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Coming Home to the Land:  Holiday Plans  |
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Elizaray
outspoken
680 Posts
Elizaray
680 Posts |
 Posted - Oct 13 2007 : 7:57:35 PM
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'Tis the season for Holidays.
Halloween/Samhain
American Thanksgiving
Then Christmas/MidWinters Eve
So do you have any plans or traditions?
We love hosting a big Thanksgiving dinner for all our friends. I don't have any plans for Halloween yet, and it is our daughter's first Christmas so I am sure we will be doing something special!
Elizaray |
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Jen
Expedition Leader
1384 Posts
Jennifer
Calico Rock
AR
USA
1384 Posts |
Posted - Oct 15 2007 : 06:48:44 AM
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We love hosting Thanksgiving, too (in fact, I basically insist on it). Now that we're living in the vicinity of family, we end up traveling to everybody else's house for Christmas, so we're enjoying Thanksgiving at home on our cozy farm. So far, my hub's family is coming. I'm working on my parents, too. The 2 sides have never actually met in 12 years - yikes!
The View From My Boots: www.bovesboots.blogspot.com
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Elizaray
outspoken
680 Posts
Elizaray
680 Posts |
Posted - Oct 17 2007 : 08:58:20 AM
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When I make thanksgiving dinner, I go all out! We ususally buy the biggest turkey we can get. One year we had a 30 pound turkey that was too heavy for our oven. It kept making the shelves collapse. We had close to 20 people packed into our little 2 bedroom house. It ws great. I love making mashed potatoes and nice thick gravy that "sticks" to the food. Yum. It was cold enough this morning to need the heat turned on so I am starting to look forward to baking again!
Elizaray |
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Jen
Expedition Leader
1384 Posts
Jennifer
Calico Rock
AR
USA
1384 Posts |
Posted - Oct 17 2007 : 11:56:13 AM
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I know just what you mean. I've already baked pumpkin & apple pies! I love fall. Your too-big turkey story is a hoot! My hub's brother shot a couple of wild gobblers the other day, so we're gonna have that plus a store-bought bird. Thought about slaughtering my biggest rooster for the occasion, but I'm not sure about it. We generally try to find "all natural" turkeys without funky added solutions, but I've never yet found one that's organic.
How do you make your gravy, Elizaray? I remove the turkey from the pan, then cook the juices on the stovetop, stirring in a flour/milk mixture till it thickens up - and salt/pepper of course. It's so simple & SO tasty. My mom was always great about getting all the lumps out, but I've come to accept - and even like - a few of them!
The View From My Boots: www.bovesboots.blogspot.com
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Elizaray
outspoken
680 Posts
Elizaray
680 Posts |
Posted - Oct 18 2007 : 12:26:00 AM
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Jen-
pour the drippings from the turkey pan into a sauce pot, drain off any extra fat from the butter and such that I use to crisp the skin, salt and pepper and and then I add cornstarch, milk, and if it it isn't enough I also add chicken stock. If I am out of chicken stock I have been known to use cream of chicken soup (it makes gravy taste pretty great actually). I use my handheld stick blender to get out all the lumps. It works great and it never takes me more than 3-5 minutes to make enough gravy to last a week.
Elizaray |
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Jen
Expedition Leader
1384 Posts
Jennifer
Calico Rock
AR
USA
1384 Posts |
Posted - Oct 18 2007 : 07:46:29 AM
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Thanks, Elizaray! Oh, I can't wait (belly's grumbling right now)!
The View From My Boots: www.bovesboots.blogspot.com
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Coming Home to the Land: Holiday Plans |
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Holiday Plans
