perfect mashed potatoes and gravy

Anyone who has been reading this blog knows by now that I am not a gormet cook. I am a pretty good cook, but I'm not fancy. I like to use ingredients that are staples in my pantry. I like my food to taste good and to look good too. I'm fussy about texture. And I like my food to be hot when I eat it, with a good "home made" taste.

With all the things that go into putting a big Thanksgiving dinner together, it did take some practice to learn how to get everything to the table hot and ready to eat at the same time. As I stated before, I use a roaster oven for the turkey, and that frees up my oven for other things...including keeping side dishes warm while waiting for the turkey to be carved, the stuffing to be removed from the bird and put into a serving bowl, and last but not least, for the mashed potatoes and gravy to get done.

Another nice thing about using a roaster oven for the turkey is once the turkey is lifted out and waiting to be carved, all those yummy drippings are there in the bottom of the roaster just waiting to be made into delicious gravy. (You do remember I said to coat the entire bird with Crisco before roasting? Now you know why!) The mashed potatoes and gravy are the last thing to make and must be done right before sitting down to the table.

To back up for just a moment: Early on Thanksgiving morning, after I get the turkey going, I peel the potatoes. I know there are all different kinds of potatoes out there, but I just buy white Idaho potatoes. Make sure the skins don't have green on or under them and don't use potatoes that are sprouting. Just nice firm brown potatoes. I usually peel an entire 10# bag! Hint: lay out newspaper on your countertop for the peelings, then wrap them up and throw them in the trash. You do not have time on Thanksgiving to take a chance on clogging up your garbage disposal with potato peels. (Been there, done that!) As I peel them, I throw them into my sink that is filled with cold water. This is their initial rinse and it keeps them from turning brown while I'm working. When I'm all done peeling, I rinse them off again, one by one, and place them in a large pan, again filled with cold water. I usually go ahead and quarter the potatoes. Leaving them in the pan of water, I refrigerate them until I'm ready to start boiling them later on in the day.

Alright now. Back to making the potatoes and gravy. Put that large pan of cut up potatoes and water on the stove and bring it to boil. Be sure you have a couple of inches of water above the potatoes. Do not cover with a lid or you will have an extra mess to clean, as it will boil over. Once it gets to a boil, turn the temperature down just enough to keep it barely boiling and let them cook until you can easily insert a fork or knife into the potatoes, but not long enough that the potatoes crumble in the water when you do that. When the potatoes are done, drain all the water off by pouring the potatoes into a colander in your sink. Then simply put the potatoes back into the same pan, and you are now ready to start beating them with an electric hand mixer. Here comes the personal preference part. This may surprise you if you paid attention to my previous comments about being fussy about texture. I like my mashed potatoes to have just enough "lump" in them that there is no question they are home made. So go ahead and beat your potatoes however you prefer them. Add at least a half a stick of butter, depending on how much you are making, and add milk SLOWLY. The worst thing you can do to mashed potatoes is to add too much milk. They will turn out like potato soup. When you have them to the consistency you prefer, don't forget to add some salt. Don't over do the salt, but you do need some to bring out the flavor. I would say try two teaspoons to 10 pounds of potatoes. After I put the finished mashed potatoes into a serving bowl, I sprinkle just a little paprika on top just to give them some added color. Incidentally, use an oven proof bowl if you can, such as Corningware. That way you can alway cover them with some foil and keep them warm in the oven if you need to.

While your potatoes are still cooking on the stove, you must get going on the gravy. I try to make as much as I possibly can so we have lots of leftovers. With a 20# turkey, there will be plenty of drippings, so I take about 3 cups of water to start with, and add about 3 Tablespoons of WONDRA flour to it. Stir it with a whisk. The Wondra will practically dissolve in the water and this keeps the gravy from being lumpy. SLOWLY pour the water/flour mixture right into the pan drippings. (When you removed the turkey, you should have turned the heat in the roaster oven down to a lower temperature, but still on.) Start stirring the gravy right away with a wooden spoon while you are incorporating the water/flour mixture into the drippings. Slowly bring it to a boil. If it looks like you can add even more water/flour to make even more gravy, go ahead. The key is do not just add flour alone to your gravy. It will lump up right away. By using the water/flour mixture, you are able to slowly add it while stirring constantly, and it will thicken as it cooks, without those awful lumps. If it looks like it is getting too thick, just slowly add more water. Just give it time to cook, and it needs to boil to do that. And keep stirring!

TIP: While I'm finishing up the gravy, my husband is carving the turkey and putting the meat onto a platter. The stuffing has already been removed and is keeping warm in the oven. I usually let some helpers carry all the other side dishes to the table when the gravy is just about done, and then everyone finds their places. The gravy is the very last thing to go on the table!

graphic from www.penniwigs.blogspot.com

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:4-7

Thanksgiving turkey and stuffing

"Freedom From Want" by Norman Rockwell

I'm really excited that I found a frozen Honeysuckle turkey for 59 cents a pound. So I was able to get a 19.32 lb turkey for $11.40! He's been in my freezer for about two weeks. I will need to take him out and put him in the refrigerator on Tuesday next week so he will be plenty thawed out by Thanksgiving morning.

I have been roasting my turkeys in a roaster oven for quite a few years now. They can be purchased quite inexpensively these days and I love using it for holidays because it totally frees up my oven space for other things.

If you are new to roasting Thanksgiving turkey, here's how you do it: Take your thawed (or fresh) turkey and wash it in the sink. Be sure to remove all giblets that usually come stuffed inside. Mine go directly into the trash, though I know some wonderful cooks who use them in their gravy. Pat your turkey dry with a towel. Take Crisco (I like the butter flavored) and spread it all over the outside of the turkey. Then stuff the turkey with the dressing you made the night before. (see below) Fill up both cavities. If you still have more, you can stuff it under the skin on top of the breast! It tastes so much better when stuffed in the turkey than baked separately in a pan. Use those turkey lacer pins that you'll find at the grocery store to help close up the cavities. I usually don't bother with the string. Follow the directions on the packaging for roasting time and temperature, which varies according to the weight of the bird. Just figure out what time you want to eat dinner, and allowing about 15-30 minutes for the turkey to set after it is finished roasting, and time to carve it, just count backwards to see what time you need to have it in the oven. If you are using a disposable aluminum roaster pan, be sure to put a cookie sheet under it for support. I start out with mine covered, either with foil, if I'm roasting it in the oven, or with the lid of the roaster oven. When it is nearing the time for the turkey to be done, I remove the covering so that it gets nice and brown on the top. By the way, you'll need a turkey baster to catch up the juices and drizzle them over the turkey frequently while it is roasting. That's all there is to it. Simple!

For years and years my mom and I have made our bread stuffing with a recipe right out of a 1961 Betty Crocker Cookbook (which gives permission to quote brief passages). We actually triple the recipe, but I will give it to you here as it is printed. Now I know it is not fashionable these days to be using what I call "puff" bread, plain white, inexpensive bread. But this is the one day of the entire year I break all the (new) rules for eating high fiber bread and err on the side of what really tastes great! I know there are a million recipes for all kinds of fancy stuffing out there, but I guarantee you, THIS is the recipe that everyone will not be able to get enough of. That's why we have to triple it!

Bread Stuffing

(3 qts. for a 12-lb. turkey)

1 cup butter

3/4 cup finely minced onion

12 cups coarse or fine bread crumbs or cubes

1 1/2 cups chopped celery (stalks and leaves)

1 tbsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

1 tbsp. dried sage, thyme or marjorm

poultry seasoning (to taste)

Melt butter in large heavy skillet. Add onion and cook until yellow, stirring occasionally. Stir in some of bread crumbs. Heat, stirring to prevent excessive browning. Turn into deep bowl. Mix in remaining ingredients lightly. For dry stuffing, add little or no liquid. For moist stuffing mix in lightly with fork just enough hot water or broth to moisten dry crumbs. Cool and place stuffing in bird when ready to bake.

Tips: Instead of using packaged bread crumbs or cubes, buy a couple loaves of soft white bread. Take a bread knife and cut it into small cubes and measure them out. Save any extra bread slices for your left-over hot turkey sandwiches. I cook both the onion and the celery in the butter in the skillet, then add about one half of the bread cubes. When you turn this into the mixing bowl with the other ingredients, it should be plenty moist and I don't add more liquid. I cover the bowl of stuffing and refrigerate it overnight. Do not stuff the turkey ahead of time, only just before you put it into the oven. Sometimes my refrigerator is so full the night before Thanksgiving that if it is cold enough outside, I just put my covered bowl of stuffing in my car until morning.

Tomorrow I will tell you how to make the best mashed potatoes and gravy, just like grandma used to make!

"Come ye thankful people, come

raise the song of harvest home

all are safely gathered in

ere the winter storms begin.

God our Maker doth provide

all our wants to be supplied

come to God's own temple, come

raise the song of harvest home."

-Henry Alford-

graphic from www.penniwigs.blogspot.com

No Thanksgiving dinner is complete without...

Sweet potatoes!

I have several really good recipes for sweet potato casseroles, but this one has become my favorite for the past couple of years. It has a crunchy pecan topping that is hard to beat.

Sweet Potato Casserole

4 1/2 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/3 cup milk

1 cup white sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup butter

1 cup chopped pecans

Method:

Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking dish, and preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix the mashed sweet potatoes, melted butter, milk, sugar, vanilla, and eggs. Spread the mixture into the prepared baking dish. In a small bowl, mix brown sugar and flour. Cut in 1/3 cup butter until mixture is crumbly, then stir in the pecans. Sprinkle pecan mixture over the sweet potatoes. Bake for 25 minues until golden brown.

Tip: Make this up ahead of time, storing in the refrigerator, and bake it at the last minute so it is ready for the dinner table when it comes out of the oven.

Through kitchen windows in the night,

when lamps are lit

and burning bright,

I feel that warm of long ago

from windows I don't even know.

A light in a kitchen window

finds me yesterday's best friend--

and sweetest memories surface

to take me home again.

--D. Morgan

The best part is...

the pumpkin pie!

As I stated yesterday, part of my contribution to the family Thanksgiving feast has traditionally been the pumpkin pies. These recipes work perfectly year after year, and I wouldn't think of doing it any other way. It's not at all difficult, and everyone loves them, and you come out looking like a great baker! So please try this!

First off, I want to give you the pie crust recipe. This came from my Aunt Mary Ann over 40 years ago and it truly never fails! The best part is it makes five large pie crusts. So that means you can make two double crust pies and one single crust, or five single crust. Last February I made five double crust cherry pies for a Valentine's Day event, and I just had to make two of these recipes:

Never-Fail Pie Crust

5 cups all purpose flour

2 1/2 cups shortening

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 egg

1 tablespoon vinegar

cold water

Method:

Combine flour, salt and baking powder in a large bowl. Add shortening and work into the flour with two knives until course, about the size of peas, (or use a pie crust cutting tool.) Into a one cup liquid measuring cup, break one egg and beat slightly with a fork. Add vinegar, and then enough cold water to make one cup liquid. Add this to the flour/shortening mixture and mix into a good consistency for rolling.

Tip: divide the dough into 5 equal sized balls. Work with one at a time, and cover the others with a clean damp dish towel to keep from drying out while you are working. Roll out crust quickly on countertop or board covered with flour. Try not to handle the dough more than necessary--just roll into a circle to the desired thickness and circumference, carefully fold it in half, then in half again, and center on your pie plate, carefully opening up the sections. Press into ungreased plate gently. If there is too much excess dough hanging over the edge of the plate, just cut it with a knife or scissors, and tuck edges under evenly. Flute with fingers.

Now then, no matter what "new" recipe the magazines come up with each year (they have to, that's their job) I ONLY ever use the Libby's recipe that is on the back of the Pumpkin can. (NOT pumpkin pie filling). I'll give it to you here so everything is in one place.

Libby's Famous Pumpkin Pie

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

4 large eggs

1 large (29 oz.) can Libby's 100% Pure Pumpkin

2 cans (12 fl. oz. each) Carnation Evaporated Milk

Method:

Mix sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk.

Pour into (two unbaked) pie shells. Bake in preheated 425 degree oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake for 40-50 minutes, or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate.

Tip: I am really funny about texture, and I don't want to taste or see any pieces of egg white in my pies. So, I really beat the eggs with a mixer until they are very smooth. Same thing with the pumpkin mixture. Every can of pumpkin can look different as far as texture or color. So not only do I beat the mixture very well, but I prefer my pumpkin pies to have a little darker color, not that light orange look. So if I see the pumpkin is too light in color, I just add a little more of the spices to darken it up. I usually make the pies the night before Thanksgiving, and let them set on the cooling racks until morning. They might "weep" a little, so I just soak up any excess moisture gently with a paper towel. I never put my pumpkin pies in the fridge until after dinner the next day, and I've never had a problem. In my opinion, refrigeration changes the texture of the delicious crust. Now why would I want to do that? (If you are making five pumpkin pies with the pie crust recipe above, just double this filling recipe and it should be enough for all five pies.)

Oh, if you are responsible for bringing the pumpkin pies to your Thanksgiving dinner, don't forget the whipped cream!

Fondly remembering my father-in-law this Thanksgiving, Harold Robert Stager, who always loved my pumpkin pies. He was a man of few words, and so his compliments really meant a lot to me.

Thanksgiving dinner memories and tips

Thanksgiving was always a special day in our family when I was growing up. There were four of us girls (along with our three brothers) and I have nothing but sweet memories of all the preparations and the special feast. We always had at least 25 people for dinner, counting out-of-town relatives, and friends we would invite. So that meant setting up tables in the living room to extend our dining room table.

Some of the jobs we had when we were young were stuffing celery sticks with cream cheese, filling our mom's pretty cut glass dishes with olives and pickles, ironing tablecloths and cloth napkins, and setting the table with mom's beautiful china from the hutch. We always made name tags and spent a lot of time trying to figure out who should sit where. This was the day we always put aprons on...the homemade kind passed down from our grandma. Each of us were assigned jobs to do, and we took great pride in being part of it all. As guests arrived, we girls would offer appetizers, such as cheese and crackers and our stuffed celery sticks.

My dad always insisted on a fire in the fireplace, even though by the time everyone got there, it would get way to warm in the rooms! But he loved the tradition and it puts a smile on my face to remember how happy it made him. My dad loved his family and we were his pride and joy.

For many years, even after we all grew up and moved away from home, we came back for Thanksgiving. Each year the numbers grew as we found a place at the table for our own children as well. Mom loved doing this holiday more than any other. She was just like a mother hen gathering her chicks together.

Eventually we just became too large of a family to all gather in one home, so we had to start dividing up. Mine became one of the "host" homes...and a baton was passed. I kept many of the same traditions we had when I was growing up, and added a few of my own. As everyone gathered around the table, we would either have an appropriate Thanksgiving reading, some singing, or go around the table with each one telling something they were thankful for.

One year I made a small twig tree which I had in the middle of the kitchen table. Around it were construction paper leaves with strings attached. As each guest arrived, they wrote something they were thankful for on the leaf and hung it on the tree. It made a nice centerpiece. To this day I love setting a beautiful table and making guests feel pampered. I usually have a few appetizers on the kitchen counter to hold folks over till everyone arrives and dinner is served.

Something else I like to do is have some hot cider steaming on the stove. A few years back a young married couple who often join us for Thanksgiving dinner (as their families are out of state) came early to help. She carried cups of hot cider to the front door to greet the guests while he hung the coats. That year we had a special reading about the history of the first Thanksgiving, and we also had guitar music and singing by our two sons and a soon-to-be daughter-in-law.

Sadly, many of us are geographically scattered now so it is rare that we all are together on Thanksgiving. But with grandchildren and great-grandchildren, we are still too large a group to eat at any one house. So this year we are trying something different. We are renting the party room at mom's condo so at least as many as can make it will be together. Mom and I will each do a turkey with stuffing, as always, and I will make pumpkin pies. Everyone else will bring the side dishes, breads, and more desserts. I'm looking foward to it! Changes are difficult, but being together is what it's all about.

This week I will post some recipes and more tips that you may enjoy considering for your own special Thanksgiving celebration.

graphic from www.penniwigs.blogspot.com

"For our daily food and drink, our homes and families, and our friends, We thank you, Lord." -- The Book of Common Prayer

making cut-out cookies with Amy & the recipes

My friend, Amy, needed to make some cookies for a project her group was going to present today at school--something about a library open house to promote literacy in children. She is a graduate student working toward a degree in children's library science at Kent State. I was blessed that she asked me to help her. Fortunately it was my day off from babysitting my grands yesterday so we worked on this together well into the evening last night. You can read about Amy here:

lifebetweenthebuns.blogspot.com/search/label/cerebral%20palsy

Amy said she hadn't made home made cookies in years, and she was so excited!

I've never had much help in the kitchen, so it was fun for me too.

Oh my goodness, what a mess we made!

But looky here at the results!

I found these alphabet cookie cutters in a huge container along with two sizes of numbers at Hobby Lobby for $8.99. There are 50 cookie cutters in all.

Here are the recipes for the sugar cookies and the frosting. I've used these recipes for 30 years when making my Christmas cookies!

Grandma's Sugar Cookies

Cream together:

2 sticks butter (1 cup)

2 cups sugar

Beat in two medium eggs with mixer.

Sift together and add to the first mixture:

1 tsp. salt

4 tsp. baking powder

4 cups sifted flour

Blend into mixture 1 tsp. vanilla

Note: This recipe will make about 100 small to medium sized cut outs, or about 50 large cut outs.

Butter Cream Frosting

2 sticks butter, softened (1 cup)

8 cups powdered sugar

4 tsp. vanilla

milk

Cream together first three ingredients with beaters. Gradually add milk by the tablespoon to desired consistency. Note: this is a large recipe. It will frost about 100 small to medium sized cut outs, or about 50 large ones. The recipe can easily be cut in half.

"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Colossians 3:17

Kiss the Cook

My daughter-in-law suggested I post my spaghetti sauce recipe so here it is. (Happy 7th anniversary, Andy & Ellie!) It is very easy and I usually have everything I need in the house when the mood strikes to make it. I actually won "first place" at our family reunion last year in our sauce tasting contest. Not sure why...there were many very good ones there...but for two years, until our next reunion in July 2010, I'm enjoying being "boss of the sauce". This was just a basic recipe that I tweeked a bit until I made it "mine." Hope you will try it sometime.

Jacque's Spaghetti Sauce

1# bulk sweet Italian sausage

1 1/2 c. finely chopped yellow cooking onion

1 - 12 oz. can tomato paste

3 - 28 oz. cans crushed tomatoes

2 c. water

4 tsp. chopped fresh garlic

4 bay leaves

1 heaping Tbsp. dried oregano, crushed between hands

4 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

2 tsp. salt

1 heaping Tbsp. dried sweet basil, crushed between hands

In large heavy pan, cook sausage and onion until meat is brown. Add all remaining ingredients and bring sauce to boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Makes 12 cups sauce. Note: this freezes well if you want to make some up ahead of time and save for later.