Afterthoughts: Happy Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is my second favorite holiday. If you’re like me, you are busy preparing for the big dinner. Turkey is a Thanksgiving tradition in our family; however\, there is no rule about what you must serve. The pilgrims celebrated with foods that were readily available to them.
It has been 400 years since that small band of settlers came together with their Native American neighbors to express their gratitude for a bountiful harvest. We live in a vastly different world today. Most of our hunting and gathering is done in the grocery store. Providing for your family requires a different skill-set in this era. It also requires us to be flexible and let go of outdated traditions. Also, tastes and food preferences change over time.
In recent years, we’ve noticed that we aren’t eating as much as we once did and the food choices have changed. This year, several family members will not be able to join us – either because of work responsibilities or because they are too far away to come home. Amy and I have pared down the menu to serve a smaller crowd.
Whether we are cooking for one or two or for an army, there are some things we can do to make it easier and more enjoyable. Hopefully, you were able to find what you needed at a reasonable price. With meat and poultry prices rising and many items in short supply, we have to be bargain hunters to find what we want. If you bought a frozen turkey, it should be thawed in your refrigerator by now. If you forgot to take it out of the freezer soon enough, you can safely thaw it in cold water; change the water every couple of hours and make sure you don’t leave the bird at room temperature too long - before or after cooking.
Make sure the turkey is completely thawed before preparing it for the oven. Plan to roast your turkey at 3259F. allowing 20 minutes per pound. A meat thermometer inserted into the heaviest part of the bird should register a minimum of 1650 F. when fully cooked. Big dinners are opportunities for foodborne illness. Under-cooked poultry can be a source of salmonella. Bacteria will grow quickly on meats and foods containing dairy, eggs, or meat that have been left out of refrigeration for more than two hours. When in doubt, throw it out. I don’t care how much that food costs, it isn’t worth a severe case of food poisoning.
One way to keep hot food hot is to serve it in your slow-cooker or an electric skillet set on 1400F. Cold foods can be set in bowls of ice and should stay at 400 F. I ran across a recipe for Slow-Cooker Mashed Potatoes that is easy and will stay hot throughout the meal.
5 lbs. potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 c. water
1 t. salt
½ t. ground black pepper
½ c. butter or margarine, sliced into tablespoons
1 c. milk
Spray a 5-quart slow-cooker with cooking spray. Place potatoes, water, salt, and pepper in slow-cooker. You may also add a teaspoon each of garlic and onion powder, if desired. Stir to combine and place butter slices on top. Cover. Cook on high for 4 ½ hours or until potatoes are tender. You may want to drain off some of the cooking water; it may not be necessary if there is only a little water left. Mash by hand or use an electric mixer on low speed until well blended. Avoid over mixing. Add milk and blend. Reduce heat to low. Try to time the end of cooking to your approximate dinner time.
At the risk of spoiling your appetite, I’ll take this opportunity to remind you that Christmas is exactly 30 days away. The number of shopping days is even less. If you are ordering or shipping, you need to get busy to avoid disappointing delays.
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“I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil – this is the gift of God.” Ecclesiastes 3:12-13 NIV
This article originally appeared on Evening World: Afterthoughts: Happy Thanksgiving
