i will be honest. when cooking thanksgiving dinner is a one-persom-job, it is really overwhelming. Everyone was so helpful, but really, i was still doing it alone. and, i have no idea why… but, Thanksgiving dinner always overwhelms me. Christmas doesn’t. Easter doesn’t. I can plan 20 activities for Halloween and i’m fine. I get really emotional with Thanksgiving – all that gratitude on my mind + a big meal to prepare = everyone was lucky i only had one meltdown this year. sometimes it’s worse!
the yummy side of things: we tried a turkey brine this year for the first time. i also chose an organic turkey for the first time. so, i’ve yet to decide if our turkey was so delicious & moist because it would have been regardless, or if it was so good because of the brine. any thoughts on this? do you brine?
i followed my friends advice & used the pioneer woman’s recipe, here.
{the perk of using a brine – the obvious – it’s beautiful simmering in the pot + your house smells soooo good!}
for my record:
Ingredients
3 cups Apple Juice Or Apple Cider
2 gallons Cold Water
4 Tablespoons Fresh Rosemary Leaves
5 cloves Garlic, Minced
1-1/2 cup Kosher Salt
2 cups Brown Sugar
3 Tablespoons Peppercorns
5 whole Bay Leaves
Peel Of Three Large Oranges
Preparation Instructions
Combine all ingredients in a large pot. Stir until salt and sugar dissolve. Bring to a boil, then turn off heat and cover.
Allow to cool completely, then pour into a large brining bag or pot. Place uncooked turkey in brine solution, then refrigerate for 16 to 24 hours.
When ready to roast turkey, remove turkey from brine. Submerge turkey in a pot or sink of fresh, cold water. Allow to sit in clean water for 15 minutes to remove excess salt from the outside. Discard brine. Remove turkey from clean water, pat dry, and cook according to your normal roasting method.
my girls all donned aprons & were very helpful with the potatoes, desserts, etc. – there is something magical about being a momma with your girls in the kitchen helping. it’s a beautiful thing.
My mother in law brines her turkey at thanksgiving. I never realized what I was missing! I always looked forward to Thanksgiving, for the family time( and extra long weekends!), but never got terribly excited for the food. NOW I think about that meal for a MONTH leading up to thanksgiving, and have dreams about it for a month after the fact.
My sweetie MIL has promised to make an encore turkey for me on Christmas eve, since I am 9 months pregnant with her first-ish grandbaby. 🙂
HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY, JANE!
P.S. I love P-DUB. She’s an amazing blogger, momma, photographer, wife, cook, etc. Just like you!
Yumm! Love your collages and the cute little arrow brushed on the top image :)! And the photo widths are perfection!
You’re a blogshop superstar!
It’s the brine! I’m sure of it. 😉 I have brined now for 3+ Thanksgiving’s in a row. This year I used a natural (no injected saline) but not orangic turkey from Costco (it was 89 cents per pound!) and it turned out just as juicy and amazing as my past three years. I’ve used the Williams and Sonoma brine and this one was just as good and so much cheaper!
I tried your brine this year! I just put the turkey in (24 pounder!) I hope it turns out! Good luck with your entertaining! I was thinking the other day you should do a step by step entertaining guide. When to set the table, how soon in advance to buy your favors, etc. Today I am great full for blogs to give me the creativity I’m lacking! 😉