes! Will try them. You use raw brussel sprouts for the slaw, right? Plain brussel sprouts can be very good but sometimes they're not.

  • beesneeds
    last year

    Yes, use raw brussels in slaw. All veggies raw in slaw. You can toss some onion into either slaw if you like. I like green onions or red ones for the mildness and pretty sometimes.

  • fig_insanity Z7b E TN
    last year

    @ erasmus :I EDITED the feta cheese in the recipe to say "crumbled feta". Sorry. I just buy the pre-crumbled in a tub. Athena brand is good and reasonably priced.

    I was writing part from my written recipe and part from memory. Never trust your memory when talking food, lol.

  • strawchicago z5
    last year
    last modified: last year

    Anyone has a good enchiladas recipe? The enchilada that I did last week in a roasting pan was a disaster. I put too much tomato sauce (from tomatoes in the garden), plus layering corn tortillas with cheese & ground beef.

    I FORGOT TO COVER IT, so the juice bubbled over and dripped down the oven. Took more than 1/2 hour to clean the oven.

    Last night I turned on the oven to bake pizza and the smoke alarm went off, from the drippings of last week's enchiladas.

    There's warning about aluminum leaching out on Healthline website: "Avoid mixing aluminum foil and acidic foods: Avoid exposing aluminum foil or cookware to acidic food, such as tomato sauce or rhubarb."

    I don't use aluminum foil to cover, I use the LID of a turkey roaster, see below, to cover a large roasting pan with ribs, lasagna, or enchiladas. Probably safe since I don't see any corrosion on the lid when covering foods with tomatoes sauce. Below is a pic. of oval carbon steel roasting pan from Walmart for $42, and I use the lid to cover other baked foods.



  • fig_insanity Z7b E TN
    last year
    last modified: last year

    @strawchicago z5 My mom (88 years old and still truckin') has a great and very easy chicken enchilada recipe. No tomatoes, though. It's based on cream of mushroom soup, I think. If you're interested, I'll get it from her.

    She makes hers in a pyrex glass baking dish, about 9x13, I think. I don't know if it requires being covered. I've never made them, just eaten a lot of them lol.

    EDIT: she makes them with beef, too, now that I think about it. But the chicken is our favorite.

  • strawchicago z5
    last year
    last modified: last year

    fig_insanity Z7a E TN Yes, I'm interested in your Mom's Enchilada with cream of mushroom soup. THANK YOU.

    I love cream of mushroom soup, so does my picky daughter. She likes my tuna casserole with cream of mushroom soup.

    I made Enchilada with tomatoes 4 times in the past, and my daughter took 1 or 2 bite and asked for something else!!

  • Kristine LeGault 8a pnw
    last year

    No tomato sauce, enchilada sauce , green or red.

    I like to layer mine too.

    Pour a bit of sauce in to the bottom of a 9x13 pan.

    I personally like chicken and the green sauce.

    I use corn tortillas and slighty fry until soft. Dip in the enchilada sauce that you have in a separate bowl. Cover first layer with chicken, mild diced chilis and cheese. Repeat with the next finishing with the cheese.


  • strawchicago z5
    last year
    last modified: last year

    Thank you, Kristine, for the smart tip of frying corn tortillas, then dip in green enchilada sauce. My husband told me my enchiladas need more fat, so frying it will impart more flavor & fat.

    I like asparagus more than green beans as a side dish, and the best asparagus I ate was at a potluck. While at Trader's Joe, a slender lady told me that the best tasting cheese there is goat cheese for its creaminess.

    Chicken and Asparagus with Three Cheeses

    4 chicken breasts & 2 - 3 tsp. olive oil & 1 tsp. poultry seasoning & salt & pepper

    1 lb. fresh asparagus & 1 cup chicken stock, simmered to reduce to 3/4 cup

    1/2 cup sour cream & 3 oz. soft goat cheese or ricotta cheese & 3 T Parmesan cheese & 1/4 - 1/2 cup finely grated sharp cheddar

    Preheat oven to 375F/190C. Spray a rectangular casserole dish olive oil. Cut each breast in half lengthwise. Season chicken with poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper, then heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and brown the chicken until it's lightly browned for a few min. Put the browned chicken pieces into the casserole dish.

    Cut asparagus diagonally into 2 - 3 inch pieces. Bring a pan of lightly salted water to a gentle boil, and prepare a dish with water and ice cubes. Put asparagus into the boiling water and cook exactly three minutes, drain, then put asparagus in ice water to stop cooking and drain again. Let it drain well, then blot the asparagus on both sides with paper towels. Layer asparagus pieces over the chicken in the casserole dish.

    Use chicken stock to deglaze pan that you cooked the chicken in and scrape up all little browned bits. Let stock simmer until the stock is reduced to 3/4 cup. Reduce heat to low, whisk sour cream into the stock, and turn off the heat. Then add goat cheese and Parmesan and whisk into sauce until they're melted.

    Pour sauce over chicken and asparagus and sprinkle sharp cheddar over top. Bake 25-30 minutes or until cheese is melted and sauce mixture is barely starting to bubble. (Don't cook it too long or the sauce will separate.)

  • ingrid_vc so. CA zone 9
    last year

    Since there are only two of us, for Thanksgiving and sometimes also for Christmas I bake a bone-in turkey breast in an oven bag. I mix 2.5T olive oil with 2T garlic salt, 2t paprika, 1t black pepper and 1t onion powder and rub it all over the turkey inside and out. I set the turkey on quartered onions and celery cut in sticks and roast at 325 degrees for approximately 2 hours 15 minutes. Let roast sit for 30 minutes in bag which leaves you plenty of time to get everything else together. This is so much easier than roasting a whole turkey, unless of course there are those who like the dark meat of the legs. Not me! Then there's stuffing, peas cooked in butter with green onions, mashed potatoes and salad. Well, of course dessert too, and this year I'm trying a new recipe of pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting. In the past I've done the pies etc. but I've learned to pace myself and this is a doable feast for two.

  • summersrhythm_z6a
    last year

    Try to lose weight FAST here, have an annual check up next month. So I will bake a skinny duck, and make a green salad for Thanksgiving, the drink will be water. I will still decorate the dinning table with candelabras like a feast. :-)

  • strawchicago z5
    last year
    last modified: last year

    Same here, my annual check up is this 1st week of Dec. I did best when I had a weight-loss partner whom I share daily food journal with.

    If anyone is interested in being my weight-loss or healthy-eating partner, message me. THANK YOU.

    It's hard for me to lose weight at 61 year old and 4'11". The only way that I can keep at normal weight is daily food journal and accountability with a friend, that's how I got down to 115 lb. last year, but gained back 5 lb. this year. Five pounds is a lot for a petite & older person like me.

    My skinny husband who runs 6 miles per day doesn't help. He has 3 types of cookies and 2 types of chocolates spreading all over the table, plus 2 types of chocolate ice cream bars in the freezer. It takes tremendous discipline to ignore his sweet treats.

    Many of my 8 older sisters have diabetes, so it's about healthy eating ... some of my diabetic sisters are very skinny. My younger & normal weight brother is a doc and he's on diabetes meds.

  • summersrhythm_z6a
    last year

    Wow! Straw, you are doing great! You don't need to lose anything. Please tell us a few tips on how to eat healthy and lose weight fast from your own experience. :-)

  • strawchicago z5
    last year
    last modified: last year

    summersrhythm_z6a ACCOUNTABILITY is the key to lose weight and to eat healthy. If I don't have my doc visit this coming Dec. to be accountable to, I would be stuffing myself with cheese & bread until I explode!!

    Back in 2018 I literally bared my back in public to be flogged, I post daily on what I eat (food diary) in a Facebook Christian weight loss group. And I got down to 110 lb. plus doing 1 hour of running & weight-lifting thanks to ACCOUNTABLITY in public. I don't like Facebook so I quit that, and gained weight to 122. So I posted in Organic rose forum with a few friends and lost weight down to 115 last year.

    Now I have NO ONE to be accountable to, so I'm back to stuffing my face with sweets (copy-cat husband with his sweet tooth).

    I invite anyone to chat on recipes, healthy tips & be accountable to one another in below post. Thank you.

    Heavenly scents & Evelyn rose and older Austins & healthy tips (houzz.com)

  • erasmus_gw
    last year


    I made my raw cranberry relish yesterday so flavors can blend. Left out the slivered almonds but will add them tomorrow so they'll stay crisp. Some recipes for this call for blending up a whole orange, peel and all. I think the white part of the peel can be bitter, so I cut out the segments, and made sure there were no seeds. Grated the peel. My mom made it with candied ginger. I've made candied ginger before but decided just to grate some fresh ginger into it. I don't know why you'd need extra sugar since you put 1/2 c. of sugar in it anyway. But a little ginger is good with it. I think I put powdered ginger last year.


    Fig, I made the brussel sprouts according to your recipe a few weeks ago. I burned them cooking them that long. They looked good at 20 min. . I think 30 min total cooking time would have been better.


    Today we're making two pies, pecan and pumpkin, and cooked cranberry sauce, and cornbread for the dressing. Plain pecan pie is so good but we might try a bourbon pecan pie recipe from Acadiana Table. I hope everyone will have a wonderful Thanksgiving! There's a lot of wisdom in thankfullness in my opinion. How so? Because it is so easy to overlook the good as bad stuff seems so pressing and insistent and must be solved. The good waits. Ok, enough from me.



  • Kristine LeGault 8a pnw
    last year

    Beautifully said

    Erasmus! Azalea and I list what we are thankfull for every day. I think being grateful is learned .


    I have the Turkey in the oven.

    I cook it the day before and get it carved so it is easier tomorrow.

    I put it in the crockpot with some chicken broth to rewarm it.

    Today, .pumpkin, chocolate and pecan pie.

    Potatoes are peeled and cut up in water for tommorow.

    I try to do as much ahead of time as I can.


    Blessings to all of you and your family big or small may you feel truly blessed and grateful


    I am grateful for all of you!!

  • susan9santabarbara
    last year

    I always make the pumpkin pie on Weds., but last year I did an experiment where I made the mashed potatoes on Weds. I was skeptical about it working, but it was great, so I did the same today. Once made, I put them in separate containers... one for tomorrow, one for leftovers. Heat them in a low oven, and they're just like fresh. The key is to use a lot of butter, which I always do. It really lessened my stress in the last hour on Thanksgiving :-D

  • bellarosa
    last year

    Straw, I would love to hear what you ate to get down to 115. Since COVID and working from home, my scale has exploded! LOL. P.S. I'm also amazed at your beautiful roses. I'm originally from Chicago - we live in the Chicago NW 'burbs - and it's great to see what can be grown in our Zone 5 climate.

  • bellarosa
    last year

    Susan, I also made my mashed potatoes on Wed. I took them out of the refrigerator on Thursday, let them sit for an hour to get to room temperature and baked them at 350 for 30 minutes. They were great. I made my cranberry sauce and stuffing on Wednesday as well. Prepping ahead was a huge time save on Thursday. The only items to cook on Thursday were the turkey (of course, lol), the rolls, and any veggies - I roasted a butternut squash (Love this!), corn (for my husband), asparagus and sweet potatoes (for my husband).

  • erasmus_gw
    last year

    Making a few things in advance does help. We had a nice Thanksgiving. My grandsons are growing like weeds....we saw them a few weeks ago and it seems like they grew five inches in that time.

    I really like turkey sandwiches so think I'll buy some low carb bread today. Most low carb bread is like cardboard but there is some that is pretty good. A low carb diet works for me. My husband and daughter have slimmed down a lot this year eating low carb and I did too but gained most of it back. I'm about ready to take better care of my health. At least I kept up with walking and strength training. Daughter runs half marathons. She cooks butternut squash fairly often and thinks it's pretty low in carbs. I usually make a gumbo out of leftover turkey, andouille sausage and shrimp.

    Kristine, It sounds like a wonderful thing that you and Azalea take time together to think about the good things you are grateful for. That is a wonderful habit. I agree it can take a conscious decision to pay attention to what you appreciate. Dwelling only on what is troubling can never be the whole picture.


  • erasmus_gw
    last year

    Here are some lyrics from It's a Wonderful World or it might be called What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong. Listening to him sing it is good. We sometimes have his music on during Thanksgiving dinner.


    Lyrics

    I see trees of green
    Red roses too
    I see them bloom
    For me and you
    And I think to myself
    What a wonderful world
    I see skies of blue
    And clouds of white
    The bright blessed day
    The dark sacred night
    And I think to myself
    What a wonderful world
    The colors of the rainbow
    So pretty in the sky
    Are also on the faces
    Of people going by
    I see friends shaking hands
    Saying how do you do
    They're really saying
    I love you
    I hear babies cry
    I watch them grow
    They'll learn much more
    Than I'll ever know
    And I think to myself
    What a wonderful world
    Yes, I think to myself
    What a wonderful world
    Ooh, yes

  • strawchicago z5
    last year
    last modified: last year

    bellarosa I also live in Chicago NW suburb. I credit my 2 pear trees for getting down to 115 lb. last fall 2021. I ate 10 pears per day. Pear trees are loaded only if there's tons of rain (like in 2021).

    Only EVERY OTHER YEAR that I get a good crop from my 2 pear trees.

    This year 2022 I got none since my 2 pear trees were pruned last year after bearing so much fruits.

    Every time I go back to Michigan to pick fresh apples or fresh peaches, I can lose weight fast at 5 lb. per week by stuffing my face with fresh fruits. But I can easily gain 5 lb. per week by making a butter-crust apple pie.

    I also credit Sam's club HUGE bag of short-cut carrots sold cheap at $5. Funny how it takes WAY MORE TIME to eat fresh fruits & veggies to lose weight. Versus less time eating, and gain weight with fast food (sweets, bread & cheese).

  • bellarosa
    last year
    last modified: last year

    WOW - 10 pears a day, Straw! That's unbelievable! LOL. I wish I had room for a pear tree, but my yard has a quite a few crabapple and magnolia trees - my favorites! Thanks for the tips.