Turkey in a Bag

Roasting a turkey is really pretty easy and considering the sales coming next month, it's really worth getting a couple if there's room in the freezer.  They keep for a few months frozen and the meat can be refrozen after baking.  Take advantage of a sale on turkeys will provide quite a few meals if frozen in smaller separate containers after baking.  For now, I buy my turkeys at the store, also.  I've raised them in the past, but they are an expensive project to get them up to weight and they are a lot more work to process than chickens, so for now, I'll take advantage of the sales.  I don't know how they can sell those birds so cheap!

I'd like to share my favorite method for roasting a turkey.  Clean up is so easy!  I tried those roasters a few times, but I always go back to the method my Grandma used.  

Remove giblets and place turkey in appropriately sized glass baking dish.  Slide dish into brown paper bag and staple closed.  Bake at 350° for 15 minutes per pound.  Do not set the oven any higher and if you have one that runs hot, remember Fahrenheit 451.  That is the temperature at which paper burns!  Remove from oven.  Tear away sack to find a deliciously golden brown turkey that is steaming and moist.  No basting, no butter, no nothing, just the turkey.  The glass pan containing all the drippings and stock will bake to perfection, the dressing, and as I mentioned, it is such an easy clean up.  

Before

                                                               

                                                                       After

Dilled Green Tomatoes

This is a favorites.  Years ago, there were tons of tomatoes still on the vine and the temperature was dropping quickly.  My husband picked two 5 gallon buckets of green tomatoes.  I fried some that evening and quickly realized I did not want to fry 10 gallons of green tomatoes.  So, I got a bit creative and we truly enjoyed both experiments.

It was then that I decided the perfect way to enjoy a hamburger in the winter would be to have home grown preserved dilled green tomatoes.  Canned tomatoes just don’t top a burger properly, and the tomatoes in the produce aisle in December are simply sad and taste like plastic.  Dilled Green Tomatoes are the perfect addition to a hamburger, when fresh toppings are out of season.

I sliced green tomatoes and they made lovely pickles.   Nothing tops a flame broiled burger, in winter, like dilled green tomatoes.

Wash tomatoes and thinly slice (no thicker than a ¼”).  Simmer in dill pickling solution for 10 minutes and place in jars.  Pour solution up to ¼” from top and seal.

Dill pickling solution:  equal parts water and vinegar with 1 Tablespoon dried dill or 2 substantial sprigs per quart jar.

Pumpkin Soup

1/4 C Butter                                                          1 Bay leaf
1 Lg. Onion Sliced                                                 1/2 tsp. Basil
4 C. Pumpkin puree                                               1 tsp. Curry powder
2 C. Chicken stock                                                1/8 tsp. Nutmeg
2 C Whole Milk                                                     Salt & Pepper to taste

Melt butter in saucepan and add onions.  Saute until soft and just golden.  Blend in blender with pumpkin puree.  Return to pan and add all ingredients except milk.  Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.  Do not boil  Remove bay leaf, add milk, simmer 5 minutes and serve.  Good just the way it is or top with dollop of sour cream, sprig of parsley, dill, or chives.

Pumpkin Butter

This is an absolute favorite with my grandchildren and now my great granddaughter, so it now stands as a time honored tradition!

It was a proud moment for this great G-ma when my Granddaughter informed me that pumpkin butter was little Zoey's fist real food!  

My Granddaughter, Adeline, upon tasting pumpkin butter for the first time, informed me, I never needed to make pumpkin pie again.   Although when I first made it, I thought we'd use it like apple butter, on toast and biscuits, but to this day, all these years later, I don't think we've ever had it on anything but crackers.  When visiting, she would always go down to the cellar to fetch a pint to enjoy with her siblings on Ritz crackers with whipped cream.  Everything, including pumpkin butter, apparently is better when it "sits on a Ritz"

In all my reminiscing, I almost forgot to share the recipe.  Are you ready?

Use your favorite pumpkin pie recipe, just leave out the milk and eggs.

Puree fresh pumpkin.  I usually use 1/2 half medium pumpkin per batch and quadruple the measures of sugar and spices I use when making pumpkin pie.
You may have to add water if you use store bought canned pumpkin.  Usually fresh pureed pumpkin has enough moisture.  Simmer 30 - 45 minutes on medium low heat, stirring regularly so it doesn't stick.  It's best when thick.  Pressure can according to squash instructions or . . . Cool and serve!