Another Happy Holiday season is nearly over. You prep for a long time. Baking, cards, shopping, wrapping decorating, planning the holiday meal and then it seems that the actual time of the holiday flies by in the blink of an eye. Now, is the time I sit back and relax while getting to appreciate my decorations and enjoying my gifts. I bet it is the same for you. This is a short post for December.
Recipes
Jeff Goldblum’s 4 Ingredient Sandwich
rye bread (your favorite kind) ham (again your favorite kind) Swiss cheese Russian dressing
This is just a very good combination. I have loved them and neve would have thought to use a salad dressing like Russian on a sandwich. Give it a try and let me know what you think!
Post Thanksgiving Turkey Noodle Soup (lifeloveliz.com)
Turkey bones/carcass Fresh or already cooked 2 Carrots 2 Celery stalks¼ Onion, diced 2 tsp Poultry seasoning 2 tsp Seasoned salt 1 tsp Garlic powder, or ½ tsp fresh 2 tsp Thyme 4 C Chicken broth or water
Preheat oven to 350.
**This step is purely optional but highly recommended. Take all the turkey bones (fresh or cooked), and season the bones with HALF the poultry seasoning, salt, thyme and garlic powder. Baking the bones adds a richness to your broth that you cannot achieve simply from starting out with unbaked bones. Place seasoned bones on a baking sheet lined with parchment and bake the bones until brittle (approximately ¾ – 1 hour).
Place all the bones (and juices collected from the baking sheet) in the slow cooker. Add the broth/water. Depending on the size of your cooker, you may have to add a bit more broth/water. You want the bones to be mostly covered so they can simmer.
Turn the cooker to high and let cook for 2 – 3 hours. After that time, give the broth/bones a stir and turn down to low. Cook for a minimum of 6 – 8 hours.
After 8 hours, strain the solids from the broth. Often times there is a lot of meat that can be separated from the bones. Feel free to reserve this meat (away from the skin and gristle ) to use in your soup.
Chop your vegetables (carrots, celery and onion). Add these to the broth along with the meat if you are using it. You can choose to also add stewed tomatoes, small chopped potatoes, etc. if you wish at this point. Use this opportunity to re-season your soup again with the remaining spices SHOULD YOU NEED TO. You might find that the seasoning is perfect for you without the additional seasonings.
Let cook on high for ½ hour. Test for softness of the vegetables. If they are tender, the soup is ready. As a last minute addition, you can also add a can of cooked beans (butter beans, kidney, pinto, etc.) if you wish, simply wait another 10 minutes after adding them to serve your soup so they can warm through.
I followed her recipe but I made my broth by boiling the carcass. This was delicious!
Craft
Champagne Cork Mouse Ornament
I used a champagne cork for the head and neck of the mouse and made ears out of a couple of thin slices off a regular cork. I assembled them with pins to hold the ears down, a metal eye screwed into the top of the champagne cork with string for hanging and finally a piece of ribbon tied around the neck for a scarf. The final touch was to make a face with black Sharpie Marker.
Hacks!
*I have thin skin on my arms and recently received quite an open wound. I wanted a waterproof bandage and found these babies! Nearly $6 for a pack of 10 but well worth it! I have had excellent healing and they are absolutely waterproof.
*Have you ever stained a piece of Rubber Maid or Tupperware with red sauce or some other item? The trick to getting rid of the stain is simple. Put a generous amount of dish soap in the container with 2 or 3 sheets of paper towels and to that add hot water. Put the lid on and shake. That’s it!
*Did you know you can make a simple birdhouse with an old glass or ceramic teapot? Just fashion a chain and hook for hanging and attach it to the handle of the teapot. Hang it up and there you go! (boredpanda.com)
*Magic Shower Spray
2 cups warm water 1/2 cup baking soda 1cup distilled vinegar Stir 1/2 cup blue Dawn dish soap Stir for 2 minutes Dilute with water and add to a spray bottle (about half mixture and half water) Spray, scrub and rinse away the scum!
*If you ever need sweetened condensed milk for a recipe and don’t have a can of the Eagle brand milk you can make your own. 3/4 cup powdered milk 3/4 cup sugar 1/2 cup hot water Blend until smooth. This makes what is equal to one can of the Eagle brand.
Have a wondeful and joy filled New Year! See you next month!
