Happy Thanksgiving!

Here's wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! May we be thankful for what the Lord has provided. He is there in both times of plenty and when things are sparse, so in all things be thankful. God bless.

I used the recipe, posted below, last night and woke up to this waiting in my oven!

Turkey Recipe

Thanksgiving is tomorrow so I thought I'd post a turkey recipe I found a few years ago and really like. It's one of only two methods I use. There's the oven bag method by Reynolds brand. That takes only about 2 1/2 to 3 hours to cook. Then there's the other method I use and it's an overnight method. So depending on what kinda mood I'm in the night before the big feast (Thanksgiving or Christmas)--I'll pick this method or wait till the next day and pick the "quick" cook method.

Perfect-Every-Time Turkey
(from 15 Minute Family Traditions and Memories by Emilie Barnes)

Trust me with this one. I’ve been making at least four turkeys a year for 40 years, and this recipe from Adelle Davis is the best I have ever found. The white meat will melt in your mouth.

I always used a meat thermometer, so even with this method I still do just so I know for sure when the turkey’s done.

This is a slow-roasting method, but once in the oven, you can forget the turkey until it comes out.

Choose the desired size of turkey, wash it well, and remove the neck and giblets. Dry turkey with paper towels, salt the cavity, and stuff with brown rice dressing or the dressing of your choice. Rub the outside well with pure olive oil.

Put the turkey breast down (this bastes itself, making the white meat very moist) on a poultry rack in a roasting pan uncovered. Put into a 350 preheated oven for one hour to destroy bacteria on the surface. Then adjust the heat to 200 for any size turkey. This is important. The turkey can go in the oven the day before eating it. (Example: I have a 20-pound turkey. At 5:00 P.M. Thanksgiving Eve I put the prepared turkey in the oven at 350 for one hour. I turn the temperature down to 200 and leave the turkey uncovered until it’s done the next day about 10:00 or 11:00 A.M.)

Although the cooking times seems startling at first, the meat is amazingly delicious, juicy, and tender. A turkey cooked the regular time at regular temperatures no longer tastes good. And a turkey cooked at this low temperature slices beautifully and shrinks very little. The turkey cannot burn, so it needs no watching, and vitamins and proteins cannot be banned at such low heat.

A good rule for timing your turkey is to allow about three times longer than moderate-temperature roasting. For example, a 20-pound turkey normally takes 15 minutes per pound to cook and would take five hours. The slow-cook method takes three times five hours so this equals 15 hours of cooking by the slow method. A smaller turkey cooks for 20 minutes per pound, so an 11-pound turkey takes three hours and 40 minutes. Multiplied by three, that equals II hours.

Since the lower temperature requires longer cooking, its use must depend on when you wish to serve your turkey. However, once it’s done, it will not overcook. You can leave the turkey in an additional three to six hours and it will be perfect. Thus, your roasting can be adjusted entirely to your convenience. Allow yourself plenty of time, and let your meat thermometer be your guide to when the turkey is done. Your only problem could be if you didn’t put the turkey in the oven soon enough.

The meat browns perfectly, and you’ll get wonderful drippings for gravy.

2nd Hooded Fleece Jacket

I've just completed a fleece jacket for myself. I found this green printed fleece at Hancock Fabrics on sale for around $4 per yard, around 1/2 price. I had everything else I needed for it (drawstring, thread, elastic) except a jacket zipper which I had to buy. So it came to around $14 to make. It keeps me warm and it's so soft! I love fleece!

Crazy Quilting

One thing I'd like to try someday is crazy quilting. Maybe on a small scale. It reminds me of a cross between patchwork and altered art. I've been perusing the different CQ blogs out there and here's an amazing example. Allie's in Stitches did this one below. Isn't it beautiful?

(image credit: Allie's in Stitches )

Question?

Ok, I have a question for you. I got this bowl from my sister, Terri. It's appears to be a miso soup bowl. But, why does it have a strainer at the bottom? See the pics below. The last pic shows what's printed on the bottom of the bowl, but it's not in English. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Remember, you don't have to have a blog to comment. Just register. It's free! And I'd love to hear from you!

Yearbook Yourself

I had heard about this site from other blogs. I went to Yearbookyourself.com and uploaded my picture to see what I would look like in the 50s and 60s. See for yourself. What do ya think? (One looks like my Auntie Lillian.)

1952

1954

1962

1964

1966

2000

American Eagle

Here's a vintage craft. I didn't make it myself but I thought it was a clever way of using clothes pins and popsicle sticks.

Another Handbag I've Made

I made this handbag a while ago from a McCalls Pattern. I used the pattern for the black floral handbag.
The floral fabric is a double-sided quilted fabric. The greenish fabric is a plain cotton print. This is a pretty good handbag pattern with plenty of pockets inside and out, it just wasn't quite big enough for my needs.

Pincushions to Make

Here's a quick and easy craft. Our mom's group at church made pincushions out of coffee cups.

Just cut a circle of coordinating fabric and place a ball of fiberfill inside (making sure it's as firm and as large as you want it) and tie the fabric around it with a rubberband. Then just hot glue the "ball" in place. Easy! It would make a great gift.