The Best Turkey Ever!

Last Friday I received 3 emails and 1 phone message telling me it was TIME TO TALK TURKEY!  Yep, it is almost Thanksgiving and our good friend J.T. is starting to drool as he thinks about last year's turkey.  It was easily the best turkey I have ever had.  And the gravy should be a food group all by itself.   Now, I am looking forward to sitting down to dinner again. Thanks J.T. for for finding this great recipe and talking me into making it!

I have to admit I had my doubts when J.T. told me we had to let the turkey sit in brine, in a trash bag, in a cooler for 24 hours. But, I was really worried when he said we would cook it on a grill!  I really only grill burgers and brats, maybe potatoes, so this was going to be a really BIG stretch for me. Luckily, he brought over his really cool grill for me to use. 

 There was quite a lot of pressure for me to be cooking a turkey on the grill, for the first time, on Thanksgiving.  But in the end it turned out fabulous! 

 Now we are ready to try it again.  So get your taste buds ready, Thanksgiving is only a couple weeks away!

Apple-Brined Turkey with Big Time Gravy 

from Weber’s Charcoal GrillingTM by Jamie Purviance 

Prep Time: 30 minutes Grilling Time: 2-1/2 to 3-1/2 hours Marinating Time: 18 to 24 hours
Brine
2 quarts apple juice 1 cup kosher salt 2 tablespoons dried rosemary 2 tablespoons dried thyme 1 tablespoon dried sage 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 turkey, 10 to 12 pounds, fresh or defrosted 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, divided 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 6 cups reduced-sodium chicken stock 1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped 2 large carrots, roughly chopped 2 celery stalks, roughly chopped 4 small chunks apple wood or 4 small handfuls apple wood chips, soaked in water for at least 30 minutes
Gravy
Reserved pan liquid plus enough chicken stock to make 4 cups of liquid 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 4 equal pieces 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/3 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves Kosher salt Ground black pepper

1. In a large pot combine the brine ingredients. Stir vigorously until the salt is dissolved.
2. Remove the neck and giblets from the turkey and reserve in the refrigerator for the gravy. Cut off and reserve the wing tips for the gravy, too. If your turkey has a trussing clamp, leave it in place. Do not truss the turkey. Rinse the turkey inside and out with cold water.
3. Partially fill a cooler with ice. Open a large, sturdy plastic bag in the cooler. Place the turkey, breast side down, in the bag. Carefully pour the brine over the turkey and then add 3 quarts of cold water. The turkey should be almost completely submerged. If some the back is exposed above the brine, that’s okay. Press the air out of the bag, seal the bag tightly, close the lid of the cooler, and set aside for 18 to 24 hours.
4. Fill a chimney starter to the rim with charcoal and burn the coals until they are lightly covered with ash. Spread the coals in a half circle or crescent-shaped fire on one side of the charcoal grate. Carefully place a large, disposable drip pan in the center of the charcoal grate and fill it about halfway with warm water. This will help to maintain the temperature of the fire. Put the cooking grate in place, close the lid, and let the coals burn down to low heat (250° to 350°F). Keep all the vents open.
5. Remove the turkey from the bag and rinse it, inside and out, with cold water. Pat dry with paper towels. Discard the brine. Lightly coat the turkey with some of the melted butter. Season with the pepper.
6. Place one foil pan inside the other and pour the chicken stock into the top pan. Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Add the reserved turkey neck, giblets, and wing tips. Place the turkey, breast side down, in the foil pan.
7. Place the pan in the center of the cooking grate. Position the pan so the turkey legs face the charcoal. Drain, and then add 2 wood chunks or 2 handfuls of chips to the charcoal. Cook the turkey over indirect low heat, with the lid closed, for 1 hour.
8. After 1 hour, to maintain the heat, add 10 to 12 unlit charcoal briquettes to the lit charcoal, using long-handled tongs to tuck the unlit charcoal between the lit charcoal. Drain and add the remaining 2 wood chunks or 2 handfuls of chips to the charcoal. Carefully turn the turkey over in the pan so the breast faces up. Continue to cook the turkey over indirect low heat, with the lid closed, for a second hour.
9. At the end of the second hour, baste the turkey all over with the remaining butter. If any parts are getting too dark, wrap them tightly with aluminum foil. Once again, add 10 to 12 unlit charcoal briquettes to the lit charcoal to maintain the heat. Continue to cook the turkey over indirect low heat. The total cooking time will be 2-1/2 to 3-1/2 hours. The turkey is done when the internal temperature reaches 170°F in the thickest part of the thigh (not touching the bone).
10. Transfer the turkey to a cutting board, loosely cover with foil, and let rest for 20 to 30 minutes before carving (the internal temperature will rise 5° to 10°F during this time). Save the pan juices and vegetables to make the gravy.
11. Strain the pan liquid through a sieve into a large fat separator and discard all the solids. Add enough chicken stock to equal 4 cups of liquid. In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, add the butter and flour. As the butter melts, stir with a wooden spoon and cook until the mixture turns the color of peanut butter, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add 4 cups of the reserved pan liquid (but not the fat) plus the wine. Bring the gravy to a boil, whisking frequently to dissolve the lumps. Lower the heat and simmer the gravy for a few minutes or until it reaches the consistency you like. If the gravy gets too thick, add more chicken stock a little at a time and simmer until it reaches the right thickness. Turn off the heat. Add the parsley and season with salt and pepper. Carve the turkey. Serve warm with the gravy.
Serves: 10 to 12

 

Shopping List
APPLE-BRINED AND BARBECUED TURKEY 

WITH BIG TIME GRAVY
1 large yellow onion
2 large carrots
2 celery stalks
1/2 ounce fresh Italian parsley
1 turkey, 10 to 12 lb, fresh or defrosted, preferably free range
1 cup plus 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons dried rosemary
2 tablespoons dried thyme
1 tablespoon dried sage
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 1/4 teaspoons ground black pepper
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 quarts apple juice
48 ounces (6 to 8 cups) reduced-sodium chicken stock
1/4 cup all -purpose    flour
4 small handfuls apple wood chips
1/3 cup dry white wine
cooler

large, sturdy plastic bag
large, disposable foil pans or roasting pan
instant read thermometer

Corn Pudding!

 

Today we celebrate the birthday of our good friend J.T. Madison.  J.T. is like the older brother you never had, and we are glad he showed up! He arrived while you were in high school and charmed us with his Italian dog, his Volvo and his music skills.  He took you on retreats at Covenant Harbor and Covenant Point, organized sick bands for VBS, lead the troops to Chic and taught you a few things about life and God along the way.  He lulled us into a stupor with his coffee making talent.  Then, he became a Dad and bewitched us with his darling daughter.  As a result we are hopelessly under the Madison Family spell!  Now, it is his birthday and probably the best gift I can give J.T. is my recipe for corn pudding.  I know he will love it, and take care of it, and raise Lily to be a corn pudding fan! Happy Birthday J.T.!  Eat it in good health!

Corn Pudding

1 can whole kernel corn

1 can cream style corn

2 pkgs, Jiffy cornbread mix

4 eggs, beaten

1 stick butter, softened

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

16 oz. carton sour cream

1/2 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Grease a large casserole dish.  In a large bowl add the cornbread mix to the corn, mix until moistened.  Add the eggs, butter, sour cream, sugar, salt and pepper.  Pour into the casserole dish.  Bake for 1 hour.  

This is a perfect side dish for grilled turkey!

Time and temperature can be adjusted to share the oven with other foods if needed. 

Baked Apple Doughnuts

 It is another beautiful autumn day!  The perfect day for baking something with apples!  When you were in high school at GBN I found a recipe that was perfect for a Saturday mornings like today.  You might have had a friend or two sleep over, and you almost certainly slept late.  That gave me time to bake a yummy breakfast treat.  I've been told that Grandma Warnygora made wonderful doughnuts from scratch.  Unfortunately, that is not one of my skills.  But these muffins have the wonderful flavor of apple doughnuts without all the fat from being cooked in oil.  Ty and Luke especially loved them, so if Luke was hanging out, these were a guaranteed hit! Have fun making and eating these "doughnuts"!

Baked Apple Doughnuts

1 1/2 cups flour

3/4 teaspoon salt or 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup shortening (I use butter)

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 cups finely chopped, unpeeled apples

1/2 cup sugar 

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Grease 24 muffin cups well; set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a medium bowl, stir together flour, salt, and baking soda; set aside.

In a large bowl, beat shortening with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.  Gradually add the 1 1/2 cups sugar, about 1/4 cup at a time, beating on medium speed until well combined, scraping sides of bowl often.  Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes more.  Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition.  Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk to shortening mixture, beating on low speed after each addition, just until combined.  Fold in apples.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full.  Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until dark golden brown and a wooden toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean.  Doughnuts will dip in the middle.  Cool in muffin pans on a wire rack for 15 minutes.  Loosen edges of the doughnuts with a thin spatula.  

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon.  Carefully remove doughnuts from muffin cups; doughnuts will be tender.  While still warm, roll doughnuts in the sugar mixture.  Serve warm.  Makes 24 doughnuts. 

Macaroni and cheese

 Our family went to Wauconda Farms on a beautiful fall day.  You both had fun climbing on this huge pile of pumpkins.  This year we have been enjoying a beautiful fall as well.  But today it is a cool and rainy fall day in Chicagoland.  I've just gotten home from a nice walk with Kim.  We walked to Starbucks, which is a very pleasant routine we got into over the summer.   Since I don't have to be to work until 11:00 we are able to start walking at 7:00, enjoy a nice long chat over coffee, walk home and still have time to do a few things at home before work.  This has become our guilty pleasure 3 days a week, if we are lucky!

Today we had walked about halfway to the Bucks when we noticed the sky seemed kinda dark.  And then we heard thunder.  We walked faster.  Luckily, we were seated at our cozy table with our steaming cups in our hands when the rain came pouring down!  By the time we finished our chat and our lovely beverages, the rain was letting up, although the sky was still dark.  We walked home at a brisk pace with thunder reminding us to hurry along.

Now, I'm snuggled under a blanket watching CNN as the Chilean miners are being rescued.  It's amazing to watch and I'm wishing I could stay right here all day.  Wow!  They have been trapped since before Ty's birthday!  I can't imagine being trapped underground for 69 or 70 days, with my claustrophobia I would have driven everyone crazy.  It is wonderful to see the men reunited with their families.  Even though I don't know any of these people, I find my eyes filling with tears each time another miner climbs out of the rescue capsule.  (Okay, I'm sure it is no surprise to either of you that your mother is crying about drama on TV!)

All this to say that this is the kind of day that makes me think of "comfort food".  That phrase means different things to different people.  For me it makes me think of foods I grew up with, like mashed potatoes or meatloaf.  Or maybe pizza, my all time favorite food.  But today my taste buds are wishing for macaroni and cheese.  And not the stuff from the blue box!  I'm talking about homemade.  A few years ago I found a good recipe that is easy to make and has the cheesy goodness you expect from a classic mac-n-cheese!

Macaroni and Cheese with Buttery Crumbs

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

2 1/2 cups half and half or whole milk*

1 pound cheddar cheese, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1/2 pound Colby cheese, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard*

pinch of nutmeg

pinch of cayenne pepper

salt and pepper

1 pound macaroni

2 tablespoons butter

3/4 cup plain dry bread crumbs

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a shallow 2 quart baking dish.  Begin cooking macaroni in a large pot, according to package directions.  Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan.  Add the flour and cook over low heat for 2 minutes stirring constantly.  Add the milk and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until thickened, about 3 minutes.  Add half of the cheddar and Colby cheeses and cook over low heat, stirring, until melted.  Stir in the  mustard, nutmeg and cayenne; season with the salt and pepper.  

Drain the cooked macaroni and return to the pot.  Add the cheese sauce and the remaining cheese and stir until combined.  Spread the macaroni in the prepared baking dish.

In a small glass bowl, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a microwave.  Add the bread crumbs, season with salt and pepper and stir until evenly moistened.  Sprinkle the buttered crumbs over the macaroni and bake for 45 minutes, or until bubbling and golden on top.  Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.  Serves 6.

*I use skim milk.

*I use 1/2 tablespoon of Dijon mustard.

This is a great dish to bring to a potluck and the leftovers are great!  I wonder what the rescued miners will be choosing for their first hot meal?  I'm praying that they are enjoying good food, family and peace in their hearts tonight.

First Day of Fall!- My Favorite Apple Crisp

It's the first day of fall!  I have mixed feelings about fall.  I enjoy the beauty of autumn, but it is such a short season and seems to be just an opening act before freezing cold winter.   I'm not a fan of winter,  which will be here all too soon. On the bright side; at least the skunks will hibernate in winter! So, I will enjoy the high 80 degree temps today and try not to waste to much time worrying about winter's chill. We have some great fall memories, here is a photo of the two of you enjoying Ty's first fall!

A partial list of some of the things I like about fall:

* colorful trees (so beautiful)

* crunchy leaves (like music for walking)

* pumpkins (ready to be carved or baked up)

* apple picking (and eating, yummy)

* hayrides (a farm/childhood memory)

* squirrels hiding nuts (wonder how they find them again?)

* a big orange harvest moon (looks so amazing, thanks God!)

* apple cider (tangy)

* Halloween (little kids dressed in costumes & all that candy)

* corduroy (love the feel, so bumpy)

* chai tea (a cozy drink on a cool day)

* acorns falling from trees (don't let them hit you on the head)

* bonfires with s'mores (warm + toasty = sticky goodness)

* honking geese flying south (glad to see them go!)

* apple crisp (an autumn favorite!)

My Favorite Apple Crisp

I believe an apple crisp is a little better with several types of apples, don't be afraid to mix it up.  If you have 2 or 3 varieties of baking apples to mix together you will create a delicious crisp.  Only one type on hand?  No problem!  Granny Smith and McIntosh are both great for baking!

3 (or 4) large apples, peeled, cored and sliced

1/2 cup white sugar

cinnamon

1/2 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup flour

1/2 cup oatmeal

1/2 cup brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease an 8" or 9" baking dish and fill with sliced apples, you can add more if your dish has room.  Sprinkle with white sugar and cinnamon.  

In a mixing bowl, cut butter into the flour, mix in the oatmeal and brown sugar.  Crumble this mixture over the apples and bake for 45 minutes.  

This recipe doubles easily. 

Sometimes I make extra topping because it is so yummy.  

I enjoy eating this apple crisp warm, Ty seems to like it cold, and Dad and Em just like it!

Wacky Cake

My friend Kim, who is always full of good ideas, told me about something she is doing with her mother-in-law.  Kim came across a booklet with  a "life inventory", which is a list of questions often used by hospice workers to help people look back on their life.  Kim is using it as a way to get to know her mother in law better.  They live far apart so Kim sends one question in an email and Alan's mom thinks about it and sends back her response.

I thought this would be a great way to learn more about my own father and your Grandmother, Fern.  So I am emailing them questions and they are emailing back their answers.  I am printing out the emails and keeping them in a binder, as a record of our "conversations".  We are only on the 2nd question, it's going to be a slow process, but very interesting for me!

The first question I asked them was "What is your earliest memory as a young child?"  I used my own answer to that question in my post about Grandma Renshaw.  I thought from time to time I might use the questions in my blog to tell you more about me.  The second question asks to "describe your family, brothers, sisters, etc."  This could take a long time to answer!  However, I thought it might be fun to give you a quick look back at my sibs as I recall them from our childhood.

Our family had 4 children; Charles Lee, Janice Elaine, Shirley Marie & me, Lori Beth.  I have always thought of our family as 2 separate families because Chuck and Janice are separated from Shirley and me by six years.

Chuck is 10 years older than me.  The only boy in a house with 3 sisters and one bathroom!  I remember the stories he told me, designed to keep me from using the bathroom too long:
*the strange mark in the bottom of our bathtub was left by Grandpa  Renshaw's foot after he stayed in the tub too long and his foot started to attach to the tub!
*the water from the bathroom taps is "witches water", don't drink it, it will make you sick!
*if you sit on the toilet too long the devil will reach up and pull you in!
It's amazing I ever went into the bathroom!
We lived in a big old farmhouse, Shirley and I would get sent to bed first at night since we were the youngest.  I would lie in bed and listen to the sounds of the house, the TV downstairs, quiet voices talking, the occasional creak of an old house. Chuck would come up the stairs to use the bathroom snapping his fingers and clapping his hands in a rhythmic way, or taking the stairs 2 at time, then going back down the steps in 1 big jump.  Sometimes we would hear a creaking noise and lie in bed terrified, was it just the house or was Chuck sneaking up to scare us?  Suddenly in our doorway was what looked like a huge gorilla! It was Chuck with the back of his shirt pulled up over his head, arms swinging, knuckles dragging, jumping about, making ape noises.  Shirley and I would scream in fright and pull the covers up over our heads!!!
Chuck graduated from high school when I was 8 years old, in 1968.

Janice is 8 years older than me.  She was the "perfect" older sister.  Perfect hair, great clothes, pretty nails.  She had a watch, a manicure set, read teenage magazines, etc, etc, etc.  She had a shower cap, set her hair on big plastic rollers and used a hairdryer with a hose, so grown up!  She had her own perfect room and we weren't allowed in very often. She had a boyfriend.  She got good grades, had the coolest notebooks and really neat-o handwriting. She did things we were to young to do.  I wanted to be grown up like her!

But...... could she crack a whip! Shirley and I hated it when Mom put Janice in charge of cleaning up after meals.  She watched to make sure every dish was clean and dry, or back in the sink it would go until we "little girls" got it right.  Shirley and I would try to get out of helping when Janice was in charge by going to the bathroom.  Whoever got there first, stayed until the dishes were done, which left the other one to deal with Janice on their own!
Janice graduated from high school when I was 10 years old, in 1970.
Janice and Chuck both got married in the summer of 1972 when I was 12.

Shirley is 2 years older than me.  Since we lived on a farm with no other kids nearby, Shirley and I were everyday playmates and best friends. We did most everything together.  We helped Mom together in the house. No electric washer for us, Mom had a ringer washing machine! Plus, Mom grew her own vegetables and canned everything, including chickens! At least we didn't have to churn our own butter! We helped Dad with the chores, gathering eggs, feeding the cattle, and slopping the hogs. We worked pretty hard for little girls!
But we had plenty of time to play and very active imaginations. In the summer we played house in the grove of trees around our farm.  In the fall we raked leaves into elaborate floor plans on the lawn and continued playing house.  In the winter we played outside in the snow till our fingers and toes were numb!  When the weather was bad we spent hours cutting out paper dolls from the enormous Sears catalog.  I'm so glad I had a big sister who loved to play!
Shirley graduated from high school when I was 16 years old, in 1976.
Mom died later that same year.
I graduated from high school in 1978.  Dad and I got married in 1982.
Shirley got married in February of 1988, when Emily was 1 year old.

Wacky Cake

This is a simple cake that Mom often asked us to make. Even little girls couldn't mess it up! 

3 cups flour

2 cups sugar

2 tablespoon cocoa

2 teaspoon soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoon vinegar

3/4 cup oil

2 cups water

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Sift dry ingredients into a greased 9X13 cake pan.  Make 3 depressions.  In one put the vanilla, another the vinegar and in the last one the oil.  Pour water over all.  Mix well with a fork.  Bake for 30 minutes.

We interrupt this blog for the Twins baseball season!

As you know the Minnesota Twins are enjoying a great season!  Your father is enjoying it too!  Since he has access to games on MLB.com, he is online most evenings cheering for the home team.  Which means, now that school is back in session, I have limited time to work on my blog.  I will try to sneak a few posts in during the season but until the end of the World Series my time will be limited!  Meanwhile, grab a hotdog, tune in to the game and "cheer for the Minnesota Twins today!" Go Twins!!!