Someone’s In the Kitchen with Daddy

I’m not! – But after the big meal Thursday, my own on Friday, hot turkey sandwiches, turkey hash, and turkey soup, (YAWN) I’m sure enjoying all the extra naps! (Yeah, right. Not with an almost 4 year old running around.) But I’m looking forward to the next batch of soup, panini, and if I have enough leftovers come next weekend – a turkey pot pie or some such… hmmm…. the options abound.

A few things I’ve learned after cooking my own bird:

• You CAN start cooking at 4:30, and still have everything on the table for the usual (albeit late weeknight) dinner time.
• Starting Stock on the other hand, best wait until tomorrow, unless you have a couple DVDs to keep you up til midnight.
• A digital probe thermometer can be your best friend IF you make sure its buried in the meat, and not touching a bone.
• Using my moms covered roasting pan (I sure hope I can find one for myself) really cuts down on the cooking time and makes for a real moist and juicy bird – No brining neccessary! (although I might give it a shot someday)
• You can totally take advantage of the resting time to make sure all the sides are done at roughly the same time.
• I really need to learn how to carve (before someone sees me tearing meat off with my bare hands. Not pretty, but effective.
• You can still find an all natural (grain/vegetarian fed, free-range, etc…) if not organic turkey before AND after thanksgiving in these parts!
• a 12# bird will feed three, and has ample leftovers, and isn’t so big that I couldn’t cook another one anytime! Which I may just do as the stockpile wanes – I could have turkey soup 2 meals a day until spring.

Bought myself a fresh, free-range, vegetarian fed (etc..) turkey today. Gonna attempt to do the whole Thanksgiving kit and caboodle myself this year. For just the three of us, gotta have leftovers ya know. Mom and Dad are having an army over (with more signing up daily), so there’ll be no doggie bags for sure.

If all goes well, I’ll have no reason not to offer to host in the upcoming years – bigger house, just as central location… only thing lacking is moms culinary skills, and sense of timing. Two years ago I tried my hand at one of those boneless turkey breasts stuffed with cornbread stuffing and cranberries from Trader Joes. It was passable. Blame the cook, and lack of tools, not the food.

Tried a Turkey breast last year with better success. This year, after recovering from the tryptophan induced haze from gorging ourselves silly this coming Thursday, I’ll be firing up my oven to roast my own bird, organic mashed potatoes, corn bread stuffing (yes I’m using pepperidge farms and I’m not going to apologize for it – some traditions are not to be messed with) Butternut squash (pureed with apples, because some traditions will be), and so on…

After the traditional meal, I’ll be making soup, lots of soup. probably 2 kinds. and sandwiches, lots of sandwiches. Panini, and so on.

I love thanksgiving! That’s why I was born just in time for it!

Sure you can buy yourself a bag of pre-made Chex-Mix at the supermarket, but I wouldn’t bother. Yes, I suppose I like making most things myself (in and out of the kitchen) but, the sprinkled on flavors really don’t compare to the baked in goodness that Grammy used to make.

I grew up on the Chex-Mix around the holidays, and it holds a special place in my heart. (As does cranberry/southern comfort punch, but that’s another blog). Last year I was having a hankering, and I just couldn’t wait until Christmas. I wouldn’t suffer the pre-packaged variety, so I set off to the market to buy the goods – 3 boxes of cereal, 2 tins of nuts, bagel chips, pretzels, worcestershire and so on. Save the seasonings, I had none of the ingredients in the pantry. Doing some quick math in the store, I decided to make a double (or perhaps a triple) batch. I like to make the best use of things I didn’t have another use for – and besides, I don’t usually bother with single recipes. If I’m going to fire up the oven, and make a mess of the kitchen, then by golly I was going to make the time worthwhile!

We had plenty to last the coming weeks, It tasted exactly as I remembered. The holidays came and went, and the craving subsided, until this week. So off again to stock up and make more. Not having the recipe onhand I guessed at “chexmix.com” and was surprised to see so many variations on a theme. I used to frown at other versions I’ve seen as a child – with cheerios, cheeze-its or balogna. I’d been a chex mix purist, but apparently these were all legit, but still not for me.

I would still make my batch the way Grammy did – despite the fact I used to pick around all the bits and pieces I didn’t like as a child (just about everything except the corn and rice chex). The difference now being I’ll eat the lot (Even the harder wheat chex). One variation I’ve made is opting for mixed nuts instead of only peanuts. Peanuts, cashews, brazil nuts, pecans, hazelnuts… mmmm….

But I found myself looking at some of the other versions – curious to see what I could do with any ingredients we already had on hand,…. and I think we have a new favorite, Chex School Fuel, and found more worth trying. I’ve been snacking on the School Fuel on the drive to work. Crunchy/chewy brown sugar and chocolate goodness! Now I’d be all set if only I believed the “vitamin and nutritional” claims of this cereal, sugar and chocolate combo!

We’ve nearly polished off the batch of our new favorite, and we’re pining for more,. Meanwhile we’re forcing ourselves to eat the remaining 5.5 quarts worth of good old fashioned version. A chex mix purist no longer.