What is Your Favorite Childhood Place?

I recently got to visit one of my favorite childhood places, Apple Hill, while on our Thanksgiving vacation in Northern California. I have such fond memories of going there each fall growing-up. It is literally a whole hill full of apple orchards up in Placerville. You drive the small windy roads that circle the hill, and stop by little farms and shops that serve fresh apple pies, carmel apples, apple donuts, and free samples of freshly pressed apple cider. Craft vendors in little booths occupy most of the farms walkways selling homemade crafts and art. The leaves were just turning while we were there, and there is nothing like the crisp autumn air of the California mountains.

I am really "old fashion" at heart and love all things from eras past, so the wood baskets full of just plucked apples and produce were to much for me to handle. I couldn't leave without buying some baskets of my own. I now have them in my pantry full of apples from the trip and potatoes and onions I just bought from the store yesterday. I love that they are a functional trip souvenir that reminds me of beautiful Apple Hill and memories from my childhood.


What is your favorite childhood place?

Pie Pops

For activity day the week before Thanksgiving we made pie pops with the girls. They were really excited to bake and even more excited that they all got their own rolling pins. I found the rolling pins in the dollar section at Joann's and had to get them for the activity. I found the pie pop idea through a blog of a blog that linked to bakarella. The girls loved them and were excited that it was easy enough that they could make them again at home. We used box pie crust mix to keep things simple and I gave them several choices of filling. I had fresh berries mushed and tossed in cornstarch and sugar, apples chopped and sprinkled with sugar cinnamon and a little nutmeg, and several canned pie filling that to my surprise were very fresh and tasty. The only thing I think we did wrong was not place our sticks further up in the pies. Some of the girls pie pops were a little to top heavy to stay on the sticks.




I think I am going to make some of these for my Christmas party without the stick. The scalloped cookie cutter made these mini pies look super cute.

The Perfect Turkey

I love this recipe. It has served me well in Holidays past and has never failed me. If I am in-charge of the turkey this is how it is going to get done. Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Ingredients:

1 twenty- to-twenty-one-pound fresh whole turkey, giblets and neck removed from cavity and reserved
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, plus 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 750-ml bottle dry white wine
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
Classic Stuffing
1 cup dry red or white wine, for gravy (optional)

Directions:

1. Rinse turkey with cool water, and dry with paper towels. Let stand for 2 hours at room temperature.
2. Place rack on lowest level in oven. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Combine melted butter and white wine in a bowl. Fold a large piece of cheesecloth into quarters and cut it into a 17-inch, four-layer square. Immerse cheesecloth in the butter and wine; let soak.
3. Place turkey, breast side up, on a roasting rack in a heavy metal roasting pan. If the turkey comes with a pop-up timer, remove it; an instant-read thermometer is a much more accurate indication of doneness. Fold wing tips under turkey. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper inside turkey. Fill large cavity and neck cavity loosely with as much stuffing as they hold comfortably; do not pack tightly. (Cook remaining stuffing in a buttered baking dish for 45 minutes at 375 degrees.) Tie legs together loosely with kitchen string (a bow will be easy to untie later). Fold neck flap under, and secure with toothpicks. Rub turkey with the softened butter, and sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and pepper.
4. Lift cheesecloth out of liquid, and squeeze it slightly, leaving it very damp. Spread it evenly over the breast and about halfway down the sides of the turkey; it can cover some of the leg area. Place turkey, legs first, in oven. Cook for 30 minutes. Using a pastry brush, baste cheesecloth and exposed parts of turkey with butter and wine. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. and continue to cook for 2 1/2 more hours, basting every 30 minutes and watching pan juices; if the pan gets too full, spoon out juices, reserving them for gravy.
5. After this third hour of cooking, carefully remove and discard cheesecloth. Turn roasting pan so that the breast is facing the back of the oven. Baste turkey with pan juices. If there are not enough juices, continue to use butter and wine. The skin gets fragile as it browns, so baste carefully. Cook 1 more hour, basting after 30 minutes.
6. After this fourth hour of cooking, insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh. Do not poke into a bone. The temperature should reach 180 degrees.(stuffing should be between 140 degrees.and 160 degrees. and the turkey should be golden brown. The breast does not need to be checked for temperature. If legs are not yet fully cooked, baste turkey, return to oven, and cook another 20 to 30 minutes.
7. When fully cooked, transfer turkey to a serving platter, and let rest for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, make the gravy. Pour all the pan juices into a glass measuring cup. Let stand until grease rises to the surface, about 10 minutes, then skim it off. Meanwhile, place roasting pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 cup dry red or white wine, or water, to the pan. Using a wooden spoon, scrape the pan until liquid boils and all the crisp bits are unstuck from pan. Add giblet stock to pan. Stir well, and bring back to a boil. Cook until liquid has reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Add the defatted pan juices, and cook over medium-high heat 10 minutes more. You will have about 2 1/2 cups of gravy. Season to taste, strain into a warm gravy boat, and serve with turkey.