Marie WheelerTime goes so quickly as you get older.
As I was conceptualizing this post and thinking back on last year, this all feels like it just happened. So I Googled.
I found a fascinating paper titled, Age Effects in Perception of Time, originally published in Psychological Reports in 2005 by Wittmann and Lehnhoff. It somewhat supports the lament that time passes quickly as you get older, but also puts in time pressure as a factor. Time pressure increases through our 20’s, 30’s and 40’s and gradually decreases as we move into our later decades. This makes sense. During the early middle decades, we have burgeoning careers, families and social priorities that pack our calendars. Time flies when you’re having fun, or working your butt off.
I also found an interesting tidbit in a BBC article by Claudia Hammond titled, Does Life Speed Up as You Get Older?, that asserts, ‘There is a remedy. If you want the weekend to go slowly, don’t spend time resting and watching TV. Instead fill it with new experiences and by Sunday night you will look back and the weekend will seem long.’ I kind of love that.
Procrastination via curiosity completed, I return to my original intent: FOOD!
We have hosted Thanksgiving in our home since we moved here in 2008. My father was still working as a pilot at that time and my brother and his wife celebrated with her family, so it was often just four of us. Having a big feast for four people didn’t make sense. Plus, I love cooking and entertaining, so bonus. The crowd waxes and wanes, but the tradition of Thanksgiving in our home remains.
The Menu:
Disclaimer: I like fat. And a lot of it. Since I started increasing the fat in my diet and cutting out the bulk of the sugar, my cholesterol and weight have both decreased significantly (I’m not a doctor and don’t offer medical advice). My only caveat is to use high-quality, organic or at least hormone-free, and grass-fed if possible, dairy. It isn’t cheap, but neither is medicine. If you can’t afford the high quality dairy, I would just omit. Cheap butter can ruin a dish.
Buttermilk Brined Turkey Breast – This is the same as the Roasted Chicken recipe I posted last week with the tweak that you put a turkey instead of a chicken in the bag!
Crock Pot Mashed Potatoes (over 6 people) or Butter Steamed Potatoes (less than 6 people) – I like both of these recipes and use them interchangeably depending on the number I expect. Since I don’t know yet if I will have 5, 8 or 10 people at the table, I haven’t picked which recipe to use yet.
Baked Butternut Squash !!!!! This recipe calls for a 400 F oven. Your turkey will be cooking at 350 F, so you will lower the temp of the recipe and add 40 minutes to cook time. I just add butter and cream to the recipe at the end and mash it all up and keep it in the oven to stay warm. If it starts to over-cook, remove from oven and put a lid on it. It will stay warm!
Brussels Sprouts I have tried multiple recipes over the years, and myself am fond of roasted sprouts, however, A.D. often calls them burned and enjoys this version more. They lean toward sweetness this way. The only tweak I do for this recipe is adding a few tablespoons of butter: high quality, grass-fed butter. It really can’t be beat.
Creamed Onion Gratin This is the star of the show. I know, you thought it was the turkey! I made this recipe the second or third year we hosted, and it is a must-have. It is molten, cheesy deliciousness. Don’t skimp on the quality of the gorgonzola, you only need a little. The serving size for this is typically small due to the richness, but it makes a nice ‘gravy’ over leftover turkey if you, by some miracle, have leftovers!
Cranberry Orange Sauce I took the recipe’s advice and ditched the canned cran last year, and wow! The perks: I know exactly what I am eating and it looks like food! YAY!
Pumpkin Pie This is where I’m a traditionalist. I’ve always used the recipe on the back of the can of pumpkin, though in the past few years I’ve tried to upgrade the ingredients.
Gravy – I cheat. I love the Wegman’s Gravy and just add the turkey drippings at the end for an added boost of flavor.
My Best Advice:
First, make sure you have the equipment to handle cooking a big meal. Borrow if need be or if you have a few extra dollars, get yourself some of the necessities. A high-quality roasting pan is awesome, but they do make disposable roasting pans too. You will need at least a roasting pan big enough for your bird (I have a small and large pan), a 4 qt sauce pan with lid, a small sauce pan with lid, an oven safe dish with lid and a gratin dish. If you are doing this by yourself, make it easy! Here is the time schedule:
2-3 days prior
bird in the brine (write down the weight of the bird so you don’t forget!)
cranberry orange sauce
1 day prior
pumpkin pie
roast onions for gratin
day of the meal:
I use a dry erase marker to write the temp and time the dish needs to go in the oven on the lids of my cooking dishes – alternate option: index cards with the information next to the cooking vessel
- Crock Pot Potatoes (if you are using this option)
- Turkey – calculate back from meal time and add 15 minutes
- Squash – put this in just after the turkey, better to have this done early than be waiting on it
- Onion Gratin – you will make the bechamel before you put over the sprouts and put the dish together, setting it aside until after you take out the turkey and squash as it requires you to broil until the cheese is golden.
- Butter Steamed Potatoes (if you are using this option)
- Brussels Sprouts
- Gravy
So that’s it. Those are my recipes, my tricks and order. It is typically hectic, but I always get raves for this meal. It’s not anyone being nice either, my mother and A.D. are awesome with the constructive criticism, so I’ve been able to tweak everything over the years and feel confident the raves are real!
I am always thankful for honesty and the love shared during this meal!
