Heather Solos's Blog, page 21

New Years Eve 2016

Heather says

Tomorrow, for many, is a much-anticipated new beginning. Our New Year started a little bit early, on the 27th, with a wedding. 

Ours.

This should be all I need to say about why it’s been so quiet around here. 

We’re looking forward to 2017 and all that is ahead. We’ll be relaunching the organizational challenge and hope you’ll join us as we work to get our homes in order with 6 months of weekly tasks. 

Of course there will be more recipes and reader questions.

In 2017, we’ll also focus on the life skills that make “adulting” a little less daunting. Together we’ll work through learning the many things that society just expects us to know.  

I hope that you’ll join us and wish you all the best in the new year, don’t forget your collard greens and hoppin’ john for luck and prosperity. 

Many thanks go to Phillip of TrueLightPhoto for taking the pictures. 

The post New Years Eve 2016 appeared first on Home Ec 101.

                

Home-Ec 101 2017 Gift Ideas

Heather says:

I overthink gifts. I want the recipient to not only be excited to get the gift but I need to know that this gift will actually get used. I know I feel guilty when I receive a gift and never use it. I worry about making other people feel guilty. (Yes, I am aware I need to chill.)

Important: You only have until Dec 15, if you’ll be using the USPS ground shipping to send your gift in time for Christmas. 

A note quick note many of these links are affiliate links. These do not affect your price and I would not link to an item I wouldn’t (or haven’t in many cases) purchase(d) for my home and family

If you’re an Amazon Prime Member (which we love it for the expedited shipping, streaming video library, and music) you have a little more time. Did you know you could give a Prime Membership for just 3 months? I suppose it’s a little like heroin, they just want someone to start using and then they have them for life. That said, we don’t have cable and between Amazon and Netflix, we’re very rarely lacking entertainment. This makes it a great idea for the cord-cutter in your life.

Speaking of cord-cutters, if someone you know is looking to cut cable the Roku has been a hit here for years. And, while we’re discussing electronics Spotify, iTunes, and Netflix all make great clutter-free gifts. I love my Kindle Paperwhite, it’s perfect to use while monitoring the kids at the pool, waiting during buffer time, or reading in bed. I used to think I’d never make the transition, but here we are.

Appliances:

I cannot emphasize this enough, do not give your significant other a vacuum for Christmas. Period. End of story. Just don’t. You can, however, give a vacuum to a young adult that recently started out on their own. If that person happens to have long hair, I highly recommend the Bissell Pet Hair Eraser I mentioned it here after buying one this summer, I still haven’t had to clean the roller brush. That last link is a how-to.

The tea lover in your life may really appreciate an electric kettle. My secret Santa gave me one and I’m stoked. I work from home and have colleagues that also occasionally work from here. They both love tea and I know they will be excited to not have to use the microwave to heat the water. It’s also a great idea for college kids who may not be allowed a microwave. They can not only make tea, coffee (with a french press), and hot chocolate, it’s also great for ramen and instant oatmeal.  

A rice cooker is a much more versatile appliance than its name suggests. Last week I gave a quick review of the Rosewill 10 cup Rice Cooker. This one is great for couples and young families. 

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the Instant Pot. My circles have exploded with conversation, excitement, and buzz about this gadget. There are communities popping up on Facebook with 200k people sharing recipes and tips. My only irritation is that the 8qt version has yet to go on sale. The 6qt frequently does, keep a close eye on it over the next few days, you may get lucky.

Utensils and Tools:

If you know someone still using a glass cutting board, for the sake of their knives would you consider a cutting board or mat? Then, for the sake of their fingers, would you please sharpen their knives? If you choose a wooden cutting board, don’t forget the food grade oil.

 

I still have two of these three knives, I use them all the time. I also haven’t ever properly taken care of them (except for the sharpening) and they have taken the abuse. The chef knife is the one I reach for on a daily basis. It’s so cheap that I really don’t worry about eventually replacing it. I know that probably puts me in some form of culinary sin, but there you have it. I’ve had these knives for a very long time, but I have no idea where the paring knife went.

Chicago Cutlery 3 Piece Walnut Set 

I’m torn on suggesting the knife block. Really all a beginner cook needs are the three knives pictured above, but some cooks like variety and this one includes the sharpening steel. They will still need a sharpening stone. Please remember that knives are pretty personal. Some people swear by Henckels and Wusthoff, those are both fantastic brands and I used them when I cooked professionally and my restaurant footed the bill, but at home, these are the ones I reach for time and time again.

Chicago Cutlery Walnut 10 piece knife set with block 

A peeler is another kitchen essential that can help take the drudge work out of cooking. A good peeler with a comfortable handle is an absolute kitchen necessity. Get rid of the chintzy all metal, rusted thing in the tool drawer and replace it with my favorite version. (I kind of like Oxo as you’ll notice in this list).

Oxo Good Grips Peeler 

Need something super cheap as a stocking stuffer for a baker? How about a good biscuit cutter? I swore by using a glass until a friend sent me an actual biscuit cutter. What a difference. Go ahead and include this recipe for these excellent no-knead biscuits.

Biscuit Cutter (If you aren’t ordering enough for free shipping, just wait until you see one at a box store like Target)

Want good gravy? A good fat separator makes making pan gravy so much easier. Insert the plug, strain the pan juices, use the drippings on top to make roux, and then remove the plug and whisk in the  delicious pan juices. So easy. So good.

OXO Fat Separator 

Thermometers are essential in the kitchen. I loved this one until I left it beside the grill and an afternoon thundershower did it in. That was totally my fault, not the thermometer’s.

Taylor Thermometer 

So this one might be slightly off topic, but if you have a wine drinker on your list, a waiter’s tool is a great gift. The wine reps used to hand these, with their logo, naturally, out and we’d snatch them up. A wine tool is far superior to a standard cork screw and doesn’t take up much room at all in the kitchen.

Waiter’s Wine Tool averages from $5 to $15

The newbie cook on your list will be the hero of the apartment complex during every power outage. Having an emergency food pantry really doesn’t mean a whole lot if you can’t get into the supply. Manual can openers are a must for every kitchen. Yes, even yours.

OXO Manual Can Opener 

If you have someone who is starting to get serious about learning to cook, a set of ramekins may be exactly what they need. Why? There’s a technique called mise en place where cooks line up their measured ingredients. It’s an especially useful technique when you’re just learning and want to set yourself up for success. Going through the recipe and measuring ingredients beforehand helps reduce errors and ensures all the ingredients are actually on hand.

6 Piece Ramekin Set 

I won’t lie, I’m a big fan of Pyrex. Next up, we have a few of my favorites from that brand.

Pyrex Bakeware with lids – 

Pyrex 1 Cup Glass Liquid Measuring Cup (Yes, glass is far superior to the crappy plastic ones you see)

Pyrex 1 Quart Glass Liquid Measuring Cup  Not only is this handy for measuring liquids, it’s great for heating them in the microwave before adding to a recipe.

There are many more Pyrex items I’d add to the list, but I’m trying to keep this post under control, but still my glass mixing bowls are always handy, as are the 8×8 baking pans. You get the idea, I am a Pyrex fan for their price and quality.

I wish you the best of luck finding something for everyone on your gift list. 

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Menu Monday Week 47

Heather says

Transparency – About six weeks ago my insomnia got bad enough that I finally visited my doctor. Bad enough is my euphemism for completely out of hand and I wish I’d gone sooner. The funk is clearing and I’m sleeping better which is giving me energy beyond the have-tos. We’d managed to keep the house in good enough order, well as much order as four kids allow, but there were a few things that have been neglected.

I found my cleaning motivation, it was hiding under the depress/anxiety. 

I know many of you are relieved that the Countdown to Turkey Day is over. I hope you had a lovely holiday and got to spend time with friends, family, or both. Somehow Ray, my fiance, and I managed to have a mostly kid-free weekend. Which, with four children, is quite rare. We didn’t do a whole lot, but it was nice to do things on our own schedule instead of feeling like cruise ship directors and referees. And yes, for me that included quite a bit of cleaning… to each their own.

This week, we’re back on track with the kids in school, so it’s time for a Menu Monday. I hope you have a great week, please feel free to share anything that you’ll be cooking or experimenting with in the comments. 

Monday Baked ham, okra, rice and cranberry sauce. 


Why? We had Thanksgiving at my mother’s and my oldest asked Ray if we could take the ham home with our leftovers. I didn’t realize he liked ham that much and they were on sale at the grocery store this weekend. Easy enough and we need to use up that cranberry sauce.
Tuesday Ham on Monday means Beans and Rice on Tuesday with Cornbread



Wednesday – Shepherd’s Pie – I’m hoping to get some pictures of this. It’s been a very long time since I’ve made it.
Thursday – Clean Out Refrigerator Night
Friday – We’ve made a fun twist on Falafel, recently, in which instead of the traditional parsley and seasonings, we swap cilantro and chili powder. With chipotle sauce instead of tzatziki, it’s something the whole family digs 
Saturday – Chili, salad, cornbread
Sunday – Roast chicken, roasted carrots, roasted brussels sprouts, rice and gravy


I may switch out from a traditional roast chicken to our CrockPot Sticky Chicken to free up room in the oven, but I’ve not decided, yet. 

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Rosewill’s RHRC-13001 5.5 Cup Rice Cooker – On Sale Today

Heather says





I was sent a review unit of the Rosewill RHRC-13001 5.5 Cup Rice Cooker. I tested the unit provided and you’ll never believe this. It made rice and it made it well.

You’re stunned, just stunned, I can tell. 

All silliness aside, the Rosewill Rice Cooker works great. We use a rice cooker several times a week and if we didn’t have four growing children, we would have kept the review unit as our current rice cooker is reaching the end of its life. Since the cooker doesn’t meet our family’s needs I gave the review unit to a coworker friend of mine with no children and he is very happy with it.

My coworker and I tend to geek out over food and cooking. He’s currently researching how to make congee, a Chinese porridge made from rice which brings me to my next point. The Rosewill Rice Cooker should have been named something more encompassing than simply a rice cooker. The rice cooker can also be used to make soup, quinoa, brown rice, and according to Lifehacker banana bread. It’s not the dreaded unitasker —shout out to my fellow Alton Brown fans. I may have been binging on Good Eats, which is available on Netflix.

I’m sure you’ve heard of the InstantPot that has been exploding in popularity on the web, unlike Samsung products which are just exploding. If you aren’t interested in the electric pressure cooking aspect of the InstantPot and you don’t have a herd of people to cook for, this is a completely reasonable alternative product.

It’s also kind of cute which would make leaving it out on the counter for frequent use, not too big of a deal, but if you don’t have the counter space to spare, it has a handle which makes putting it away easy-peasy.

It’s currently 40 dollars off of its usual price. I’m working on putting together a list of gift ideas for the cooks in your life. I just wanted to give you guys a heads up on the deal before I get around to finishing this list. 

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Countdown to Turkey Day 2016: The Day Before Thanksgiving 2016

Heather says:

Thanksgiving is tomorrow.

Are you ready?

The people running Butterball’s Turkey Talkline (1-800-BUTTERBALL) are fantastic; feel free to call them if you have ANY questions on Thanksgiving about your turkey.

They are happy to help.

Seriously, I’d go as far as chipper.

Have you figured out your Turkey Day Timetable?

For many families today is for baking and food prep.

Here are few last minute tips to help everything go smoothly.

Check the turkey now. Has it completely thawed?


No?


Use the water bath method to finish defrosting the turkey.

Are your knives sharp? No? Read this tutorial How to Sharpen a Knife, it’ll help you get through tomorrow safely. Did you really just ask why? Sharp knives are safer than dull knives.

If you have several recipes calling for diced onions, bell pepper, and/or celery, go ahead and chop it all today. Cover tightly before refrigerating. If you really want to make sure they don’t change due to exposure to air. Put the cut veggies in a Ziplock style baggie and partially immerse the baggie in a bowl of water. The water forces the air out of the bag. Get as much air out as you can without letting water in and seal. It may not be a vacuum sealer, but it is a handy trick.

Do not pre-cut your potatoes and toss them in the fridge, it’s a bad idea. If you must know they turn a horrid shade of dark grey. Nobody wants oxidized potatoes.

If you want a headstart on mashed potatoes, you can make them today and then bake in a covered, oven-safe dish to reheat (with lots of butter, please). Alternately, tomorrow morning, peel and dice the potatoes, then hold them in a bowl of cold water. Rinse the potatoes before cooking in salted water. The same goes for sweet potatoes and apples, exposure to air makes them oxidize. Oxidation doesn’t hurt anything, it’s just quite unattractive.

If you are pre-cooking your side dishes, don’t forget to check your Thanksgiving Day Timetable to make sure it includes reheating your side dishes. 

If you’re using your own bread for dressing, go ahead and tear / cut that up today, too.


Still looking for a traditional sage dressing? Try this apple, cranberry sage dressing. It’s wonderful. If you need a vegetarian dressing recipe, just follow that one and replace the chicken / turkey stock with vegetable stock, easy peasy.

Cornbread for the dressing? Make that today, too. Remember cornbread dressing is gluten free dressing, provided you use plain cornmeal and NOT cornmeal mix for your cornbread. Do you need a sweet cornbread recipe or a plain cornbread recipe for your dressing?

Cornbread Dressing with Andouille Sausage – Excellent recipe
Shrimp and Andouille Sausage Cornbread Dressing -Amazing recipe Don’t worry, you can use turkey stock if you don’t feel up to making your own shrimp stock.

If you don’t have young children or pets and you have a formal dining room vs the everyday table, you can even go as far as setting the table. Put the plates and glasses on the table upside down or cover them with a large -clean!- sheet so they don’t catch any dust. Tomorrow, just before the guests arrive, flip or uncover everything. Do not pre-set the table if you have young children or pets. Somehow or another they’ll just make more work for you or create an embarrassing fur or sticky fingerprint situation.

If you’re playing host to friends and family, please check the guest bathroom. Make sure there’s enough TP, soap, and something with which to dry their hands. Please make sure that the guest towel doesn’t look like its only purpose is decorative. I can’t be the only person who worries about messing up someone’s starchy, frilly towel arranged over sea shells. Make sure the towel for hand drying is in an obvious, convenient spot. It’s better than having guests forced to wipe their hands on their pants.

If you have room, go ahead and chill any beverages that will be served.

If you choose to truss your turkey for roasting, it can be trussed today. Need a tutorial? See How to Truss a Turkey. Just don’t forget to take the turkey out of the refrigerator about an hour before cooking.

Do you have any last minute tips?

Please remember even if nothing comes out right, your mom, sister, and drunk uncle Roy are driving you nuts, or if it’s just not turning out as planned, Thanksgiving is a celebration in the spirit of gratitude. The fact that we have friends and family willing to even begrudgingly come together is a sign we are truly blessed. If you know someone, perhaps a serviceman or woman far from home, set an extra place and welcome them and invite them to your table. It doesn’t matter how simple the meal, the intention is what matters.

We have two families in this life, the one we are given and the one we create; embrace them both this holiday season.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you from Home-Ec101.com.

The post Countdown to Turkey Day 2016: The Day Before Thanksgiving 2016 appeared first on Home Ec 101.

               
CommentsI think you were more than thorough enough , so now I am almost ... by ChristineI can make it any day I have the time… plus I only make it ... by DeneicerI make my own cranberry sauce and I can it. So, I can do it ... by DeneicerThis post makes me so glad I'm not hosting Thanksgiving! HA! ... by Jo-Lynne {Musings of a Housewife}Your tips over the years have made me feel like a Thanksgiving ... by Michele N.  

Countdown to Turkey Day 2016: Two Days to Go!

Heather says:

Tick. Tock. Your time is running out. However, you’ve been following along with this year’s Countdown to Turkey Day and aren’t stressing, right?

Grab your Thanksgiving Shopping List and buy your produce and other perishables.
If you went the fresh route, pick up your turkey.
Before you head to the grocery store -you don’t want to go tomorrow, trust me- do another Great Thanksgiving Pantry Double Check, this is especially important if you have kids.
If your turkey is thawing, take a moment to get rid of the condensation that may be pooling under your thawing turkey. (You don’t have your turkey sitting on a shelf where it can drip its icky goo on your produce do you?) Your turkey should be in the lowest possible portion of your refrigerator. I generally take out the meat drawer to make room for my Thanksgiving turkey.


You don’t want to have your turkey resting in a bacterial swimming pool.
If you ordered a fresh turkey, go pick it up. Follow the above recommendations for where to keep it in your refrigerator.
If your turkey is still in the deep freeze, pull it out, right now -do not pass go- and put it in the refrigerator. Give it as much of a head start on a water bath thaw as possible.  If you need tips, check out: How to Quickly Thaw a Turkey in a Water Bath.
Take some time today and get the house as close to company ready as possible.
Find your meat thermometer, roasting pan, the blades for the food processor, and any other kitchen gadgets that don’t often see the light of day.

Don’t worry, it looks like more than it is. Finally take a moment and confirm that you have enough servingware, silverware, plates, etc for your guests.

Are you ready?

Let’s do this.

The post Countdown to Turkey Day 2016: Two Days to Go! appeared first on Home Ec 101.

                

Cornbread and Andouille Sausage Dressing

Heather says:


The best part of this dressing, aside from it being fabulously tasty is, it’s gluten free! I have several friends who are either celiac or have friends who are. I love when I have a great recipe I can pass along, especially for a holiday meal.

I’m not a huge fan of egg in my dressing, so when I doubled the recipe (to serve 20) I used only 3 eggs instead of four and it worked well. There was enough cohesion without any eggy bits.

Cornbread and Andouille Sausage Dressing

Serves 8 – 10

Ingredients:

1 recipe sweet cornbread, made the day before
butter to grease the baking pan
1 lb Andouille Sausage
1 medium yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup)
3 ribs celery, including leaves, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded & diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup green onions, chopped
1/2  tsp dried thyme
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper (estimate this)
a pinch of cayenne (go very light, as the sausage already has some kick)
2 large eggs, beaten
1 – 1.5 cups turkey stock

Preheat the oven to 350F and butter a 13 x 9 baking dish.

Heat a large skillet over medium low heat. While it heats, peel the casing from the sausage and crumble it as evenly as possible into the pan. (This parts kind of a pain).

Brown the sausage. Then transfer to a paper towel. Leave the drippings in the pan. Chop the sausage so the pieces are uniform in size and not too large.  The size is somewhat of a personal preference.  If you and your family like big chunks, that’s fine.

Add the chopped celery and onions. Cook for about two minutes, just until the onions begin to soften. Add the bell pepper

and garlic.

Return the sausage to the pan and add the green onions, salt, ground black pepper, and cayenne. Stirring to mix after each addition.

Remove from heat and set aside.

Grab a large bowl and the cornbread. Tear the cornbread into chunks, it’s going to crumble easily, don’t stress, the egg will bind it back together.

To the cornbread, add the sausage mixture and the beaten egg. Add 1/2 the turkey stock. Mix gently.

Feel the mixture, it should be moist, not soggy. If it is still dry, continue adding the stock a little at a time until there are no dry areas. Remember, we’re NOT making soup.

Spread the mixture into the buttered dish, cover with foil, and bake for 20 – 30 minutes at 350F. Remove the foil the last few minutes to brown the top.

If you make this ahead of time, refrigerate it overnight. It will take longer to heat through, more like 45 minutes, but check after 30 to ensure it doesn’t burn or dry out.

Enjoy!

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CommentsHow many does this serve? 8-10? Plan to make it for ... by WendyBy: ..all these places have their momentz.. » Monday Menu – November 16, 2009 by ..all these places have their momentz.. » Monday Menu – November 16, 2009Yea, see I don't know WHAT I would do if I weren't allowed SOME ... by knitaddictMy issue is that it's not just wheat he wants to avoid, it's ... by HeatherSolosGluten lite is much healthier! After being diagnosed and ... by knitaddictPlus 7 more...  

Countdown to Turkey Day 2016: November 13, It’s Time to Get Serious

Heather says

The late fall is typically one of the busiest times for me career-wise and yet I insist on dragging y’all through the preparation of hosting Thanksgiving Dinner?

Why?

Going through the steps helps make sure I don’t forget anything, either. Thanksgiving is my favorite time of year, when we get together and share with both our given family and the families that we make. This year Thanksgiving is an especially important holiday. I don’t want to get into details about the election, but I know that a lot of people are hurt, worried, and scared. I know that some people have and are reacting by lashing out. 

It sucks. (Don’t say suck*)

It’s going to be okay. I’ve had a couple of you point out that I screwed up editing old posts and left the old year on the post. I’m human, too. I am the author and the copyeditor. Sometimes I post before I’ve had a cup of coffee or after a glass of wine. 

Every holiday isn’t perfect. 

Maybe you’ll burn the gravy or this will be the year you forget to take the turkey out of the freezer on time. Maybe, more importantly, this is the year someone you loved will leave an place, if not at the table, but in your heart. Holidays can be stressful times of year, whether it’s because there are changes in your immediate family, your extended family, or circumstances beyond your control. 

May I suggest adding candles to your Thanksgiving table? You don’t need many, just one or two. Just a little reminder, if only for yourself, as the host that our job is to bring light into the the world. If the conversation turns to politics look at the candle, breathe, and redirect. 

Give a little grace before asking to say grace.

Back to getting ready.

This year, so far we’ve:

Decided when and where
Located the dining room table and extension(s)
Reserved chairs and place settings, if necessary
Created our Soft Thanksgiving Menu Plan
Begun working on getting the house company ready by paying attention to daily / weekly chores
Extended Invitations

Now it’s time to finalize your menu. Grab your Soft Menu Plan and a Google Spreadsheet. 

It’s time start figuring out the final Thanksgiving menu and your shopping list To do this, you need to know how many people are dining and a rough idea of their usual appetite. The list below accounts for average people and will help you decide how many servings you need of each Thanksgiving recipe.

If you are serving teenagers or relatives you already know are greedy increase the estimates.

(You know who you are, quit acting innocent. I may be thin, but I can put away the food when I want to and on Thanksgiving? I want to.)

I increase the dessert estimate just because it’s a holiday for Pete’s sake. These estimates work best for a formal Thanksgiving meal where everyone sits down and eventually people get tired of passing items.

If you’re serving your Thanksgiving dinner buffet style, definitely increase the gravy. I don’t know what it is about a buffet that makes people go nuts on the gravy, but that’s life.

Serving estimates for holiday meals:


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Whole turkey* – 1lb turkey for each guest up to a 14lb bird. Anything larger, estimate 3/4lb per person. (The skeleton of the turkey weighs less proportionally in large birds).
Bone-in turkey breast – 2/3 lb per person
Boneless turkey breast – 1/2 lb per person
Dressing aka Stuffing aka Filling – 3/4 cup per guest, unless you serve the andouille sausage and shrimp cornbread dressing I’ll be posting today, then you might as well say 1 cup per.
Gravy – 1/3 cup per person go 2/3rds cup per for buffet style
Mashed potatoes – 1lb of potatoes for every 2 guests 


If you are serving two kinds (roasted and mashed) estimate 1lb for every 3 – 4 guests
Cranberry relish / sauce – 1lb of berries for every 5 people who actually like cranberry sauce. And I hate to say it, but grab a can of the jellied cranberry sauce, if that has been a traditional item in your family. No one may touch it, but it could make someone’s day
Vegetables, including sweet potatoes – 1/2 cup per person of each type, unless you’re making the brussels sprouts with bacon recipe going up later this week, go ahead and call that a cup, too. People were giving each other dirty looks when that ran out.
Rolls – 2 per guest minimum
Rice – 1/2 cup per person
Dessert – 1 – 2 servings per guest

Some of the very dedicated choose to serve both turkey and ham. In that case estimate one pound of ham for every four or five people and 3/4 lb of turkey.

*If you love leftovers, as I do, increase your turkey estimate by 50%.

Once you have your spreadsheet open, list your recipes across the top, one per column. Under each recipe list the ingredients. If a recipe calls for apples, list the number after the ingredient apple x 3 or chicken stock x 2 qt. This won’t take up the whole spreadsheet.  This creates mini-shopping lists for each recipe.

Now, multiply or divide each of your recipe ingredient amounts as needed for your Thanksgiving Dinner.

On the lower half of the spreadsheet start new columns. I like to divide my list up by grocery store departments: butcher, dairy, dry goods, produce, etc. Cut and paste each item into the appropriate column combining when appropriate ie 2 apples for the dressing  + 14 for the pies = 16 apples.

Save and print your grocery list and don’t forget to shop your pantry before heading to the store. (This just means crossing off the items you have on hand). Don’t forget, if you rarely bake to test your baking powder to be sure it is still effective.

Check your spices, too.

Oh, and if you have a lot of company coming to stay, don’t forget extra toilet paper. Yes, it’s important, you’ll thank me later.

Don’t start shopping for produce, that’s not until the week of Thanksgiving. You don’t need your potatoes sprouting eyes.

*Don’t say suck comes from one of the best commercials I’ve seen in a long time. I’m not making money off your watching it, I just keep watching it, because it’s my house, only we have an extra kid.

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              Related ArticlesCountdown to Turkey Day The Soft Menu PlanCountdown to Turkey Day 2016 

Countdown to Turkey Day 2016: November 10

Heather says:

How is your Thanksgiving preparation going?

Are you staying on top of the weekly chores? Is your dining room table still clear? No? Fix that, I’ll wait.

On Tuesday we talked about putting together a tentative guest list. It’s time to go invite everyone formally. I’m not talking about embossed, fancy cards, but you can do that if you’d like and you are well within Emily Post’s two weeks to two months guideline for Thanksgiving dinner invitations. While I prefer calling my friends and family to make Thanksgiving plans, it’s not exactly a surprise for any of them.

Don’t cold call your invitations.

While it may seem like a great, efficient idea, it may make someone uncomfortable and feel pressured to attend something they’d rather not. Remember etiquette is mostly about making someone else feel comfortable. Don’t call a friend you haven’t spoken to in months and try to force them to accept your invitation. Shoot them an email, mention you’ll be having dinner, and then ask if they would like to attend.

Whatever your method, make your invitations and keep a list of your confirmations. This guest count is an estimate. Remember life happens and sometimes it is the flu and sometimes it’s just someone being inconsiderate, but no shows happen. And sometimes people call at the last minute to see if they can bring their cousin who has two kids and just happens to be in town (even though they knew they were coming three months ago). It happens.

Be prepared.

Have you finished your soft Thanksgiving menu plan yet?

Still need a little help?

Here are links to some of the Home Ec 101 Thanksgiving Recipe Collection:

Oven Roasted Turkey
Deep Fried Turkey
Turkey Stock
Apple, Sage, Cranberry Dressing
Andouille Sausage Cornbread Dressing
How to Make Gravy
Broccoli Almond Salad
Collard Greens
Savory Butternut Squash
Oven Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Caramel Apple Pie
Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie (just use a regular pie shell if you don’t want it gluten free)

As I mentioned recently, I have a few more recipes and techniques to add.

Last year a Home Ec 101 reader asked for some vegetarian Thanksgiving ideas and you, the Home Ec 101 community had some fabulous suggestions. Here are a few of my favorites from that post:

A Vegetarian Thanksgiving from Cheap Healthy Good (fabulous site) suggested by Milehimama

Mark Bittman’s 101 Thanksgiving Side Dishes -not all of these are vegetarian, but Bittman is a go-to for ideas in my world, suggested by Alice Dick

101 Cookbook’s Vegetarian Thanksgiving suggested by Leigh Webber

Mother Earth News A Vegetarian Thanksgiving suggested by CJ McD

What are your favorite Thanksgiving recipe resources (it certainly doesn’t have to be vegetarian in nature)?

 

The post Countdown to Turkey Day 2016: November 10 appeared first on Home Ec 101.

               
Comments@KeterMagick Hmm that sounds a bit silly to me. I'm sure it ... by HeatherSolosSounds like you had a lot of fun, Heather! Your 10 lb. turkey ... by KeterMagick@butterball I will watch for that! by holleeinbalance@holleeinbalance @HeatherSolos You're in luck, Hollee. We're ... by butterball@HeatherSolos @butterball Maybe I could score some kind of ... by holleeinbalancePlus 2 more...  

Countdown to Turkey Day 2011: November 7

Heather says:

How is your Thanksgiving preparation going?

Are you staying on top of the weekly chores? Is your dining room table still clear? No? Fix that, I’ll wait.

On Tuesday we talked about putting together a tentative guest list. It’s time to go invite everyone formally. I’m not talking about embossed, fancy cards, but you can do that if you’d like and you are well within Emily Post’s two weeks to two months guideline for Thanksgiving dinner invitations. While I prefer calling my friends and family to make Thanksgiving plans, it’s not exactly a surprise for any of them.

Don’t cold call your invitations.

While it may seem like a great, efficient idea, it may make someone uncomfortable and feel pressured to attend something they’d rather not. Remember etiquette is mostly about making someone else feel comfortable. Don’t call a friend you haven’t spoken to in months and try to force them to accept your invitation. Shoot them an email, mention you’ll be having dinner, and then ask if they would like to attend.

Whatever your method, make your invitations and keep a list of your confirmations. This guest count is an estimate. Remember life happens and sometimes it is the flu and sometimes it’s just someone being inconsiderate, but no shows happen. And sometimes people call at the last minute to see if they can bring their cousin who has two kids and just happens to be in town (even though they knew they were coming three months ago). It happens.

Be prepared.

Have you finished your soft Thanksgiving menu plan yet?

Still need a little help?

Here are links to some of the Home Ec 101 Thanksgiving Recipe Collection:

Oven Roasted Turkey
Deep Fried Turkey
Turkey Stock
Apple, Sage, Cranberry Dressing
Andouille Sausage Cornbread Dressing
How to Make Gravy
Broccoli Almond Salad
Collard Greens
Savory Butternut Squash
Oven Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Caramel Apple Pie
Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie (just use a regular pie shell if you don’t want it gluten free)

As I mentioned recently, I have a few more recipes and techniques to add.

Last year a Home Ec 101 reader asked for some vegetarian Thanksgiving ideas and you, the Home Ec 101 community had some fabulous suggestions. Here are a few of my favorites from that post:

A Vegetarian Thanksgiving from Cheap Healthy Good (fabulous site) suggested by Milehimama

Mark Bittman’s 101 Thanksgiving Side Dishes -not all of these are vegetarian, but Bittman is a go-to for ideas in my world, suggested by Alice Dick

101 Cookbook’s Vegetarian Thanksgiving suggested by Leigh Webber

Mother Earth News A Vegetarian Thanksgiving suggested by CJ McD

What are your favorite Thanksgiving recipe resources (it certainly doesn’t have to be vegetarian in nature)?

 

The post Countdown to Turkey Day 2011: November 7 appeared first on Home Ec 101.

               
Comments@KeterMagick Hmm that sounds a bit silly to me. I'm sure it ... by HeatherSolosSounds like you had a lot of fun, Heather! Your 10 lb. turkey ... by KeterMagick@butterball I will watch for that! by holleeinbalance@holleeinbalance @HeatherSolos You're in luck, Hollee. We're ... by butterball@HeatherSolos @butterball Maybe I could score some kind of ... by holleeinbalancePlus 2 more...