Best. Turkey. Ever.

Seriously. I am working on Thanksgiving, so Justin and I had our own little "Thanksgiving" dinner today. I tried a new recipe when I made our turkey today and it turned out amazing! It is a little time consuming, but well worth it. The meat comes out extremely moist and with just the right amount of flavor. SO GOOD!



Perfect Turkey
I used a 13 lb turkey and just adjusted the amount of ingredients a little.

1 (18 pound) whole turkey, neck and giblets removed
2 cups kosher salt
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 large onions, peeled and chopped
4 carrots, peeled and chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1 cup dry white wine

1.Rub the turkey inside and out with the kosher salt. Place the bird in a large stock pot, and cover with cold water. Place in the refrigerator, and allow the turkey to soak in the salt and water mixture 12 hours, or overnight.
2.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Thoroughly rinse the turkey, and discard the brine mixture.
3.Brush the turkey with 1/2 the melted butter. Place breast side down on a roasting rack in a shallow roasting pan. Stuff the turkey cavity with 1 onion, 1/2 the carrots, 1/2 the celery, 1 sprig of thyme, and the bay leaf. Scatter the remaining vegetables and thyme around the bottom of the roasting pan, and cover with the white wine.
4.Roast uncovered 3 1/2 to 4 hours in the preheated oven, until the internal temperature of the thigh reaches 180 degrees F (85 degrees C). Carefully turn the turkey breast side up about 2/3 through the roasting time, and brush with the remaining butter. Allow the bird to stand about 30 minutes before carving.

Original Recipe

~Kiss The Cook

Polish Pierogies and Kielbasa

Original Recipe

This is pretty much the only Polish recipe I know, but it is definitely something we make on a regular basis. The whole dinner takes about 15 minutes. Easy!

Ingredients:

1 med sliced onion
2 Tbsp butter (can sub olive oil - diary free)
1 pkg Mrs.T's Pierogies (we like the Potato and Onion ones - diary free)
1 lb. smoked kielbasa, sliced

Directions:

Saute onions in butter until tender.
Add frozen pierogies and kielbasa and saute 6-8 minutes, stirring pierogies and kielbasa pieces to brown on both sides.

~The Mess Maker

Penne Fume

Hello All! I'm Ardent Tart, a nickname that my husband picked out for me based on my...ahem...fiery disposition and my weird obsession with making pies and tarts. (Seriously...if I can put it in a pie shell, I will try it) I promise to regal you with the misadventures in baking soon, but I figured I would start with one of my regular old stand-byes.

My Mom has been making this pasta dish for years, and it is amazing. Guaranteed to make you heart ache from the richness, but so worth it. I recommend no more than once a month, and preferably as the end of a week so you don't have think about how many point you've already spent during the week. I've made a few modifications based on what I think is better and my personal preference for super spicy food.

Without further ado, I give you....Penne Fume

1 package of bacon, chopped into bite size pieces
1 8oz container of sour cream (low-fat is okay)
2 6oz cans of tomato paste
1 half-pint of heavy whipping cream
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
2 tsp of cayenne (I usually put in 2 tablespoons, but again, I like my food really spicy, you can adjust the amount up or down based on your personal preference)
Penne Noodles

Cut the bacon up before you cook it. Fry in a heavy-bottom pot until it done the way you like it, but I've found that closer to crisp works best. Drain the bacon and return to low heat. Add the tomato paste and sour cream, stiring vigorously. Stir in the heavy whipping cream and mix well. Add in the spices (you can do this in steps to make sure it doesn't get too spicy for your liking) and allow the sauce to heat up. Be careful that you don't get it too hot as it can curdle the dairy. Serve over penne noodles, and enjoy!

Later gators!
--Ardent Tart