Thanksgiving is nearly here. If you’re hosting Thanksgiving dinner don’t panic. Here are some important tips that will help you get organized and ensure that your meal goes smoothly and tastes delicious. What’s important is enjoying being with family and friends.
- Plan your menu according to the number of guests you’ll have.
- Order your turkey! Just how big should your turkey be? It’s recommended to have at least 1 1/4 pounds per person. If you round up a bit from that number, you’ll be able to enjoy leftovers.
- Finish your food shopping, and pick up your turkey two days before Thanksgiving. I hope that you’re turkey is a fresh one at this point. How long does a frozen turkey take to defrost? You’ll need to allow ample time to defrost your turkey in the REFRIGERATOR. Turkeys less than 12 pounds will take as long as two days to defrost. A turkey more than 20 pounds can take up to five days to defrost.
- Prepping is important. Make pie crust and store in the refrigerator. Finish any baking (cornbread, muffins, pies). Peel and cut potatoes, and store in water in fridge. Make fresh cranberry sauce. Cut carrots, celery, onions, and mushrooms for stuffing. Sauté and store in fridge. Place white wine in fridge to get nice and chilled.
- The day before Thanksgiving prep green beans, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, or any other vegetables, and store in a Ziploc bag in the fridge. Set the table and label serving dishes.
- Thanksgiving Day prepare stuffing and other side dishes. Prepare turkey for roasting and place in oven at determined time. If you choose to stuff the turkey, do it right before you put it in the oven. Take stuffing out of the turkey immediately after cooking. While turkey is roasting, make mashed potatoes.
- How do you know when your turkey is done? Use a meat thermometer inserted into the meatiest part of the turkey. Wait for the reading to reach at least 165 degrees. If you’ve stuffed the bird, make sure that also reaches the same temperature for food safety purposes.
- Those glorious leftovers! If you refrigerate the turkey within two hours of serving, your leftovers will last three to four days.
- Try to relax and wait for your guests to arrive.
- Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
"Work With What You Got!"
Victoria Hart Glavin Tiny New York Kitchen
Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.
Substitution Guide
|
Ingredient |
Substitution |
|
Allspice (1 tsp.) |
1/2 tsp. cinnamon + 1/4 tsp. nutmeg + 1/4 tsp. ground clove |
|
Baking Powder (1 tsp.) |
1/4 tsp. baking soda + 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar |
|
Baking Soda (1 tsp.) |
2 tsp double-acting baking powder + replace acidic liquid ingredient in recipe with non-acidic liquid |
|
Balsamic Vinegar |
Equal amount of sherry or cidar vinegar |
|
Bread Crumbs (1 cup) |
3/4 cup cracker crumbs |
|
Brown Sugar (1 cup) |
1 Tbsp. light molasses + enough sugar to fill 1 dry measure cup or 1 cup raw sugar |
|
Butter, salted (1 cup or 2 sticks) |
1 cup or 2 sticks unsalted butter + 1/4 tsp. salt or 1 cup margarine or 7/8 cup lard or vegetable shortening |
|
Buttermilk (1 cup) |
Place 1 Tbsp. white vinegar or lemon juice in a liquid measure. Fill to 1 cup with room temp whole or 2% milk and let stand for 5 minutes or 1 cup milk + 3/4 tsp. cream of tartar or 1 cup plain yogurt |
|
Canola, Sunflower and Vegetable Oils |
Substitute one for one |
|
Chocolate, Bittersweet or Semi-Sweet (1 oz.) |
1/2 oz. Unsweetened chocolate + 1 Tbsp. granulated sugar |
|
Cocoa Powder (3 Tbsp. Dutch-processed) |
1 oz. Unsweetened chocolate + 1/8 tsp. baking soda + reduce fat in recipe by 1 Tbsp. or 3 Tbsp. natural cocoa powder + 1/8 tsp. baking soda |
|
Corn Starch (as a thickener) |
Equal amounts of Minute Tapioca for cornstarch, use slightly less for flour |
|
Cream of Tartar (1/2 tsp.) |
1/2 tsp. white vinegar or lemon juice |
|
Egg (1 whole large egg) |
3-1/2 Tbsp. thawed frozen egg or egg substitute or 2 egg whites |
|
Garlic (1 fresh clove) |
1 tsp. Garlic Salt or 1/8 tsp. Garlic Powder or 1/4 tsp. dried minced garlic |
|
Gingerroot (1 Tbsp. minced) |
1/8 tsp. ground ginger powder or 1 Tbsp. rinsed and chopped candied ginger |
|
Half & Half (1 cup) for cooking or baking |
1-1/2 Tbsp. butter or margarine + enough milk to equal 1 cup |
|
Heavy Cream (1 cup) for cooking or baking |
3/4 cup milk + 1/3 cup butter or margarine |
|
Herbs, Fresh (1 Tbsp.) |
1 tsp. dried herbs |
|
Honey (1 cup) for cooking or baking |
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar + 1/4 cup of liquid appropriate for recipe |
|
Italian Seasoning (1 tsp.) |
1/2 tsp. dried basil + 1/4 tsp. dried oregano + 1/4 tsp. dried thyme |
|
Molasses (1 cup) |
1 cup honey or 1 cup dark corn syrup or 3/4 cup light or dark brown sugar dissolved in 1/4 cup liquid |
|
Mushrooms, fresh (1 cup sliced and cooked) |
1 can (4 oz.) mushrooms, drained |
|
Mustard, Prepared (1 Tbsp.) |
1/2 tsp. dry mustard powder + 2 tsp. white vinegar |
|
Onion (1 small minced) |
1/2 tsp. onion powder |
|
Poultry Seasoning (1 tsp.) |
1/4 tsp. ground thyme + 3/4 tsp. ground sage |
|
Pumpkin Pie Spice (1 tsp.) |
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon + 1/4 tsp. ground ginger + 1/8 tsp. allspice + 1/8 tsp. nutmeg |
|
Sour Cream (1 cup) |
1 cup plain yogurt or 1 Tbsp. lemon juice and enough evaporated milk to equal 1 cup |
|
Tomato Juice (1 cup) for cooking |
1/2 cup tomato sauce + 1/2 cup water |
|
Tomato Sauce (1 cup) for cooking |
1/2 cup tomato paste + 1/2 cup water |
|
Wine, Red (1 cup) |
1 cup nonalcoholic wine, apple cider, beef broth or water |
|
Wine, White (1 cup) |
1 cup nonalcoholic wine, white grape juice, apple juice, chicken broth or water |
|
Yogurt (1 cup) |
1 cup buttermilk or 1 Tbsp. lemon juice and enough milk to equal 1 cup or 1 cup sour cream |
"Work With What You Got!"
© Victoria Hart Glavin Tiny New York Kitchen
Yes, this is an ENTIRE piece on how to thaw a turkey because it’s THE most important part of planning your Thanksgiving menu (if you purchased a frozen turkey that is). Food safety is important so please take a few minutes to review these thawing directions.
1. Make sure to thaw your frozen turkey in the wrapper it came in, UNOPENED.
2. Place it, breast-side up, on a try in the refrigerator.
3. Once thawed, your turkey will keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You should err on the side of thawing a day or two before you’re ready to cook it. This helps prevent any “last minute” thawing issues.
4. If you plan on brining your turkey add an additional thawing day.
5. If you do procrastinate, you can thaw your turkey in cold water. Place the still-wrapped turkey in a container large enough to allow it to be covered with water. Fill the container with cold water and change the water every 30 minutes. This method will thaw a turkey at the rate of about 1 pound every 30 minutes. An 18 pound turkey will take 9 hours to thaw with this method which is why it’s best to plan ahead.
6. NEVER EVER thaw a turkey out on the counter or in warm water. You are creating the perfect environment for bacteria and could end up with a family trip to the emergency room instead of a family weekend of fun!
7. Here is a chart that you can use to determine thawing times.
|
Turkey Size |
Thawing time (In the Refrigerator) |
|
8-12 lb. |
2-3 days |
|
12-14 lb. |
3-3½ days |
|
14-18 lb. |
3½-4½ days |
|
18-20 lb. |
4½-5 days |
"Work With What You Got!"
© Victoria Hart Glavin Tiny New York Kitchen
For those who love it, cooking is at once child's play and adult joy. – Craig Claiborne
The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new. – Socrates
Homemade is alright with me. Homemade is the way it should be.
No one gets a lot until everyone gets some. – Sister Marion
I just ordered my Thanksgiving turkey, which I like to get done early, as it truly is the star of Thanksgiving dinner. When planning your holiday menu purchasing a turkey is the first thing to consider. Should you buy fresh or frozen? Below is a breakdown of turkey buying options.
Fresh Turkey
Purchasing a fresh turkey is my first choice by far. Fresh turkeys often need to be ordered in advance because not all markets carry them. They tend to be more expensive than frozen turkeys because they have a short shelf life. Because they should only be kept in your refrigerator for about 2 days before roasting, you will need to plan carefully.
Kosher Turkey
Many chefs and home cooks like buying kosher turkeys. Making a turkey kosher involves soaking it in a salt brine. Kosher turkeys give you the flavor, tenderness, and juiciness of brining without requiring the time it takes to brine in your own kitchen. If you use a kosher turkey, be sure to omit any salt that may be in the recipe or it will taste way too salty.
Free-Range Turkey
Free range means that the turkey has been raised in a facility that allows the birds to have access to the outdoors and a yard to walk around in. Free-Range turkeys can be either fresh or frozen. This does not, however, imply organic.
Organic Turkey
For poultry to be labeled organic, it must be fed organic grains its entire life, never receive antibiotics or hormones (no poultry is allowed to receive hormones in the United States) and must have access to the outdoors. Like free-range turkeys, they can be purchased either fresh or frozen.
Prebasted Turkey
Prebasting is a process that adds moisture to a turkey in the form of broth and flavorings under the skin. Turkey experts agree that there is no need to baste a turkey, whether it is prebasted or not. The liquid you pour over a cooking turkey doesn’t actually make the turkey juicier, and opening the oven door to baste just means that the turkey will take longer to cook due to losing heat every time the oven door is opened.
"Work With What You Got!"
© Victoria Hart Glavin Tiny New York Kitchen
In Remembrance Of Those Who Protect Us!
