Thankful Turkey...or As Crafty as I Get!

This year a friend gave me a great idea: make a turkey craft where you write things you are thankful for on the feathers.  What an awesome lesson in a house where we often have to discuss gratitude and graciousness!  My friend found a turkey template on the Internet.  Done!  Then she had her kids decorate him.  Done!  Then she "free-handed" some really great looking feathers for the kiddos to write all the things that they were thankful for.  Um...roadblock!  I'm a terrible artist and even worse with scissors.  Once my daughter asked me to draw Santa Claus and when I was finished she said "Mommy, why did you draw a dog?"  I blame it on being a "lefty."  But, I can trace and cut along the lines, so we made turkey feather hands.  This actually turned out to be pretty cool.

I traced each family member's hands and then we had forty "feathers" for us to write on.  Plus, it will be a nice keepsake of the kids' hands when they were ensy wensy little kiddos.  Sorry, had to throw that in!  So, here's what you need:

1 turkey template (or draw one if you are that skilled)
Crayons or markers for coloring and writing
Fall-colored construction or craft paper
1 pencil
Glue stick

Trace hands on construction paper and cut out.  Have each person write 10 things that they are thankful for on their finger/feathers.  My son was thankful for the dog that bit him, motorcycles, trains, God and Jesus, about in that order.  He was not thankful for his sister, no matter how many times I suggested it.

Glue hands to the back of the turkey.  It helps to start at the top with the smaller hands and fan out with the larger hands.  Tape finished product to coveted spot on refrigerator and admire its loveliness.

Not bad, right?  The kids had fun making it and I thought it was a good way to introduce the "real" concept of Thanksgiving to pre-schoolers.  Incidentally, if you are looking for a slightly more grown-up craft, check out this awesome fall wreath!  It looks so cute and simple that I'm actually considering giving it a shot.  Maybe...

Rachael Ray's Turkey Tamale Pie

Last week on her show, Rachael Ray made this yummy turkey tamale pie and it reminded me to give it another spin.  I have seen her make a similar recipe before (you know, cuz I apparently watch a little too much RR) and I remembered that Hubby really liked it when I made it.  This newer recipe was a bit different than I wanted, but I used it as a jumping-off point for my own dish.  So, here is the original recipe:  Tex Mex BBQ Turkey Tamale Pie

Here is my slight variation:

1  lb lean ground turkey
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 large or 2-3 small to medium cloves garlic, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and cubed

Brown turkey in cast iron skillet with olive oil.  Drain liquid if needed (turkey tends to put off a lot of watery liquid).  Add veggies and cook until tender-ish, about 8 minutes.  Next, mix sauce  ingredients.

Sauce:
1 can no-salt-added tomato sauce
Small handful of brown sugar
1 can of diced tomatoes with green chilies, drained
1-2 cups chicken stock or borth, start with 1 cup and add more until you get the consistency that you want
2-4 T worchestershire sauce
1 T each chili powder, cumin, and oregano
Pepper to taste

Pour sauce into skillet and stir.  Cook for an additional 15-20 minutes, adding more stock as needed.

1 box Jiffy corn muffin mix, prepared according to package directions.
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (I used medium cheddar)

Spoon cornbread mix gently over the turkey mixture.  Spread as evenly as possible.  It won't be perfect!  Top with cheese and cook at 375 for about 20-30 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and cornbread is fully cooked.  Spoon into bowls and enjoy!

 This was super yummy; thanks Rach!!!

Turkey, turkey, turkey...

A few weeks ago turkeys were on sale at my local grocery store and for some reason, I bought one. Even though I tried to buy the smallest one available, I still ended with a big ol' bird for one little family! So, here is my three days of turkey, just in case you are a sucker for a sale like me.

DAY 1

Turkey Brine:
6 Cups water
1 Cup sea salt
1/4 Cup brown sugar
Small handful of peppercorns
1-2 bay leaves
1/2 lemon

Bring water to a boil in large stockpot and add remaining ingredients.  Cook a few minutes until salt and sugar has absorbed.  Cool completely with ice or very cold water.  Drop turkey in (you can use an ice chest if turkey is very large), and brine for at least 6 hours or overnight.  Rinse brined turkey and pat dry.

For turkey:
Preheat oven to 350
In a small bowl, mix 3-4 T butter, a few minced cloves of garlic, pepper, herbs de provence, and additional fresh minced rosemary and parsley (use the Italian kind).  Gently tug up skin around bird and tuck smears of butter under skin (yes, it's messy...get over it).  Rub remaining butter mix and extra pepper over bird.  Shove some aromatics up the bird's cavity (I like to say a little apology first).  I typically use a cinnamon stick, 1/2 an apple, and 1/2 an onion but you can also use lemon, fresh thyme, bay leaves, anything that will add yummy flavor and aroma.  Roast turkey at 350 for 30 minutes, then knock back temp to 325 and roast an additional 3-4 hours for a small bird (8-10 pounds). Take out of oven, check for doneness, and let rest 30 minutes before carving. 
I served this with good old Stovetop Stuffing and a green salad.

DAY 2

Turkey sandwiches!  Done!!!

DAY 3

Turkey Noodle Soup:

Drop what's left of the bird back into stock pot and cover with water.  Bring to low simmer and cook several hours with more bay, peppercorns, herbs, lemon, and sea salt.  If you have time, cool completely as this makes skimming fat easier.  Strain stock back into pot.  Pick remaining meat off of turkey and add to stock (also messy and something I swore I would never do...sigh).  Add your choice of veggies.  Carrots, celery, and onion would be traditional but I don't dig the celery.  I like carrot, sliced mushrooms, green onions, and a bit more garlic, all sauteed for extra color and flavor.  Add to soup and simmer with extra herbs de provence, pepper, and a rind of parm. cheese if you've got one.  Cook for about an hour, then add 1/2 bag of egg noodles and cook until noodles are desired tenderness. 

Yes, it's a process, but most of it is just occasionally babysitting something on the stove or in the oven.  And, you've got at least three days of food.  Granted, you might never want to see a turkey again, but it's tasty while you've got it!