For the last few days the girls have been sick sick sick, and no, thats not the makes me happy part. They have been puking and emotional and its been full of laundry and cleaning ( not my strong suit). So this is the time I decided to try to brine and cook a 17 # turkey. I have been obsessed with the pioneer woman cooks lately and I was looking up things on the computer for brining a turkey, I didn't even know if I had a stock pot big enough to brine said 17# turkey or where I would put it in my fridge. I was skeptical as well. Anyways I came up with my own brine. I heated up 2 cp of water and mixed in 1 1/2 cp salt, alittle sugar, lemon, garlic and some apple cider vinegar, I let that boil and then let it cool and added more water. The I washed the turkey pulled out the stuff....you know the
stuff and then lowered into the salty mix. Placed a lid on it and put it in my fridge. I didn't touch it again for about 24 hrs. I then preheated my oven to 275 and cooked the bird for 3 hrs tightly seeled up with foil so nothing would escape. ( I realize this is a different font but somehow I couldn't find my way back to the original font) well I'll just keep changing it til I get my font back. Anyways, 3 hrs @ 275. When this is done take out the bird and baste it with about 1/2 cp of butter stick in a meat thermomater and stick the sucker back in the oven @ 375 basting with more butter every 30 min until it reads about 170-175. it is one of the most beautiful things I've seen. A perfectly cooked turkey with crispy skin and moist meat. Amazing. Meanwhile as I write this my 3 kids are running amuck sticking toys all over the house where they don't belong and pelting me with stuffed animals. Hmmmm, but I'll tell you they devored that turkey much like little animals themselves. They are finally starting to get better which is nice. I can't stand to see them in pain, it brings out more patience in me than I ever knew I had. Now we are all laughing again and I am getting ready to make a turkey pot pie but with bacon, potatoes and leeks and cream. Things have been particularly stressful this season. We got hit with a med bill that got sent to credit while we were waiting on all the info from Sean's health insurance company. At the holidays thats $500 out the door. The girls have been all sick sick sick, the beautiful cards I ordered the day after thanksgiving never came and so this yr there will be no cards, and last but not least we won't have the money to send my family anything for xmas. I now they'll understand but damn.....sucks! Oh wait last but not least...the christmas tree is on this day 12/18/09 darn near dead. It stopped taking up water and I've tried everything I can think of to renourish it but to no avail, its dried from the middle up. We are leaving it up and I haave promised Sean I won't be grumpy about it because as he says " the girls don't know its dying" they don't kow the difference so I just have to try to keep them from running into it and making ALL the needle fall off. Sigh.....so Merry @$&Xing Christmas, atleast my bills are paid, my family is happy and for know we are well fed because today I am going to forget about all the things that didn't go right and I am going to go cook and be happy. Lotsa love to you all, I hope your days are bright and beautiful and that you shine through any shadows that maybe in your way.
To close, a picture of Sandia's teddy with Santa because non of the girls would go near him. hahah oh and at the end of the day that turkey was basted with a whole cup of butter, and what isn't going to be good with 1 cup of butter slathered on it? Enjoy.
Mama Sarah
