Turkey soup The aftermath

I think everyone has probably overdosed on turkey by now. I used the Thanksgiving Day carcass to make a turkey soup on Thanksgiving Day night. I use a very simple recipe which is much like the one my mother always used. 

You need a large Dutch oven, at least 6 quarts. 

Put the carcass into the dutch oven. Cover with water or chicken stock. I used pan drippings, about 2 cups worth. Add two stalks of celery. 3 carrots, and one large onion.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Put the cover on the pan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a 3 for an hour or two. 

Strain out everything but the stock, place in containers and freeze or use within 2 or 3 days. 

If you want to eat turkey soup right now, keep one container and add pulled turkey meat, cut up the veggies from the stainer, carrots, onions, and celery and add cooked rice or noodles. 

No Bake Treats for Christmas: Rum Balls

During the holidays, baking is often part of the preparation for the many parties and gatherings that we all attend. Sometimes, we are just so busy that actually baking is more than we can manage. 

Not to worry, there are quite a few no bake treats that are impressive enough to serve and bring to any event you want. 

My mother used to make rum balls. Now my daughter Kasey does thanks to her friend Deb Brown and her delicious and easy recipe. 

3¼ cups of ground vanilla wafers (a 12 ounce box)

1½  cup of ground walnuts (some recipes use pecans)

¾  cup powdered sugar

¼ cup Hershey cocoa powder

3 tablespoons corn syrup

½ cup good quality light rum or up to a cup if you like your booze

If you want a non-alcoholic version, substitute ½ cup of orange juice and 1 teaspoon of orange zest for the rum and use rum flavoring.  

Mix all the ingredients in large bowl then add corn syrup and rum, blend well. Shape into one inch ball. Roll the ball in powdered sugar or colored sugar. Store in an air tight container for at least a few days but up to a few weeks before serving. 

Re-roll in powdered sugar before serving.

Roasted chicken dinner

Sorry I don't have a picture of this dinner sometimes I actually just cook and don't worry about having photos.

I had a 7 pounded roaster that I sprinkled liberally with lemon pepper.



I cut up three parsnips, two turnips and a package of Brussels sprouts. These I placed around the chicken, I added roasted walnut olive oil and my maple pepper to the vegetables. I roasted it at 375 for 2 hours.


I served it with mashed potatoes (Simply Mashed Potatoes). It was delicious.


For dessert I made a rustic tart with rhubarb and apple.The rhubarb is my own that I froze in the spring, the crust was Pillsbury from the dairy case. 
 

This is the perfect dinner for a cool fall day.

On Cronuts and Crogels

On a trip to Stew Leonards, which is a really wonderful grocery store with a fabulous bakery, I saw a few baked goods that I couldn’t resist. Along with the apple cider donut holes, 9 grain bread, and country loaf I also bought an everything croissant bagel and a cinnamon sugar croissant donut.


I have never seen these offered before, I have heard about them, evidently they are all the rage. I am here to tell you, Oh Baby, Oh Baby, Oh Baby. They are amazing. When it comes to the crogel, Stew Leonards produces one of the best bagels in our area and it really came as no surprise that the crogel was also amazing. 

Great taste, fabulous texture, I made a simple roasted chicken sandwich and with the soft crogel was able to eat it without issue. I had the croissant donut (the name cronut must have been copywritten) this morning with my cup of coffee and it was light, fluffy and delicious. I am a convert.

Good job Stew Leonard's!!

Update!!! These are no longer available, too bad !!!

Afternoon Tea at the Hotel Viking in Newport, RI

When we are visiting the UK, I enjoy having afternoon tea as often as I can. The scones, the sandwiches and the sweets are just the most amazing way to enjoy the afternoon. Of course, I also love to have a pot tea.
 

Here in the states, finding a good afternoon tea is not so easy. You do not find a tea shop in every town and village like you do in England. I do look, believe me. I have found one that is available at one of my favorite hotels in Newport, RI, The Hotel Viking. I usually try to have it included in my rate whenever possible.

It is the usual three-course affair but of course, no clotted cream and the sandwiches and sweets are not the traditional ones you get in England. Never the less, when I can’t get over the pond, it is a pretty adequate substitute.

My friend Irene and I enjoyed sitting and sipping while chatting and enjoying the fresh strawberries If you are going to be in Newport, I recommend a stop of tea at the Hotel Viking.

Thanksgiving Debate In or Out

As we are getting close to Thanksgiving, it is time for that age old debate. Should you bake the turkey with the stuffing inside the bird or roast it in a separate pan?

I have been a proponent of stuffing in the bird all of my life. My mother always cooked the stuffing in the bird and I have continued the tradition.

What has changed is we no longer stuff the bird and leave the stuffing inside overnight, these days we stuff the bird right before it goes into the oven.

I make my stuffing very much like my mother did, she always added a couple of mashed potatoes and it makes the stuffing so moist.

So do you make stuffing or dressing? In the bird or out?

Bigelow Perfect Peach Tea

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I love to make homemade ice tea. I am always trying different blends of tea and brands to find one that I really love.

Bigelow makes a tea called Perfect Peach. It is an herbal tea. I like to use two of the tea bags for a large glass of ice tea. I run the water through the Keurig and let the tea steep for three to four minutes. This is a very pretty tea, it ends up being a little red in color.

The peach flavor is strong but has no artificial peach taste, it taste like a fresh peach. I add a teaspoon of honey and plenty of ice and to date, it is my favorite.

If you have any suggestions for teas that I should try, please share them. I never get tired of trying new ones.

A Simple But Delicious Snack

We really didn't have any lunch today and at about 

2 p.m. Al and I were getting a bit peckish. I wanted a simple snack that was easy to make. 

I had some leftover Triscuits which I arranged on a plate. I bought some peach chutney when I was in Virginia and I opened the jar and placed about a half teaspoon on each of the crackers.

I took some grated Monterrey Jack Cheese and put a little pile on top of the chutney and microwaved it for a minute.

The cheese melted and it spread out. I wish I had taken a picture but I didn't. I brought the plate to hubby in the family room and we share it. It was very tasty, that peach chutney was a good investment.
 

Roasted Pork Loin

I checked the date yesterday on a pork loin that I had in my fridge. It was yesterday's date so I knew I had to cook it quickly.

I already had my stew in the Crockpot so I really would have preferred to wait a few days but the date changed all that.

I love to cook in my oven with a stone dish. I took the pork loin and seasoned it was a maple spice mix I purchased last year in Rockland, Maine. I added olive oil to the pan and put the pork loin in.

I cut the red potatoes into pieces and then sprinkled 
them with the same spices.

I roasted it in a 375 degree over for about an hour and 15 minutes. It was quite delicious, we had it for lunch. This is only one way to cook a pork loin, as most of you know, these days I cook mine in my air fryer but if you don't own an air fryer, roasting it in the oven is a good option. 

Five Popular Cookbooks for Newlyweds

When it comes to choosing a cookbook as a gift for a newlywed couple, a lot will depend on the age of the couple and whether or not they have been living on their own for a while or are right out of college. Newlyweds who have been on their own for a while may have acquired a basic cookbook or two, and that is a consideration when thinking about what books will work best for them. These days, it is also important to know at least a little about their lifestyle, you don't want to waste your money on a cookbook on how to roast meat if they are living a vegan lifestyle.

Betty Crocker Cookbook

Betty Crocker has been a part of many kitchens for 80 years and is just as relevant today as it ever was. Whether you want to get the latest version or a vintage one, the Betty Crocker Cookbook helps cooks go from breakfast to dinner and everything in between. Betty has come a long way and now has an entire chapter of the newest cookbook dedicated to vegetarians.

Good Housekeeping Step by Step Cookbook

For a newlywed who is also new to the kitchen, this cookbook takes a cook on a step by step journey through the culinary arts. With over 1200 recipes and 1800 photos, it is easy to feel confident trying something new because there are pictures to show what the final result should look like. There are also lots of explanations about how to do basic techniques and even how to plan for the wine for your dinner.

How to Cook Everything the basics by Mark Bittman

For anyone with any kind of anxiety in the kitchen, this is the best cookbook to have around. This takes a new cook through all the basics they need to know to make simple, nutritious meals with wholesome ingredients and great flavor. The book has more than 1000 photos to help even the newest of newlyweds to make their food look as great as it tastes.

The Smitten Kitchen by DebPerelman

Written by the blogger who created the Smitten Kitchen blog, Deb Perlman, this is a must-have for today’s modern cook. Deb cooks in her tiny New York Kitchen and is not a professional chef. This is a much smaller book with just over 100 recipes and 300 plus photos and is guaranteed not to overwhelm the novice cook. The vast majority of the recipes do not contain meat so this might not be the best book for serious carnivores. This cookbook is a great way for a self-taught cook to share the knowledge she has gained along the way and help the newlywed to follow in her footsteps of culinary discovery.

The Newlyweds Cookbook by Ryand-Peters-Small

This is the perfect book to get newlyweds started in the kitchen. It has the basics of setting up a kitchen and what pots and pans will be required. It contains some basic recipes but also moves beyond that. It is the perfect book to get a new couple cooking together in the kitchen.

These are five of the hundreds of cookbooks that are available that newlyweds might enjoy receiving as a gift. Just about every cook on the Cooking or Food Channel has their own cookbook and some newlyweds may have a favorite among their ranks. The Barefoot Contessa, Rachael Ray, Bobby Flay and Giada are just a few of the stars who have multiple cookbooks that offer hundreds of recipes and tips to help get the newlyweds off on their own culinary journey.