Turkey for Two

This Thanksgiving was very different from any we have had in the past. My husband is just two weeks past his hip replacement surgery, so he is unable to travel comfortably. We were also not up for hosting a  houseful of up to over 12 family members, as we have for so many years in the past, due to his bed being downstairs now and him just not being up for that much activity.


Our daughter goes to college in Chicago, and only has a few days off, so she was off to Ohio to spend it with relatives there as she did last year! So it was just us, and it felt like a date!

Besides it being a glorious California day, the meal was a huge success. I opted for a 3 1/2 pound turkey breast instead of a whole turkey for several reasons. All meat with no bone, faster cooking, and healthier choices being most of those reasons! My husband is diabetic, so he is taking an active role in trying to eat better and make better dining choices. I think on a whole we did pretty well. Who says you can't enjoy the meal and still make healthier choices that you won't feel too guilty about.

This was  our menu:

• Turkey Breast, herb seasoned and baked.
• Stuffing (ok, so too many carbs, but hey it's Thanksgiving after all!)
• Brussels Sprouts steamed
• Candied Carrots (with splenda)
• Yams (one simply baked, one candied)
• Crescent Rolls (light)
• Gewurtztraminer wine (me only, and believe me I enjoyed several glasses!)
• Sparkling water
• Pumpkin Cheesecake, no sugar, low fat.

Yes, I bought myself flowers for the occasion! I knew my husband would have if he was able, so what's a girl to do?!

I hope that everyone had a wonderful and tasty Thanksgiving.

Ta ta for now...

Happy Thanksgiving To All!

GOBBLE! GOBBLE! At least I will try not to gobble too much today! This will be the first time since I can remember that my husband and I are not hosting Thanksgiving. We are still cooking the turkey, but then we will be transporting it 45 miles south to my sister's house. 

Although my husband loves to cook the meal and all of our traditional, wonderful side dishes such as candied carrots, cinnamon apples, sweet potatoes and on and on, I am thankful for the break! For me it involves days of preparation in getting the house clean, tables laid out that will sit the family of up to 17, including kiddies, and collecting enough dishes and chairs for all!

Then the guest start to arrive and you wonder if they will all get there in time to be seated as the food hits the table. After days of preparation, you finally get to eat (at which point you are too exhausted to) and before you know it the meal is over and everyone is full. Put the afternoon into reverse, clear the dishes, scrape the plates, stack the dishwasher, put leftovers away, hand wash the silverware. If lucky I have three sisters and maybe a daughter-in-law that will help. Where are those nieces that eat here every year? Oh yeah, they show up in the kitchen for a plate of leftovers to take home!

The past couple of years I just do the basics and leave a lot of it until morning. Just don't leave food out for the ants is all I say!  All in all I really do enjoy the holiday, it is just such a crazy busy one. This year is also sad because my daughter is abroad at school and doesn't even have a relative near to crash at for the holiday. I am sure she will have her own adventure and I look forward to hearing about it!

Ta Ta for now...

My husband's favorite - Chocolate Angel Strata!
Pie crust, meringue, solid chocolate with a final layer of fresh whipped cream blended with chocolate!

Back Again!

I haven't posted in a while. Two reasons. One, I don't know if anyone actually reads this stuff or cares, and two, I guess I reached writer's block!

The couponing has been working out well. Saturday my husband and I went grocery shoppping at Ralph's, particularly to buy our Thanksgiving turkey. We saved over $45.00 by combining manufacturer coupons with store coupons that were doubled. We used our $33.00 in loyalty earned dollars and got an additional $5.00 off for spending over $75.00. Not hard to do when shopping for a big feast! The 20 pound turkey ended up costing only $5.00. Whew! Now I leave the cooking up to my husband. Something new to tackle this year is transporting the bird to my sister's house. She is hosting, and for the first time in forever, I won't have the mess and cleanup at my house!

Ta Ta for now...

Recycling the Halloween Pumpkin

Well Halloween is over and there is left over candy in the bowl and an uncarved pumpkin on the stoop!  No worries, I'll just take the candy to work and put it out on the counter for the customers to enjoy and hope that I personally don't take too many side trips to see what looks good!

As for my pumpkin, I purposely didn't carve it because I have a special plan for it this time of year. I cut it up, scape out the seeds and then pressure cook the insides to use in my home made pumpkin bread. I used to love to bake, but now I am down to a few special recipes that have become holiday traditions. I don't know why it's called "bread" there is so much sugar in it that it actually is more of a pumpkin pound loaf!  The seeds are recycled also. After rinsing, I place them on an oiled cookie sheet, sprinkle with salt and bake at 300 degrees for around 20 minutes or until they look lightly tanned.

I follow a recipe that is actually for zucchini bread, but I substitute the pumpkin instead. I make a large loaf to share at the Thanksgiving table, and  a couple dozen mini loafs to send home with my family or pass out to friends. The starting quarterback for the University of Hampshire Wildcats has gotten a loaf every year for as long as I can remember, since he grew up with my daughter. I will have to see if I will be able to get him one this year as it is his senior year and I want to keep the tradition going. I'm trying to sending along a loaf to my daughter who is abroad in school, via a friend who is lucky enough to be visiting her! Hopefully it will remind her of home and her family a little bit.

Ta Ta for now...