Showing posts with label occassion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label occassion. Show all posts
May 18, 2009
Happy Victoria Day :)
Happy birthday to the late Queen Victoria, who took the throne at the tender age of 18 and then ruled until she died. Now there's job security for you ;)
My six year old and I, with the help of the internet, did a quick lesson in the British monarchy, from a look at old paintings of Victoria, to new photographs of Harry and William. Queen Elizabeth II, who is "the alive queen right now", was referred to as "very beautiful!" by my jewel-obsessed daughter.
Gotta run... must make lunch for my little Queen & her brother. Have a nice Victoria Day :)
My six year old and I, with the help of the internet, did a quick lesson in the British monarchy, from a look at old paintings of Victoria, to new photographs of Harry and William. Queen Elizabeth II, who is "the alive queen right now", was referred to as "very beautiful!" by my jewel-obsessed daughter.
Gotta run... must make lunch for my little Queen & her brother. Have a nice Victoria Day :)
Apr 12, 2009
Cold Water Defrosting
One thing I forgot to mention about my favourite defrosting method using a cooler is that because the cooler keeps the water very cold (so, very safe), it takes twice as long. It's still faster than fridge defrosting, but not quite as fast as cold water defrosting in the sink or bathtub (which is not quite as safe).
Bottom line is that we have a bird that needs to go in the oven in about :90, and the cavity that I'm supposed to stuff maybe be frozen solid still.
sigh.
The moral of the story? If it's the day before and you've forgotten to start defrosting like I did, send your husband out to buy a ham instead ;)
Bottom line is that we have a bird that needs to go in the oven in about :90, and the cavity that I'm supposed to stuff maybe be frozen solid still.
sigh.
The moral of the story? If it's the day before and you've forgotten to start defrosting like I did, send your husband out to buy a ham instead ;)
Apr 11, 2009
Turkey Business
Me? Cook a turkey? sigh. Ok, I'll try again.
I've actually done it twice before and all have emerged alive ('cept for the turkey of course). Tomorrow is Easter Sunday, which calls for something. Many people do ham, which is a heck of a lot safer, lol. But noooo... I have to tempt the Food Safe Gods yet again and cook another bird.
So, for my review and benefit (and for those of you in my shoes), here's an overview:
Cold Water Thawing:
About :30 per pound. Turkey must be in leak proof packaging, and water must be kept clean and cold (changing every half hour is a good idea).
At the moment mine is still in its plastic wrap, double bagged in garbage bags, in a cooler full of cold water in the bathtub. I love this method. You close the lid of the cooler which keeps the floating turkey UNDER the water, and the insulation of the cooler keeps the water at a safe temperature. To change to water, simply open the drain at the bottom of the cooler, and then refill once the old water has drained out.
They recommend cooking cold water thawed turkey immediately because the conditions are not temperature controlled, but I've put the bird back in the fridge before cooking it. Mind you, I use the cooler which keeps the water cold, and I check on it constantly. (Believe me, I'm paranoid.)
Cooking:
About :20 per pound (assuming it's properly thawed ;) Rinse out the cavity, stuff it and close it with skewers. Cover with foil in the beginning (remove near the end to brown).
Note: only put the stuffing into the cavity immediately before the turkey goes in the oven - never pre-stuff the bird and let it sit in the fridge. Supposedly that's really dangerous. I've also heard that you shouldn't mix the dry and wet ingredients of the stuffing (assuming you're making home-made) together until the last minute either. Who knows. I'm sure there are people who have done this and been just fine (or who wondered what their stomach pains were from later ;) but I always err on the side of caution.
Happy Easter cooking!!
I've actually done it twice before and all have emerged alive ('cept for the turkey of course). Tomorrow is Easter Sunday, which calls for something. Many people do ham, which is a heck of a lot safer, lol. But noooo... I have to tempt the Food Safe Gods yet again and cook another bird.
So, for my review and benefit (and for those of you in my shoes), here's an overview:
Cold Water Thawing:
About :30 per pound. Turkey must be in leak proof packaging, and water must be kept clean and cold (changing every half hour is a good idea).
At the moment mine is still in its plastic wrap, double bagged in garbage bags, in a cooler full of cold water in the bathtub. I love this method. You close the lid of the cooler which keeps the floating turkey UNDER the water, and the insulation of the cooler keeps the water at a safe temperature. To change to water, simply open the drain at the bottom of the cooler, and then refill once the old water has drained out.
They recommend cooking cold water thawed turkey immediately because the conditions are not temperature controlled, but I've put the bird back in the fridge before cooking it. Mind you, I use the cooler which keeps the water cold, and I check on it constantly. (Believe me, I'm paranoid.)
Cooking:
About :20 per pound (assuming it's properly thawed ;) Rinse out the cavity, stuff it and close it with skewers. Cover with foil in the beginning (remove near the end to brown).
Note: only put the stuffing into the cavity immediately before the turkey goes in the oven - never pre-stuff the bird and let it sit in the fridge. Supposedly that's really dangerous. I've also heard that you shouldn't mix the dry and wet ingredients of the stuffing (assuming you're making home-made) together until the last minute either. Who knows. I'm sure there are people who have done this and been just fine (or who wondered what their stomach pains were from later ;) but I always err on the side of caution.
Happy Easter cooking!!
Mar 17, 2009
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