German Chocolate Cupcakes!

1 pkg. (4 oz.) German Sweet Chocolate
1/2 cup water
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs, separated
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup buttermilk

PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Line your muffin pan with cupcake papers and set aside. Microwave chocolate and water in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1-1/2 to 2 min. or until chocolate is almost melted, stirring after 1 min. Stir until chocolate is completely melted.

MIX flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Blend in melted chocolate and the vanilla. Add flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk, beating until well blended after each addition.

BEAT egg whites in small bowl with electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form. Gently stir into batter. Pour evenly into prepared pans.

BAKE 15-20 min. or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Remove cupcakes from pan and let them cool. Spread Coconut-Pecan Filling on top!

Coconut-Pecan Frosting

1 cup evaporated milk
1-1/2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup white sugar
3 egg yolk, beaten with 1 teaspoon water
1/2 cup margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped toasted pecans (preheat oven to 350, in a flat pan, spread out the pecans with dabs of butter over top. Cook for 15-20 minutes)
1 cup flaked toasted coconut (preheat oven to 350, and spread the coconut evenly on the pan. Cook for 10 minutes or until slightly brown.)

In a large saucepan combine evaporated milk, sugar, egg yolks, margarine and vanilla. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thick. Remove from heat and stir in pecans and coconut. Spread on cake while still warm but not hot.

ENJOY!!

Since I've gotten several requests...

Here is my pumpkin bread and raw apple bread recipe:

Pumpkin Bread

sift together:
3-1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1-1/2 tsp salt
3 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
3 cups sugar

Mix together:
4 eggs
1 cup oil
2/3 cups water
2 cups of pumpkin

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Grease 2 loaf pans or 1 bundt pan. 350 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes...or until done.

Raw Apple Bread

3 cups flour
1-1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup oil
1-1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
3-4 cored, chopped apples (I put quartered apples in the food processor, skin and all!)
2-1/2 Tbsp milk
2 tsp vanilla

Combine first 6 ingredients. Add apples, milk, and vanilla. Grease 2 loaf pans or 1 bundt pan. Sprinkle the top with a cinnamon and sugar mixture. Bake 350 degrees for 1 hour or until done.

My version of Alice Springs Chicken

I've been making this for several years now...and it's always a hit!

4 chicken breasts
8 ounces of bacon
8 ounces of fresh mushrooms, sliced
8 ounces of broccoli (I use frozen)
a little bit of margarine or olive oil
some fresh garlic
4 ounces of cheese

Cook up the bacon in the oven at 375 until it is almost at the crispy stage. I use a large stoneware bar pan and it doesn't splatter at all. When the bacon is done, take it off the pan and let it drain on some paper towels.

Keep the oven on, and place the chicken breasts inside until they are cooked through. While the chicken is baking, cook up the veggies.

In a small frying pan, place sliced mushrooms with some margarine/oil, and fresh garlic that has been pressed. Do the same thing in a separate frying pan with the broccoli. You can add more oil or margarine as you see needed. You want to cook these until they are cooked through. Once they are cooked, take off the heat and set aside.

By this time, the chicken should be done. Remove chicken from the oven and on two of the chicken breasts, top with mushrooms, then slices of bacon, then cheddar cheese. On the remaining two chicken breasts, do the same thing with the broccoli.

Place under the broiler until bubbly.

Serve with rolls :)

ENJOY!

If you both want mushrooms, then omit the broccoli and vice versa. I make it like this because I prefer broccoli, and John prefers mushrooms. This recipe should definitely leave some leftovers for lunch the next day!

Works for me Wednesday...Rhubarb Crisp!

Do you ever just sit around wondering...what should I do with all of this extra rhubarb?

I know I do!

I've got the recipe for you!! Everyone loves apple crisp, right? Well, what about rhubarb crisp? If you add just the right amount of topping, it cooks into the rhubarb and sweetens it up...and you are left with just the perfect amount of tartness!

Here's what you do....

Wash the rhubarb and get rid of the leaves (that is, if you hand picked it!)

Get out your cutting board and start slicing that baby up! If you have a giant stalk, you might want to cut it down the middle before you slice it. It kind of cuts like celery.

I figure about 6-9 stalks of rhubarb to fill up an 8x11 dish. Take your sliced pieces and place in the dish. Add about 1/2 a cup of water.

Then put it aside.

For the topping, mix up:
1-1/2 cups of sugar
1-1/2 cups of brown sugar
3 tsp cinnamon
9 Tablespoons of flour
2-1/4 cups oatmeal
1-1/2 cups butter (I use soft margarine)

Mix this together and put on top of the rhubarb. Just spoon it over...it doesn't have to be completely smooth.

Put it in the oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour. You'll know it's done when it is a bit crispy on top and very bubbly.

ENJOY!!

I just made this a couple days ago...I should have taken a picture, but it disappeared too quickly!

Oreo Cookie/Nutter Butter Truffles

Oreo Truffles

Ingredients
1 full package of Oreo cookies
1 80z package of softened cream cheese
12oz dipping chocolate
(I use Chocolate Bark thinned with 1/2 tsp Crisco)

Directions
Crush up the cookies using a food processor. Combine with the cream cheese and make sure it's mixed really well. Using your hands, roll into approx 36 1" balls. Melt the chocolate and roll each ball in the melted chocolate until fully coated. Place each coated ball on waxed paper until fully set.

For Nutter Butter Truffles...substitute Nutter Butter for the Oreos and follow the recipe!

Fruit Dip

I had the idea today or rather CRAVING for fruit and dip. I don't get into all those store bought pre-made dips. Call me a dip snob if you will. I really prefer to do as much as I can from scratch...like brownies. I never buy a boxed mix. Maybe I'm old fashioned, but hey, I've got to keep busy somehow, right?

Back to dip.

The easiest most delicious recipe to dip fruit in, is this:

Marshmallow Fluff
Cream Cheese

Let cream cheese soften. Mix equal parts of both fluff and cream cheese.

Enjoy.

Really.

It's that easy.

Easy peazy cheese quesadillas

I eat this all the time...and it's very quick and easy!

All you need is:

*flour tortillas
*mozarella cheese (shredded)
*your favorite tomato sauce...I prefer Barilla Marinara Sauce

Put your oven on broil and set it to high. On a large cookie sheet, place two flour tortillas on it and place on the highest rack of your oven. Keep a close eye on it. When it starts to brown, remove the pan from the oven, remove the tortillas and wipe off the condensation from the pan.

Place one of the tortilla shells, browned side down, on the cookie sheet...place it back in the oven.

Watch it, and when it is brown, remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle cheese over the top. Put that back under the broiler until it starts to melt a little...remove the pan from the oven, sprinkle a little more cheese on it, and place the remaining tortilla shell on top, browned side down. Place once again under the broiler.

Meanwhile, heat up your sauce in the microwave.

When the top of the tortilla is brown, remove and cut into quarters.

Voila!

Enjoy!

Boston Creme and Red Velvet Cupcakes

I am sooo making these for dessert on Easter! I'll probably make a red velvet cake too...YUM!

Boston Creme Cupcakes

1 1/4 cups cold whole milk
1 (3.4-ounce) box vanilla instant pudding and pie filling mix
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
12 pre-made cupcakes baked from a cake mix
1 cup heavy cream
1 (12-ounce) package semisweet chocolate morsels
1/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted

Combine milk, instant pudding mix, and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Beat mixture with a hand mixer for 2 minutes, or until it thickens. Place mixture in refrigerator for 15 minutes. Spoon filling into a pastry bag fitted with a medium-size plain tip. Fill cupcakes with vanilla pudding filling by inserting tip into top of cupcake and squeezing a couple of tablespoons of filling into each cupcake.

Heat cream in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat until bubbles appear around the edges. Remove from heat, add chocolate morsels to pan, and whisk until smooth. Spoon or drizzle glaze over cupcakes, or dunk the tops into the glaze. Refrigerate until set, at least 1 hour, before serving. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.


Red Velvet Cupcakes

For the cupcakes:
15 1/2 ounces all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 1/4 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
13 ounces granulated sugar
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
3 eggs
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons red food coloring
1 1/4 teaspoons vinegar (white or apple cider can both work)
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/8 cup water
For the cream cheese frosting:
1 1/2 pounds cream cheese, room temperature
1 pound butter, room temperature
2 pounds powdered sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon vanilla extract


For the cupcakes:
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder into a bowl and set aside.

In a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix oil, sugar, and buttermilk until combined. Add eggs, food coloring, vinegar, vanilla and water and mix well. Add the dry ingredients a little bit at a time and mix on low, scraping down sides occasionally, and mix until just combined. Be sure not to over mix, or the batter will come out
tough.

Line a 16-cup cupcake pan with paper liners, scoop the batter into the liners and bake at 350 degrees F for 20 to 30 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean. Let cool.

For the cream cheese frosting:
Whip the butter and cream cheese together in a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until creamed. Gradually add powdered sugar to the mixture and scrape down the bowl as needed. Add the vanilla and mix until combined.

The frosting can be used right away, or stored in the refrigerator up to a week.

Frost cooled cupcakes with the cream cheese frosting.


I'm undecided about whether to make Red Velvet Cupcakes or one big cake...I'll be sure to take pics either way!

Broccoli and Cheddar Soup

I am the only one in the house that will eat it. That definitely was no deterrent when it came to what I wanted to eat. I mean, really, what goes better with temperatures in the 70s than soup?

Here is the recipe:

Broccoli and Cheese Soup

1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups half-and-half
2 cups chicken stock or bouillon
1/2 pound fresh broccoli (I used some frozen broccoli too)
1 cup carrots, julienned
salt and pepper to taste
8 ounces grated sharp cheddar


Directions:

Saute onion in butter. Set aside. Cook melted butter and flour using a whisk over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Stir constantly and slowly add the half-and-half (this is called making a roux). Add the chicken stock whisking all the time. Simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the broccoli, carrots and onions. Cook over low heat until the veggies are tender for 20-25 minutes. Add salt and pepper. The soup should be thickened by now. Pour in batches into blender (I used a food processor) and puree (you can leave some chunks in there if you prefer that). Return to pot over low heat and add the grated cheese; stir until well blended.

This serves 4.

I doubled it, with plans to freeze some for later :)

ENJOY!!

Parmesan Crusted Chicken with Garlic Sauce

A few years ago, I had planned to make this for dinner. After having a particularly long day with the kids, John came home and offered to make dinner. I said that I was planning on making a new recipe. He was quick to respond with a 'no problem'. When I handed him the recipe, he was immediately overwhelmed, but continued with my dinner plans.

He did a great job and dinner came out wonderful! So...even your husbands can make this!


For the chicken, you will need:

3 boneless chicken breast, cut in half lengthwise
1 egg
grated parmesan cheese for dredging (you can use grated parmesan cheese from the can too)
canola oil for frying

Dunk the chicken in the egg, coating it. Then toss them into the parmesan cheese to coat the outside. Fry in the oil until brown and cooked through. You can pour about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch of oil into your frying pan and heat on medium heat until ready for the chicken. Turn the chicken once while cooking. When they are cooked through, remove from pan and set aside on a papertowel to absorb any excess oil. Pour out the oil.

For the sauce:

2 Tablespoons of butter
3 large cloves of garlic, pressed or minced
1/2 pint of whipping cream
1/2 cup of parmesan cheese (needs to be fresh from the wedge)

In the same pan, melt the butter. Add the pressed garlic and let it saute for 30 seconds or so. You don't want it to brown, or burn the butter! Add the cream and parmesan cheese and let it cook on low heat until you are ready to eat. When you are ready, plate the chicken and spoon the sauce over it.

This dish goes well with a side of pasta and a veggie, such as broccoli. Feel free to double the sauce if you want extra for the pasta. Serve with a salad and some warm rolls, and you've got a great dinner!

Gorilla Bread

Just when you thought Monkey Bread couldn't get any better!

1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
2 (12-ounce) cans refrigerated biscuits (10 count)
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray a bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray. Mix the granulated sugar and cinnamon. In a saucepan, melt the butter and brown sugar over low heat, stirring well; set aside. Cut the cream cheese into 20 equal cubes. Press the biscuits out with your fingers and sprinkle each with 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon sugar. Place a cube of cream cheese in the center of each biscuit, wrapping and sealing the dough around the cream cheese. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the nuts into the bottom of the bundt pan. Place half of the prepared biscuits in the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, pour half of the melted butter mixture over the biscuits, and sprinkle on 1/2 cup of nuts. Layer the remaining biscuits on top, sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon sugar, pour the remaining butter mixture over the biscuits, and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of nuts. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes. Place a plate on top and invert.

Works for me Wednesday...easy breakfast idea! Cream Cheese Twists

2 boxes puff pastry sheets (17-1/4 oz)
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla

1 tsp cinnamon, mixed with 1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 cup powdered sugar
1-2 tablespoons milk

As you open the boxes of puff pastry, you will see each sheet is folded into thirds. Lay each piece on a sheet of waxed paper to thaw before attempting to unfold the dough. This will take about 20-30 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the cream cheese, 6 Tablespoons sugar, egg, and vanilla. Mix until creamy and set aside.

Also take the time to mix powdered sugar and milk in a separate bowl, beating until smooth, to make a drizzly glaze.

Preheat oven to 400. After dough has thawed, gently unfold and cut each piece of dough where the fold lines are. Spread one piece of dough with the cream cheese mixture, spreading all the way to the edge. Lay one of the other pieces of dough on top of the cream cheese.

Not cut lengthwise through both layers of dough and cream cheese filling every 1/2 inch. Twist each strip and lay on a wax paper-lined cookie sheet. (I used a large baking stone instead). Repeat with remaining dough until all twists are lined up on the baking sheets. (If you only have one large baking sheet, do the first half and wait until the first batch is done cooking)

Sprinkle twists lightly with the cinnamon and sugar mixture.

Bake twists 14-16 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove from baking sheets and place on cooling rack. Drizzle with glaze.


I made these for breakfast this past Sunday morning at church and got many compliments! They are very easy to make and look like something out of a bakery!

Check out Shannon at Rocks In My Dryer for more helpful hints and recipes!

Mexican Chicken Casserole

I made this dish while I was in Maine and it was a huge hit! Even to those who are especially picky about what they eat!

Vegetable oil spray
1 pkg corn tortillas
3-4 boneless chicken breasts, cooked and cut into small pieces
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1 can Rotel tomatoes, diced
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 small onion, peeled and chopped (optional if you don't like lots of onion)
1/2 cup sliced black olives (optional)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Place 1/2 package corn tortillas in bottom of a 9x13 baking dish that has been sprayed with vegetable oil spray. Sprinkle half of the chicken on tortillas. Mix the soups, tomatoes and cream cheese. Pour half of the soup mixture over the tortillas and chicken. Put a light layer of cheese over top. Repeat layer with the rest of the tortillas, chicken and soup mixture. Sprinkle onions, olives and cheddar cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

*This is a great dish to be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge until ready to bake!

Layered Sombrero Dip

I thought that last Saturday night, we needed something spicy to go with THE game...you know, the one where the New England Patriots went 16-0 and had a perfect season?



Layer the following ingredients on a long platter. Serve with tortilla chips!

1 can refried beans
1 small can diced green chiles (found in the mexican section of your store)
2 med avocados, ripe- cut into chunks (I don't like avocados, so I skipped them)
1 16-24 ounce jar of salsa
16 ounces sour cream
2 cups cheddar
1/2 cup black olives, sliced (optional)
sliced green onions, (optional)
chopped tomatoes

It looks pretty and tastes great...and very easy to make! It's great to make ahead of time :)

ENJOY!

How to make the BEST baked ham EVER!!

Last year, we tried something different. A friend told me about how her family has always prepared their Christmas ham. It is quick and easy, and you will end up with a juicy, sweet, and just salty enough ham. I have never been a ham lover because of the saltiness of it. This recipe changes that and gives it a sweetness instead!

1 big ham, no added flavors, cannot be spiral cut, with bone (I always get the biggest I can find)
16-24 ounces of pure maple syrup, cannot be the fake stuff
1 large baking bag...I usually use the turkey-sized bag

Preheat your oven to 250-300 degrees. Open up your ham, and rinse it off. With a sharp knife, start sticking it into the ham, not making slices, just slits all over the ham. Get out your baking bag and place ham inside. Be sure to have a sturdy pan to place it in. Pour the maple syrup all over the ham. Close up the baking bag with the ties that are provided for you, getting out most of the air. Once it is closed up, make a few slits in the baking bag, on the TOP, to let air escape during baking...you don't want your bag to explode!

Cook your ham about 12 minutes per pound, until the internal temp is 155-160 degrees.

When your ham is done, be sure to save the drippings from the inside of the bag! I will use a baster to suck it all out before I take the ham out. It is great when used as a dipping sauce. Also be sure to let your ham rest for 15-20 minutes before slicing.

ENJOY!

Potato Candy

3/4 cup cold mashed potatoes
4 cups powdered sugar
4 cups shredded coconut
1-1/2 tsp vanilla
1-1/2 tsp salt
4 oz chocolate chips

Mix potatoes and sugar. Stir in coconut, vanilla and salt.

Blend well.

Press into a greased pan to about 1/2 inch thickness.

Melt chocolate chips and spread on top of candy.

Chill and cut into squares!

Cookie Monster's Famous Sugar Cookie Dough

If you're like me, you want to have a foolproof sugar cookie dough recipe. Well, here it is! It is the original Cookie Monster recipe, taken from an old book from when I was a child.

I will write it step by step the way Cookie Monster does in my directions :)

Here is what you will need:

*a medium sized mixing bowl
*Measuring cups and spoons
*a fork

*butter or margarine (soft, not melted)
*sugar
*vanilla
*all-purpose flour
*baking powder
*salt

What to do to make the dough:

1. Put 3/4 cup of butter or margarine (that's a stick and a half) into your mixing bowl.

2. Measure 1 cup of sugar.

3. Pour sugar over butter.

4. With a fork, squash butter and sugar together until blended.

5. Crack shells of 2 eggs and pour eggs over the mixture in the bowl.

6. Measure 1 tsp vanilla and pour over mixture.

7. With fork, blend everything in bowl together.

8. Measure 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour and pour over mixture in bowl.

9. Measure 1 tsp baking powder and sprinkle over flour.

10. Measure 1 tsp salt and sprinkle over flour and baking powder.

11. Nux everything together either with a fork or with your hands.

12. Put dough in the icebox to chill (at least one hour).


You can make lots of dough at once and keep it in your icebox in a plastic bag (it will last a long time). Then whenever you make cookies, just take out as much as you need.

First, take some cookie dough out of the icebox. If you all out of cookie dough (oh dear) just make some more!

Sprinkle counter with flour and put dough on it. Roll out dough flat, about 1/4 inch thick. Now come the tricky part-need to find things to make SHAPES with. Let me see...Ah! Can use GLASS to make round cookies....and those box lids make good rectangles and squares.

Me just push them down on dough and peel away dough on outside. Then me make squares and rectangles. (or whatever shape cutter you have)

Now me heat oven to 400 degrees, put cookies on ungreased cookie sheet, and put cookie sheet in oven. O.K. now come the hard part again. Me have to wait 6-8 minutes while cookies cook. What me going to eat?

Turkey Pie

If you are like me, then you still have leftover turkey. Eating a plate of leftovers for several days after the holiday leaves you tired of eating turkey, stuffing, gravy, potatoes and any other casserole you might have hanging around your refrigerator.

You also may not feel like making pie crust from scratch...in that case, I have a solution. But we all know there is nothing like a homeade crust, so I'll give you that recipe too!

Jiffy Mix Dough

2 cups Jiffy Baking Mix
2/3 cup milk

Mix it together with a fork. Shape with your hands and roll out or store it in the fridge, wrapped tightly, until later.

Homeade Pie Crust

4 cups flour
1-1/3 cup shortening, plus one good plop
1 tsp salt (optional)
3/4 cup cold water

Put flour and salt into bowl. Cut in shortening thoroughly. Add water. Blend with a fork and shape with your hands. Separate 1/2 and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate or freeze until later. Makes 2-3 double crusted pies.

Now that we've got our crust done, do you have any gravy left? Any leftover turkey drippings? I kept the extra drippings thinking that I would be making pies a few days later...so I can make gravy just as good as it was on Thanksgiving!

What you want to do is make up some more gravy for the inside of your pie. Once you have that made, add in your leftover turkey and any veggies you might want in there. I usually add in green beans and corn. If you want potatoes, I would recommend making the gravy thinner since the starch of the potatoes will thicken up the inside of the pie.

If you use the Jiffy mix, I would just use it as the top of the pie. Load up a large casserole dish with your turkey mixture and then put the rolled out crust on top of the dish, tucking in the sides. Beat an egg and brush the top, and make a few small slits over the top to let the steam escape. Bake at 350 for an hour or so.

If you use the homeade pie crust, roll out the bottom, place in a pie pan. Fill it up with your turkey mixture and roll out the top crust, placing it on top. Press the edges together and crimp it with your fingers. Brush the top with a beaten egg and makes some fork holes in it. Bake at 350 for an hour or so.

(The baking time is all going to depend on how hot your turkey mixture is...and you want to make sure that the dough is fully cooked through)

Holiday Recipes #6: Bread Stuffing and Gravy

Here is a recipe for your basic stuffing....comes out good every time! (you can easily make this the night before!)

I usually double this since everyone loves their stuffing!

Bread Stuffing

Approx 15 slices of bread
1 medium chopped onion
1 stick butter or margarine
2 stalks chopped celery
1/2 cup chicken/turkey broth
salt, pepper, sage (to taste)

In a small saucepan or in the microwave, cook onion, celery, and margarine until soft. In a large bowl, break bread up into pieces with your hands. Poor cooked mixture over the bread. Add as much broth you need to make the mixture stick together. Start with 1/2 cup. Add salt, pepper and sage to taste.

It's best mixed with your hands!

You can just keep this covered in the fridge until you are ready to stuff your turkey. You might have left over, you can just put that in a loaf pan and bake later to have extra.

Turkey Gravy

1-1/2 cups turkey drippings from pan
1-1/2 cups flour
1-1/2 tsp salt
3/8 tsp pepper
6 cups broth

Place drippings in bowl and add flour, salt, and pepper...whisking to a smooth paste. Add broth. Using a hand blender, whisk, or mixer, mix until everything is smooth. Microwave at full power until bubbly and thick, beating smooth every 2 minutes.

Holiday Recipes #5: Brining and cooking a TURKEY!

This will be my 4th year of bringing our Thanksgiving turkey. It will give your turkey a moistness that will last until all the leftovers are gone. It stays juicy and tasty, even if you want to freeze the leftovers. I cannot recommend this enough!

When I first brined our bird, I looked up several recipes on how to do it. I kind of made up my own from them all. The main necessity is that you have Kosher salt, brown sugar, vegetable stock and ice water. You can add spices and flavorings, but I really don't think it adds much and it can get very pricey!

(this recipe is for a 14-16 pound bird and you can make more or less depending on how big your turkey is)

For the brine:

1 cup Kosher salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 gallon vegetable stock
1 gallon ice water

Combine the salt, brown sugar and vegetable stock in a large pot. Bring it to a boil, dissolving all the solids. Remove from heat and let it cool down to room temperature. Then refrigerate until cold.

I usually brine my turkey for about 12 hours. You can find many places saying many different things on how long you should let your turkey sit in a brine. I've found that if I keep the salt content a little lower, I can keep the turkey in the brine a little longer. You just do not want it to sit so long that the salt starts to break down the meat.

On Wednesday, I will combine the brine with the ice water in a clean 5 gallon bucket. Place the thawed turkey, breast side down in the bucket, cover and keep cold. (I usually keep it in the basement where it is cool, and I make sure there is ice in the water) Turn the turkey once in the middle of brining.

When you are ready to start cooking the turkey, take it out of the brine and rinse it with cold water. You can throw out the brine. Pat it down dry.

I will then season the outside and inside of the turkey with salt and pepper and then stuff it. Get some butter and smear it all over the outside of the turkey.

Here is a good tip: Before it even gets hot, get some aluminum foil and form it over the bird. Then take it off and put it in a safe place. When you need to cover the turkey, you won't have to mess with forming the foil on a hot turkey.

Start cooking it in a 450-500 degree oven, on the lowest rack of the oven, for 30 minutes. Then take the foil that you have already formed, and place it over the breast portion of the bird. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees and insert meat thermometer in the thickest part of the breast and return to oven.

You want the thermometer to reach 161 degrees.

For turkeys up to 20 pounds, you will cook them 15 minutes per pound...so a total of about 4-1/2 hours. For larger birds, about 12 minutes a pound. If your turkey is stuffed, add on an extra 30 minutes.

When it is done, pull it out of the oven, keeping it covered. Let it rest for 15 minutes before carving!