DIY CRAFT read more PARTY DECOR read more PATTERNS read more RECIPES read more DIY CRAFT read more PARTY DECOR read more TRAVEL TIPS read more Party Planner and DIY Projects Christmas Kid’s Craft: Holiday Character Candy PotsNovember 25, 2022What’s the Project? Looking for a a laugh and easy Christmas kid’s craft? These little vacation man or woman pots are clean to make and flip out honestly cute. The children will love it! I’ve got a new project for you that I made myself, and it’s here today! It’s a Christmas miracle!I haven’t done that in a while.Recently, I needed a Christmas craft for a family party that could be used by children as young as four and up to 13 years old. We ended up making this. We adorned miniature flower pots with characters from Christmas.I have an elf, a reindeer, a snowman, and Santa for you!I think this is a fun, easy craft for kids, and I think they will love it! They are an extremely basic Christmas youngster’s art to make.You only need a few items and your imagination. A closer look at each one is provided here.The elf, which my 13-year-old says is creepy, is as follows: My favorite-Rudolph: A cute little Santa: : And a snowman You could make these for any sort of kids party! The paint dries pretty quickly too, which is nice so that you can transport them soon after making them. Here’s a look at how. Christmas Kid’s Craft-Character Candy Pots: Supplies Needed: Mini flower pots Paint Paint Brushes Googly eyes Pipe Cleaner Felt Ribbon or other embellishments Hot glue or craft glue Candy Instructions: Really, you can kind of let the kids do what they want to make these. My boys go VERY creative! One actually made his just a Santa hat which was fun. Another decided to do a Pokemon character. They can do what they want! Just start by painting the pot and then letting it dry. Add embellishments. If you are using hot glue, you’ll want to help the kids for this part. A couple of tips for you. I painted felt to get the right color for the Elf ears. You could use cotton balls or fur for Santa’s beard if you want. Then fill with candy and enjoy this Christmas kid’s craft! ... Read more...Candy Cornucopia Thanksgiving CraftNovember 23, 2022Cute Candy Cornucopias are a yummy Thanksgiving table decoration! A quick and easy Thanksgiving craft that’s fun for all ages! A cornucopia, also known as The Horn of Plenty, is a traditional symbol of the fall harvest and is closely associated with Thanksgiving. The horn-shaped baskets are a symbol of abundance and nourishment and are often depicted as overflowing with newly harvested fruits and vegetables. Our candy cornucopias puts a sweet twist on the classic horn and are filled to overflowing with candy pumpkins, fruit jellies, candy corn, and marzipan fruits! THANKSGIVING CRAFT: CANDY CORNUCOPIA WHAT YOU’LL NEED TO MAKE A CANDY CORNUCOPIA: Paper Cones (pre-shaped or formed from stiff cardstock) Brown Crepe Paper Streamers Fringe Scissors Glue Stick Candy – Candy Corn, Candy Pumpkins, Fruit Gems, Marzipan Fruits Start by using the fringe scissors to create a fringed length of crepe paper – you’ll need about 7′ for each cornucopia. Starting at the base of the cone, use the glue stick to attach the fringed tissue to the cone, overlapping each layer slightly. (Just pretend that this green crepe paper is brown, mmmkay?) When your entire cone is covered in crepe paper, allow the glue to dry completely before rolling the tip of the cone up. Tip: Use a marker to help you roll the tip to create a tighter and more nicely shaped roll! Simply roll the tip of the cone around the marker, hold, and release! Fill the paper cornucopia with all of your favorite harvest candies, and place on the center of your Thanksgiving table for a sweet holiday centerpiece! It’s perfect for the kids table, but I’m sure that the adults would love it, too! ... Read more...Turkey Leaf Craft TemplateNovember 21, 2022Grab some print out our funky looking turkey leaf craft template and let’s make this wonderful fall activity. Our fall craft template is great for kids of all ages (perfect for preschool and kindergarten), although you can just as easily make this project without the template. Fall is abundant in wonderful (and free) crafting materials… There are a whole lot of fun things you can create utilising leaves of all colours (have you seen our leaf lion?). We love picking leaves, it almost feels like we never have enough (although we have way more than we’ll ever use) and we love creating with them even more – be it crafts for display such as this turkey craft or all kinds of fun decorations. For this particular project, we were grabbing maple leaves in all colors. This project will look fantastic with any color although I must say, yellow and red leaves turned out the best! Naturally you could even color the leaves or add some texture to them with markers to take this crafty project idea to a whole new level. Ready? Print out our template (you can find it at the end of this tutorial) and let’s get crafting! How to Make a Leaf Turkey with our Turkey Leaf Craft Template What you need: our printable template (you can grab it at the end of this tutorial) leaves, lots of colorful real leaves paper (heavier paper is best, regular paper will be OK too) coloring supplies scissors glue When it comes to decorating, glitter glue is always welcome! Or Follow These Step by Step Instructions with Pictures Print out our template. We recommend printing on heavier print paper as it will withstand the wetness of the blue better and won’t wrinkle. Regular paper will be OK too. There are two pages included, one with only one turkey on it that can be used as a base (you can skip this one) and one with two turkeys for kids to color in and cut out. Color in the turkey. We used markers to color it in but any coloring medium will be fun to use – crayons, chalks, coloring pencils… Once colored, cut out the turkey and it’s feet. Take the other sheet of paper, with the turkey craft base and apply a generous amount of glue on the tail area. Alternatively you can also apply glue on the leaves only. You can cut of stipules of the leaves, or just leave them as they are. Stick the leaves on the turkey template. If you want a multi-colored turkey tail, we recommend you make the base with larger red leaves, and place smaller yellow leaves on top of them. Continue sticking leaves on the template, adding glue either on the leaves or on the base as you go. Once happy with how the turkey tail is starting to look, glue on two turkey feet on the base (you can also glue them directly on the colored body, whichever feels easier). Take the colored turkey body, apply a generous amount of glue on the back. Press the turkey body to the base. Give the glue some time to dry. Voila! You’ve made a fun looking turkey with our Turkey Leaf Craft Template.... Read more...Apple Stamping Pumpkin CraftNovember 18, 2022This Apple Stamping Pumpkin Craft is such a fun harvest time activity for the kids! The kids will love the googly eyes! Every year since my oldest son was born, my Mom, my youngest sister, and I have taken my kids to our local pumpkin patch. Sometimes Daddy has the chance to come along but it’s faithfully been the three of us for the past 6 years. It’s one of our favorite Fall traditions and every year the pumpkin patch has something a little different like burlap slides and pony rides to the yearly favorites like their pig races and corn maze. This apple stamping pumpkin craft is such a fun fall activity for the kids and reminds them of their visit to the pumpkin patch. You really only need a few supplies to make these little guys. Not Fall season….swap out the orange paint for red or yellow and you have some cute little apple faces SUPPLIES FOR APPLE STAMPING PUMPKIN CRAFT: Apple, cut down the center Orange Paint Googly eyes Brown & Green Pipe Cleaners HOW TO MAKE APPLE STAMPING CRAFT Cut your your apple in half. Using a small paint brush, dab some orange paint on one half of your apple. Carefully press down on the paper. Touch up any unpainted parts with your brush if desired. While you painted pumpkins are drying gather your remaining supplies. We liked to use different size googly eyes 🙂 Cut your brown pipe cleaners into small stem sizes and twist your green pipe cleaners around a pencil to create a curly leaf. Glue on your stem and curly leaf. I personally used hot glue because my kids are impatient 🙂 but craft glue works too…it will just take longer to dry 🙂 Attach little googly eyes.... Read more...Fall in Love With These Quirky Fall FriendNovember 16, 2022I don’t know about you, but strolling around town this time of year, I find it hard not to be distracted by all of the beautiful colors and shapes of leaves that have fallen to the ground. It always makes me a little sad, to see such beauty go to waste. With this fun craft, you can breathe new life into those fallen leaves! On your next nature walk or stroll outdoors with your little one, pick out some of your favorite leaves. Collect them in a small bag and bring them indoors. Press them between the pages of a heavy book for several days. Once the leaves have been pressed for a few days, you’re ready for your craft! WHAT YOU NEED Pressed Leaves A black marker or paintpen A white marker or paintpen A sticky notepad 2 leather cords HOW TO Take a leaf or two and draw animal faces on them. You can even make a pair: how about a cat and a mouse? Make pairs or groups of your animal leaves to tell a little story! For example, many of these leaves lend themselves to being made into baby birds. Draw googly eyes with the white and black marker, then add a beak. I LOOK AT YOU AND YOU LOOK AT ME I’ll help you set the scene for the story: take your brown leather cord and lay it across your paper to form a tree limb to let the birds sit on. One of the birds is just beginning to hatch! Take a larger, brown leaf and cut it at an angle so that it looks like the baby bird is coming out of it. Now it looks like one of the baby birds is learning to fly! Take 2 smaller leaves and glue them to his back. What happens in the rest of your story about these baby birds? ONE NEVER KNOWS WHAT CREATURES ARE SWIMMING IN THE DEEP OF THE SEA For this story, you’ll need to make a bunch of fish from your pressed leaves! Rotate them so that the stem is pointing either left or right. With your markers, draw eyes and fins. Then, add decorative scales to your fish. Lay down your piece of blue leather cord for the surface line of the water. Look at how many creatures are already swimming there! For a spin on the story, drop a fishing rod down into the water and see what happens… For a fun matching game, pair up your fish! Glue each one on a sticky note and have your little one pair up the fish that are looking left with the fish that are looking right. Want even more leaf crafting ideas? You could frame your favorite leaves, or make a flip-book with your favorite leaf characters. Happy Crafting!... Read more...Mini Turkey Roast PinatasNovember 14, 2022My birthday often falls on Thanksgiving, and as a child, that meant that I got to replace turkey dinner with pizza! Now, I can’t imagine replacing such a delicious feast, but “kid me” was very grateful. Although I wasn’t a fan of eating turkey, I am sure I would have loved to receive a cute little turkey piñata! This year we are spending the holiday with my in-laws, and the cousins will be together. I thought it would be fun to make a mini piñata for each kiddo! These little roasts could be filled with prizes and favors to occupy children during the long wait for dinner. It would also be fun to fill them with candy corn and treats to serve after the feast, for the non-pie-eaters. If these little fellows survive the day, you could definitely keep them for next year! Kids could look forward to finding a new surprise in their turkey each year. They could even be used as place cards, or around a centerpiece for decoration. If guests arrive before Thanksgiving Day, this would be a fun pre-Thanksgiving activity for all the crafters. So many possibilities! WHAT YOU NEED: • Paper-maché paste (1 c flour, 1 c water) • 1-2” strips of newspaper or packing paper (newspaper is thicker and will make a sturdier piñata, but packing paper is plain, and doesn’t require as much paint for coverage) • Clear tape • Water balloons (3 per piñata) • Mini Styrofoam eggs (2 per piñata) • Scissors • Box cutter • Sponge brush • Small paintbrush • Paper straw (1 per piñata) • Apple Barrel Paint (caramel and white) • Paint palette OPTIONAL • Cookie cooling rack • Wax paper • Balloon pump HOW-TO: Step 1 Blow the first balloon up to full size to create the body. Blow the second two up about halfway, and then let air out until you have a nice round turkey “leg” that looks proportional to the body. Step 2 Cut your paper straw into four 1-inch pieces, then line them up and tape them together in pairs. Tape the lip of the “leg” balloons to the straw pairs, and tape the wide end of a mini Styrofoam egg to the opposite end of the straw pairs. Finally, fold a piece of tape into a circle, and tape the legs to the body, slightly underneath it, and with the balloon end of the legs at the wider end of the body. Tape the lip of the “body” balloon down. Step 3 Coat a newspaper strip in paper-maché paste, and smooth it out over the balloon “roast”. Continue to stick the paper strips to the roast until it is completely covered. Allow it to dry overnight, and then apply a second coat of newspaper strips. We did this step over wax paper, and dried the roasts on a cookie cooling rack. Step 4 Once the second coat of paper-maché is dry, use a box cutter to cut 3 sides of a rectangle on the bottom of the turkey to make a door for filling with candy or prizes. You will need to be able to stick two fingers in to pull the balloon out of the turkey body. It should come out easily. Step 5 Paint the turkey body “caramel” using your sponge brush. Mix a little bit of caramel paint with white, and use this mix to paint the “bone” on each leg. Allow the paint to dry, and then fill your piñata with paper shreds or confetti, and goodies! Happy crafting and Happy Thanksgiving!!... Read more...Fingerpaint Fine Motor Acorn CraftNovember 11, 2022Teaching kids about brown color mixing is the focus of this fine motor craft. By creating brown paint, they’ll learn how to cut and draw, as well as counting to choose their buttons. This craft also helps children realize they can mix colors by creating orange and purple paints. Many of the acorns we see around here are brown because they were created by mixing two colors together. We mix colors all the time when making crafts like this acorn fine motor craft— just don’t consider mixing colors to make orange. I want my daughter to explore more ideas with color mixing by creating acorns that incorporate red and green, yellow and purple, or blue and orange. Making it this way took time and trial and error. If I don’t have enough paint, mix two complementary colors together. Adding extra dimensions to the project by implementing additional buttons helps kids gauge shapes and learn to count. It also provides opportunities for developing dexterity and motor skills through a variety of activities. You’ll need a plate, colored pencils, a button and glue, brown paint, cardstock in light or dark colors and scissors. Then, gather your materials and prepare to create! Blotting paper towels reduced paint thickness, making finger painting manageable. I also enjoy this method because it makes drying time more manageable. To paint the acorn, first cut the bottom section off. Then, glue the top onto the bottom so that both pieces can be attached to one another. It needs more length than usual so that it can be connected later when glued together. Initially, we mixed brown to produce a more neutral color. Our mix ended up too green, so we kept mixing until we achieved the desired result. Adding more paint will result in a closer brown color. If your child doesn’t want to keep mixing the color and it isn’t brown yet, don’t worry. Just label the color you made “Wow the blue, red and white paint mixed to make light purple, cool! homemade acorns can be purple, olive green or neon yellow.” Kids can also mix acorns to create yellow, olive green or neon purple. Parents should explain to their children that acorns in the real world don’t actually change colors. They can also record a message for children to read out loud that states that special purple acorn will always be one-of-a-kind and special compared to brown acorns. In other words, don’t let artistic expression be constrained by scientific fact. Use a paintbrush, sponge, bath puff or even bubble wrap to add texture to the nut. We chose to fingerpaint but you can also use brushes. Blotting paint with a paper towel produces a more pleasing effect than simply wiping the brush. My daughter loves the result and so do I. For best results, let dry for two days. Alternatively, divide the project into two parts; one part can be dried while the other is revisited after lunch. Remove the top and bottom halves of the craft. Glue them back together with leftover painted paper to create a flower. Time to glue on the buttons. I didn’t design this project, and didn’t instruct my daughter on where to place the buttons. Instead, I handed her the glue and buttons for her to use. Some children may line the acorn cap with buttons, fill it completely with them, or add an initial made of buttons on the bottom. There are many approaches children can take when designing this project. Press buttons through holes in glue with a satisfying squish. She enjoyed watching the glue harden around the buttons. Let dry again!... Read more...DIY Thanksgiving Turkey BalloonsNovember 9, 2022With just a few easy steps, you can transform any table into a whimsical Thanksgiving celebration. Add some turkey balloons to the celebration as a fun and cute touch. With their long tails, these little wooden figures make charming decorations. Kids can craft with them or put them up on a wall. And don’t forget to set up a table for the whole family to serve their Thanksgiving feast. DIY Turkey Balloons – Materials: – Balloons – Colored cardstock – Scissors – Double stick tape – Large googly eyes Step 1. You need to remove all your paper parts. Use a feather as a template to create multiple colored cutouts of the feather shape. For the nose, create a triangle and teardrop shape. For the open pouch on a turkey’s throat, use a triangle for the opening and a teardrop shape for the material surrounding it. Step 2. To complete your turkey, use double-sided adhesive tape to attach the beak, eyes, feathers, nose and wattles to each balloon. Then inflate the balloons to big and crazy proportions. Your cute and friendly turkey balloon is ready to play! What would you like to add to your Thanksgiving table decorations?... Read more...Fall Leaf Finger PuppetsNovember 4, 2022Wisconsin’s southeast region experienced a fall turnaround in a matter of days. One day it was summer, and then the next it was winter. Fall is in full effect now; kids are heading back to school and the local candy corn wagon has been replaced by an annual pumpkin wagon. Therefore, gather the whole family and head outside to collect some of those falling leaves. They’ll make great finger puppets! Red Ted Art also has additional material to gather, such as leaves. Then, learn how to keep it all safe at the same time. This project uses cardboard tubes, pipe cleaners and leaves that have been recycled for the components. You can find a full list of instructions below, which you’ll need to follow by inserting the arm through the sides of the tube and affixing eyes and a leaf for a head. It’s also advisable to glue on buttons for a more finished look. Supplies Natural: card board tubes pebbles or bark leaves twigs wiggle eyes Synthetic: card board tubes buttons chenille stem construction paper silk leaves wiggle eyes Tools: scissors glue stick hot glue gun Natural Puppets Instructions Begin by hot gluing the leaf to the top of the cardboard tube for the head. Next, hot glue the twigs to the sides of the tube for the arms. Hot glue pebbles or small pieces of bark to the front of the tube for buttons. Finally, add wiggle eyes to the leaf head. Synthetic Puppets First use a glue stick to cover the cardboard tube with construction paper. Next, hot glue a silk leaf to the top of the cardboard tube. Glue on buttons and wiggle eyes and add chenille stems for the arms.... Read more...Halloween Five Little Pumpkins Preschool CraftOctober 26, 2022Craft Halloween pumpkins with orange circles on black paper for a cute, simple craft. Use craft sticks to construct a pumpkin fence, and draw faces like the ones in the “Five Little Pumpkins” book for an authentic effect. Look below for more information and ideas on crafting Halloween celebrations. This includes instructions on making moon crafts. ... Read more... Recipes, Parties, Crafts & Travel The Cheesy Corn Casserole I Make Every ThanksgivingNovember 24, 2022The only thing better than a good recipe? When something’s so easy that you don’t even need one. Welcome to It’s That Simple, a column where we talk you through the dishes and drinks we can make with our eyes closed. This edition: a corn casserole dubbed “that creamy, cheesy corn thing” by those in the know. Thanksgiving is my absolute favorite holiday—the parade on TV, friends and family joining forces in the kitchen, and bottles of wine opened a little too early in the day. But the truth is, I didn’t grow up celebrating the holiday: I was adopted into the Turkey Day fun after moving to the US from Australia in 2000. Over the years, I’ve squeezed tons of guests into various tiny New York apartments and tried to master heaps of turkey recipes, sides, and pies. I once cooked a 24-lb. turkey that ended up being the only thing I could fit in my oven (due to time and space constraints; thankfully, my upstairs neighbors let me cook the sides in theirs). I’ve made countless iterations of classic green bean casserole—my favorite has haricots verts, wild mushrooms, and a Parmesan béchamel. And I’ve done my fair share of riffing on my grandma’s stuffing. But one particularly perfect side dish has stood the test of time more than any other. It’s the one that repeat visitors to my Thanksgiving soirees request year after year—a few friends go so far as to request it anytime I host them for dinner or venture out to a potluck. What’s the comfort food in question? It’s an easy corn casserole recipe that’s an unparalleled combo of creamy and salty, and it’s easy to put together. Is it fancy? Nope. Is it absolutely delicious? Of course. Is it something you’ll want to reheat and eat straight from the Pyrex while wearing your pj’s, binge-watching holiday movies, and nursing that post-Thanksgiving hangover? Hell yes. And it doesn’t even require a box of regionally available cornbread mix to put together. Everything you’ll need to make “that creamy, cheesy thing.” My friends call it the “creamy, cheesy, corn thing,” which fits in nicely with all the usual stars of the Thanksgiving show. Once it hits the table, and that first gooey spoonful hits their plates, everyone’s suddenly very thankful for good friends and even better carbohydrates. How to make Cheesy Corn Casserole: Start by sautéing 1 jalapeño, chopped (take out the seeds if you don’t want the green chile’s heat), and 2 cloves garlic, chopped, in a medium saucepan until they’re fragrant and just starting to soften. Add two 15-oz. cans whole-kernel corn (not creamed corn), 8 oz. cream cheese, 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, a large handful of grated cheddar cheese (½–¾ cup), and about ¼ cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese. Stir until it’s melty. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. At this point, I can’t help but taste-test—if I determine it needs more cheese, it gets more cheese. Pour the corn kernel mixture into a buttered 13×9″ casserole dish, then sprinkle the top with ½ cup breadcrumbs (fresh or dried), another ½ cup finely shredded parm, and a handful of chopped fresh herbs (I usually use a mix of thyme and sage, or whatever I have on hand after cooking the turkey). Bake at 375° until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the breadcrumbs are a crispy golden brown—cook time, about 15 minutes. If you are feeling extra fancy, you could toss a handful of chopped green onions or chives on top to garnish, but it doesn’t need it. You can totally prep this ahead of time: Choose a baking dish with a lid (or cover the dish with plastic wrap) and refrigerate the casserole for up to three days, so it’s lying in wait for bake time. But do hold the breadcrumb topping until you’re ready for the oven. It’s not the only corn casserole out there. If you’re in it for the version found on the back of a box of Jiffy corn muffin mix, which one BA staffer thought was a treasured family secret, we’ve got the deets on that too. (Spoiler alert: Hers has a ton of extra melted butter.) We also have a hominy-bolstered corn pudding enriched with sour cream and laced with poblano chiles and Cotija cheese, and a creamed corn soufflé made with grated ears of fresh corn. All this to say: options abound. Still, I keep coming back to this creamy, cheesy corn thing. ... Read more...Dry-Brined Turkey With Tangy Honey GlazeNovember 22, 2022ACTIVE TIME 20 minutes TOTAL TIME 4 hours 45 minutes plus at least 12 hours brining This foolproof Thanksgiving turkey recipe produces a holiday centerpiece that is excellent in every way other whole turkeys often fall short: It’s full of flavor and juicy as heck, thanks to an easy dry brine. And cooking the turkey on a rimmed baking sheet, not in a deep roasting pan, is great for all-over browning—just be extra careful as you remove it from the oven so that the drippings don’t slosh over the sides. You’ll start by administering that dry brine, a simple mix of kosher salt and brown sugar, at least 12 hours before you plan to cook the turkey. If you can manage it, a full two days uncovered in the fridge will make your brined turkey even better. We swear by dry brining, which ensures a well-seasoned, tender, juicy turkey, over wet brining, because the latter can be messy and waterlog the bird. After the turkey goes into the oven, you’ll whip together a quick glaze with vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, honey, and a few aromatics. The recipe calls for fresh rosemary, but if you have another hearty fresh herb on hand, like sage or thyme, feel free to use it instead. Brushing, rather than basting, will help ensure every inch of the broad turkey breast gets an even lacquer, which means more crispy skin to go around. This roast turkey recipe demands patience, so plan accordingly. Once the bird hits the optimal internal temperature (highly recommend getting your hands on a meat thermometer if you don’t already own one), it must rest out of the oven for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour so that the turkey juices have time to redistribute. Don’t cover it in aluminum foil or anything else—doing so will cause all that hard-earned crackling skin to go limp. Trust us, it’s fine: the cooked turkey will not go cold. Use the time to put the finishing touches on your green beans, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and the other side dishes for your Thanksgiving dinner (or to consider all the things you’ll do with your leftover turkey in the days to come). If you’re still not convinced that this is the perfect roast turkey for you, try your hand at our garlicky spatchcock turkey, or roast your turkey in parts for breast meat and turkey legs cooked to their particular optimal doneness. Ingredients: 8–10 servings ½ cup Diamond Crystal or ¼ cup plus 1½ tsp. Morton kosher salt 1 Tbsp. light brown sugar 1 12–14-lb. turkey, neck reserved for gravy, giblets discarded, patted dry 12 Tbsp. (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, divided ¼ cup sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar 2 Tbsp. honey 4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce 3 sprigs rosemary 3 garlic cloves, crushed 2 2×1″ strips orange zest Preparation: Step 1 Place salt and brown sugar in a medium bowl and work together with your fingers until incorporated. Place turkey on a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet. (If you don’t have this setup, place your turkey on a V-shape rack set inside a large roasting pan.) Sprinkle dry brine all over outside and inside of turkey, patting to adhere and nudging some into crevices. You won’t need all of the dry brine, but it’s good to have extra since some of it will end up on the baking sheet as you season the turkey. Chill bird, uncovered, at least 12 hours and up to 2 days. Step 2 Remove turkey from wire rack and rinse baking sheet and rack if needed (turkey will most likely release some liquid onto pan). Line baking sheet with 3 layers of foil and set rack back inside. Place turkey, breast side up, on rack and tuck wings underneath. Let turkey sit at room temperature 2–3 hours. Step 3 Place an oven rack in middle of oven; preheat to 450°. Using your fingers, loosen skin on breast. Work 4 Tbsp. butter under skin, spreading evenly over both breasts. Smear outside of turkey with another 4 Tbsp. butter. Step 4 Tie legs together with kitchen twine and pour 1 cup water into baking sheet. Step 5 Roast turkey, rotating pan halfway through, until skin is mostly golden brown all over, about 30 minutes. Step 6 Meanwhile, cook vinegar, honey, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, garlic, orange zest, and remaining 4 Tbsp. butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until bubbling and slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to lowest setting and keep glaze warm. Step 7 Reduce oven temperature to 300° and continue to roast turkey, brushing with glaze every 30 minutes and adding more water by ½-cupfuls as needed to maintain some liquid in baking sheet, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of breast near the neck registers 150° (don’t worry; the temperature will continue to climb while the bird rests), 65–85 minutes longer. Skin should be deep golden brown, shiny, and crisp. Transfer turkey to a cutting board and let rest at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour before carving.... Read more...Ultra-Creamy Mashed PotatoesNovember 17, 2022We’re equipped to claim that this mashed potatoes recipe produces the fluffiest and creamiest facet dish around. Opt for Yukon Golds (or russets, however in no way crimson potatoes), which might be the quality potatoes for mashing, and feature a wealthy buttery taste and creamy mouthfeel. The secret’s to now no longer waterlog the spuds: Boil potatoes over low warmth in well-salted water with their skins on, which enables them take in much less moisture, yielding a silky texture, now no longer a gummy or gluey one. As for the ones skins, the ricer or meals mill will trap them—remarkable information for lazy chefs everywhere. (Want all of the seasoned tips? Watch Andy lead them to here!) And higher still, all of it takes place at the stovetop, leaving your oven absolutely free. If you’re tight on time on Thanksgiving, or every other day you propose to serve this consolation meals conventional, you may make this recipe an afternoon earlier and tuck it into the refrigerator. And even as you’re at it, you can get a head begin with this gravy recipe, which is going remarkable with the potatoes, doesn’t rely upon turkey drippings, and may be made as much as 5 days ahead. (A dollop of bitter cream and a few thinly sliced inexperienced onions or a touch greater melted butter in no way harm either.) If you opt for garlic mashed potatoes crowned with a few crispy, crunchy bits, or ones made with baked potatoes and completed with a conventional chive garnish, we’d understand. Ingredients 8 servings 4 lb. medium Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed 4 tsp. kosher salt, plus more 1½ cups whole milk ½ cup heavy cream 1 head of garlic, halved crosswise 3 sprigs rosemary 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into pieces Freshly ground black pepper A potato ricer or food mill fitted with fine disk Preparation Step 1 Place potatoes in a large pot and pour in cold water to cover by 1″. Add a large handful of salt (water should taste briny, like the ocean) and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are very tender but not crumbly, 30–35 minutes. Drain, briefly rinse with cool water to remove any excess starch, and return potatoes to warm pot (off heat) to dry while you heat the milk mixture. Step 2 Warm milk, cream, garlic, and rosemary sprigs in a small saucepan over medium until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Step 3 Pass hot potatoes through ricer or food mill into a large bowl (cold potatoes will become gummy). Add butter and 4 tsp. salt and stir until butter is completely incorporated. Strain warm milk mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a large measuring glass. Pour into potatoes ½-cupful at a time, stirring after each addition until liquid is fully incorporated and mixture is smooth before adding more. Step 4 Serve mashed potatoes topped with a few grinds of pepper. Do Ahead: Mashed potatoes can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Reheat over medium, stirring often and adding ¼ cup milk or stock to thin out if needed. ... Read more...BA’s Best Green Bean CasseroleNovember 15, 2022ACTIVE TIME: 30 minutes TOTAL TIME: 1 hour 35 minutes For many, no Thanksgiving is complete without a classic green bean casserole. According to Campbell’s Soup Company, which is responsible for the original recipe, it’s served at 20 million tables every year. There are many variations of this perfect side dish out there, including ones made with canned soup and canned green beans, some made in slow cookers, those finished with cheddar cheese and breadcrumbs, and, of course, the one known as French’s Green Bean Casserole, which is topped with the brand’s signature Crispy Fried Onions. In 2016, our own Chris Morocco set out to develop his version of the ideal homemade green bean casserole recipe. He swapped out Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup for fresh, sliced criminis and a béchamel finished with Parmesan, which captures the intensity of just-seared mushrooms as well as all the umami potential of the nutty aged cheese. Well-browned mushrooms are crucial for building flavor here, so make sure not to salt them until they’ve reached a dark brown hue (salting them too soon will lead to soggy, steamed ’shrooms instead). Chris’s recipe also calls for fresh green beans instead of canned to maintain a crisp-tender (never mushy) texture. As for the crunchy finish on top of the bean mixture that everyone is vying for at the Thanksgiving table? You can make your own with fried shallots, but those bottled crispy fried onions from French’s are famous for a reason: They are astonishingly delicious and practically define this recipe, so we didn’t mess with them here. While many a casserole dish can be made ahead of time, this one is best made the day of, so plan accordingly and use the bake time to work on other classic holiday side dishes, like mashed potatoes, and putting the finishing touches on a savory sweet potato casserole. Ingredients: 8 servings 2 lb. green beans Kosher salt 2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided 1 lb. crimini mushrooms, sliced, divided 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, divided 4 large sprigs thyme 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour 1¼ cups whole milk 1 cup heavy cream 4 garlic cloves, finely grated ½ cup grated Parmesan Freshly ground black pepper ¾ cup French’s fried onions Preparation Step 1 Preheat oven to 375°. Working in batches, cook green beans in a large pot of boiling salted water until bright green and halfway to tenderness, about 3 minutes per batch. Drain and let cool; trim stem ends. Step 2 Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Cook half of mushrooms, without stirring, until golden brown underneath, about 2 minutes. Toss and continue to cook, tossing occasionally, until browned on both sides, about 3 minutes more. Add 2 Tbsp. butter and 2 thyme sprigs to pan. Cook, tossing occasionally, until butter browns and mushrooms are dark brown and very tender, about 4 minutes longer. Season with salt and transfer to a plate. Repeat with 2 Tbsp. butter, salt, and remaining oil, mushrooms, and thyme. Step 3 Melt remaining 2 Tbsp. butter in a large saucepan over medium-low. Whisk in flour and cook, whisking occasionally, until roux is golden brown and smells mildly nutty, about 4 minutes. Whisk in milk and cream. Increase heat and bring to a simmer, whisking often, and cook until béchamel sauce is thick and bubbling, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in garlic and Parmesan; season with salt and pepper. Step 4 Arrange green beans and mushrooms in a 2-qt. baking dish. Pour sauce over (it may not look like enough, but it will get saucier as it bakes). Cover tightly with foil and bake until sauce is bubbling, 25–30 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake until casserole is lightly browned on top and around the edges, 15–20 minutes longer. Top with fried onions and continue to bake just until onions are slightly darker and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Let sit 10 minutes to set before serving.... Read more...Perfect Roast TurkeyNovember 10, 2022Level: Intermediate Total: 3 hr 20 min Prep: 30 min Inactive: 20 min Cook: 2 hr 30 min Yield: 8 servings Ingredients: 1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter 1 lemon, zested and juiced 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves 1 fresh turkey (10 to 12 pounds) Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 1 large bunch fresh thyme 1 whole lemon, halved 1 Spanish onion, quartered 1 head garlic, halved crosswise Directions: 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 2. Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add the zest and juice of the lemon and 1 teaspoon of thyme leaves to the butter mixture. Set aside. 3. Take the giblets out of the turkey and wash the turkey inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pinfeathers and pat the outside dry. Place the turkey in a large roasting pan. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the turkey cavity. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, halved lemon, quartered onion, and the garlic. Brush the outside of the turkey with the butter mixture and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the turkey. 4. Roast the turkey about 2 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and the thigh. Remove the turkey to a cutting board and cover with aluminum foil; let rest for 20 minutes. 5. Slice the turkey and serve. ... Read more...Juicy Roast TurkeyNovember 8, 2022Making turkey moist is easy if you season it with a rub beforehand. This is called dry-brining and can be done even when the turkey is frozen. With a crispy, buttery exterior and fast cooking, your turkey will be extraordinary— it’ll be a Thanksgiving tradition for years to come! What you need to know 10 years ago, dry brining was still relatively unknown but these days it’s a pretty broadly known fact that dry brining yields superior results to wet brining as well as being far more practical. Because I want to arm you with everything you need to make the ultimate perfect roast turkey, this is a fairly long post, covering off on (hopefully!) all your questions. So starting off with a summary: SUMMARY: Brining is the path to moist turkey flesh Dry brining is far more practical and easier than wet brining Partially thawed turkey can be dry brined – handy! Brine time: 1 (bare minimum) 2 – 3 days (ideal) 4 days (extra day adds nothing) Works with turkey breast (2 days) Start turkey roast upside down for extra juicy breast Roast turkey cook time 12 minutes per 500g / 1 lb (brined turkey cooks faster) 75°C / 165°F using a meat thermometer inserted between leg and thigh 30 minutes resting essential! Served with turkey gravy or Cranberry Sauce Brining = JUICY Roast Turkey I think we can all agree that there is nothing more devastating than labouring for hours over the Thanksgiving or Christmas table centrepiece only to find that it’s dry – especially the breast meat. Even drowning it in gravy can’t completely compensate. And in this day and age, there’s pretty much full consensus amongst all the greatest food authorities of the world that brining is the path to Juicy Roast Turkey. It doesn’t matter how much butter you use, whether you roast upside down, spin it around, baste 50 times – if you don’t brine, your turkey won’t be as moist. Full stop. End of story!! Take a close look at the turkey slice below – look how juicy it is!!! What is brining? Brining is the method whereby meat (turkey, in this case) is soaked in a salty water mixed with aromatics like bay leaves, peppercorns and garlic for a couple of days. This has the effect of trapping moisture in the flesh while it roasts, yielding super juicy turkey. The method of soaking turkey in a giant bucket of salty water is called wet brining. Dry brining has the same effect, but is done by rubbing the turkey with a seasoned salt then left to “marinate” for a couple of days before roasting. Dry brining is easier, more effective and tastier than wet brining! Why dry brining is best Wet Brining is more well known than Dry Brining. While both methods will yield a juicy roast turkey, there are a number of very important advantages of dry brining: 1. No mopping – I guarantee if you’re manhandling a bucket large enough for a 6 kg / 12 lb turkey AND bringing solution, there will be mopping involved at some stage…. Not to mention the question of whether your fridge has space for said bucket!! (Note: If you’re determined to wet brine, use your vegetable crisper! Genius idea from TheKitchn.) 2. The turkey tastes like turkey. Not water. One of the grievances of wet brining is that while the turkey is moist, the moisture tastes bland – not like turkey. Which makes sense, right? The turkey sucks in the brine and unless it is heavily flavoured with broth, the turkey is sucking in largely flavourless liquid. Whereas with dry brining, the turkey releases its own juices then sucks its own juices back in. Turkey on turkey flavour! 3. The roasting juices aren’t too salty to use for gravy. Another problem many people have with wet brined turkey is that the roasting juices can be too salty to use for gravy. You can compensate by plonking in raw potatoes into the gravy to suck out the salt, but….it’s just one more thing you can avoid by using dry brining! 4. You can start brining while the turkey is still partially frozen. It takes 3 days – yes, 3 WHOLE days – to defrost a 10 pound / 5kg turkey in the fridge. Whereas with this recipe I’m sharing, I accelerate the partial defrosting of the turkey in cold water then it finishes defrosting WHILE it is brining. 5. It roasts faster. It takes 1 hour 45 minutes to roast a 5.5 kg / 10 lb turkey. Compared to 2 1/2 hours for un-brined turkey. Before we roast, we brine. And before we brine, we must thaw! Turkey THAWING A frozen turkey is a formidable block of ice that takes days to thaw. So you must factor this into your turkey-feasting timeline! Thaw in fridge (long thaw) – allow 24 hours for every 1.5 – 2 kg / 3 – 4 lb of turkey (my 5.5 kg/11 lb turkey took 3 days) Fast thaw in water – 30 minutes per 500g / 1 lb. Turkey needs to be in a leak proof bag / wrapping. Submerge in large sink of water, keep it submerged. Change water every 30 minutes. Partially frozen turkey can be brined! DRY BRINE CAN BE APPLIED WITH PARTIALLY THAWED TURKEY. You just need the turkey skin to be thawed enough to rub the salt in. Then brining + thawing will occur at the same time. Cook times for turkey in the oven How long to cook turkey in the oven: 5kg / 10 lb: 1 hr 45 min – 2 hrs 6 kg / 12 lb: 2 hrs 15 min 7kg / 14 lb: 2 hrs 30 min 8 kg / 16 lb: 2 hrs 45min These are the cook times for a dry brined turkey (loosely stuffed with herbs and garlic) which cooks faster than un-brined turkey. Add an extra 15 – 20 minutes if your turkey is stuffed. This is the total roasting time, including initial 30 minutes at high temperature. It works out at around 12 minutes per 500g / 1 lb. Internal temperature of cooked turkey 75C / 165F using a meat thermometer inserted between the leg and the breast (see photo below for point to insert). This is the USDA recommended internal cooked temperature of turkey. How to take the internal temperature? Take the temperature of the turkey straight out of the oven. Insert the thermometer between the leg and the breast. Insert straight down until you hit bone, then pull back a bit. Hold still until the temperature registers on your thermometer and stays at the internal temperatures specified above. How to make juicy roast turkey I promised you easy, and easy you shall have! Here’s a rundown on the recipe: Rub with a simple seasoned salt mixture – salt, thyme, paprika, garlic powder and pepper; Wrap like a mummy in cling wrap (holds in all those juices!) and refrigerate for 2 days; Stuff with herbs, garlic and pour in a good slosh of butter; Slather with butter then roast upside down for 30 minutes (get those juices pooling in the breast); Roast right side up for 45 minutes; Baste with Garlic Herb Butter then roast for a further 30 minutes. (I do this at this stage to avoid burnt garlic-herb bits on the turkey) When the internal temperature is reached (see section above), the most important thing to do is to rest the turkey for 30 minutes. This gives the turkey a chance to relax the fibres (ie more tender meat) and even more importantly, the juices get sucked back into the flesh (equals even juicier meat!). Styling the turkey platter Even if the turkey is only on the platter for a fleeting moment before being whisked away to be carved, I still feel like it’s worth making a wee bit of an effort so the turkey can have it’s moment spotlight. While many opt for herb garnishes, I have a thing about making everything on a platter edible. So I create a bed of green leafage – watercress in this case (cheap, right shape, nice to “fan out” around edges) – with pops of colour from orange wedges (also for those creatures who like fruit with meat) and cranberries (thawed frozen ones). How to Carve Turkey I had ambitions to include a video of how to carve turkey, but doing such a video by yourself proved to be somewhat of a challenge. Turkey juice squirting everywhere, greasy hands, the challenge of new cameras and most frustrating, the hot breath of a fur ball under the table panting with excitement at the mere experience of being so close to such a giant hunk of meat. To Stuff or Not to Stuff? This turkey is not stuffed with stuffing, just with garlic, herbs and a good slosh of melted butter (which does all sorts of good things to the breast when roasted upside down). I do not stuff turkey because in order for the stuffing to be safe to eat, it needs to reach 75C / 165F – the same internal temperature of the turkey. The stuffing cooks last, so that means in order for the stuffing to be cooked enough to be safe enough to eat, the turkey is overcooked. No thanks! Besides, stuffing baked separately SO much more delicious – here’s my all time favourite Stuffing recipe! Cranberry Sauce or Gravy? Why choose? Serve BOTH! Cranberry Sauce keeps for ages – make it well in advance. As for gravy…. it’s not an option around these parts. My view is that it’s criminal to to waste those pan juices and NOT make a gravy! So here’s my recipe for the Juicy Roast Turkey made by dry brining. It is based on this recipe from the LA Times which has a cult following – with good reason! I’ve added extra tips and tricks to help make this a breeze for you. Ingredients 10 lb / 5kg whole turkey , thawed (plain not pre brined) (Note 1) DRY BRINE RUB: 2.5 tbsp salt (Note 2) 2 tsp dried thyme , or other herb of choice 1 tsp paprika , sweet or ordinary 1 tsp garlic powder (optional) 1/2 tsp black pepper FOR ROASTING: 150g / 10 tbsp unsalted butter , melted 1 tbsp (in total) sage, rosemary and thyme , finely chopped (Note 3) 3 garlic cloves , minced 2 heads of garlic , halved horizontally 1 onion , halved (brown, yellow, white) 2 small bunch mixed herbs , sage, rosemary, thyme, parsley (optional, Note 3) 1.5 cups / 375 ml dry white wine , or water (Note 4) Salt & pepper GRAVY (~ 4 CUPS/1L) 4 cups (1 litre) chicken broth / stock , low sodium 1.5 tbsp (60g) flour , plain / all purpose Salt and pepper Instructions: DRY BRINING PREPARATION. Rub: Mix together the Rub. Prep Turkey: Pat the turkey dry with paper towels., inside and out. Remove giblets or anything else inside the turkey. (Note 5) Sprinkle: Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of salt inside and use you hand to spread it (roughly is fine). Turn the turkey upside down, then rub 1 teaspoon of the salt mixture on the underside. Turn the turkey upright and rub the remaining salt on the turkey, using most on the breast – even some under the skin if you can. Wrap turkey mummy-like in lots of cling wrap or place the turkey in a sealable plastic bag (Note 6). BRINING (NOTE 7): Place turkey upside down in baking pan. Refrigerate. 24 hours later: Flip turkey so it’s right side up. 24 (to 48 hours) later: unwrap turkey. The skin should be moist but not wet. If wet, pat dry. Leave out for 30 min before roasting. PREPARE FOR ROASTING: Preheat oven to 220C/425F (standard) or 200C/390F (fan). Place the onions and garlic in a roasting pan. Place a roasting rack on top – if you have one (Note 8 for sub). Stuff bunch of herbs + 2 garlic halves + 3 tbsp butter (45g) inside the turkey. Tie drumsticks together with kitchen twine (optional). Place turkey UPSIDE DOWN on the rack. Twist the wings so they are on top – see video. Brush with a bit of melted butter. Sprinkle with a tiny bit of salt and pepper. Pour wine in roasting pan. ROASTING: Roast for 30 minutes. Use a tea towel to turn the turkey over. Brush with butter, sprinkle with a tiny bit of salt and pepper. Turn oven down to 165C/325F (standard) or 150C/300F (fan). Roast turkey 45 minutes. Mix remaining butter with garlic and herbs. Brush turkey generously with butter. Roast turkey for a further 30 minutes or until a) the thermometer that comes with the turkey pops up (America) b) a thermometer inserted between the breast and leg reads 165F/75C. (Notes 9, 10). Cover loosely with foil if browning too much. Remove turkey onto serving plate, cover loosely with foil and rest for 30 minutes before transferring to platter for presentation and carving (see in post for styling idea). Serve turkey with gravy and/or Cranberry Sauce. TURKEY GRAVY Place roasting pan (with garlic, onion etc still in it) on the stove over medium high heat. Add flour and cook for 2 minutes. Add broth and use a potato masher to mash the onion and garlic into the mixture. Use a wooden spoon to scrap the bottom of the pan. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until thickened. Strain into a bowl, pressing down to extract all the flavour out of the onion and garlic. Transfer to gravy boat. Recipe Notes: 1. TURKEY needs to be thawed. * Thaw in fridge (long thaw) – allow 24 hours for every 1.5 – 2 kg / 3 – 4 lb of turkey (my 5.5 kg/11 lb turkey took 3 days) * Fast thaw in water – 30 minutes per 500g / 1 lb. Turkey needs to be in a leak proof bag / wrapping. Submerge in large sink of water, keep it submerged. Change water every 30 minutes. Rub can be applied to partially thawed turkey as long as skin is pliable enough to rub salt in. Add 1 tsp extra salt. Expect lots of juices from the thaw/brining process – ensure turkey is patted dry before roasting. As it brines, liquid may be red from blood from the inside of the turkey thawing – do not worry. Won’t affect end result at all. Do not rinse, just pat dry with paper towels. DO NOT: * Use this recipe for “self basting” or pre marinated turkeys, will be too salty. Check ingredients or nutrition – if there’s salt or flavourings, the turkey has already been brined. Typically these include boxed and frozen turkeys at the supermarkets in Australia. **See HOW TO COOK PRE-BRINED TURKEY box below recipe.** 2. SALT – Use 1 tbsp salt for every 2 kg / 4 lb turkey. Use kosher / cooking salt. If using fine grain table salt, reduce by 1/4 tsp PER 1 tbsp of salt called for in the recipe. Do not use salt flakes (too hard to measure equivalent). 3. HERBS – I used an equal mix of sage, rosemary and thyme to make up 1 tbsp in total for basting partway through cooking. Can also use dried herbs of choice – use 2 tsp. Doesn’t sound like much but we don’t want to put herbs on the skin until partway though cooking otherwise it just burns. So by the time we baste with the herb butter, there’s not much butter left. Just imparts a subtle fragrance more than anything, could even be skipped. Need one bunch to stuff inside the turkey, the other for the pan. 4. WINE – I use sauvignon blanc, pinot gris (I get discount wine for cooking). Any white wine is fine as long as it’s not too sweet or woody / oaky. 5. Giblets are a parcel of turkey offcuts that are usually stuffed inside the turkey and are used to make the gravy. It usually comprises of: neck, heart and liver. Use the neck and heart for turkey gravy. 6. BAG – you can get resealable bags in America that are big enough for turkey. But I’ve found that cling wrap is the most effective – keeps the brine right up against the turkey skin. 7. BRINE TIME: 48 hours (2 days) is my base recipe, 3 days also great (a bit more seasoned). Even overnight is better than not brining at all! I even did 4 days last year and it not any different to 3 days, from what I could tell. 8. RACK SUB: Need to keep turkey skin elevated out of liquid in pan. Get a long strip of foil, scrunch to make a thick “rope”. Loop to make a circle and secure. Place on top of onion, place turkey on top. Just need something to keep turkey a bit elevated off base of pan and the onion. If skin is in contact with onion when upside down, the skin will brown unevenly once you flip. 9. ROASTING TIME: 5kg / 10 lb: 1 hr 45 min – 2 hrs 6 kg / 12 lb: 2 hrs 15 min 7kg / 14 lb: 2 hrs 30 min 8 kg / 16 lb: 2 hrs 45min Works out at 12 minutes per 500g / 1 lb. 10. INTERNAL TEMP: Insert thermometer between breast and leg. Push straight down, hit bone, then pull back slightly. If you don’t have a thermometer (get one! Even a cheap one!), pierce the meat between the leg and breast and if the juices run clear, the turkey is cooked. Remember, this turkey is brined so there is a bit of leeway with the cooking time even if you overcook it slightly, it will still be moist. 11. Got turkey leftovers? Use it up in White Turkey Enchilada Soup, Garlic Bread Leftover Turkey Pot Pie or Muffulettas! 12. Source: Adapted from this recipe from the LA Times. How to cook pre-brined turkey If you went to use this recipe only to realise you have a pre-brined turkey (see Note 1 in recipe), do not use this recipe as the brining will make your turkey too salty. Instead, make this recipe as follows: Add better flavour – Make the Herb Garlic Butter in this Roasted Turkey Breast but only use 1/4 of the salt. Scale the recipe to your turkey weight – click on servings and slide until the turkey weight changes to the weight of your turkey. (Yeah, it’ll be a lot of butter! You can scale down if you want ). Watch the video to see how I loosen the skin, then slather about 2/3 of the butter under the skin. Flip turkey then rub just a bit of butter on the underside sprinkle with salt and pepper,. Roast per this recipe for 30 minutes on higher temp. Flip turkey right side up then slather skin with 1/2 of the remaining butter sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast per this recipe for 45 min, then slather with remaining butter. Roast to finish cooking per this recipe. ,Voila! ... Read more...Some Seasonal Favorites for FallNovember 1, 2022Welcome to the fall when the leave is brown and lovely, and there is the smell of pumpkin in the air. Fall is a time of color, crispy air, and full flavors, but you need to know where to look for the best recipes and foods. Read on for some essential fall favorites and some convenient recipes. Pumpkin Spice Latte Whether you buy them from the local coffeehouse or you make them in your home, the fall season isn’t the same without a pumpkin spice latte. These seasonal favorites are made using some shots of espresso and warm milk topped off with whipped cream and some cinnamon. Of course, it’s pretty easy to make a pumpkin spice latte in your home, and a lot cheaper as well. Over the years, these seasonal drinks have crept up in price, and it makes more and more sense to save the money. Still, there’s nothing wrong with treating yourself once in a while. Pumpkin Soup Even when you live in a warm climate, there is something nourishing and right about eating a bowl of pumpkin soup in the fall. Pumpkin soup is a flavorsome starter or lunch favorite; it’s best to make pumpkin soup with fresh pumpkins and to eat it with warm crusty bread from the oven. Pumpkin soup is also very easy to make. Ensure you have some fresh cooking pumpkins to work with – carving pumpkins don’t have enough pumpkin meat inside them. Before putting the pumpkin in the blender, saute it in a pan with some ginger, coconut milk, and chili powder. Hasselback Potatoes If you love potato chips, you are going to love the healthier alternative – Hasselback potatoes. Hasselback potatoes are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside; they make an excellent dish for the family as a starter or in a spread on a special occasion. They are easy to make. If you want to know more about Hasselback potatoes or learn how to make them for your family, here’s a great hasselback potatoes recipe that you can use. Hasselback potatoes originated in Sweden; they are crispy, flavorsome, and super seasonal; don’t miss them out this fall season. Roasted Vegetables On the topic of seasonal vegetables, one firm favorite of the season has to be roasted vegetables. Walk into any supermarket these days, and you will be surprised or offended by the prices on the shelves, but not when it comes to the vegetable aisle; they are always reasonable. Roasted vegetables make an excellent dish for any time of the day; they are easy to make, affordable, seasonal, and super versatile. If you want to make roasted vegetables more interesting, why not cover them in salt before roasting them and serve them with hummus? Final Thoughts Fall is one of the in-between seasons; maybe it’s called fall because it falls between the summer and winter. Although it’s short, it is bursting with color and flavor. Make the most of your fall season with the awesome foods and recipes on the list, and keep them in mind for the future.... Read more...No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecake BrainOctober 25, 2022Scare your friends and serve delicious brains on Halloween. This no-bake strawberry cheesecake made from plastic molds looks real. Add “blood” fruit syrup and you’ve got the spookiest dessert in town. Level: Intermediate Total: 5 hr (includes chilling and freezing times) Active: 40 min Yield: 8 servings Ingredients: Graham Cracker Crust: 1 sleeve graham crackers (9 whole crackers) 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon Pinch fine salt 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted Cheesecake: 2 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons unflavored powdered gelatin (from two and a half 1/4-ounce packages) 1 pound cream cheese, at room temperature 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract Pinch fine salt Juice of 1/2 lemon 2 cups heavy cream Bright red gel food coloring, for coloring the cheesecake Strawberry Syrup: 1 pound strawberries, hulled and halved lengthwise 3/4 cup granulated sugar Juice of 1/2 lemon Nonstick cooking spray, for the mold Directions: Special equipment: a plastic 9.75-by-8.5-by-4-inch (7-cup) brain-shaped gelatin mold 1. For the graham cracker crust: Pulse the graham crackers, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in a food processor until crumbs form. Drizzle in the butter and pulse until the mixture looks like wet sand. Transfer to a bowl and wipe out the food processor. 2. For the cheesecake: Whisk the gelatin into 1/3 cup warm water and let sit until softened, about 5 minutes. 3. Pulse the cream cheese in the food processor until completely smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Then add the granulated sugar, vanilla, salt, lemon juice and softened gelatin. Pulse until completely smooth. With the food processor running, add the heavy cream and enough food coloring to make the batter a light pink. Process until combined. 4. For the strawberry syrup: Combine the strawberries, granulated sugar, lemon juice and 1/4 cup water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring to a simmer and simmer until the berries are very soft but still holding their shape. Strain the syrup, transfer the berries to a small bowl and chill. Return the syrup to the saucepan and continue cooking until thickened, about 10 minutes. Chill the syrup until ready to use. 5. Coat a plastic 9.75-by-8.5-by-4-inch (7-cup) brain-shaped gelatin mold generously with nonstick cooking spray. Pour half of the cheesecake batter into the mold, swirling the batter to cover all sides of the mold. Freeze for 5 minutes to let the batter thicken. Using the back of a spoon, spread the batter up the sides so there is a 1/2-inch-thick coating around the entire mold. Freeze for 10 minutes to set the batter. 6. Add the strawberries to the center of the mold. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the strawberry syrup over the strawberries. Evenly spread the remaining batter over the berries, pressing the batter into the mold to fill any gaps. Top with the graham cracker crumbs, pressing to create a firm crust. Place the cheesecake in the freezer until the sides are very firm and almost frozen, about 2 hours. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill for 2 hours before serving. 7. To unmold the cheesecake: First, carefully place the mold briefly into a bowl of hot water, then run a small offset spatula around the edge of the mold to help release the cheesecake from the sides. Invert onto a plate and poke small holes in the mold with a paring knife to help release the cheesecake from the mold. Carefully pull off the mold. Top the brain with the remaining strawberry syrup.... Read more...Chicken PumpkinsOctober 20, 2022You won’t be able to take your hands off these creepy shortbread cookies – even dipping them in raspberry jam will make them look like a bunch of torn fingers! Level: Intermediate Total: 2 hr 50 min (includes chilling time) Active: 40 min Yield: 8 servings Ingredients: 4 chicken breasts (about 2 pounds total) 3 cups buttermilk Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 4 mozzarella cheese sticks Vegetable oil, for frying 2 celery stalks with leaves attached One 14.2-ounce box Cheddar crackers, such as Cheez-It (about 5 cups) Ranch sauce, for serving Directions: Special equipment: a deep-frying thermometer 1. Cut a series of deep slits crosswise into each chicken breast (do not cut through), about 3/4 inch apart from one another. Cut each chicken breast in half lengthwise. 2. Whisk together the buttermilk, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to overnight. 3. Meanwhile, cut each cheese stick in half crosswise so you have into 8 pieces. Freeze until solid, about 2 hours. 4. Fill a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot with 3 to 4 inches of vegetable oil. Heat over medium heat until a deep-frying thermometer registers 350 degrees F. Set a rack on a baking sheet. 5. Meanwhile, trim the skinny tops from the celery stalks and remove any leaves. Cut eight 1-inch pieces from the skinny tops (these will be your pumpkin stems) and set aside. 6. Add the Cheddar crackers and 1 teaspoon salt to a food processor and process until finely ground. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. 7. One at a time, remove the chicken pieces from the buttermilk mixture, letting the excess drip off. Transfer to the bowl of cracker crumbs and toss to thoroughly coat. Shake off any excess coating and transfer to a cutting board, cut-side down. Place a piece of cheese on one end of the chicken and roll up to enclose the cheese. Seal with a toothpick. 8. Working in batches of two, carefully lower the coated chicken into the oil using a slotted spoon. Fry the chicken until golden, cooked through and a thermometer inserted in the center of the meat registers 160 degrees F, about 4 minutes. Remove to the prepared rack to drain. Insert a celery stem in the center of each pumpkin so it sticks in the cheese. Serve hot with ranch sauce.... Read more...Witch Finger CookiesOctober 18, 2022You won’t be able to take your hands off these creepy shortbread cookies – even dipping them in raspberry jam will make them look like a bunch of torn fingers! Level: Easy Total: 2 hr Active: 20 min Yield: 28 finger cookies Ingredients: Vegetable oil cooking spray 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon fine salt 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 cup sugar 1 large egg, at room temperature 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 28 large sliced almonds 1/2 cup raspberry jam Directions: 1. Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with vegetable oil cooking spray or line with a silicone baking mat. Set aside. 2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. 3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed, about 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla until smooth. Gradually beat in the flour mixture until a dough forms. 4. Using about1 1/2 tablespoons of dough at a time, roll the dough between your palms into 5-inch-long fingers about 1/2-inch thick. Firmly press a sliced almond into the end of each finger to make fingernails. Make several horizontal cuts, about 1/4 inch deep and 1/2 inch long, in the center of each finger to make knuckles. Press the dough on either side of the cuts to shape the knuckles. Arrange the fingers on the prepared baking sheet and bake until light golden, 16 to 18 minutes. Transfer the fingers to a wire rack and cool completely. 5. In a small saucepan, heat the jam over low heat until warm, about 2 minutes. Dip the blunt ends of the fingers in the warm jam and arrange on a platter. ... Read more... Get Our Newsletter Thank you for signing up. You will be the first to know new releases, giveaways & special projects. Stay tuned. First Name Last Name Email Subscribe Latest Posts Christmas Kid’s Craft: Holiday Character Candy PotsNovember 25, 2022Christmas / DIY Crafts / DIY Holiday CraftsWhat’s the Project? Looking for a a laugh and easy Christmas kid’s craft? These little vacation man or woman pots are clean to make and flip out honestly cute. The children will love it! I’ve got a new project for you that I made myself, and it’s here today! It’s a Christmas miracle!I haven’t done that in a while.Recently, I needed a Christmas craft for a family party that could be used by children as young as four and up to 13 years old. We ended up making this. We adorned miniature flower pots with characters from Christmas.I have an elf, a reindeer, a snowman, and Santa for you!I think this is a fun, easy craft for kids, and I think they will love it! They are an extremely basic Christmas youngster’s art to make.You only need a few items and your imagination. A closer look at each one is provided here.The elf, which my 13-year-old says is creepy, is as follows: My favorite-Rudolph: A cute little Santa: : And a snowman You could make these for any sort of kids party! The paint dries pretty quickly too, which is nice so that you can transport them soon after making them. Here’s a look at how. Christmas Kid’s Craft-Character Candy Pots: Supplies Needed: Mini flower pots Paint Paint Brushes Googly eyes Pipe Cleaner Felt Ribbon or other embellishments Hot glue or craft glue Candy Instructions: Really, you can kind of let the kids do what they want to make these. My boys go VERY creative! One actually made his just a Santa hat which was fun. Another decided to do a Pokemon character. They can do what they want! Just start by painting the pot and then letting it dry. Add embellishments. If you are using hot glue, you’ll want to help the kids for this part. A couple of tips for you. I painted felt to get the right color for the Elf ears. You could use cotton balls or fur for Santa’s beard if you want. Then fill with candy and enjoy this Christmas kid’s craft! ... Read more...Why Word Puzzles Can Be Great For Your Child’s DevelopmentNovember 25, 2022Parenting TipsWhile they might seem like they’re just for fun and, indeed, some kids do really seem to enjoy them, there’s a lot more to word puzzles like crosswords, word searches, and word jumbles than a distraction and a way to keep your kid busy for a few minutes every day. Word puzzles can also be greatly beneficial to your kids’ development in a variety of ways, some of which might surprise you. Aside from being beneficial for kids, they even help us keep our minds sharp as we get older. Here, we’re going to take a look at some of the expected and surprising ways that word puzzles can be great for your child’s development and why, if you’re not already doing so, you should make them a more frequent part of their life. They can greatly improve spelling One of the things that are true of most word puzzles and games is that they require the child to have a better understanding of how words are spelled. They can be a great reinforcement of the spelling rules that your child might be taught at school. Puzzles that provide the words, fully spelled, like word search and word jumbles can also correct the spelling mistakes your child might be making. They improve their problem-solving potential When learning the rules of spelling and language, the problem-solving part of the brain often isn’t activated. However, word puzzles have the great ability to activate multiple parts of the brain at once. It’s not just the linguistic skills that are getting improved, it’s their problem-solving abilities that are being tested since they are being given information to work with and a solution to find using that information. This gets the child to think more strategically and to employ logic as well as standard memorization. There’s also the boost of confidence and self-assurance that can come as a result of solving that problem correctly. Improving their vocabulary across the board An individual’s vocabulary is a valuable thing but is well-known to be one of the hardest things to teach since it’s not about a specific skill or learning certain rules but improving their ability to retain information and retrieve it much more quickly. Even if your child knows certain words, they may not be a standard part of their vocabulary, but puzzles like a word jumble can bring those words to mind much more easily. Just ensure that you have a word jumble solver at the ready. Even if they get the puzzle wrong, you can find the right solution and still get the benefits of testing and expanding their vocabulary. Start building their memory skills Your child’s vocabulary will depend quite a lot on their memory abilities. After all, to learn more and more words, they have to improve their ability to remember. Trying to pick out words from a jumble of letters or fill in the blanks of a crossword puzzle will also improve their ability to recall them. Your child’s ability to remember will directly affect their academic performance in future as most of our education style at the moment is based on recall. They build a faster-working brain Aside from the tasks that we use our brain to complete, another important tool when it comes to mental acuity is the processing speed of our brain. We can teach our brains to, quite literally, work faster, which can be of great benefit in learning, socializing, and developing emotional intelligence, as well. To that end, word puzzles can test the child’s ability to come to the correct decision more quickly, and the time it will take them to do this should improve with repeated practice. They can help think more creatively Aside from being able to tell you the meaning of a wide variety of words, one of the great benefits of a wider vocabulary is that your child will begin to think in a wider variety of words, as well. The concepts that we can think of can very much be limited by what kind of language we have to describe it. As such, a wider bouquet of words to choose from can lead to greater creativity in thought. Doing word puzzles alone isn’t going to make your child some kind of literary genius. However, it is a way to reinforce many of the skills that they are picking up in school, as well as to help turn learning into play. It’s well with incorporating them into their daily life.... Read more...Candy Cornucopia Thanksgiving CraftNovember 23, 2022DIY Crafts / DIY Holiday Crafts / DIY Projects / ThanksgivingCute Candy Cornucopias are a yummy Thanksgiving table decoration! A quick and easy Thanksgiving craft that’s fun for all ages! A cornucopia, also known as The Horn of Plenty, is a traditional symbol of the fall harvest and is closely associated with Thanksgiving. The horn-shaped baskets are a symbol of abundance and nourishment and are often depicted as overflowing with newly harvested fruits and vegetables. Our candy cornucopias puts a sweet twist on the classic horn and are filled to overflowing with candy pumpkins, fruit jellies, candy corn, and marzipan fruits! THANKSGIVING CRAFT: CANDY CORNUCOPIA WHAT YOU’LL NEED TO MAKE A CANDY CORNUCOPIA: Paper Cones (pre-shaped or formed from stiff cardstock) Brown Crepe Paper Streamers Fringe Scissors Glue Stick Candy – Candy Corn, Candy Pumpkins, Fruit Gems, Marzipan Fruits Start by using the fringe scissors to create a fringed length of crepe paper – you’ll need about 7′ for each cornucopia. Starting at the base of the cone, use the glue stick to attach the fringed tissue to the cone, overlapping each layer slightly. (Just pretend that this green crepe paper is brown, mmmkay?) When your entire cone is covered in crepe paper, allow the glue to dry completely before rolling the tip of the cone up. Tip: Use a marker to help you roll the tip to create a tighter and more nicely shaped roll! Simply roll the tip of the cone around the marker, hold, and release! Fill the paper cornucopia with all of your favorite harvest candies, and place on the center of your Thanksgiving table for a sweet holiday centerpiece! It’s perfect for the kids table, but I’m sure that the adults would love it, too! ... Read more...You Don’t Have To Struggle With Your HealthNovember 22, 2022Health & FitnessYou do not have to struggle with your health. That is the most important thing that you should be taking from this article as you’re reading. Your health is something that you need to be taking care of as best you can, even though sometimes it’s super hard. If you feel as though you don’t know enough about your health and how to look after it, then it’s a good thing that you have come across this article, as we have all of the information that you need. Keep reading down below if you would like to find out more. Get Professional Advice First, you should be thinking about getting some professional advice. Speak to your doctor about how you are feeling, make sure that they understand all of your symptoms and how you are feeling so that they can give you an accurate diagnosis. If you get professional advice, at the very least you know that you are on the right track with what you are doing. Be warned, they may well say some things that you are not going to be happy to hear. For example, you might have to change your lifestyle in some ways to fit the new regime of health that you should be looking at. More specifically, if you smoke then you might have to give this up. If you’re drinking alcohol every single weekend, then this might have to stop. It’s advice like this that can save your life in some situations, so make sure that you are listening. Don’t Be Afraid To Try New Things Another thing that you should be thinking about is trying new things. If you do the same things your whole life, you’re going to experience the same results your whole life. So, if something isn’t working with your health, then it stands to reason that whatever you’re doing isn’t working for you. We know that it can be tough to try new things, especially if you’re not a massively adventurous person, but it’s got to be done. For example, you might want to try a new exercise regime. If you have problems with pain and you think that you can’t complete exercise, you’re wrong. You can, and you should because it will keep your muscles healthy. If you’re struggling though, you do need to make sure that you are trying out something different like swimming, as that’s generally considered the best for people with pain. Or, you might want to try a new product such as delta 9 gummies, specific types of tea, or tinctures that some people prefer. Go Over The Basics It might be time to go straight back to the basics when it comes to your health. You need to ensure that you are exercising regularly to keep your body and mind in the best possible condition, and then you’ve got to make sure that you’re eating the right foods on top of that. Eating a balanced diet can be tough when you don’t want to, but it’s vital for your health that you do. Then, you’ve also got to think about things like getting enough sleep, drinking enough water and so on. These are the basics of taking care of yourself, but sometimes people need reminding of them. Understand That It’s All About Balance The last thing that we’re going to mention is that it’s got to all be about balance. Looking after your health is about balance, and if you’re struggling with your health then it might be the case that you’re not balancing things very well. Sit down and work out where you could be going wrong. Are you eating too much junk alongside your exercise which is why you’re not seeing results? Are you not exercising enough and your muscles are starting to get weaker? When you find the problem, fix it asap so that it’s balanced with the rest of your life. We hope that you have found this article helpful, and now have a better understanding of why you don’t need to struggle with your health. This is not to say that things are never going to be hard, or that everything is going to be smooth sailing in the future, but you don’t have to suffer in silence. All you need is to open yourself up, be honest about how you’re feeling, and generally stop hiding away from the fact that we all have health problems sometimes. We wish you the very best of luck, and hope that you see some positive changes to your health sooner rather than later.... Read more...Best Wellness Advice for Busy FamiliesNovember 22, 2022Family Activities & EventsThese days, everyone is busy, even the kids who have console games to complete instead of homework. A busy family life like this might not have been your idea of a happy family in the beginning, but this is what has developed; that said, there are some easy ways to change things around and create more quality family time and opportunities for bonding with the right people. Family Mealtime If you want to make family life healthier and connect more with family members, you need to make priorities. These days, it might be unrealistic to sit down together every night for a family meal, there are simply too many distractions, but it should be possible every now and again. Family mealtimes are traditional, but they are also a nice chance to get to know your family members and learn about their lives; in one of your family meetings, make an agreement that you will sit at the dinner table at least one or two nights a week for a meal and a check-in. Family Schedule We all have busy schedules these days, even the kids, but often our business is a self-imposed distraction; we are often far less busy than we need to be. Chances are you and your family members can adjust your busy schedule to include more time together for bonding activities. Is it necessary for your children to play on the computer console all weekend, or would it be better to take a road trip and visit the local area? You might think you are too busy yourself to take time off for a family holiday, but it’s amazing what is possible when you put your mind to it. Family Time Children grow up fast; one day, they are tiny babies in your arms, and the next, they are standing in front of you, giving you their opinions; there is no time to waste when it comes to family time, so make sure you schedule it into your week so you can develop enjoyable and lasting bonds. Family time can be as simple as watching a movie together or playing a board game; in fact, the simpler and more routine you can make it, the easier it is to create a schedule that lasts and improves the overall wellness and quality of your family life. Don’t underestimate family time. Family Meetings If you don’t plan for success, you plan for failure, as the old saying goes, meaning that planning is super important. Everyone is used to planning for their work engagements, their family holidays, and their monthly budget, but few people think about planning for family wellness. A family meeting is a family planning session when you gauge how your family feels about how things are going and set little schedules for the next few weeks. If it sounds a bit square, why not make it less formal with some snacks and seating arrangements to make people more relaxed? Therapy Sessions Therapy isn’t only for people with ongoing issues; it can be used to improve wellbeing along with resolving internal conflicts. There are many wellness therapies to choose from, including talking therapies, massage therapies, aromatherapies, sound therapies, and pediatric services for kids. If you have a child with a pediatric issue like an infection, skin rash, or ear pain, you should contact professional pediatrics to find out more about their services and how you can access them to improve the health and wellness of your family. Find out more about the therapies today. Road Trips The price of everything is rising these days, and it’s harder for families to get away and experience some quality bonding time together. If you are interested in a quality family holiday that is budget-friendly and gives you plenty of bonding time, then hire an RV and hit the road. Road trips need to be organized in advance, but the planning is also part of the family fun. Use your weekly family meetings to plan your road trip together, making sure you have a list of all the places you want to visit and things you want to do. It’s a chance to make long-term memories. Reduce Toxins Hopefully, your home is a toxin-free zone, but it’s unlikely since most of the products we buy and the food we eat contains toxins that can harm our health without us realizing it. If you want to reduce toxins in your family, buy eco-products when possible and eat a more wholesome diet. Many of the cleaning products used to clean the home contain harmful toxins that run off into the water supply and enter the food chain. These toxins then harm your family’s health when you buy items from the supermarket. Reducing the toxins in the environment supports health. Sleep Better Sleep is probably one of the most important wellness factors, that’s because not having enough sleep can affect the way your family functions mentally and emotionally. When your family doesn’t get enough sleep, you might find they are grumpy and less productive than normal. Sleeping better might sound easy but not if you are a light sleeper with some insomnia. That said, there are a number of things you can try, such as exercising throughout the day – but not at night – and drinking a valerian root tea before you go to bed. Also, visit a doctor for more advice. Reduce Stress Stress is the opposite of wellness, but it has become an ordinary part of the way we function in our daily lives. Stress can be very harmful to our overall health and wellness, but with the right approach, we can reduce stress and increase happiness at any time during the day or night. The first step is to notice that you are feeling stressed; you can even tell yourself that you are feeling stressed at the moment and need some time out. Next, set a timer and try a three-minute meditation which involves using awareness and breathing to connect to the body.... Read more...Dry-Brined Turkey With Tangy Honey GlazeNovember 22, 2022Dinner / Main Course / Poultry / Recipes / ThanksgivingACTIVE TIME 20 minutes TOTAL TIME 4 hours 45 minutes plus at least 12 hours brining This foolproof Thanksgiving turkey recipe produces a holiday centerpiece that is excellent in every way other whole turkeys often fall short: It’s full of flavor and juicy as heck, thanks to an easy dry brine. And cooking the turkey on a rimmed baking sheet, not in a deep roasting pan, is great for all-over browning—just be extra careful as you remove it from the oven so that the drippings don’t slosh over the sides. You’ll start by administering that dry brine, a simple mix of kosher salt and brown sugar, at least 12 hours before you plan to cook the turkey. If you can manage it, a full two days uncovered in the fridge will make your brined turkey even better. We swear by dry brining, which ensures a well-seasoned, tender, juicy turkey, over wet brining, because the latter can be messy and waterlog the bird. After the turkey goes into the oven, you’ll whip together a quick glaze with vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, honey, and a few aromatics. The recipe calls for fresh rosemary, but if you have another hearty fresh herb on hand, like sage or thyme, feel free to use it instead. Brushing, rather than basting, will help ensure every inch of the broad turkey breast gets an even lacquer, which means more crispy skin to go around. This roast turkey recipe demands patience, so plan accordingly. Once the bird hits the optimal internal temperature (highly recommend getting your hands on a meat thermometer if you don’t already own one), it must rest out of the oven for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour so that the turkey juices have time to redistribute. Don’t cover it in aluminum foil or anything else—doing so will cause all that hard-earned crackling skin to go limp. Trust us, it’s fine: the cooked turkey will not go cold. Use the time to put the finishing touches on your green beans, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and the other side dishes for your Thanksgiving dinner (or to consider all the things you’ll do with your leftover turkey in the days to come). If you’re still not convinced that this is the perfect roast turkey for you, try your hand at our garlicky spatchcock turkey, or roast your turkey in parts for breast meat and turkey legs cooked to their particular optimal doneness. Ingredients: 8–10 servings ½ cup Diamond Crystal or ¼ cup plus 1½ tsp. Morton kosher salt 1 Tbsp. light brown sugar 1 12–14-lb. turkey, neck reserved for gravy, giblets discarded, patted dry 12 Tbsp. (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, divided ¼ cup sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar 2 Tbsp. honey 4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce 3 sprigs rosemary 3 garlic cloves, crushed 2 2×1″ strips orange zest Preparation: Step 1 Place salt and brown sugar in a medium bowl and work together with your fingers until incorporated. Place turkey on a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet. (If you don’t have this setup, place your turkey on a V-shape rack set inside a large roasting pan.) Sprinkle dry brine all over outside and inside of turkey, patting to adhere and nudging some into crevices. You won’t need all of the dry brine, but it’s good to have extra since some of it will end up on the baking sheet as you season the turkey. Chill bird, uncovered, at least 12 hours and up to 2 days. Step 2 Remove turkey from wire rack and rinse baking sheet and rack if needed (turkey will most likely release some liquid onto pan). Line baking sheet with 3 layers of foil and set rack back inside. Place turkey, breast side up, on rack and tuck wings underneath. Let turkey sit at room temperature 2–3 hours. Step 3 Place an oven rack in middle of oven; preheat to 450°. Using your fingers, loosen skin on breast. Work 4 Tbsp. butter under skin, spreading evenly over both breasts. Smear outside of turkey with another 4 Tbsp. butter. Step 4 Tie legs together with kitchen twine and pour 1 cup water into baking sheet. Step 5 Roast turkey, rotating pan halfway through, until skin is mostly golden brown all over, about 30 minutes. Step 6 Meanwhile, cook vinegar, honey, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, garlic, orange zest, and remaining 4 Tbsp. butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until bubbling and slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to lowest setting and keep glaze warm. Step 7 Reduce oven temperature to 300° and continue to roast turkey, brushing with glaze every 30 minutes and adding more water by ½-cupfuls as needed to maintain some liquid in baking sheet, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of breast near the neck registers 150° (don’t worry; the temperature will continue to climb while the bird rests), 65–85 minutes longer. Skin should be deep golden brown, shiny, and crisp. Transfer turkey to a cutting board and let rest at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour before carving.... Read more...Turkey Leaf Craft TemplateNovember 21, 2022DIY Crafts / DIY Holiday Crafts / DIY Projects / ThanksgivingGrab some print out our funky looking turkey leaf craft template and let’s make this wonderful fall activity. Our fall craft template is great for kids of all ages (perfect for preschool and kindergarten), although you can just as easily make this project without the template. Fall is abundant in wonderful (and free) crafting materials… There are a whole lot of fun things you can create utilising leaves of all colours (have you seen our leaf lion?). We love picking leaves, it almost feels like we never have enough (although we have way more than we’ll ever use) and we love creating with them even more – be it crafts for display such as this turkey craft or all kinds of fun decorations. For this particular project, we were grabbing maple leaves in all colors. This project will look fantastic with any color although I must say, yellow and red leaves turned out the best! Naturally you could even color the leaves or add some texture to them with markers to take this crafty project idea to a whole new level. Ready? Print out our template (you can find it at the end of this tutorial) and let’s get crafting! How to Make a Leaf Turkey with our Turkey Leaf Craft Template What you need: our printable template (you can grab it at the end of this tutorial) leaves, lots of colorful real leaves paper (heavier paper is best, regular paper will be OK too) coloring supplies scissors glue When it comes to decorating, glitter glue is always welcome! Or Follow These Step by Step Instructions with Pictures Print out our template. We recommend printing on heavier print paper as it will withstand the wetness of the blue better and won’t wrinkle. Regular paper will be OK too. There are two pages included, one with only one turkey on it that can be used as a base (you can skip this one) and one with two turkeys for kids to color in and cut out. Color in the turkey. We used markers to color it in but any coloring medium will be fun to use – crayons, chalks, coloring pencils… Once colored, cut out the turkey and it’s feet. Take the other sheet of paper, with the turkey craft base and apply a generous amount of glue on the tail area. Alternatively you can also apply glue on the leaves only. You can cut of stipules of the leaves, or just leave them as they are. Stick the leaves on the turkey template. If you want a multi-colored turkey tail, we recommend you make the base with larger red leaves, and place smaller yellow leaves on top of them. Continue sticking leaves on the template, adding glue either on the leaves or on the base as you go. Once happy with how the turkey tail is starting to look, glue on two turkey feet on the base (you can also glue them directly on the colored body, whichever feels easier). Take the colored turkey body, apply a generous amount of glue on the back. Press the turkey body to the base. Give the glue some time to dry. Voila! You’ve made a fun looking turkey with our Turkey Leaf Craft Template.... Read more...Tips to Save for a Family VacationNovember 21, 2022Family Activities & EventsSaving for a family vacation is a smart idea; it means you keep your family finances under control, and you can reduce any money stress you might have when traveling. No matter the size of a family vacation, use the tips in the article for savvy saving to improve the experience. Family Project Family projects involve all the family members meaning that everyone is invested in the project, and you stand more chance of making it happen. Start early, a year in advance, for major overseas vacations, and create your goals and timetable for earning money and planning trips. Although children won’t be put to work, there are ways they can contribute to the holiday fund. If they have toys or games they no longer play with, you could suggest selling them online and using the money for their vacation next year; this helps educate them about money and saving. Automatic Saving Saving for anything requires discipline and patience, two qualities that are hard to practice when your paycheck arrives, and you want to spend. Of course, much of the paycheck will be accounted for already with bills and expenses; after that, you will want to spend on yourself. The best way to avoid the temptation of spending is to create automatic savings in a special account. On payday, the money you need to save is taken from your paycheck and placed in a savings account, you have less to work with, but it helps you accumulate the money you need. Smart Investments Don’t forget about investments when it comes to saving. The wheels of the economy are always turning, and you can be sure your money will go further if you can invest in the right places. Smart investments mean identifying the best type of investments for better short-term gains. Dividend funds might be worth looking into if you are saving for a major holiday next year. Dividend funds payout every quarter or every half year depending on the investment fund. A dividend can offer you a lump sum if you invest in the right way, contact gips consulting today. Income Streams The fastest way to save is to earn, which is why multiple income streams are a great way to save for a vacation if you can find the time for them. One of the biggest barriers to multiple income streams is finding a way to balance family life with a full-time job and income streams. Luckily, there are plenty of opportunities these days for multiple income streams. A second income doesn’t have to occupy too much of your life; in fact, you can dedicate a few hours a week to a business and earn enough for the family flights. Find out more about side hustles. Everyday Savings One of the best ways to earn money is to save it; after all, money is hard enough to earn. Save on small everyday things when planning a holiday in the near future; you can also give up unnecessary expenses like monthly takeouts as long as you replace them with an alternative.... Read more...
