PLAYING CATCH-UP ON THE GARDEN AND HOUSE REPORT
May 2, 2011
All three of us have been working hard on the garden when it isn’t raining this last few weeks. It’s still not all planted, and in fact probably never will be completely planted—at least according to Sean.
Every day that we can work in the garden we do. Each of those days we take rest breaks and admire what all we’ve already accomplished in the building of our “ideal” garden. In our mind’s eye we see it lush and green and productive. Each day takes us closer to that vision. We also, every day, see one or more places we could plant, either in the ground or in flower pots and planters.
Our discussions as we work tend to be toward where we could put this trellis or that and what could go on them. After all we have unlimited air space, and if we stay in the garden cage we have limited ground space. So up is good.
Needless to say, we’ve also been looking at bird safe areas outside the garden cage as well. How does yard long cucumbers and green beans hanging from a balcony the birds don’t go sound? Picking might be interesting, but we are considering it.
I’ve been cruising the web again, a very informative thing to do. For inspiration on what all can be grown in a limited space I visit websites such as:
http://urbanhomestead.org/about
If you want to get inspired about what YOU can do even if you live in the heart of the city this is the website to visit. This family raises an average of 6,000 pounds of food a year on 1/5 an acre on their city lot in Pasadena, CA.
I’ve followed their progress over the years, yet I still go there to “steal” ideas for watering, trellising and much more. Their videos on utube, along with other homesteading videos are informative as well.
Speaking of those other videos another good website is:
http://www.gardengirltv.com/
While both of these websites are basically for urban dwellers and I have 90 acres I like the space saving ideas of both. Working a smaller area works well for us.
I’ve also, since I last wrote, ordered seeds from Baker’s Creek Heirloom Seeds http://rareseeds.com/
So far I’m very pleased with the order, it arrived within 3 days, the seeds are whole seeds, not broken ones as I have sometimes got in the past from other companies, and each packet has contained more than the minimum guaranteed number in it. Their shipping was very reasonable as well. They have a great variety of heirloom seeds from all over the world.
I can’t say enough about their paper catalog. Big beautiful worth framing photos of many of the plants. Another big plus with me, customer reviews of the different seeds and what they produce, I particularly like that they are in the same planting zone as I am, so their test farm will show basically the same results I could get.
We’ve just started planting those seeds, so I’ll let you know how the germination rate goes.
A dear friend has given me an abundance of produce she has obtained through her work. As a result my dehydrator, freezer and pressure canner have been getting a good work out. This makes me happy about the cooler weather we’ve been having, because I’ve been really heating the place up with all the work in the kitchen.
So far I’ve put up large amounts of bananas, yellow summer squash, jalapeno peppers, bell peppers, and many other things. It is reassuring to see my pantry slowly filling up again. We have been truly blessed.
Another thing I’ve been doing is making up a lot of bread and cookie doughs for the freezer. This I have reported on the various yahoogroups I am on and many have asked for the hamburger/hot dog buns recipe. So here it is:
I make the Master Mix—as posted previously in this blog :
Hot Roll Mix
5# or 20 C all purpose flour OR 9 C whole wheat/rye/other specialty grains + 8 C all purpose flour
1 1/4 c sugar ( you can substitute some honey if desired on baking day)OR 1 c packed brown sugar
4 tsp salt
1 cup powdered milk (or approx 1/2 c dry non milk substitute-rice, soy potato etc)
Mix all ingredients well together well, I use a wire whisk. Store in an airtight container, label and date. Best if used in 6-8 months. Makes 20-22 c mix.
Then I use it to make the hamburger/hot dog buns:
HAMBURGER/HOTDOG/SANDWICH BUNS
2 TBL (or 2 ¼ oz pkgs) dry active yeast
1 ½ c warm water
2 eggs, beaten
¼ oil
5-6 cups of the mix above
2 TBL melted butter
Dissolve the yeast in the water. Add oil and eggs, mix well. Add mix until you have a soft, pliable dough that is not sticky. Kneading well this should take 5-10 minutes. Grease a bowl, turn the dough over in the bowl to coat the side with the oil/butter you greased the bowl with. Cover with a damp cloth. Let rise until double in size approx. 1 hr maybe longer depending upon your current weather.
Punch down and let rest 10 minutes. In the meantime grease your baking sheets—2 of them. Now you shape your buns. You can either roll the dough out ½ inch thick with a rolling pin and use a 5 inch diameter can to cut perfect circles. Or like I do. Roll the dough into a ball and then flatten it to be ½ inch thick and 5 inches in diameter with your hand. OR if I’m making hot dog buns I roll it into a tube and flatten it.
Once all the buns are shaped you can either leave them to rise 10-15 minutes before baking or freeze them at this point. I generally take out enough for that night’s supper and set those to rise. The remaining ones are placed on the baking sheet and then immediately in the freezer.
Once they have frozen hard (generally overnight) I remove them from the baking sheet and put enough for a meal for the three of us in a vacuum seal bag, seal, label and date. Then when I need them I thaw them on a baking sheet until they are double in size. Then continue to bake as in the basic recipe.
To bake:
Preheat oven to 425 F. Bake for 10 minutes until golden brown. Remove from baking sheet to cooling rack. To keep the buns soft I brush them with the melted butter listed in the ingredients list and them cover them with a dry cloth.
YIELD: 12 5-inch buns
VARIATION:
Seeded buns; just before baking brush the tops with 1 beaten egg white and sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds (or seed of your choice. )
Another thing we’ve been working on recently on the line of feeding our family is going back to cooping some of the birds. The same friend as the produce gave me three lovely Leghorn hens, two Barred Rock chicks and three Dorking/Brahma cross chicks to get back into the chicken egg production, just for our family. Hopefully within the next year we will have enough fresh eggs to provide for our family year round.
During the peak laying season we will freeze any excess eggs. To do this I do it a two egg serving at a time. A two egg serving around here is as follows:
3 guinea or banty eggs= 2 large
1 goose= 2 large
1.5 duck= 2 large
We don't eat the peacock eggs because when we had a male to fertilize we wanted all possible peachicks we could.
Except for the duck eggs I do this "two eggs" at a time, ducks I do three and then divide.
Beat your eggs with a fork or whisk like you were going to scramble them. I personally add a pinch of salt or sugar, others tell me they don't even do that, but I think it help preserve them and helps keep the yolk from getting grainy.
Then pour into a container you want to freeze them in. Some will say to use ice cube trays. I will say I've had NO LUCK in getting the egg to pop out of them without being a huge mess. I use a snack size Ziploc. The Ziplocs I lay flat on a cookie sheet to flash freeze. Once they are frozen good either pop them out of your ice cube tray and bag up or take your Ziplocs and put them in a freezer bag or vacuum sealed bag and return to the freezer.
To use: either thaw in the refrigerator or if in a hurry stick the bag in a bowl of cold water. It will thaw rather quickly. Use immediately after thawing.
I use them in omelets, scrambled eggs, meatloaves, meatballs, egg wash for batter frying anything you need beaten eggs in for meals or baking. I've also been known to add them to dog and cat food if I'm making those and need a little more protein for the critter chow.
You can also separate the yolks from the whites and freeze them separately. I do this often when I’m cooking and need either yolks or whites for the current recipe. The remaining half of the egg is put in a container in the freezer, with the number of the contents on the container written on it., Then when I have enough for Hollandaise sauce, or an Angel Food cake they get used.
ON THE HOUSE BUILDING FRONT: Sean has his plans pretty well finalized and has purchased the cement, cinder blocks and re-bar for the first two footings/pillars. We had hoped to already have those two in, but we’ve, like a big part of the nation, have been hit with rain storm, after rain storm, which while good for the garden slows the house building down.
When he’s trapped in doors he’s worked on tweaking the house plans, researching different appliances, pricing materials and much more. Progress is being made, just slower than we’d hoped.
So now you are all caught up with us.
Jan who is off to pickle more peppers and caramelize onions to can in OK
Showing posts with label Hot Rolls. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hot Rolls. Show all posts
Monday, May 2, 2011
Sunday, November 15, 2009
MAKING THE HOLIDAY MEALS EASIER
November 15, 2009
A frequent question during the is time of year is HOW can I make the holiday meal easier so the host/hostess can enjoy the day more. This is a post I did on one of the yahoo lists when the annual question came up. I've added some more ideas to the regular post I hope it helps someone. I've also included a couple of recipes that you can do most if not all the work on ahead of time.
When we do the big family meal thing it can mean in excess of 30 people. Here’s a few things I do to prepare and make before, during and after easier.
Jan who is having a small group this year and is trying to push Murphy out of the door so the utility room and dining room will be finished in time in OK
1. Plan the menu TODAY, break it down into categories
a. Meats/meat substitutes
b. Vegetables
c. Desserts (remember to include sugar free/diabetic friendly ones
d. Beverages
e. Breads
f. Pre-dinner snacks for those early arrivers
g. Soup if desired
h. Salads/relishes
i. Paper/plastic products if using them.
2. Take that list and call each and every one that is coming and ask them which category they would most like to add a dish to. You might just be surprised. All my sil’s crew (6 of them) work for the same casino and they get FIVE turkeys at Thanksgiving and FIVE hams at Christmas for their holiday bonuses. So she supplies the turkey/ham at the big gatherings. You could cook a ham or roast for those non-turkey eaters like my dh. Don’t take “I dunno”, for an answer if someone can’t make up their mind tell them you’ll see what’s left on the menu and assign that to them. Then do it---you come you supply something! Breads, paper products and beverages should be reserved for those that travel a long distance and could stop and pick it up just before they arrive.
3. Take a look at what you are going to serve yourself and look hard at it. What could you do ahead of time and freeze?
a. Sweet potato pudding/casserole—I have a pecan topped one that freezes wonderfully.
b. If you are doing homemade dinner rolls make the dough up as far as the “roll into balls” step and then freeze the individual balls on a cookie sheet. When frozen solid bag bag them in up in a plastic freezer bag or container. Then on THE day all you have to do is put them in your baking pan early in the day and let them thaw and rise.
c. If you are doing homemade bread either make it the day before or if using a bread machine. Mix up all the dry ingredients now and store until the day of and use your timed feature the bread machine if doing a recipe from one of my newest favorite cookbooks "Artisan Breads in less than Five Minutes a Day" make up the sponge earlier in the week.
d. Make up your stuffing except for the wet ingredients (broth and eggs) and freeze.
e. Do the same thing for anything you can think of and spread the work out over the time you have left between now and the holiday.
f. Early in the week on Thanksgiving/Christmas week boil and peel your eggs for deviled eggs. Seal in a plastic bag with the air pushed out, or an airtight container.
4. Once the menu is made and your part is decided make a detailed grocery list. Check your cupboards don’t just look in and see you have sage, check the bottle to see if you have ENOUGH sage. Check right down to the salt and pepper. Set these ingredients aside and mark them DO NOT USE so you don't accidentally use something up before the big day.
5. Fill the salt and pepper shakers you will use, fill the sugar bowls, a creamer bowl etc. days ahead of time and them set them aside so they don’t get emptied before the event. Be sure and do a set for each table you will be using.
6. If you use silver, get it out and polish it 1-2 weeks early then wrap it in Saran wrap in an airtight way. While you are at it wash the dust off the good crystal and china if you are going to use it.
7. Big group? Go with sturdy paper plates—spring for the big ones it is THANKSGIVING/CHRISTMAS you know, the better plastic silverware, cups etc. Don’t forget hot cups, napkins and table cloths. Do you have enough trash bags and containers you can line with them to encourage everyone to clear their own place?
8. Plan your cooking and serving dishes and utensils now. If you are doing individual tables instead of a buffet you will need a serving set up for each table. Do you have enough gravy boats? Should sister Sue bring hers? How about trivets/hot mats?
9. If you are doing all of the oven cooking or have a lot of “will bring but need to heat it in the oven when I get there” foods do you have enough oven space so everything will hit the table hot? Could it be done in another room other than the kitchen, kitchen space is a valuable commodity with a big group. Here’s a few things I do to help with this: JP NOTE: If heating things in small appliances in other rooms remember these appliances put heat out and take precautions that they are not where small children cannot pull them over, pets get into them or will harm the finish of the item they are setting on. Also check that all these will not be on the same circuit and blow a breaker or fuse when in use at once--do a quick test run ahead of time.
a. Use the toaster oven to cook/warm whatever will fit in it. That’s where my sweet potato casserole goes.
b. Make the mashed potatoes early in the day and hold them in the crockpot in another room out of the kitchen.
c. Borrow my sister in laws turkey roaster and set it up in another room to cook the turkey.
d. Veggies in crockpots of all sizes in another room.
e. Bread machine in another room
f. Throw a sheet over the washer and dryer and all spare things like the lid off of sister Sue’s cake pan, foil to reuse, spare paper products etc. go in there to be stored.
g. If you have a woodburning stove take advantage of that spot too. Just remember to stir often. Our Ashley has a firebox I can simmer things directly on or put the cool touch top on it to hold big pots of coffee, mulled drinks, and other things that need to be kept warm but not boiled.
10. Plan your tables and seating out now. Buffet style we have them come in one door of the room and out another to the seating area, it avoids confusion and accidental spills. We often will use two sturdy saw horses and a piece of plywood for a buffet style serving table. A flat king size sheet will work as a table cloth. Dh rounds the corners with a saw to avoid boo-boos. No saw? Pad the corners with something like a folded wash cloth taped to the board. Either use a ¾ inch piece of plywood or put some middle supports (more saw horses) under an 8 foot piece. You don’t want the turkey sagging to the middle of the board. When looking at seating, consider seating AND eating. Buffet style works great for large groups for serving, but remember how hard it is to balance a full plate and a cup in your lap. Granny will have an especially hard time doing it. Bring in the picnic table from the yard if you need to, borrow tv trays, clean off end tables, set up bridge tables, we once used a ping pong table. Everyone needs a sturdy surface to hold their plate that can be set up and taken down out of the way quickly. Good weather? Covered porch and a space heater, even if you have to hang tarps down the sides of the covered porch, provide everyone plenty of elbow room.
11. Plan it for a mid afternoon. Seriously noon is too early supper is too late. We do 2:00 pm around here. That lets me do all the last minute stuff without being up all night or up at the crack of dawn and gives others plenty of time to do their morning chores and travel while little ones sleep in the car (read no cranky babies).
12. Plan a thought provoking theme for people to do while waiting for the meal. One suggestion I read said to make simple leaves out of colored paper (kids can help cut these out for you). On a large piece of poster board draw a tree, it doesn’t have to be fancy, again let the kids do it. When the guests arrive you ask each one to fill out leaves with what they are most Thankful for this year. They can do more than one leaf if they like. Then they tape the leaves on the tree. It has great eye appeal when everyone sees how much you all have to be thankful for.—We did a verbal version of this at my son’s ground breaking party for his house and it was fun that turned hilarious. With every "thankful" ds had to turn a shovel full of dirt. He got to say his thankful last--He was thankful all that digging was over--it was a big group.
13. Give kids age appropriate things to do to help. Let them know ahead of time if possible their job. Little guys can set the table, fill candy and nut dishes, fold napkins etc. Put some of the older ones in charge of “entertainment” games, a puppet show or play to perform for the adults, story time for the littler guys etc. Trust me things go a lot smoother if little kids aren’t bored. Plan both indoor and outdoor activities because Mother Nature is unpredictable.
14. Work out ahead of time where all those coats are going to go and where sister Sue can easily change nephew Johnny’s diaper, or nurse him in peace and quiet. If you have a lot of nap time kiddos coming, plan for a safe quiet nap spot for them too.
15. Start your cleaning now. Wash up the table cloths and napkins then place on a hanger and hang out of the way. Clean as you work. Scour the bathrooms a week before, they won't need more than a quick swipe on the day of then.
16. Plan out a REALISTIC schedule for the day of, keep that day as simple and carefree as possible. You WILL be interrupted.
17. Pamper yourself the night before, schedule some serious ME time for that day. Go to bed early.
18. Dress comfortably for as long as you can on Thanksgiving. Donna Reed might have been able to cook all day in heels and looked perfectly comfortable but I certainly can’t.
19. Think about each individual that is coming. Is there something they will need? Do you have enough ashtrays for smokers and where can they smoke I don’t allow it in my home but several of the family do smoke. So we put up a covered area outside for them to be comfortable in while they smoke. Table, chairs and a heater provided. Can Grandma get up the front steps or would the back ones be better? Does Uncle Charlie need a ramp for his wheel chair and can it get into the rooms it needs to? Do you have a safe play area for the youngsters?
20. Plan out the adult entertainment too. I know football is on, but not all of us like football—most of our group does not. So we put on videos of all the family when growing up on the tv (ask everyone to bring their videos of the entire family) , and soft music in the background. Do you have a box of old photos with no names on them? This is a great time to get those out and have everyone go through them to see if they know who the person is. The stories will flow. Much more fun than football (put a tv in the corner for Uncle Joe who MUST see the game). Tape or video record those stories if at all possible, these people may not be with you next year.
21. Set your table the day before and cover with a table cloth or sheet.
22. Plan ahead for sending leftovers home. I lay in a supply of the heavy duty Chinet PLATTERS and then hand them out as guests are leaving telling them to fill up with what they want. These will fit most microwaves and when covered with plastic wrap can go right in. They will also fit safely in a Wal-Mart sack long wise (we use two bags, one from each end) to carry them home in.
23. Do NOT turn down help with clean-up. Even if it means having people fill their take home platters early. even if it's just gathering up paper plates and taking out the trash for you it's helpful.
I could go on, but others have some great (probably better) ideas too.
Now for the make ahead recipes I mentioned:
SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE/PUDDING
3 C. Mashed cooked sweet potatoes 1/2 C. milk
1 C. sugar 1 t.vanilla
1/2 t. salt 2 eggs
1/2 stick margarine
TOPPING:
1 C. brown sugar 1/3 C. flour
1 C. chopped pecans 1/2 stick butter
Mix ingredients together and pour into a buttered baking dish. Mix
topping ingredients together and sprinkle on top. Bake in 350* oven
for 35 min. May be frozen and baked later. Place in the refrigerator the day before to thaw.
Hot Roll Mix
5# or 20 C all purpose flour OR 9 C whole wheat/rye/other specialty grains + 8 C all purpose flour
1 1/4 c sugar ( you can substitute some honey if desired on baking day)OR 1 c packed brown sugar
4 tsp salt
1 cup powdered milk (or approx 1/2 c dry non milk substitute-rice, soy potato etc)
Mix all ingredients well together well, I use a wire whisk. Store in an airtight container, label and date. Best if used in 6-8 months. Makes 20-22 c mix.
I have a large group of recipes that include breads, English Muffins, sweet rolls, herb or squash rolls and more I use this master mix for that I will post as time goes on. For the dinner rolls for the holidays I make it one of two ways.
Clover leaf or Pan Rolls
1 tbl, active dry yeast OR 1 (1/4 oz) pkg.
1 1/2 c warm water
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 c vegetable oil OR olive oil, OR melted butter
5-6 cups Hot Roll Mix
In a large bowl disolve the yeast in the warm water. Blend in eggs and oil/butter. Add roughly 5 cups of the mix. Blend well. If dough is sticky add more mix. Knead for about 5 minutes. Place in a buttered or oiled bowl, turn the ball of dough over once so all sides are coated. Cover bowl with a warm damp cloth and set in a warm place to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
Punch down dough and let it rest for 10 minutes. Now make the dough into small balls, about walnut sized.
TO FREEZE: if you are going to freeze the dough this is when you do it. Once the dough is in balls place them on a wax paper lined cookie sheet spaced to where they are not touching. Freeze until hard then transfer to a freezer bag, vacuum bag or freezer container. These will vacuum seal and keep a long time.
To use the same day as making: Either place them in a greased 9 x 3 baking pan or three small balls in greased/sprayed muffin tins.for clover leaf rolls. Cover with a warm damp towl again and let rise until doubled roughly 45-60 minutes again. Bake in a preheated oven at 400F for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
IF USING FROZEN DOUGH BALLS: place in the choosen baking pan/tin early enough in the day in a warm spot (roughly 4-6 hours) or overnight in a cooler area to do the final rise)
CRESCENT ROLLS
Same ingredients as above PLUS 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Follow the recipe above up to and including the 10 minute rest period.
Here's the difference.
On a lightly floured surface row 1/2 of the dough out into a 12 inch circle. Brush the circle with 1 tablespoon of melted butter.
Cut circle into 16 pieces. Now roll the created wedges up wide end to narrow point. Placing with the pointed side down on a greased cookie sheet curve the roll to a crescent shape as you do so. Repeat with second half of the dough.
From here on follow the instructions as above
BREAD MACHINE MASTER MIX
13 c bread flour OR 8 C bread flour and 5 C whole wheat/rye flour
2 Tbl salt
1/2 C sugar (if honey is preferred add on baking day)
1/2 c powdered milk OR 1/4 c dried milk substitute (rice/soy/potato)
Mix ingredients well store in a labled airtight container in a cool dark place.
for a small loaf
1/2 tsp yeast
2 1/4 c master mix
1 tbl butter or oil
3/4 C warm water
for a large loaf
2 tsp yeast
3 1/3 mix
1 1/2 tbl butter or oil
1 1/4 warm water
Place in the order bread machine recommends and bake on a medium or white bread setting.
JP NOTE: I have other variations I post at another time to use this master mix up.
Grandma Zell's Stuffing
Sorry, no true measurements here, this is the way I got it from dh's grandmother.
1 recipe cornbread ( I use roughly 1/2 of an 8x8 pan of it) crumbled fine
1 recipe biscuits (I use roughly 8 or so large biscuits, I've substituted other breads as well)crumbled fine
2 stalks celery diced
1/2-1 onion diced
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1/4 tsp each thyme and sage
Mix well--this is where I freeze it in a large ziploc or ziploc bowl.
When ready to bake add:
2 large eggs beaten
enough chicken or turkey broth to make the mixture "soupy" when added to the dry ingredients
Place in a greased/sprayed 9 X 13 pan and bake at 350 F for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until set firm and starting to brown around the edges.
JP NOTE: I often make up a BIG batch of the dry part and store it in the freezer in airtight containers for quick to grab Homemade Stovetop Stuffing mix and use it not only for stuffing but to use as a coating mix for chicken, pork chops, fish, sliced/cubed veggies etc in. Simply dip the choosen meat or veggie in first a beaten egg and milk mixture OR spread with mayonnaise or Miracle Whip and then into the crumbled mixture. Bake as you would shake and bake.
DEVILED EGGS
Warning, I do not use measurements for Deviled eggs, but here’s what I use.
Two eggs for each person (that makes four ½’s each)
Boil the eggs to the hard stage.
Drain the boiling water and put cold water on them immediately (this helps make them peel easier). Peel (you can hold them at this point for a couple of days in a ziploc you have squeezed all the air out of—I do this at the holidays to help cut down the last minute rush for the big meal)
Cut in half long ways and plop the yolks out. The whites go on a plate the yolks go in a bowl. Mash the yolks with a fork.
Now add the following to taste and creaminess preference:
Miracle whip or mayonnaise (your preference—I use MW)
A tiny amount of prepared mustard (dh is not big on mustard)
A small amount of garlic salt
A couple of dashes (more or less) of Worchestershire sauce
Mix well. Spoon or pipe into the whites and sprinkle with paprika—unless you are my son who likes spicy and uses a small amount of cayenne pepper to top.
Jan who has planned reunions with over 400 family members in the past and still has a lot to learn in OK
A frequent question during the is time of year is HOW can I make the holiday meal easier so the host/hostess can enjoy the day more. This is a post I did on one of the yahoo lists when the annual question came up. I've added some more ideas to the regular post I hope it helps someone. I've also included a couple of recipes that you can do most if not all the work on ahead of time.
When we do the big family meal thing it can mean in excess of 30 people. Here’s a few things I do to prepare and make before, during and after easier.
Jan who is having a small group this year and is trying to push Murphy out of the door so the utility room and dining room will be finished in time in OK
1. Plan the menu TODAY, break it down into categories
a. Meats/meat substitutes
b. Vegetables
c. Desserts (remember to include sugar free/diabetic friendly ones
d. Beverages
e. Breads
f. Pre-dinner snacks for those early arrivers
g. Soup if desired
h. Salads/relishes
i. Paper/plastic products if using them.
2. Take that list and call each and every one that is coming and ask them which category they would most like to add a dish to. You might just be surprised. All my sil’s crew (6 of them) work for the same casino and they get FIVE turkeys at Thanksgiving and FIVE hams at Christmas for their holiday bonuses. So she supplies the turkey/ham at the big gatherings. You could cook a ham or roast for those non-turkey eaters like my dh. Don’t take “I dunno”, for an answer if someone can’t make up their mind tell them you’ll see what’s left on the menu and assign that to them. Then do it---you come you supply something! Breads, paper products and beverages should be reserved for those that travel a long distance and could stop and pick it up just before they arrive.
3. Take a look at what you are going to serve yourself and look hard at it. What could you do ahead of time and freeze?
a. Sweet potato pudding/casserole—I have a pecan topped one that freezes wonderfully.
b. If you are doing homemade dinner rolls make the dough up as far as the “roll into balls” step and then freeze the individual balls on a cookie sheet. When frozen solid bag bag them in up in a plastic freezer bag or container. Then on THE day all you have to do is put them in your baking pan early in the day and let them thaw and rise.
c. If you are doing homemade bread either make it the day before or if using a bread machine. Mix up all the dry ingredients now and store until the day of and use your timed feature the bread machine if doing a recipe from one of my newest favorite cookbooks "Artisan Breads in less than Five Minutes a Day" make up the sponge earlier in the week.
d. Make up your stuffing except for the wet ingredients (broth and eggs) and freeze.
e. Do the same thing for anything you can think of and spread the work out over the time you have left between now and the holiday.
f. Early in the week on Thanksgiving/Christmas week boil and peel your eggs for deviled eggs. Seal in a plastic bag with the air pushed out, or an airtight container.
4. Once the menu is made and your part is decided make a detailed grocery list. Check your cupboards don’t just look in and see you have sage, check the bottle to see if you have ENOUGH sage. Check right down to the salt and pepper. Set these ingredients aside and mark them DO NOT USE so you don't accidentally use something up before the big day.
5. Fill the salt and pepper shakers you will use, fill the sugar bowls, a creamer bowl etc. days ahead of time and them set them aside so they don’t get emptied before the event. Be sure and do a set for each table you will be using.
6. If you use silver, get it out and polish it 1-2 weeks early then wrap it in Saran wrap in an airtight way. While you are at it wash the dust off the good crystal and china if you are going to use it.
7. Big group? Go with sturdy paper plates—spring for the big ones it is THANKSGIVING/CHRISTMAS you know, the better plastic silverware, cups etc. Don’t forget hot cups, napkins and table cloths. Do you have enough trash bags and containers you can line with them to encourage everyone to clear their own place?
8. Plan your cooking and serving dishes and utensils now. If you are doing individual tables instead of a buffet you will need a serving set up for each table. Do you have enough gravy boats? Should sister Sue bring hers? How about trivets/hot mats?
9. If you are doing all of the oven cooking or have a lot of “will bring but need to heat it in the oven when I get there” foods do you have enough oven space so everything will hit the table hot? Could it be done in another room other than the kitchen, kitchen space is a valuable commodity with a big group. Here’s a few things I do to help with this: JP NOTE: If heating things in small appliances in other rooms remember these appliances put heat out and take precautions that they are not where small children cannot pull them over, pets get into them or will harm the finish of the item they are setting on. Also check that all these will not be on the same circuit and blow a breaker or fuse when in use at once--do a quick test run ahead of time.
a. Use the toaster oven to cook/warm whatever will fit in it. That’s where my sweet potato casserole goes.
b. Make the mashed potatoes early in the day and hold them in the crockpot in another room out of the kitchen.
c. Borrow my sister in laws turkey roaster and set it up in another room to cook the turkey.
d. Veggies in crockpots of all sizes in another room.
e. Bread machine in another room
f. Throw a sheet over the washer and dryer and all spare things like the lid off of sister Sue’s cake pan, foil to reuse, spare paper products etc. go in there to be stored.
g. If you have a woodburning stove take advantage of that spot too. Just remember to stir often. Our Ashley has a firebox I can simmer things directly on or put the cool touch top on it to hold big pots of coffee, mulled drinks, and other things that need to be kept warm but not boiled.
10. Plan your tables and seating out now. Buffet style we have them come in one door of the room and out another to the seating area, it avoids confusion and accidental spills. We often will use two sturdy saw horses and a piece of plywood for a buffet style serving table. A flat king size sheet will work as a table cloth. Dh rounds the corners with a saw to avoid boo-boos. No saw? Pad the corners with something like a folded wash cloth taped to the board. Either use a ¾ inch piece of plywood or put some middle supports (more saw horses) under an 8 foot piece. You don’t want the turkey sagging to the middle of the board. When looking at seating, consider seating AND eating. Buffet style works great for large groups for serving, but remember how hard it is to balance a full plate and a cup in your lap. Granny will have an especially hard time doing it. Bring in the picnic table from the yard if you need to, borrow tv trays, clean off end tables, set up bridge tables, we once used a ping pong table. Everyone needs a sturdy surface to hold their plate that can be set up and taken down out of the way quickly. Good weather? Covered porch and a space heater, even if you have to hang tarps down the sides of the covered porch, provide everyone plenty of elbow room.
11. Plan it for a mid afternoon. Seriously noon is too early supper is too late. We do 2:00 pm around here. That lets me do all the last minute stuff without being up all night or up at the crack of dawn and gives others plenty of time to do their morning chores and travel while little ones sleep in the car (read no cranky babies).
12. Plan a thought provoking theme for people to do while waiting for the meal. One suggestion I read said to make simple leaves out of colored paper (kids can help cut these out for you). On a large piece of poster board draw a tree, it doesn’t have to be fancy, again let the kids do it. When the guests arrive you ask each one to fill out leaves with what they are most Thankful for this year. They can do more than one leaf if they like. Then they tape the leaves on the tree. It has great eye appeal when everyone sees how much you all have to be thankful for.—We did a verbal version of this at my son’s ground breaking party for his house and it was fun that turned hilarious. With every "thankful" ds had to turn a shovel full of dirt. He got to say his thankful last--He was thankful all that digging was over--it was a big group.
13. Give kids age appropriate things to do to help. Let them know ahead of time if possible their job. Little guys can set the table, fill candy and nut dishes, fold napkins etc. Put some of the older ones in charge of “entertainment” games, a puppet show or play to perform for the adults, story time for the littler guys etc. Trust me things go a lot smoother if little kids aren’t bored. Plan both indoor and outdoor activities because Mother Nature is unpredictable.
14. Work out ahead of time where all those coats are going to go and where sister Sue can easily change nephew Johnny’s diaper, or nurse him in peace and quiet. If you have a lot of nap time kiddos coming, plan for a safe quiet nap spot for them too.
15. Start your cleaning now. Wash up the table cloths and napkins then place on a hanger and hang out of the way. Clean as you work. Scour the bathrooms a week before, they won't need more than a quick swipe on the day of then.
16. Plan out a REALISTIC schedule for the day of, keep that day as simple and carefree as possible. You WILL be interrupted.
17. Pamper yourself the night before, schedule some serious ME time for that day. Go to bed early.
18. Dress comfortably for as long as you can on Thanksgiving. Donna Reed might have been able to cook all day in heels and looked perfectly comfortable but I certainly can’t.
19. Think about each individual that is coming. Is there something they will need? Do you have enough ashtrays for smokers and where can they smoke I don’t allow it in my home but several of the family do smoke. So we put up a covered area outside for them to be comfortable in while they smoke. Table, chairs and a heater provided. Can Grandma get up the front steps or would the back ones be better? Does Uncle Charlie need a ramp for his wheel chair and can it get into the rooms it needs to? Do you have a safe play area for the youngsters?
20. Plan out the adult entertainment too. I know football is on, but not all of us like football—most of our group does not. So we put on videos of all the family when growing up on the tv (ask everyone to bring their videos of the entire family) , and soft music in the background. Do you have a box of old photos with no names on them? This is a great time to get those out and have everyone go through them to see if they know who the person is. The stories will flow. Much more fun than football (put a tv in the corner for Uncle Joe who MUST see the game). Tape or video record those stories if at all possible, these people may not be with you next year.
21. Set your table the day before and cover with a table cloth or sheet.
22. Plan ahead for sending leftovers home. I lay in a supply of the heavy duty Chinet PLATTERS and then hand them out as guests are leaving telling them to fill up with what they want. These will fit most microwaves and when covered with plastic wrap can go right in. They will also fit safely in a Wal-Mart sack long wise (we use two bags, one from each end) to carry them home in.
23. Do NOT turn down help with clean-up. Even if it means having people fill their take home platters early. even if it's just gathering up paper plates and taking out the trash for you it's helpful.
I could go on, but others have some great (probably better) ideas too.
Now for the make ahead recipes I mentioned:
SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE/PUDDING
3 C. Mashed cooked sweet potatoes 1/2 C. milk
1 C. sugar 1 t.vanilla
1/2 t. salt 2 eggs
1/2 stick margarine
TOPPING:
1 C. brown sugar 1/3 C. flour
1 C. chopped pecans 1/2 stick butter
Mix ingredients together and pour into a buttered baking dish. Mix
topping ingredients together and sprinkle on top. Bake in 350* oven
for 35 min. May be frozen and baked later. Place in the refrigerator the day before to thaw.
Hot Roll Mix
5# or 20 C all purpose flour OR 9 C whole wheat/rye/other specialty grains + 8 C all purpose flour
1 1/4 c sugar ( you can substitute some honey if desired on baking day)OR 1 c packed brown sugar
4 tsp salt
1 cup powdered milk (or approx 1/2 c dry non milk substitute-rice, soy potato etc)
Mix all ingredients well together well, I use a wire whisk. Store in an airtight container, label and date. Best if used in 6-8 months. Makes 20-22 c mix.
I have a large group of recipes that include breads, English Muffins, sweet rolls, herb or squash rolls and more I use this master mix for that I will post as time goes on. For the dinner rolls for the holidays I make it one of two ways.
Clover leaf or Pan Rolls
1 tbl, active dry yeast OR 1 (1/4 oz) pkg.
1 1/2 c warm water
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 c vegetable oil OR olive oil, OR melted butter
5-6 cups Hot Roll Mix
In a large bowl disolve the yeast in the warm water. Blend in eggs and oil/butter. Add roughly 5 cups of the mix. Blend well. If dough is sticky add more mix. Knead for about 5 minutes. Place in a buttered or oiled bowl, turn the ball of dough over once so all sides are coated. Cover bowl with a warm damp cloth and set in a warm place to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
Punch down dough and let it rest for 10 minutes. Now make the dough into small balls, about walnut sized.
TO FREEZE: if you are going to freeze the dough this is when you do it. Once the dough is in balls place them on a wax paper lined cookie sheet spaced to where they are not touching. Freeze until hard then transfer to a freezer bag, vacuum bag or freezer container. These will vacuum seal and keep a long time.
To use the same day as making: Either place them in a greased 9 x 3 baking pan or three small balls in greased/sprayed muffin tins.for clover leaf rolls. Cover with a warm damp towl again and let rise until doubled roughly 45-60 minutes again. Bake in a preheated oven at 400F for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
IF USING FROZEN DOUGH BALLS: place in the choosen baking pan/tin early enough in the day in a warm spot (roughly 4-6 hours) or overnight in a cooler area to do the final rise)
CRESCENT ROLLS
Same ingredients as above PLUS 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Follow the recipe above up to and including the 10 minute rest period.
Here's the difference.
On a lightly floured surface row 1/2 of the dough out into a 12 inch circle. Brush the circle with 1 tablespoon of melted butter.
Cut circle into 16 pieces. Now roll the created wedges up wide end to narrow point. Placing with the pointed side down on a greased cookie sheet curve the roll to a crescent shape as you do so. Repeat with second half of the dough.
From here on follow the instructions as above
BREAD MACHINE MASTER MIX
13 c bread flour OR 8 C bread flour and 5 C whole wheat/rye flour
2 Tbl salt
1/2 C sugar (if honey is preferred add on baking day)
1/2 c powdered milk OR 1/4 c dried milk substitute (rice/soy/potato)
Mix ingredients well store in a labled airtight container in a cool dark place.
for a small loaf
1/2 tsp yeast
2 1/4 c master mix
1 tbl butter or oil
3/4 C warm water
for a large loaf
2 tsp yeast
3 1/3 mix
1 1/2 tbl butter or oil
1 1/4 warm water
Place in the order bread machine recommends and bake on a medium or white bread setting.
JP NOTE: I have other variations I post at another time to use this master mix up.
Grandma Zell's Stuffing
Sorry, no true measurements here, this is the way I got it from dh's grandmother.
1 recipe cornbread ( I use roughly 1/2 of an 8x8 pan of it) crumbled fine
1 recipe biscuits (I use roughly 8 or so large biscuits, I've substituted other breads as well)crumbled fine
2 stalks celery diced
1/2-1 onion diced
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1/4 tsp each thyme and sage
Mix well--this is where I freeze it in a large ziploc or ziploc bowl.
When ready to bake add:
2 large eggs beaten
enough chicken or turkey broth to make the mixture "soupy" when added to the dry ingredients
Place in a greased/sprayed 9 X 13 pan and bake at 350 F for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until set firm and starting to brown around the edges.
JP NOTE: I often make up a BIG batch of the dry part and store it in the freezer in airtight containers for quick to grab Homemade Stovetop Stuffing mix and use it not only for stuffing but to use as a coating mix for chicken, pork chops, fish, sliced/cubed veggies etc in. Simply dip the choosen meat or veggie in first a beaten egg and milk mixture OR spread with mayonnaise or Miracle Whip and then into the crumbled mixture. Bake as you would shake and bake.
DEVILED EGGS
Warning, I do not use measurements for Deviled eggs, but here’s what I use.
Two eggs for each person (that makes four ½’s each)
Boil the eggs to the hard stage.
Drain the boiling water and put cold water on them immediately (this helps make them peel easier). Peel (you can hold them at this point for a couple of days in a ziploc you have squeezed all the air out of—I do this at the holidays to help cut down the last minute rush for the big meal)
Cut in half long ways and plop the yolks out. The whites go on a plate the yolks go in a bowl. Mash the yolks with a fork.
Now add the following to taste and creaminess preference:
Miracle whip or mayonnaise (your preference—I use MW)
A tiny amount of prepared mustard (dh is not big on mustard)
A small amount of garlic salt
A couple of dashes (more or less) of Worchestershire sauce
Mix well. Spoon or pipe into the whites and sprinkle with paprika—unless you are my son who likes spicy and uses a small amount of cayenne pepper to top.
Jan who has planned reunions with over 400 family members in the past and still has a lot to learn in OK
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