Maple Brined Turkey

Last year Jed's mom and two younger brothers came to our home for Thanksgiving. It was the best! I love when they visit (it's also nice to not have to drive to Twin)! I wanted them to just be able to RELAX so Jed and I did all the cooking! I loved it! Boy did I really feel like a wife after that!

Well I always stress out about meat. I don't want it to be too dry, but I defiantly don't want to feed anyone uncooked meat. I made Jed buy me a meat thermometer and I'm so glad! I searched online for a recipe for turkey that would taste traditional but better. THIS WAS A HIT! The brine made it SO moist! I'm so excited for Thanksgiving this year!

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 gallons water (24 cups)
• 1-1/2 cups pure maple syrup or maple-lavored syrup
• 1 cup coarse salt
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 8- to10-pound turkey (not self-basting)
• Cooking oil

Directions

1. For brine, in a 10-quart pot combine water, syrup, salt, and brown sugar; stir to dissolve sugar and salt. Set aside.

2. Rinse turkey inside and out; remove any excess fat from cavity. Carefully add turkey to brine. Cover and marinate in refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours.

3. Remove turkey from brine; discard brine. Rinse turkey and pat dry with paper towels. Place turkey, breast side up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Tuck drumstick ends under the band of skin across the tail. (If the band of skin is not present, tie the drumsticks securely to the tail.) Twist wing tips under the back. Brush with oil. Insert a meat thermometer into the center of one of the inside thigh muscles.

4. Cover turkey loosely with foil. Roast turkey in a 325 degree F oven for 2-3/4 to 3 hours or until thermometer registers 180 degrees F. After 2-1/4 hours, remove foil and cut band of skin or string between the drumsticks so thighs will cook evenly. When done, drumsticks should move very easily in their sockets. Cover turkey; let stand at room temperature 20 minutes before carving. Makes 12 servings.

P.S. We didn't have room in our refrigerator so I had had disinfect our cooler and we used very cold water and placed it on our back porch. It was cold enough here, in Logan, to not worry about the temperature rising too much.

I found this recipe on Better Homes and Gardens website (www.bhg.com)

Super Easy Pumpkin Cheesecake

This dessert is super-easy and makes a really impressive presentation. Plus, the whipped cream topping will hide any "cracks" in the cake's surface. There's no way you can mess it up, so give it a try today!

Note: This is a great recipe for making the day before a big event, such as Thanksgiving. Just be sure to allow yourself plenty of time to make the cheesecake and allow it to chill for several hours or overnight.

Prep Time: 0 hours, 40 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hours, 00 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) melted butter
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 lbs. cream cheese, softened
• 1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 14-oz. can pumpkin puree
• 4 eggs
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 1/2 cups whipping cream
• 1/4 cup confectioner's ("powdered") sugar

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 350º F.
2. Add the 4 tablespoons of butter to a 10-inch or 12-inch springform pan and place it in the oven to melt.
3. Add the graham cracker crumbs and sugar. Stir.
4. Press the mixture into the bottom of the pan and 1/2 way up the sides.
5. Bake at 350º F. for 10 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk. Beat at medium-high speed until well combined.
7. Add the pumpkin puree, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground cloves.
8. Beat at medium speed until smooth.
9. Scrape the sides of the bowl and beat again until the mixture is completely smooth. This may take 1-2 minutes.
10. Pour the mixture into the prepared springform pan.
11. Bake at 350º F. for 60 minutes.
12. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool. Run a knife blade along the rim of the springform pan to release the edge of the cake; but do not remove the outer ring of the springform pan just yet.
13. Leave the cheesecake on the wire rack until it is completely cooled.
14. Remove the outer ring of the springform pan and place the cheesecake in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours or overnight.
15. Shortly before serving, prepare the whipped cream. Simply beat the whipping cream and confectioner's sugar until stiff peaks form.
16. Spread the whipped cream over the cheesecake. This will hide any "cracks" in the cake's surface, too!
17. Chill again until you're ready to serve.
    

Recipe from About.com