Chocolate Covered Clementines

I love the chocolate oranges you find during the holidays, but I'd never tried REAL oranges dipped in chocolate! And it's so easy! And juicy!

Chocolate Covered Clementines
by Brooke Hochstein

• Dark Chocolate
• White Chocolate
  
• Clementines

Peel the clementines and separate the slices. (I left two together sometimes if they were really small). Melt the dark chocolate. Dip the slices in the dark chocolate, lift out with a fork and tap on the side of the bowl to shed the excess. Place on wax paper to harden. When you've finished dipping all the slices, melt the white chocolate. Drizzle white chocolate over the covered slices for garnish. For best taste, refrigerate and eat chilled.

NOTES: I didn't list quantities because that's all up to the candy maker. I would probably only dip half the slice next time. It would probably be prettier.

Pork Chop and Pineapple Pie

I love Paula Dean. Justin loves her food. He couldn't say enough about how much he loved this meal. He was disappointed when I made pork chops a few days later and didn't make this again. I didn't do it exactly her way, since we only have a gas grill and it was below freezing outside, but it sounds like a fun way to cook when you have guests over. I'll list her original recipe, and then explain how I cooked it.

Pork Chop and Pineapple Pie
by Paula Dean

• 1 boneless pork chop per person
• 1 slice red onion per person
• 1 slice green bell pepper per person
• 2 canned pineapple slices per person
• 1 tablespoon teriyaki sauce per person
• 1 tablespoon margarine or butter per person
• Salt and pepper

For each serving, lay a pork chop on a large square of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Top each chop with the onion, green pepper, and pineapple slices. Drizzle with the teriyaki sauce. Top with the butter and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Wrap tightly in the foil, rolling ends to completely seal the package. Freeze or refrigerate.

When ready to eat, place packages directly in coals for 15 to 20 minutes. Check to see if the pork chop is cooked through; rewrap and cook a little longer, if necessary.

NOTES: First off, Paula loves butter, so I cut it down to about 1/4 of what she asks for. And that is still usually a bit more than I'd like. I didn't marinate this at all, since I usually don't think about dinner till 1/2 hour before I want to eat. I browned the pork chops a bit on each side first, splashed them with teriyaki sauce, then added the veggies and pineapple. I put a small square of butter in each of the pineapple holes and splashed more teriyaki sauce on it. I cooked these covered in my chicken fryer for about 15 minutes until we were ready to eat! I noticed some people mentioned they added cheese and bacon and such, but I thought it was great just the way it was listed (minus a lot of butter)! I served it with rice pilaf.

Thanksgiving Turkey Again!

I am using the same method of baking my turkey as last year, since it was easy and delicious and I don't feel like experimenting with my husband' s Thanksgiving work party turkey! I don't think I have to bake the "real" thanksgiving turkey this year, since I'll be with FAMILY! ! ! woohoo!

Sweet Potato Soufflé

I LOVE Thanksgiving! ! ! ! I especially love the food that only seems to appear on the table at this time. I made this for a church dinner the other night, and it was a hit. I made a few adjustments to my mom's recipe, not that it needed it. I just wanted to experiment. I'm posting the original recipe for future use. Thanks to my Granny for reading this whole thing to me over the phone :)

Sweet Potato Soufflé
from the kitchen of Carol R. Cheesman

• 3 cups cooked, mashed sweet potatoes
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• ½ cup butter
• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1 cup finely chopped pecans

Combine sweet potatoes, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Add ½ cup butter. Beat until smooth. Spoon into greased 2qt. casserole.

Combine flour, sugar, 1/3 cup butter. Add pecans. Sprinkle over top of casserole.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

NOTES: I threw in a dash or two of nutmeg and cinnamon while I was beating the potatoes in my kitchen-aide. I'd seen a few other recipes which called for them and it seemed very holiday-ish. I really couldn't tell that it was in there, but it tasted really fabulous, so I thought I would mention that I did so.

I also substituted marshmallows in for the streusel on top. Add the marshmallows AFTER you bake the sweet potatoes, then put in the oven just long enough to melt the marshmallows. I also sprinkled some brown sugar on top because I thought it might look cool, but there was no cool factor at all. I'd leave that out next time. I toasted the marshmallows on accident, but I think I like it better that way.

Mr. John's Stuffed Peppers

Yum. Definitely will make it again. Got this at FoodNetwork.com.

Mr. John's Meat-Stuffed Bell Peppers

• 6 green bell peppers, tops cut away and seeds removed
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup finely chopped yellow onions
• 1/2 cup finely chopped green bell peppers
• 1/2 pound ground beef
• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• Pinch red pepper flakes
• 2 cups cooked long or medium-grain white rice
  
• 8 ounces tomato sauce
• Water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large pot of boiling water, parboil the peppers until just tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and dry on paper towels.

In a large saute pan or skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and chopped bell peppers and cook, stirring, until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the beef, pork, garlic, parsley, salt, black pepper, and pepper flakes. Cook until the meat is browned, stirring with a heavy wooden spoon to break up the lumps, about 6 minutes. Add the rice and tomato sauce and stir well. Remove from the heat and adjust the seasoning, to taste.

Pour enough water into a baking dish to just cover the bottom, about 1/8-inch deep. Stuff the bell peppers with the rice mixture and place in the baking dish. Bake until the peppers are very tender and the filling is heated through, 25 to 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Mango Chicken Curry

Yum Yum Yum. Found this on the internet and I don't know where. The person didn't say where they got it from either. I was trying to find Tofu recipes and I found this instead. The way I made it was very different from this recipe... but still good.

Mango Caribbean Chicken Curry

• 1/2 c. chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 Tbsp. lime juice
• 2 Tbsp. lime or lemon zest
• 2 tsp. brown sugar
• 2 tsp. curry powder
• 1 tsp. corn starch
• 12 oz. chicken breasts or thighs
• 2 tsp. cooking oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 c. sliced red onion
• 2 cups chopped, peeled mango or papaya
• 2 cups hot cooked rice
• lime peel strips

For sauce, in a small bow stir together broth, lime juice, lime zest, brown sugar, curry powder, and cornstarch; set aside.
Rinse chicken; pat dry, cut into bite-sized pieces
In a large skillet/wok, heat oil until very hot. Stir fry garlic for 30 seconds. Add onion slices; stir fry for 3 minutes. Remove onion from wok or skillet.
Add chicken and stir fry for 2-3 minutes. Push chicken into center of pan.
Stir sauce mixture. Pour sauce into center of pan; cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Return onion to work.
Add mango or papaya. Stir ingredients together to coat with sauce. Cook 2 minutes or more until mixture is heated trough.
Serve over rice, garnish with lime peel strips.

Makes 4 servings.

NOTES: Okay, the way I made this was way different due to circumstance, but I wanted to have the original in my records to try another time. Today, I wanted to slow cook this. I did not have a lime, so I just used lemon juice. I only had bottled Mango, not fresh. I also wanted to try to use some Tofu (my first time!). I added a whole block of tofu and three chicken breasts and increased the ingredients a bit. I just browned the chicken, dried the tofu, dumped all the ingredients together in a crockpot and cooked it on high for three hours. I took out some of the juices and added cornstarch to make a gravy in a pan, but this time my gravy was runny. How do you master that?! I think I've only made gravy well one time! EVER! We have this divine mango coconut chili sauce that we drizzled on top for fun after a few bites. I didn't tell Justin there was tofu in it till the end, and he hadn't even noticed!

McCormick Recipes

I just want to say that whoever came up with this idea of pre-packaged herb combos for those of us who may be herbally challenged is a genius for whom I am grateful.
The three I have tried out so far are (ranked in order of deliciousness)

-Apple & Sage Pork Chops
-Garlic Lime Chicken Fajitas
-Spanish Chicken Skillet

They added some variety to the tastes that come out of my kitchen, and I plan on buying more as they create more in the future.

Mom's Sweet & Sour Pork or Chicken

I made this tonight with chicken, but pork works well too. Justin kept commenting on how delicious it was throughout the meal. I felt like a cook tonight.

Mom's Sweet & Sour Pork or Chicken
from the kitchen of Carol R Cheesman

• 6-8 pork chops or 4-5 chicken breasts
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1/2 can of water (or chicken/beef stock)
• 1 can mushrooms (optional)
• 1 large green pepper, sliced
  
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1/3-1/2 c. brown sugar (I used 1/2. I was going for taste, not health this time.)
• Pineapple chunks (optional)
  

Brown meat in electric fry pan. Mix remaining ingredients and pour over meat. Simmer for 2 hours or put in Dutch oven and bake at 350 for 1 1/2 - 2 hours. (Carol's preference). Add pineapples if desired. Serve over rice.

Layered Enchilada Pie

There were ooh's and aah's during the whole dinner from both me and Justin while we ate this yummy meal.

Layered Enchilada Pie
by Sherry Newell, from Family Favorites Cook Book, p. 23

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 minced clove garlic
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 Tbsp. chili powder (or more)
• 1 (4 1/2 oz.) can chopped ripe olives
• 1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
• 6 tortillas, lightly buttered
• 2 c. shredded cheese
• 2/3 c. water

Brown ground beef, onion, and garlic in butter. Add seasonings, olives and tomato sauce. In a round casserole pan, alternate layers of buttered tortillas, meat sauce, and 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheese. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup of shredded cheese on top of tortilla. Pour water at edge into bottom of casserole. Cover. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from pan to serving plate. Cut in wedges.

Caramelized Banana French Toast

I changed this recipe from the one in Cook this! Not that!, p. 45.
It is very very yummy. I served it for a breakfast-for-dinner night.

Caramelized Banana French Toast

• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/4 c. brown sugar
• 1/4 c. crushed walnuts
• 2 bananas (mine had yellow spots, but not over-ripe)
• 1 c. milk
• 2 Tbsp. orange juice
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
• 8 slices of bread (homemade is the best!)

Heat butter in a medium pan with medium heat, add 2 Tbsp. orange juice and all of the brown sugar. Stir until dissolved. Cook until bubble (1-2 minutes). Add walnuts, cook for 2 minutes. Add bananas and heat through. Stir in 1/4 c. milk. Set aside and keep warm.
Whisk together the remaining 3/4 c. milk, eggs, cinnamon, and vanilla. heat a large skillet over medium heat. Spray with Pam. Dip the bread for 30 seconds on each side.
Place the bread on the skillet and cook about 3 minutes or until golden brown.
Serve with banana topping.

Oven Potatoes

Oven Potatoes
by Ruth Roberts, Family Favorites Cook Book

• 1 1/2 dried bread crumbs (I use Panko)
• 1/2 Tbsp. ground nutmeg
• 8 medium potatoes, washed, pared and cut into quarters. Not peeled.
• 1/2 c. melted butter
• salt and pepper to taste

Combine bread crumbs, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Dip potatoes in butter and roll in bread crumb mixture. Place in a greased pan. Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes, or until crispy and tender.

NOTES: Next time I will use a shallow pan (like 9x13) so that the potatoes are more crispy. May taste extra good with some cheese thrown on.

Ice Cream Sandwiches

I got this idea from 101 Things To Do With a Cake Mix, p. 117. I changed some things.

Ice Cream Sandwiches

• 1 Box of your favorite chocolate cake mix (I used Triple Chocolate)
• 1/3 C. Oil
• 2 Eggs
• Vanilla Ice Cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix together cake mix, oil, and eggs in a large bowl. The dough will be stiff.
Lightly flour a clean surface. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin until it is about 1/2 inch thick. Use a round cup or cookie cutter to cut out uniform cookies. Spray a cookie sheet with vegetable oil. Place the cutout dough on the pan.
Bake 8-10 minutes. Remove cookies onto a cooling rack. When cool, place a scoopful of ice cream in-between two cookies. Wrap the sandwiches in plastic wrap. Store cookies in a an airtight container in the freezer.

Note:
We did open-faced sandwiches. Next time I will make some hot fudge to top it off. I may even use other ice cream flavors. Justin said this was the best dessert I'd ever made :)

Chicken Parmesan

Also from Cook This, Not That!, Justin loved this one. It was fast and easy, also.

Chicken Parmesan

• 4 Boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 egg whites, lightly beaten
• 1 c bread crumbs (I used Panko. Awesome)
• 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan
• 1/2 Tbsp dried Italian seasoning
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 c. tomato sauce
• 4 oz. shredded part-skim mozzarella (I just used pepperjack. It changed the flavor, but oh well)
• fresh basil leaves (optional)

Pound chicken until it is uniformly 1/4" thick.
Season with salt and pepper
Place the egg whites in a shallow bowl. Mix the bread crumbs, Parmesan, and Italian seasoning on a large plate.
Dip each breast into the egg whites to coat both sides and then into the crumb mixture, patting the crumbs so they fully cover the chicken.
-Option 1: Fry in skillet --
Heat the oil in a large skillet or saute pan over medium heat. Cook the chicken for 3-4 minutes on the first side before turning. (The crust should be deeply browned and crunchy.) Cook for another 2-3 minutes, then transfer the chicken to a baking sheet.
-Option 2: Bake in oven (what I did)
Bake chicken breasts in a 400 degree F oven until the crust is golden and the meat is firm, about 15 minutes.
-With both options:
Spoon the tomato sauce over the chicken pieces, then top with the cheese and place underneath the broiler for 2-3 minutes or until the cheese is fully melted an bubbling. Serve garnished with basil (if using).

I served this over spaghetti with some of the tomato sauce mixed in. The book suggests garlicky sauteed spinach. Probably not going to do that yet.

Quinoa Pilaf

I'd heard quinoa was the best grain you could eat, so I wanted to see if it tasted good. I had a hard time finding it first, but they sell it in the "healthy" section of the commissary on our base, next to the power bars and such. I got the kind that is already rinsed, since I guess you have to rinse a bitter flavor off the grains before you cook it. It makes a good substitute for rice.
Anyway, this is from Cook This, Not That! p. 294, and even my 15 month-old liked it!

Quinoa Pilaf

• 1 c. quinoa
• 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 yellow onion, minced
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 3 c. low-sodium chicken broth or water
• 2 Tbsp toasted pine nuts
• 1/4 c. golden raisins (these make it so good!)
• 1/2 c. chopped fresh parsley (I used dried)
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Place the quinoa in a large bowl and rinse in several changes of cold water. Drain thoroughly (or buy the already rinsed kind and skip this step)
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook the onion and carrot until softened, then stir in the quinoa and cook until lightly toasted and giving off a nutty smell, about 3 minutes. (I could only smell the onions, I never got the "nutty smell")
Add the broth and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the liquid is fully absorbed, about 20 minutes.
Transfer the quinoa to a large bowl and fluff with a fork. Stir in the pine nuts, raisins, and parsley.
Makes 4 servings

Four-cheese Italian Sausage with Garlic Basil Sauce

We had some leftover Italian sausage, so I went to the manufacturer's website for ideas on how to serve it. This was yummy.

Four-cheese Italian Sausage with Garlic Basil Sauce
From www.Johnsonville.com

• 1 pkg. Johnsonville Four-Cheese Italian Sausage Links
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 3/4 cup frozen peas
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. cornstarch
• 1 3/4 cups chicken broth (14 oz.)
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• Hot cooked angel hair pasta.

In a skillet, saute onion and garlic in olive oil until tender. Add peas. Combine the cornstarch, broth and pepper until smooth; stir into onion mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in sausage and basil. Serve over pasta.
Makes 5 servings.

Chicken with Whole Cranberries

I've made this a couple times already. Everyone's liked it who's tried it. It's good for a Sunday when you want to throw something together quick in the morning and have it be ready at the end of the day.

Chicken With Cranberries
from southernfood.about.com

• 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 cup fresh cranberries (I froze mine. Still great)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 3 Tbsp brown sugar or honey (honey for me)
• 1 cup orange juice
• 3 tbsp flour mixed with 2 tbsp cold water

Place all ingredients, except flour-water mixture, in a slow-cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours, until chicken is tender. Add flour mixture in the last 15-20 minutes and cook until thickened. Taste and adjust servings.
Makes 4

Kate's Cranberry Chicken

I have a few different cranberry chicken recipes. I wanted to eat it one night but didn't have time to let whole cranberries cook down. So I found this one to use my cans of cranberry sauce that I didn't use at Thanksgiving. It was yummy!

Kate's Cranberry Chicken
from Cooks.com

• 1 whole chicken, cut up. (I used a few chicken breasts)
• 1 -15 oz. can whole or jellied cranberry sauce
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 4 tbsp. lemon juice
• 3 tbsp. soy sauce
• salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter; add soy sauce, lemon juice and cranberry sauce. Pour sauce over chicken. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes, basting frequently the last 1/2 hour. Excellent over noodles or rice.

Pretend Chicken Marsala

I don't usually keep marsala wine on hand, so I just substituted white grape juice instead. I love this new book...

Pretend Chicken Marsala
from Cook This, Not That! 2010, p. 272

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to uniform 1/4" thickness
• 1 cup flour
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 oz prosciutto, sliced into thin strips (I used bacon. They look the same)
• 8 oz cremini mushrooms, stemmed and sliced. (don't know which I used)
• 3/4 cup Marsala wine (white grape juice)
• 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 chopped fresh parsley

Season the chicken with a good pinch of salt and pepper. Place the flour in a shallow bowl and add the chicken; coat evenly, shaking off any excess flour.
Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick pan or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Cook the chicken (don't overcrowd the pan; cook in two batches if need be) 3-4 minutes per side, until golden brown on the outside and cooked all the way through. Transfer to a serving platter and keep warm.
Add additional oil to the pan if needed, then saute the prosciutto for 1-2 minutes, until it starts to crisp up. Add the mushrooms and continue sauteing until well browned. Stir in the Marsala/juice and broth, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. cook until the liquid has reduced to about 1/2 cup. Season with salt and pepper, add the parsley, and pour over the chicken.
Makes 4 servings.

Chicken Fingers

Justin said these qualify for "Brooke's Top Ten." I don't know what the other nine are. . .
Super Easy, super fast. And heathy! Sort of. I didn't plan ahead for this one, so I had to substitute a few things.

Chicken Fingers
from Cook This, Not That! 2010, p. 86

• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken tenders
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 3 Egg whites, lightly beaten
• 2 cups panko bread crumbs (I used crushed Stovetop instead)
• 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp chipotle pepper puree (optional- didn't have it on hand, but I want to use it next time)
• 1 Tbsp honey

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Place the egg whites in a shallow bowl. Place the crumbs on a plate and season those, too. Dip the chicken tenders into the egg, then toss in the crumbs, being sure to coat fully.
Place the breaded chicken pieces on a baking sheet coated with nonstick cooking spray and bake for 10-12 minutes, (I did 15-ish with fries baking at the same time) until the crumbs have browned and the chicken is firm.
Combine the mustard, chipotle, and honey in a large bowl. toss the cooked chicken tenders in the mixture so they are all evenly coated with spicy-sweet sauce.
Makes 4 servings.

Squashana

I pulled the classic move of seeing something in the grocery store that I'd never cooked before (not too difficult to find that for me) and took it home with no idea what to do with it. I did this a couple weeks ago with an eggplant and the meal I made does not qualify for my blog. This time it was spaghetti squash. I read that the squash can replace the noodles in lasagna. I've never made homemade lasagna. So I just made this up. Justin liked it alright.

Squashana
From the kitchen of Brooke C Hochstein

• 1 Spaghetti Squash
• 1 jar of spaghetti sauce (I used Ragu Veggie Delight)
  
• 1 bag of cheese
• 1 lb ground beef

Cut the spaghetti squash in half and scrape out the seeds and guts. Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes. When finished baking, scrape from stem to stem with a fork to create spaghetti-like strands of squash. While the squash is baking, brown the ground beef. Add the jar of spaghetti sauce to the meat. In a baking dish, spread a layer of squash at the bottom, then add the spaghetti sauce on top. Cover in cheese. Repeat until you run out of room or ingredients. Make sure the top is covered with cheese. Bake in oven at 350 for about half an hour.

Notes:
If you do not want to cut the squash in half before you cook it (because it's really tough to cut it and I may not cut it next time), bake at 350 for at least an hour. Be careful when you cut it, it will be very hot!

Gravy

I used this for the Thanksgiving Turkey. Everyone loved it.

Gravy
from the kitchen of Helen Robertson

• 3 T oil
• 3 T flour
• Turkey drippings
• Can of cream of chicken soup
• Broth*
• Corn Starch*

Brown the oil and flour. Add drippings and cream of chicken soup. If too thick, add the broth. If too thin, add the cornstarch until you reach the desired consistency.

*maybe

Penne Pasta with Spinach, Bacon, and Chicken

Got this recipe from Disney Family Food's website. I have no idea how I stumbled on it. The recipe does not call for chicken, but I wanted to make it the main dish.

I just copied from the page:

Prep Time:	10m
Cook Time:	15m
Ready in:	25m
Yield:	4 servings

Ingredients
	1 (12 ounce) package penne pasta 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided 6 slices bacon, chopped 2 tablespoons minced garlic 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes 1 bunch fresh spinach, rinsed and torn into bite-size pieces

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the penne pasta, and cook until tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Place bacon in the skillet, and cook until browned and crisp. Add garlic, and cook for about 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes, and cook until heated through.
3. Place the spinach into a colander, and drain the hot pasta over it so it is wilted. Transfer to a large serving bowl, and toss with the remaining olive oil, and the bacon and tomato mixture.

Caramel

I tried to be domestic this year again for Christmas and made some turtles. Last year I made this caramel and burned it. I was pregnant and I cried. This year I bought extra of everything because I didn't care how many times I would have to try, I was going to get it right! Luckily it only took one try. And a lot of mess. But it was fun! And yummy~!
This was enough caramel to make about 170 turtles.

Caramel
from the kitchen of Carol R Cheesman

• 4 c. sugar
• 1/2 lb. butter
• 2 c. light corn syrup
• 2 cans evaporated milk
• 2 tsp vanilla
  

Melt butter, add sugar and corn syrup. When this mixture begins to boil, add milk approx 1/2 cup at a time every 4-5 minutes. You should allow about 1/2 hour to add the 2 cans of milk. Cook at med-fairly high temp, stirring constantly, scraping the sides and bottom of the pan. Cook to 240 degrees or to a firm ball stage in water (when you drop a little in a cup of water, it keeps its shape and doesn't dissolve immediately). Pour into buttered pan for caramel. For turtles place nuts on counter sprayed with cooking spray and pour small amounts of caramel on top while still pourable. After set, pour melted chocolate over the top of the turtles.

Notes: I put the caramel in the squirting containers too soon and my first squirt send the top flying off and left a huge puddle of caramel on my counter. The top melted off. Had to use my extra squirter.

Thanksgiving Turkey

It's been a while!
I used this recipe from "Uncle Bill."

It was FANTASTIC! And easy! I was so so so nervous to be in charge of the Thanksgiving turkey, but shrinking the skin was a great way to make it juicy.
I'm just copying and pasting straight from RecipeZaar.com.
We had a 16 lb turkey.

Uncle Bill's Method for Cooking Turkey Recipe #46262

Scalding the turkey makes for a very nice moist turkey. I have been doing this method for over 25 years. Cooking time shown in the method is for a 16 pound stuffed turkey.

by William (Uncle Bill) Anatooskin

5½ hours | 30 min prep

SERVES 14 -18

• 1 (16 lb) whole turkey
• salt
• pepper
• water
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1. Turkey must be thoroughly thawed before preparing for the oven unless you are using a fresh turkey.
2. Remove turkey parts from cavities and use as you desire.
3. Wash cavities well with cold water.
4. Boil a kettle of hot water (scalding hot.).
5. Place turkey in a clean sink or a large roasting pan.
6. Pour hot water over the entire turkey including in the cavities.
7. The skin will shrink tightly to the turkey.
8. "This will help hold the natural juices in the turkey while it is cooking.
9. "Pat dry both inside and outside of turkey.
10. Sprinkle cavities with salt and black pepper.
11. Line inside of cavity with cheesecloth, then stuff with your favorite dressing,"stuff loosely".
12. Tie legs and wings with a good meat wrapping twine and leave a lifting loop to remove the turkey from the pan when cooked.
13. Place a wire rack in the bottom of roasting pan.
14. Place the turkey on the wire rack, breast side up.
15. Pour 2 cups of water or 2 cups of chicken broth into the pan.
16. Pour about 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil over the exterior of the turkey.
17. Cover the top of pan with heavy aluminum foil, but do not let foil touch the turkey as it will stick to the turkey while cooking.
18. Pinch foil tight to the sides of the pan.
19. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
20. Place turkey on lower rack in oven and cook for 1 hour.
21. Reduce heat to 325 F and cook for 2 1/2 hours.
22. Now turn heat up to 350 F and cook for another 1/2 hour.
23. Remove foil from turkey and baste, then continue cooking for an additional 1 hour at 350 F, basting about every 15 minutes so that the turkey turns a nice brown color.
24. When the time for cooking is finished, test for doneness. Insert a thermometer in the thickest portion of the turkey breast, reading should be between 175 F to 180 F but no more than 180°F When inserted into the thickest portion of the leg, readings should be the same. Or, cut a small slice from the breast portion and make sure that there i no pink showing. Or, you may also use a fork and insert it into the thickest portion of the leg and if the juices run clear, then the turkey is done.
25. Remove from oven, lift turkey out the roasting pan using the string loops.
26. Cover with foil and let the turkey rest for about 1/2 hour before carving.
27. Total time for cooking a 16 pound stuffed turkey is 5 hours.
28. There is no need to baste the turkey until the last 1 hour of cooking, this saves you a lot of time as you do not have to remove the foil tent during the first 4 hours.
29. For a crispy browner skin, you may wish to consider rubbing butter over the entire bird after pouring olive oil. This works very nicely.
30. COOKING TIMES: Left Side -Stuffed---- Right Side - Unstuffed.

*12-14lbs.

• 4- 4 1/2 hours-- 3 1/2-3 3/4 hours.

*14-16lbs.

• 4 1/2- 5 hours-- 3 3/4-4 hours.

*16-18lbs.

• 5- 5 1/2 hours-- 3 3/4-4 1/4 hours.

*18-20lbs.

• 5 1/2- 6 hours-- 4 1/4-4 1/2 hours.

*20-22lbs.

• 6- 6 1/4 hours-- 4 1/2-5 hours.

*22-24lbs.

• 6 1/4-6 1/2 hours-- 5- 5 1/4 hours.

1. NOTE: Test for doneness by inserting a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the breast, reading should be 175 F and in the thickest part of the leg or thigh, reading should be 180°F.

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