Happy Thanksgiving!

Check out these 11 Facts You Should Know about Thanksgiving from the Huffington Post

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/21/thanksgiving-trivia-facts_n_1106005.html

For my Niece - Buckeyes

My poor, sheltered niece has never heard of buckeyes (aka buckeye candy).  All the years I have been making this wonderful chocolate/peanut butter goodness and she has yet to partake.  Every Thanksgiving alone is a double or even triple batch.  So, here are pictures and an recipe if she gets really ambitious.  :)

  1 Lb pkg. powdered sugar, sifted                                      1 Tsp vanilla

  18 Oz Jif peanut butter                                                      1/2 Tsp salt

  1/2 Cup butter, softened                                                    1 Lb Chocolate Wafers For Melting

Blend sugar, peanut butter, margarine, salt and vanilla until smooth. Shape into 1 inch balls. Melt chocolate top of double boiler. Dip balls in chocolate mixture with toothpick until 3/4 covered. Place on waxed paper until set. Cover over hole until smooth.

New Cooking Bags

I recently had the opportunity to try the oven bags made by the same people that brought us FireWire  (see more about firewire here).  Traditionally, I don't use cooking bags because I cannot see the food and most call for lining the bag with flour, something else I don't like to do.

When selecting a size of bag, don't just look at the size on the front.  In the picture above, you can see that these are large bags - they hold 6 - 11 pounds.  However, if you look at the back, when cooking ham, it falls under the extra large.  As I found when i cooked a 9 pound ham, it was related to the irregular shape of the ham.

I opened the bag, put it in a roasting pan then set the ham in the bag.  You could season the meat at this point, but I was not doing that, so I just placed it and sealed the bag with the ties provided.

The instructions say to cut the top corner off of the bag to prevent steam from building up and to allow the meat to brown. 

I did cut the corner off, but I didn't cut enough off and the steam did cause some inability to see the meat later in cooking unless I tapped on the bag.  This was not a big issue for me, but if you prefer to watch your food brown, either cut a larger hole or make a few slits in the top of the bag.

When I removed the ham and cut the bag, it was browned beautifully and extremely juicy.  Juices from the ham remained in the bag and were ready for use in anything I wanted to use it for.  If I had wanted to glaze the ham, I would have cut the top of the bag about half an hour before it was done cooking, added the glaze and returned the ham to the oven.

This bag worked beautifully and I look forward to cooking the geese and ducks that hubby returns from hunting with.  Unfortunately, cooking my Thanksgiving turkey isn't an option as my turkey is 23 lbs.  I will have to see if they carry a Jumbo sized bag that will allow me to do so.  Finally, these bags are microwave save.  You can cook your foods without making it inedible and still keep it moist.

Toffee Oatmeal Cookies

 

   3/4 Cup butter, softened                                2 1/4 Cup all-purpose flour

   1 1/4 Cup packed brown sugar.                    1/4 Cup old fashioned oats

   1/2 Cup sugar                                               1 Tsp baking soda

    2 Large eggs.                                               1 Tsp baking powder

    2 tsp vanilla extract                                     1/2 Tsp salt

    1 Tsp almond extract                                   10 Oz Toffee Bits

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In mixing bowl, cream butter, and sugars.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat in extracts.  Combine the flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture.  Stir in toffee bits.  Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 in.  apart onto ungreased baking sheets.  Bake at 375 for 10-12 min.  or until golden brown.  Cool for 1 min. before removing to wire racks.

Week 45 - 46.31

Not much to say other than I am in Montana just over 1/3 of the way from Bismarck, ND to Helena, MT.

Nutty Toffee Bars

These are a nice cookie bar.  If you are allergic to chocolate, you can replace the toffee bits with more almonds, toasted coconut or oatmeal.

  1/2 C Butter                                                                     2 Tbl Flour

  1 1/2 C Brown Sugar, Packed                                            1 Tbl Baking Powder

  1 C Flour                                                                          1/2 Tsp Salt

  2 Large Eggs                                                                    1 C Toffee Bits

  1/2 Tsp Vanilla                                                                  1 C Almonds, Slivered

  1/2 Tsp Almond Extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cream shortening and 1/2 c brown sugar together in bowl until light and fluffy.  Stir in 1 cup flour; blend well.  Press mixture with your hands into bottom of an ungreased 13 x 9 inch oblong pan.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and set aside.  Beat eggs well in a separate bowl.  Beat in 1 cup brown sugar and vanilla.  Combine flour, baking powder and salt in another bowl.  Stir into egg mixture.  Fold into toffee and almonds.  Pile mixture on top of baked dough in pan.  Return to the oven and bake for 25 minutes.  Cool slightly then cut into bars.

Stuffed, it is - Roasting the Squash

If you have decided to stuff a squash, you will first need to roast it.  Start by heating oven to 375 degrees.

Step 1:  Wash the squash.

Step 2:  Cut squash in half.

Step 3:  Remove seeds.

Step 4:  Put squash cut side down on a cookie sheet lined with non stick foil.

Step 5:  Roast until soft, about 45 minutes.  Turn upright to stuff.

Step 6:  Stuff and top with cheese.

Step 7:  Return to oven until stuffing is heated through.  If using the sausage and bean stuffing, it should take about 15 minutes.