All Boxed-Up for the Holidays

A few weeks ago, we brought out the boxes to begin decorating and of course, they had to be inspected first...



What's Yum Yum up to? Look into her eyes...whatever it is, she's up to no good.

The Guardian of the Coats

Koko guarding our guest's coats...



On Thanksgiving, Koko appointed himself the guardian of the coats. He took a particular liking to my niece's wool coat (which he is laying on). Of course, his security services do not come without a price...she later rewarded him for his service with some choice pieces of turkey.

Friday Fotos: 11/26

It's Hammer time...


courtesy of... somuchpun.com

Whipped Potatoes

Here's what they look like...



This will be the last post on my Thanksgiving menu. I know, that in itself is reason to be thankful. There is the "Great Debate" as to whether to go mashed or whipped. If just making it for my family, I usually just do the mashed potato thing and save myself a little work. But, since this is a special occasion, I like to make things a little more fancy, which is why I choose to do the whipped potatoes. As you look over the ingredients to this recipe, you may raise your eyebrows when you come upon the buttermilk, but this will give your potatoes a nice, tangy flavor. As you can see, this recipe is somewhat large (I have to make enough for 23 people), but you can just scale-down the ingredients to suit your needs.

I hope you all have a very safe and Happy Thanksgiving!



What you will need...

• Potatoes...10 pounds (1 bag)
• Butter...½ to 1 stick
• Salt...to taste
• Pepper...to taste
• Buttermilk...½-1 cup
• Parmesan Cheese...1-2 cups (I know it's a lot, but I love to make it cheesy. You can also substitute the Parmesan for any type of cheese you like
• measurements are estimates and based upon texture/taste

Thanksgiving Turkey

I figured that since many of us will be hitting the stores today or tomorrow, I would share my turkey recipe with you today, instead of waiting until tomorrow. The above photo was taken just after the turkey came out of the oven. You can see, that I like to cook it inside a bag. I find that this really helps keep-in the moisture.

I have been making our turkey using this recipe for the past several years. It comes out very moist and the flavoring from the oranges, various herbs, and the onions really boost the flavor. A few years ago, I was lazy and decided not to go to the extra trouble and do all of this. Well, right off the bat, everyone noticed the difference. So, I make it a point to go the extra mile. Oh, and on a positive note, in the many years I have made this, I have never had to drive someone to the ER :)




What you will need...

• Turkey...any size, we usually get between 20-25 lbs.
• Turkey bag...used in the baking process
• Turkey Pan
• Broiler Pan
• Meat Thermometer (Example of the kind I use, is at bottom of page)
• Flour...1 Tbsp
• Compound Butter...Click here for recipe
• Oranges...2-3
• Onions...any leftover from other recipes
• Celery...any leftover from other recipes
• Herbs...any leftover from other recipes

Spinach and Artichoke Stuffing Recipe

I served this bad boy a few years ago and it disappeared within a matter of minutes. Even my two veggie-hating kids liked it. When you first look at this recipe for Spinach and Artichoke Stuffing, it may seem rather complex, but it is actually very easy to put together. The trick is to get everything organized and then just follow the steps. I hope that you will like this as much as my family did. Again, if you run into any problems or have a question, please let me know and I will do my best to help. Oh, you can also put this together the night before and then bake on the big day. Now, here's the recipe...


What you will need...

• extra-virgin olive oil... ¼ cup


• spinach...2 ½ pounds , washed (3 cups cooked and roughly chopped)


• yellow onions...2 cups chopped


• garlic...1 Tbsp roughly chopped


• Emeril's Italian Essence (recipe here), or other Italian Seasoning blend...1 Tbsp plus 2 tsp


• salt...2 ½ tsp


• black pepper...1 ¼ tsp freshly ground


• artichoke hearts...3 (8 ½-ounce) cans quartered , any tough outer leaves removed


• eggs...2 large


• heavy cream...1 ½ cups


• chicken stock...2 cups


• lemon juice...2 Tbsp


• French bread...12 to 14 cups cubed (1-inch) day-old (1 loaf)


• Brie...1 pound , rind removed and cut into ½-inch cubes




• TIP: To make it easier to trim the rind from the Brie, wrap the Brie in foil and place it in the freezer for about an hour. This will firm it up and make rind-extraction much easier


• Parmesan...½ cup freshly grated


• parsley leaves...¼ cup minced fresh

Apple Pie with Creme Fraiche and Black Pepper Recipe

Here is the recipe for the second dessert we will be serving for Thanksgiving. Although not really a traditional pie for the Thanksgiving table, ever since I introduced this more than twelve years ago, Apple Pie with Crème Fraîche and Black Pepper has become a tradition. I found that making this pie a few days before the "Big Event", enhances the flavors (not to mention cuts-down on the last minute preparations).

This pie also makes a great gift. Prepare as shown, but do not bake. Make a copy of the baking instructions and include that with the pie. I believe that the wonderful aroma of an apple pie baking is also a gift (boy, that sounds sappy, doesn't it?). Anyway, without any further ado, here's the recipe...


What you will need...

• Pie Crusts... 2


• Granny Smith Apples... 2 ½ lbs.


• Sugar... about _3/4 cup plus 1tsp.


• Fresh Lime Juice... 2 Tbsp


• Salt... Pinch


• Black Pepper... ¼ tsp. (freshly ground, if possible)


• Flour... 4 Tbsp


• Calvados or Brandy... ¼ Cup


• Crème Fraîche... ½ cup click here for recipe


• Milk... about 1 Tbsp

Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe

My wife found this recipe while leafing through a magazine and wanted me to make it for a party she was having at her work. Well, I made it and it was a big success, so "The Boss" decided that we would add it to our Thanksgiving menu. This will be one of two desserts we will be making and I think it will be a great addition to the table.



What you need...

• Ginger Snaps... About 38. When finely chopped, you should end up with about 1-½ cups


• Pecans... ¼ cup; finely chopped


• Butter (unsalted, please)... ¼ cup (which is 4 Tbsp), melted


• Cream Cheese... 4 pkg. (8 oz. each), softened


• Sugar... 1 cup


• Pumpkin... 1 can (15 oz.)


• Pumpkin pie spice... 1 Tbsp.(bulk recipe at end of page)


• Vanilla... 1 tsp


• Eggs... 4


• 9-inch springform pan


• Large baking pan that your springform pan can fit into


• Parchment paper

Friday Fotos: 11/19

This is too good...


courtesy of... somuchpun.com

White Dinner Rolls

Photo of one pan of rolls after baking (using milk wash)...



Even though I am still working on this recipe (I'm taking several different recipes and trying to take the best from each one), the rolls that result from this recipe are extremely fluffy and soft. Over the past several weeks, I have been making this recipe and then freezing the result. Why? Well, my plan is to make these a few days in advance and then freeze them. On Thanksgiving (to save time), I will nuke them in the microwave and serve. In my test, I froze a batch for one week and then brought them in and let them thaw on the counter. I then nuked one for 10 seconds on high and tried it. The result was a slight depreciation in flavor, but the only reason I noticed it, was because I had tasted them fresh from the oven. You can make these fresh and serve or you can make them and freeze for later. I just wanted to point out that the freezing option is available.

Now, I've bored you enough, so on to the recipe...




What you need...

• Yeast... 2 ½ tsp
• Water... ½ cup (temperature roughly 105°)
• Milk... 1 cup (scalded and then cooled to same temperature as water)
• Bread flour... 3 ½ - 4 cups (amount will vary depending on humidity)
• Eggs... 2
• Butter (unsalted)... 4 Tbsp
• Honey... 4 Tbsp
• Salt... 1 - 1 ½ tsp
• Cake pans or muffin pans if you prefer... 2

Putting it together...

Making Ricotta Cheese

This is the third and final post that will deal with my Thanksgiving preparations. After this cheese is made, I will have all the custom ingredients needed to begin making my other recipes. This cheese will be used in making the manicotti and, if there is any left over, I may add some to a portion of the whipped potatoes.

Although, the idea of making ricotta cheese may seem intimidating at first, making this cheese is actually very easy. In addition, if you are a family that uses ricotta cheese a great deal, you will find that making it yourself will save you money. Next time you are in the store, price-out the cost for a gallon of milk and a bottle of vinegar (which you can use for several batches of cheese and other things as well) and compare it to the cost of a single container of ricotta cheese. You will be able to see how cost-effective it is to make yourself. As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to let me know and I will do my best to assist you.



What you need

• One gallon of whole milk
• Salt (I use Kosher salt)... ¼ - ½ tsp (depends on how salty you like your cheese)
• White vinegar... ^1/3 cup, plus 1 tsp
• Thermometer
  Here's one like I use... Polder Classic Cooking Thermometer/Timer, Graphite
• Cheese cloth
• Large, non-reactive pot
• Colander

My Thanksgiving Schedule and Crème Fraîche

Here is the second installment in my getting-ready-for-Thanksgiving posts. Here is a sample schedule that I will be using this year, which will help ease the stress (Yeah, right) of the Holiday:

• Saturday... Cleaning the kitchen (the worst part of getting ready)


• Sunday... Make the Crème Fraîche and compound butter


• Monday... Complete cleaning the kitchen


• Tuesday... Making the apple pie, pumpkin cheesecake, and the rolls


• Wednesday... getting the Manicotti ready (will bake on Thanksgiving), get the turkey ready for it's starring role, and generally making sure everything is good to go


• Thanksgiving... The madness begins

I use the Crème Fraîche (basically a very rich sour cream) in my apple pie (I will share this recipe in the next few days) and any leftovers you may have can be easily used as an additional garnish for your mashed/whipped potatoes. The recipe for the Crème Fraîche is very easy and takes very little preparation, however, it does take 24 hours for it set, so it is best to make the one or two days before you plan on making your apple pie. For example, I usually make the pie on Tuesday, so I will start the Crème Fraîche on Sunday night.


photo courtesy of... artistta.blogspot.com

Crème Fraîche:
Things you'll need:

Heavy Cream...1 cup
Butter Milk...1 Tbsp
jar w/lid...1

Our Thanksgiving Menu and Making Compound Butter

Wow, a compound title...

Okay, here's our Thanksgiving menu:

• Dinner Rolls...I'm tweaking the recipe as I write this, so we will see how it turns out. Hey, I actually kept track of the measurements this time


• Whipped Potatoes...there's a shock


• Manicotti...Yes, something different and just because I won't have enough to do, I'll be making my own Ricotta cheese to use in it. I am currently trying to find a recipe for this, so if you have one, please let me know. As soon as I have made and tried a successful recipe, I will share it with you

Friday Fotos: 11/12

I think this is a good one...


courtesy of... somuchpun.com

Thank You to our Troops

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of those who served!!

Here are a few of the Veterans in my family...


This is my dad (seen in the center with the navy cap) and his brothers, Glen and Paul. He served on the USS Breckenridge (a troop carrier) as a machinist mate during the Korean War...

Something is Afoot

Is it Friday, yet?

Winter is Coming

You know it's getting cold when...



Oh, on an unrelated note, instead of waiting until the last minute, like I did the past few years, I will begin posting my Thanksgiving menu and related recipes. These are the actual recipes I have used over the past few years and they have been very well received. If you are still undecided on what to make, I hope one or more of these recipes will inspire you.

Koko, The Kitchen Inspector

To ensure that I cook supper correctly...

Friday Fotos: 11/5

courtesy of... somuchpun.com

Filed Under K for Koko

What happens whenever I open our dresser drawer and have the nerve to walk away for a few minutes...