Turkey Pot Pie, Tiramisu and Turkey Frame Soup

Dinner tonight is Turkey Pot Pie. I make it exactly like Chicken Pot Pie but use Turkey (imagine that)LOL.

After dinner, I made Tiramisu to take to Amy's for dinner tomorrow.  Both Amy and Frank love Tiramisu and it is relatively easy to make.  I adapted my version from this recipe found on allrecipes.com.  You will find my version of this recipe below.

 

Place 6 egg yolks into a large saucepan.

Reserve the whites for another day.

We will have egg white vegetable omelets in the morning.

That should make up for Lasagna and Tiramisu for dinner LOL.

 

 

Add the sugar.

 

 

Whisk together.

Turn on heat to medium.

 

 

Add the milk and stir continuously until it comes to a boil.

Cook and Stir for one more minute.

 

 

It will become fluffy and turn into this beautiful golden yellow color.

Cool slightly and then refrigerate for 1 hour.

 

 

Whisk the Mascarpone into the cooled egg yolk mixture.

 

 

Whip together the cream and vanilla.

 

 

Place a layer of cookies on the bottom of the serving dish.

You may have to break them to make them fit.

Retain any pieces.

 

 

Mix together coffee and Kahlua

 

 

Pour half the coffee mixture over the cookies.

 

 

Add a layer of Mascarpone mixture.

 

 

A layer of Whipped Cream

 

 

Sprinkle with cocoa

 

 

Make a second series of layers, piecing cookies together as needed.

Refrigerate for at least 6 hours and up to 2 days before serving.

Tiramisu

6 egg yolks
3/4 c. sugar
2/3 c. milk
1 1/4 c. heavy cream
1/2 t. vanilla
1 carton Mascarpone cheese
1 c. coffee at room temperature
1/4 c. Kahlua
Soft Ladyfinger Cookies
2 t. unsweetened Cocoa

Whisk yolks and sugar in med. saucepan until well blended.  Whisk in milk and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.  Allow to boil gently for one minute while continuing to whisk. Cool, cover and place in refrigerator for an hour.  Once cooled whisk the Mascarpone cheese in until smooth.

Beat the cream and vanilla in a large bowl with the whisk of a stand mixer until peaks form.

Mix the coffee and Kahlua into a shallow bowl. Dip the lady fingers in this mixture and then place into your serving piece.  I am using an 8x8 pyrex dish but I have doubled the recipe and used a 9x13
pan and I have also used a trifle bowl and placed the ladyfingers on the bottom and stood them up around the sides.

This is best made the day before but always chill for at least 6 hrs. before serving to allow the flavors to blend. Print Recipe

I also started my Turkey Frame Soup.  I threw the turkey frame, neck, skin, and scraps into my stockpot added an onion, parsley, a carrot and a stalk of celery.  Brought this to a boil and reduced the heat to low.  I will let it simmer while we have dinner and I make the Tiramisu and then it will go outside (It is in the 30's here) to cool off and be continued tomorrow.

Tune in tomorrow for the rest of this recipe and to just say "Hey".....Have a great night all!!

Welcome Advent and Weekly Menu

Tomorrow marks the first day of Advent.  This is the latest that Advent can start.  We have less than 4 weeks until Christmas....where does the time go???

I put away all the Thanksgiving stuff and put out my Advent Wreath and a few winter decorations.  We will slowly start getting ready for Christmas, each day adding a little more.  The entire house will be decorated by December 15th when we celebrate Mom's birthday and Santa comes to visit all the great grandkids.

We will be using up a lot of Thanksgiving leftovers this week.

Sunday we are going to another "Toys for Tots" benefit and then Amy is having us over for dinner.  She is making Lasagna and I am bringing Tiramisu for dessert.

Monday I have a Parish Council Meeting. We are going to have Turkey Frame Soup so that we can all eat whenever we have time.

Tuesday I am going to Advent by Candlelight.  Frank and Mom will have Leftovers.

Friday we are taking John and Kirsten to Christmas Catechism and will have dinner beforehand.

 



 So here is the Weekly Menu:

Saturday
Turkey Pot Pie

Sunday
Tiramisu for dinner at  Amy and Doug's.

Monday
Turkey Frame Soup

Tuesday
Leftovers for Frank and Mom

Wednesday
Taco Casserole

Thursday
Italian Sausages with Peppers and Onions
Pasta Marinara

Friday
Out with John and Kirsten before show

Remember to stop by each day for recipes and pics!!  And check out MPM for more great menus.

Goodbye Thanksgiving, Welcome Advent

****This is the last day of the 30 Days of Thanksgiving Challenge****

 

Tomorrow marks the first day of Advent.  What I like about the season of Advent is that it allows me an opportunity to reflect on what we are really waiting for, the coming of our dear Lord, Jesus.  When I reflect on Advent, if only for the few moments it takes us to pray and light our Advent Candle each evening at dinner, it minimizes the commercialism and brings home that we our waiting with great anticipation to celebrate the birth of our Savior.



So I pack away my Fall stuff that reminds me of all that I have.

Very Thankful!!!

 



 

 

We won't pull out all of our Christmas decorations yet.  We will start slowly with some of the items we use to celebrate Advent and some Winter decorations. We will add to this a little at a time until, Mom's birthday on the 13th of December. This will be the day the tree goes up and gets decorated and the basement decorations are completed so that we can celebrate with all the family on Sunday, December 15th.  Rumor has it that a special guest will be making an appearance for all the great grandkids to meet.  HOHOHO!!

 

The Advent Wreath takes a place of honor in the center of the kitchen table.

Yes, I know it is not a wreath but I fell in love with this Advent Cross.

 



 

 And there we have it.....on this last day of the Thanksgiving Challenge I am very, very Thankful for the Promise of our Salvation.  May God Bless each and every one of you as you prepare for His coming.

 

I would like to offer a special prayer of Thanks for Paula of Smidgens, Snippets and Bits for hosting this challenge.

 

Day after Thanksgiving Turkey Tetrazzini

****This is part of the 30 Days of Thanksgiving Challenge****

One of my favorite things about Thanksgiving are the leftovers.  Of course, we love the leftover turkey and cranberry sandwiches but I also love repurposing the leftovers so that it makes a completely new dish.

Tonight, Frank's brother and sister in law are joining us for dinner.  We are having Turkey Tetrazzini and Caesar Salad.  It is a delicious dish that can be made with either leftover chicken or turkey. It can be put together this morning and baked before dinner tonight which gives Frank and I time to enjoy our day together while Nancy is here with Mom.

 

Saute mushrooms and garlic in a large sauté pan until juices are released and garlic is fragrant.

As always I season each layer with salt and pepper as I go.

 

 

Remove mushrooms and garlic from pan and set aside.

Add the wine and stir picking up all the little pieces of mushroom and garlic stuck to the pan.

 

 

The wine will reduce and thicken, looking like this after a minute or two.

 

 

Add butter to pan and allow to melt over medium heat.

 

 

Once the butter has melted add flour and whisk until smooth and slightly brown.

I now season this layer with salt and pepper.

I also added a little nutmeg, just a dash.

It is not called for in the recipe but when I got out the salt and pepper the nutmeg seed was staring me in the face.

 

 

Gradually whisk in the broth until it is smooth and starting to thicken.

 

 

Whisk in the cream and return the onions to the pan.

It will look like cream of mushroom soup.

 

 

Add the turkey and noodles.

At this point, if you are using an oven proof pan, you can sprinkle on the cheese and put it right in the oven until brown, about 20 min.

 

 

If you are not baking it until later and/or you are having company and want to place the casserole on the table you will transfer it from the pan to a casserole sprayed with olive oil. 

If the casserole is refrigerated it will take about 30 minutes to heat through and brown.

 

 

 

 

Turkey Tetrazinni

2 c. cooked Turkey Breast cut into bite size pieces
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, Minced
1/4 c.+1 T. butter
1/4 c. flour
2 c. chicken broth
1 c. half and half
1/4 c. white wine
1 lb. Fettuccine Noodles, cooked according to package directions.
1/3 c. Parmesan Cheese

Saute mushrooms and garlic in 1 T. butter over medium heat until mushrooms have released their liquid and garlic is fragrant.  Remove from pan, retaining any juices in the pan and set aside. 

Melt 1/4 c. butter in same pan.  Add 1/4 c. flour and whisk until smooth and slightly brown.   Add the wine and stir releasing any bits stuck to the pan.  Add the chicken broth, whisking until smooth.  Blend in the half and half and whisk until slightly thickened.  Add the Turkey and the reserved mushroom and garlic to sauce. 

Combine Pasta and Turkey mixture in a 2 qt. casserole.  Sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese and bake at 350* for 30 Minutes.  Print Recipe

So we had leftover pie for breakfast.  A plate of leftover everything for lunch.  And dinner was made with leftover turkey.  So today I am very Thankful for leftovers!!

Family, Friends and You....

****This is part of the 30 Days of Thanksgiving Challenge****

 

 

I know I mentioned when this challenge first started that while I was, of course, Thankful for my Family and Friends, I was going to talk about other things for which I was grateful.  And I have.  But today....on this Thanksgiving Day.....I cannot NOT talk about how Thankful I am for the people in our lives.

 

We started this morning by going over to Frank's sister's house for coffee and a visit with her, her husband and Mom Klik.  I made a Cinnamon Apple Pie Bread to have with our coffee and we had a nice visit.

 

We have spoken to all our kids.  Chuck and Kyle are making dinner for Kyle's family. Nicole and Pierre are having a quiet day at home, she is putting a Turkey breast in the oven.  Amy and Doug are going to his Dad's and then stopping by here for Dessert.  Tony is having dinner with his Mom and then coming by for Dessert.

 

And I just want to say that I am Thankful to you, my readers, who listen to me vent and share my successes and failures with me.  I hope you all have a very Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Happy Thanksgiving

 

Thanksgiving Menu

Roast Turkey

 

Stuffing

 

Kielbasa

 

Sauerkraut

 

Parmesan Smashed Potatoes

Candied Sweet Potatoes

 

Cranberry Sauce

 

Garlic Green Beans

Buttered Corn

Desserts

Pumpkin Pie

 

Apple Pie

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanksgiving Recipes

Roast Turkey
My Turkey was so large this year that I had to have Frank cut it in half.
Therefore, this recipe is not going to be my traditional stuffed turkey.
As always I work with what I have in the freezer and pantry as much as possible.
Today it is half a turkey.

Stuffing
I always start with Pepperidge Farms Herb Seasoned Stuffing and doctor it up.
I placed the Stuffing into a makeshift casserole made from aluminum foil.
Draped the Turkey right over the stuffing.
Massaged the Turkey with Olive Oil and salt and pepper.
Covered the whole thing with foil and put it in the oven at 350*.
After 3.5 hours I will check for an internal temperature of 160*.

Roast Fresh Kielbasa
I use a local butcher, Richmond Meat Packers, to process my hogs and cows.
They do a wonderful job making sausage and smoking the hams.

Chunk half a large onion and place in Roaster.

Add Kielbasa Links and a little water to cover bottom of Pan.

Roast at 350* for 1 hour and 15 min.

Sauerkraut
I will be using this recipe without adding the Kielbasa.

Cranberry Sauce
I can't remember where I got this recipe but it is easy peasy and good.

Candied Sweet Potatoes
My own recipe except that today I had to measure stuff before I threw it in.

Parmesan Smashed Potatoes

This recipe by Ina Garten is delicious and the best I have found for making potatoes ahead of time.
It seems like with that much liquid your potatoes will be runny but they will be perfect.
 To reheat them for dinner the next day bake at 400* for 20-30 minutes.
The topping should be brown and the potatoes heated through.

Garlic Green Beans
Another easy peasy recipe that only takes a minute before dinner.

Candied Sweet Potatoes 

4 lg. Sweet Potatoes

3/4 c. Half and Half

1/4 c. Butter

1/4 c. Brown Sugar

Miniature Marshmallows

Peel Potatoes and cut into quarters.  Boil in salted water until potatoes are tender.  Drain and Place in large bowl of stand mixer.  Add remaining ingredients except Marshmallows.  Mix on low speed until well combined.  Transfer to casserole.  Top with Marshmallows.  Bake at 350* for 30 minutes or until Marshmallows are melted and brown and potatoes are heated through.  Print Recipe

Cranberry Sauce

1 bag fresh cranberries
1 cup orange juice
1/2 c. sugar

Place all ingredients into a large saucepan and bring to boil.  Turn heat to medium high and gently boil until cranberries pop and split.  Pour into bowl and chill for at least 3 hrs before serving.
Print Recipe

Stuffing

1 pkg. Herb Seasoned Stuffing Mix
1/2 stick Butter
1 stalk celery
1/2 large onion
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup raisins
1 apple, peeled, cored and chopped.
2 c. Chicken Broth

Melt butter in large sauté pan, and vegetables and fruit.  Saute for 5 or 6 minutes. Add Chicken Broth and turn off heat.  Place Stuffing Mix into bowl (if stuffing turkey) or into a buttered casserole if not stuffing turkey.  Pour chicken broth mixture over stuffing and mix together. Print Recipe

Garlic Green Beans

1 lb Fresh Green Beans, cleaned and trimmed
1/2 cup water
2 T. Butter
1 clove garlic, minced

Place green beans and water into a large fry pan.  Bring to a boil and cook until water is evaporated and beans are crisp tender.  Add Butter and Garlic and stir fry browning the beans slightly.
Print Recipe

What do you do with a 35# Turkey????

There are only going to be 5 of us for Thanksgiving Dinner this year...so what do I do??.....I grow monster turkeys and end up with the largest at 35 pounds!!!

I had no idea what I was going to do with a bird this large so I asked Frank if he could cut it in half and we could have half for Thanksgiving and half for Christmas.  Two 17 pound turkeys would be much better than one 35 pound turkey.

So....that is what he did.....

 

He started with a Butcher knife but it didn't take long to figure out that was not going to work.

 

So he went into the garage and got his saw.

 

That made short work of it.

 

Before you knew it he was done.

 

Except for washing the saw.

 

And now I have 2 turkeys. 

 The halves are still too large to fit into a roasting pan.

So I will use the pan insert for my large chafing pan.

Weekly Goal Wednesday, Waiting for Thanksgiving

One good thing about the puppy getting up every day at 4:30 or 5 is that it gives me plenty of opportunity to spend some quiet time with my Lord.


Each Morning

Time with my Lord

Make Bed
I know this sounds like a no brainer but there are many days I jump out of bed at a run and never get back to it.  My goal is to take the minute and a half each day to do this before I start running.

Floss/brush/shower

Swish and Swipe

Empty dishwasher/Load breakfast dishes

Laundry

Straighten House

I did pretty good on last weeks goals:

Exercise at least 5 days for at least 30 minutes each time (I did 4 days)

Purchase 2 more Christmas gifts

Work on Wine Tote

Finish Casserole Cover and Brownie Mix for inside

Mail Cookie Exchange Invitations

Mail Santa Party Invitations

 Read 2 Chapters of Cooked

This Week's Goals

Enjoy Thanksgiving remembering what this day is all about.

Work on Christmas Cards

Buy or make covers for the jars of preserves I am giving out as gifts.

Exercise at least 5 days for at least 30 minutes each time.

Finish goals not completed last week.


Today was spent preparing for Thanksgiving. I downloaded some Advent Music onto my I touch so I could listen as I worked.  I know it is not Advent yet but it is much closer to Advent than to Christmas.

My table is set.  My pies are made. Last minute shopping is done. The house is straightened (except for dog toys and of course a quick run of the vacuum in the morning to get rid of dog hair).

 

When it is time for Pie I am going to use these beautiful dessert plates that Mom Klik gave me for Christmas a couple of years ago.  I love them!!

 

Linking up with Money Saving Mom's Weekly Goals.

Windy Wednesday

****This is part of the 30 Days of Thanksgiving Challenge****

Well, we got a short reprieve with the weather yesterday but today it is once again coooold and blustery out there.

We are going to have a Wonderful Wednesday anyway. You ask what makes it such a Wonderful Wednesday?  Well let me tell you.......

First and foremost, Frank has no meetings scheduled for today so that means, unless he gets an emergency phone call, we can spend the day together and he will be here to help me get ready for our Thanksgiving Celebration.

Secondly, it is Linda Benda's birthday.  We are going to take her out for a late breakfast and give her a gift that I found at my local gift shop, Seasons.

 

 I love what I got her so I know she will love it too.

And last but not least, I get to spend the rest of the day in the kitchen, which as you all know is one of my favorite things to do.  So bring on the wind and the cold because it is going to be all cozy and warm in my little house

Tuesday Turkey Delivery

Yesterday the Turkeys walked the "Green Mile" to assist us with our Thanksgiving Celebration.

 

 

This morning I picked them up and took them to their new homes.

 

 

They barely fit in the trunk. 

The smallest turkey was 22.9 lbs and the largest was 34.6 lbs.

Frank took the smallest one over to his sister's for their dinner.

 

 

I went to Dick and Jackie's and dropped theirs off.

They had left a cooler on the porch for me.

 

 

It wasn't quite big enough.

 

 

Then I took one over to my friend Jean.

 

 

Kirsten was happy to take custody of hers.

Kim is flying and Kurt was not home.

 I put theirs in a  cooler in my driveway for Kurt to pick up after work.

 

 

And this is ours.

I think I am going to have Frank cut it in half.

I think a 35 lb turkey is a little too large for the 5 of us!!!

 

So today, for the 30 Days of Thanksgiving Challenge, I am Thankful for Abundance.