Turkey Tools

Ah... Thanksgiving... fun with food and family, right? I was lucky growing up because we really did go to my grandmother's house, thru the woods but not over the river, and had a big splashy Thanksgiving with tons of food and lots of family. It never occurred to me that people didn't know how to cook a turkey with all the fixin's.  How's about a quick primer for the newbies and a reminder for the old pros?

Hands down my favorite Thankgiving tool is the book, Thanksgiving 101.

  

It's terrific. He has everything you need to know, laid out in an easy to follow format, including recipes, times lines, menus, and tons of Q and A. Even if all you've ever made are grilled cheese sandwiches, you can probably do a Thanksgiving with this little gem. Just do exactly what he says.

One thing you really need, tho, is an excellent roasting pan. I got mine years ago and I use it for many things and not just turkey. I have the stunning Bauen-Pagoda Home Restaurant Deep Lasagne Pan with Roast Rack. It's been worth every penny but it was quite a purchase at the time. Mostly you want a heavy duty, stainless steel, big and deep pan, with a roasting rack. I like that mine has handles that can fold down so it's easier to store.

You'll need a bunch of prep bowls also. I really love these heavy, stainless bowls. I have a ton of them. These deep ones with flat bottoms are perfect. Use them for making your dinner rolls, mixing the stuffing, and all kinds of veggie prep.

Speaking of dinner rolls.... does everyone know about Saf Instant Yeast, 1 Pound Pouch? It's spectacular compressed yeast that lasts forever and is a great price. You'll never bother with those little 3-packs at the store once you try Saf Instant Yeast. I keep it in the fridge and measure it out when I need it. So easy and a great savings.

Of course you'll need your pie accoutrements.... Pyrex Easy Grab 9-1/2-Inch Pie Plate, Mrs. Anderson's Baking Ceramic Pie Weights, and a Fox Run Marble Rolling Pin and Base.

And probably your best friend thru your cooking day?  You got it...

Believe me, you'll need more than just one the on your stove if you are cooking up a storm. I broke one recently but I think my record was that I had three of these timers... in addition to the built in ones on the stove and the microwave.

I really like this one because it's easy to set, I can see it across the room, and it has a magnet and a clip on the back. So it's easy to clip onto my shirt or stick on the fridge if I have several things going at once. Plus it takes a lot to kill one of these... don't ask me how I know this. 

For me the best thing about Thanksgiving wasn't the actual sit down dinner - but all the good time we all had cooking.....and then later that night or the next morning when we dragged out all the food and had leftovers. Nothing beats a turkey sandwich from Thanksgiving.

It was funny because recently someone - you know of whom I speak - reminded me of one of my favorite childhood memories. I revisited that fun thing when I had my happy baking day earlier this week. I intentionally made too much pie crust just so I could do this...

You see, B., I miss my grandma too and she used to make these also. Sweet little roll up treats from left over pie crust dough. Probably one of my favorite things.

Happy Thursday everyone! Are you ready for Thanksgiving? You only have two weeks left!

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