Thanksgiving Dinner - Roast Turkey

It's time to make plans for Thanksgiving dinner. I'm a traditional person, so we always have turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes/gravy, candied sweet potatoes, salad, cloverleaf rolls, pumpkin and/or apple pie. MMMmmmm! Makes me hungry just thinking about it. This picture was from last year, it was a small turkey, about 12 lbs. If you look closely you can see that I left it in the oven too long. The meat has pulled away from the leg bones. But the color of the turkey is very nice. It was still very juicy and moist.

I'll start with my turkey recipe. I always roast my turkey in foil. It takes a hotter oven but a shorter time. I always try to buy a turkey with a peg that pops out when it's done.

Thaw turkey in refrigerator, time depends on size. Plan on a couple of days.
Wash turkey, take out neck & giblets.
I cook the neck and giblets and use the broth for gravy later.
Preheat oven. 450 degrees.
Brush the turkey with shortening.
Loosely fill the cavity with stuffing.
Cover the legs and wings with small squares of foil.
Tear off long piece of foil and place in roasting pan.
Tear off another piece to cover the bottom of the pan.
Place turkey on foil, breast side up.
Bring foil together over turkey and fold together loosely.
Wrap turkey but not airtight.
Place in oven.
When the turkey is almost ready, turn back the foil so the turkey will brown nicely.

I've been roasting my turkey's in this way for all my married life. It's a sure way to have a beautiful, moist turkey. I've never had one turn out bad...yet.

This year my turkey is small, about 12 lbs. so it'll only take a little over 2 hours to roast.

Beef & Vegetable Soup

Once a month we have a Senior Luncheon or Supper or Dinner at our church. Tomorrow it's a Soup/Salad Luncheon. I'm making two soups. This recipe for Beef & Vegetable Soup is very good. It's a recipe by our good friend, Herb, but it was made and brought to us after one of Jerry's surgeries by our friends, Sam & Julie.

1 1/2 # Beef (round steak or lean chuck) cut into 1/2" pieces
5 c water
1 med onion, chopped
1/2 c barley (not instant)
2 T instant beef bouillon
1/4 t thyme
1/4 t marjoram
1/4 t black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
4-5 medium carrots - sliced
1/2 # fresh green beans, cut
1 c celery

Brown meat in pan (keep drippings)
Add water, onion, barley, bouillon, thyme, marjoram, pepper, & bay leaf.
Cover & cook slowly for 1 1/4 hours.
Remove bay leaf.
Add carrots, green beans, celery, & tomatoes.
(My grocery store only sells instant barley so I'm putting it in about a half hour before serving.)
Bring to slow boil & continue cooking (covered) for 3/4 - 1 hour.
or until veggies are cooked.

Taco Soup

This recipe is hand written on a note paper by some one but I don't know who! I just made it for a soup/salad luncheon and it's delicious! If you recognize this as yours, please let me know!

2 lbs ground beef
2 lg cans tomato sauce
2 lg cans crushed tomatoes
2 pkg Taco seasoning
2 cans corn with juice
1 Sm can chopped chillies

Heat through
Add 1/2 to full pkg Velvetta Cheese

Serve with sour cream
shredded cheese
& tortilla chips