It’s turkey time again, so listen up foodies and party hosts. We have some last minute tips and tricks for all Dayton area foodies out there !
We have some fun ideas for you to consider this year to make your Thanksgiving the best possible Food Adventure.
Now for the feather ruffling and gobbleteegok…
THANKSGIVING TIPS:
Turkey !!
—A fresh turkey should be cooked in 1 to 2 days. Frozen turkeys defrost in the fridge in 2-3 days. If you need to thaw it faster, submerge it in cold water for 30 minutes per pound until defrosted.
—When baking a turkey, allow 15 minutes per pound to cook, or 4 minutes per pound if you deep fry
—Use coiled up aluminum foil under the turkey if you don’t have a rack for your roasting pan.
—Your turkey is done when the inner thigh meat reaches a temperature of 165 degrees.
—DON’T carve your turkey right when it comes out of the oven, let it rest 30 minutes before you carve it.
The Big Ragu is a Turkey !
—Make mashed potatoes in the morning and keep in crock pot set to “warm”. Right before serving, toss in some butter and stir! Also, add cream cheese and roasted garlic to your potatoes!
—Side dishes that are served at room temp and can be done ahead of time. This leaves valuable oven/stove top space.
—Get kids involved by having them press butter into cookie cutter shapes to be served on plates. It brings a fun look to the table.
—Have young kids? Spell out your expectations for their behavior and bring them a compact activity like coloring or mazes. This will help your kids stay still at the adult or kids table. Let them play outside, supervised to burn off energy. If the kid acts up. calmly remove them from the room and discipline them as not to disrupt others meal.
THANKSGIVING TRICKS:
Turkey Leg !
—Have a tight budget? Get a whole chicken instead of a turkey and save some money.
—To get fluffy mashed potatoes, some people add baking soda !
—Avoid a soggy pecan pie crust by layering the bottom of the crust with a some pecans.
—Did you overcook your turkey? Place sliced turkey into a pan and cook 10 minutes at 300 degrees in an inch of broth, serve on the tray. No one will know it was dry.
—Time constraint? Put store prepared food in a tupperware container and bring it. Oh you naughty thing!
Beautiful Bird
—Glazing your turkey in the last 15 minutes of with Balsamic Vinaigrette gives a crispy skin on your turkey and amazing color.
—Hollow out a pumpkin for a serving bowl or an ice bucket for wine!
The holiday is once a year so enjoy yourself… but for those who don’t want to over indulge, here are some tips:
HEALTHY TIPS:
Veggie tray
—Instead of serving cans of soft drink, offer fruit infused pitchers of water. This will reduce the amount of empty calories your family is absorbing, while hydrating your relatives.
—For a guilt free day of eating, sign up for the Turkey Trot at Welcome Stadium at 8:45am Thanksgiving morning, and that piece of pie wont feel so bad. They have a 5k or Half Marathon for you freaks.
—Have some fall apples available on the dessert table as an option to pie.
—Switch Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes or Mashed Sweet Potatoes instead of regular potatoes to save on calories
Antipasta plate
—Use the leftover Turkey Bones and the neck. Boil and simmer them to make a gelatinous Bone Broth with benefits for your digestive system or future soups.
—Feel free to indulge in proteins and animal fats, the sweets and processed foods is where weight gains happen
—Eat before the party to ensure you don’t arrive hungry and overeat.
—Pumpkin pie has fewer calories than most pies and if you don’t eat the crust, you aren’t doing so badly.
—Try serving grilled marinated asparagus and portabellas with a creamy buttermilk dip with lots of raw veggies too. Marinate the asparagus and portabellas in
Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake
orange juice, olive oil and garlic. Let sit over night in zip lock bags. Grill in the morning (season with salt of course). Serve with Belgium endive leaves, carrots, celery.
