How to Cook an Amazing Fresh Herb & Wine Turkey

 This is seriously easy and packed with flavor! Use fresh or dried herbs!

I had a seriously packed day today, but knew that bird was waiting to be turned into something amazing, and sometimes...you just have to move when you are moved...and the creative wave begins...and Voilà! It is not that complicated, but fulfilling-when it turns out perfect-and they all just wonder how you do it!  The kudos are priceless!

Easy directions:

Preheat oven to 425degrees

Thawed or fresh turkey, rinsed, patted dry, internals removed.

1/4 stick of butter-cold...rub on skin.

Add further olive oil to drizzle over bird

Lightly Sea Salt & Pepper skin

Rosemary-pick apart fresh pieces and drop sporadically over bird

Stuff bird with chopped garlic, onion, celery, and carrots

Lemon or other citrus optional in bird or in pan

Pour 1/4 cup of water in bottom of roaster to help steam

Tie up legs and bottom firmly, and tuck wings up and under the upper back.

Melt 1/2 stick butter, 2 tbsp. of fresh thyme, and 1/4 cup white wine.

Keep this warm on stove and baste bird every 30 minutes with this beautiful sauce. Cook 15 minutes and drop tetemperature  to 350 degrees. After first hour, monitor temperature of bird in the breast and upper leg.

When temperature reaches 165 degrees, internally, remove roaster and place on top of

stove. Cover with tented foil to allow juices to uptake into the bird. Allow to

rest at least one hour.

The great thing about turkey, is that you can make one and turn it into a week's worth of meals; each with it's own unique sophistication, flavor, and charm. Even sandwiches are better when the turkey is roasted at home. So, I love to add a little bit of charm to our lives by making my own...hope you enjoy it as much as we do... 

Bon Áppetit!

Easy Pie Crust..Quick&Easy From Scratch! With Pics & Pie Making Tips!

Time to get cozy and curl up with your favorite Pie! 

But, oh the Crust! That's the hard part, right? Not, anymore! 
EASY PIE CRUST RECIPE TO FOLLOW...
Perfect~ Every time! 

This recipe is simple, easy, and consistent. It will give you a weighted dough that will roll easy, have a fabulous sweet taste (not doughy), and give you a strong enough pie base that you can hold the piece in your hand!

Just like Grandma used to make, and no chemicals and nasty preservatives!

Read More for Recipe~!

Dreamy Oatmeal, Chocolate, Cranberry Bars! Warm & Gooey!

So these were a last-minute throw-together recipe at 10pm, the night before my daughter Sophie's pre-school Halloween party.  The great thing about working with food on a regular basis, is that you can usually discern how things will taste, before you even make them.  That makes it easy to come up with new and wonderful flavor combinations!

Her teachers loved them...and also, I packed up a few bars and sent to my son's lovely 3rd grade teacher, and she stopped me after school to say how much she loved them :) and could she have the recipe?  Of course! Good women- ALWAYS SHARE!! :) 

BAR COOKIES are SO EASY!  It saves you the time of placing each cookie and the pan AND eliminates edge burning, leaving a soft and semi-moist cookie-without dry edges! It's a winner all the way around! 
Recipe to follow: 

Dreamy Oatmeal, Chocolate, Cranberry Bars

Ingredients: 

• 2 cup all purpose flour (can use whole grain) 
• 3 cups uncooked whole oats (not instant)
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup butter-softened
• 2 eggs-room temp
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp vanilla extract-not imitation
• 1/2 cup organic vegetable shortening
• 12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips or chopped baking chocolate
• 2 cups dried cranberries

Directions:  

Using hand or stand mixer, beat butter, shortening, and both sugars until creamy; add eggs one at a time; add vanilla extract; and beat until mixed-approximately 1 minute. 

In a separate bowl, combine flour, oats, baking soda, and sift together with hand whisk. Slowly, add flour mixture in small batches to wet ingredients and beat on low, until combined. Add in chocolate and cranberries and mix just enough to get evenly distributed throughout batter. 

Spread out mixture in parchment (or wax) lined 9 x 13 baking pan. Keep batter away from edges of pan just a bit, as it will spread out and puff up over sides while baking.  

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and sides look firm.  Okay to have center appear wet.  Remove from the pan and allow to sit at room temperature on counter. Batter will continue to cook for a few, and then cool down.  Wait until almost completely cool to cut into desired size.  Recommended: 1x2" bars. These are nice and rich in flavor, and heavy with oatmeal. Great for breakfast and with coffee, too! 

Enjoy!!