Group Size

The size of your turkey will be largely determined by the number of people you’re hosting. It’s usually enough to aim for one or two pounds per person and use this number to determine the size of your Thanksgiving turkey.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Longo’s (@longosmarkets)

Go Small or Go Home

Bigger turkeys may look nice in pictures, but they’re not always the healthiest and most practical choice. If the turkey is too good to be true, there are chances it’s been pumped with chemicals to grow bigger. With smaller turkeys, there’s a better chance they’ve been naturally grown.

Oven Troubles

There’s nothing worse than realizing your enormous turkey doesn’t actually fit inside your oven. If you don’t want to cut it into pieces, go with a smaller bird and consider buying two if you think one is not enough. They also have the advantage of roasting faster and more consistently inside your oven.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Krista | Healthy Food+Fitness (@joyfulhealthyeats)

The post 3 Steps for Picking a Thanksgiving Turkey of Perfect Size appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Brine Your Turkey

Maximize the flavor of your turkey and get juicier meat and crispier skin by brining it with herbs and two tablespoons of salt and putting it into a plastic bag before putting it in the fridge. You can season your turkey the night before or up to two days in advance.

Switch Up the Spices

In addition to salt, you can amp up the flavor of the turkey with Cajun-style turkey rub, which has smoked paprika, celery salt, and onion powder, or a red rub, which has paprika, ground coriander, and garlic powder.

Put Seasoning Everywhere

The seasoning needs to be on all parts of the turkey, not just on the surface. Stir your favorite spices and fresh herbs into softened butter and rub it all over the turkey and under the skin.

Add Glazes

Glazes give the bird a subtle sweetness and shine. Go for a combination of maple syrup, orange juice, and fresh sage. Brush most of the turkey with the glaze and save a bit for when it comes out of the oven.

The post The Perfect Thanksgiving Turkey Starts with the Seasoning appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Mysterious History

The Pilgrims served “wild fowl” at the first Thanksgiving gatherings, but it’s widely believed they didn’t eat turkey at the time. It’s possible that some of the early celebrations included turkey, but that’s not the main reason why it became a staple of the Thanksgiving menu.

Practical Reasons

Roasted turkey became a popular Thanksgiving dish for pragmatic reasons. Turkeys are native to North America, and they can be found in abundance on this continent. They’re large enough to feed an entire family and serve no other purpose—since they can’t produce milk and eggs. They’re generally raised for their meat, and that made them a perfect fit for big family dinners.

Literary Ties

The publication of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol in the 1840s boosted the popularity of roasted turkey as a holiday meal. Writer Sarah Josepha Hale, who campaigned to make Thanksgiving a national holiday, also described turkey as a part of holiday dinner in her book Northwood.

The post How Turkey Became the Staple of the Thanksgiving Dinner? appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Brach’s, an American candy company, is taking their holiday hype to a whole new level this year after introducing a candy that will leave no one indifferent.

Brach’s newest product, their “Turkey Dinner Candy”, is a candy that attempts to join all of the top Thanksgiving flavors into a medley of candies which have some good-sounding and some…questionable-sounding members.

For instance, cranberry sauce and sweet potato pie could be really delicious in candy form. These two sweet Thanksgiving treats seem like normal and logical choices to make candy.

Would you feel the same way, however, about roasted turkey, green bean, and stuffing-flavored candies?

All of these choices are included in this bizarre Thanksgiving medley which is being sold at Walgreen’s drug stores all over the United States.

So, what do you think? Would you be brave enough to give this strange new candy a try?

The post Would You Try This Crazy Thanksgiving-Themed Candy Corn? appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lb extra-lean ground turkey
• 2 minced red bell peppers
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 diced celery stalks
• 1 minced medium onion
• 4 cloves finely minced garlic
• 1 15-oz can kidney beans
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 28 oz can whole tomatoes
• 1/4 cup chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes (optional)
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon coconut sugar or honey, salt, and pepper.

Instructions:

1. Begin by getting a pot and heating the oil.
2. Combine the peppers, onion, garlic, and celery.
3. Cook for 7 to 8 minutes and wait until the onion becomes soft and brown.
4. You can now include the turkey as well. Cook until the meat is done.
5. Once it is, add the oregano, chili powder, cumin, and chili flakes. Mix everything together.
6. While you’re stirring make sure that you separate the meat into smaller pieces.
7. You can pour in the tomatoes and wait for the turkey chili to start boiling.
8. Lower the heat and let it simmer for 20 minutes. The pot should be covered.
9. To finish off, add the beans, cook for a few minutes.
10. The only thing you have left is to pour the honey or coconut sugar, salt, and pepper.

The post You Have To Try This Turkey Chili appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Stock

Most people have a whole turkey at their Thanksgiving, and by the end of the night, you might have some left, or you might just have the bones. If you do have bones, you can easily make a stock. All you have to do is boil all the bones in water with any other vegetables and herbs you have left over until the flavor infuses, and you have homemade stock that is super healthy and delicious! You can also add in the meat if you are tired of turkey for a rich broth.

Mashed Potatoes

If you have leftover mashed potatoes but you’re growing tired of them, instead of just reheating them, turn them into mashed potato balls! Combine the potatoes in a bowl with bacon, cheese, onion, and eggs. Mix everything together and shape it into balls. Roll the balls in breadcrumbs and pan-fry them until golden brown. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

The post Take Thanksgiving Scraps And Create Something New appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Group Size

The size of your turkey will be largely determined by the number of people you’re hosting. It’s usually enough to aim for one or two pounds per person and use this number to determine the size of your Thanksgiving turkey.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Longo’s (@longosmarkets)

Go Small or Go Home

Bigger turkeys may look nice in pictures, but they’re not always the healthiest and most practical choice. If the turkey is too good to be true, there are chances it’s been pumped with chemicals to grow bigger. With smaller turkeys, there’s a better chance they’ve been naturally grown.

Oven Troubles

There’s nothing worse than realizing your enormous turkey doesn’t actually fit inside your oven. If you don’t want to cut it into pieces, go with a smaller bird and consider buying two if you think one is not enough. They also have the advantage of roasting faster and more consistently inside your oven.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Krista | Healthy Food+Fitness (@joyfulhealthyeats)

The post 3 Steps for Picking a Thanksgiving Turkey of Perfect Size appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Brine Your Turkey

Maximize the flavor of your turkey and get juicier meat and crispier skin by brining it with herbs and two tablespoons of salt and putting it into a plastic bag before putting it in the fridge. You can season your turkey the night before or up to two days in advance.

Switch Up the Spices

In addition to salt, you can amp up the flavor of the turkey with Cajun-style turkey rub, which has smoked paprika, celery salt, and onion powder, or a red rub, which has paprika, ground coriander, and garlic powder.

Put Seasoning Everywhere

The seasoning needs to be on all parts of the turkey, not just on the surface. Stir your favorite spices and fresh herbs into softened butter and rub it all over the turkey and under the skin.

Add Glazes

Glazes give the bird a subtle sweetness and shine. Go for a combination of maple syrup, orange juice, and fresh sage. Brush most of the turkey with the glaze and save a bit for when it comes out of the oven.

The post The Perfect Thanksgiving Turkey Starts with the Seasoning appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Mysterious History

The Pilgrims served “wild fowl” at the first Thanksgiving gatherings, but it’s widely believed they didn’t eat turkey at the time. It’s possible that some of the early celebrations included turkey, but that’s not the main reason why it became a staple of the Thanksgiving menu.

Practical Reasons

Roasted turkey became a popular Thanksgiving dish for pragmatic reasons. Turkeys are native to North America, and they can be found in abundance on this continent. They’re large enough to feed an entire family and serve no other purpose—since they can’t produce milk and eggs. They’re generally raised for their meat, and that made them a perfect fit for big family dinners.

Literary Ties

The publication of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol in the 1840s boosted the popularity of roasted turkey as a holiday meal. Writer Sarah Josepha Hale, who campaigned to make Thanksgiving a national holiday, also described turkey as a part of holiday dinner in her book Northwood.

The post How Turkey Became the Staple of the Thanksgiving Dinner? appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Brach’s, an American candy company, is taking their holiday hype to a whole new level this year after introducing a candy that will leave no one indifferent.

Brach’s newest product, their “Turkey Dinner Candy”, is a candy that attempts to join all of the top Thanksgiving flavors into a medley of candies which have some good-sounding and some…questionable-sounding members.

For instance, cranberry sauce and sweet potato pie could be really delicious in candy form. These two sweet Thanksgiving treats seem like normal and logical choices to make candy.

Would you feel the same way, however, about roasted turkey, green bean, and stuffing-flavored candies?

All of these choices are included in this bizarre Thanksgiving medley which is being sold at Walgreen’s drug stores all over the United States.

So, what do you think? Would you be brave enough to give this strange new candy a try?

The post Would You Try This Crazy Thanksgiving-Themed Candy Corn? appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lb extra-lean ground turkey
• 2 minced red bell peppers
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 diced celery stalks
• 1 minced medium onion
• 4 cloves finely minced garlic
• 1 15-oz can kidney beans
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 28 oz can whole tomatoes
• 1/4 cup chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes (optional)
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon coconut sugar or honey, salt, and pepper.

Instructions:

1. Begin by getting a pot and heating the oil.
2. Combine the peppers, onion, garlic, and celery.
3. Cook for 7 to 8 minutes and wait until the onion becomes soft and brown.
4. You can now include the turkey as well. Cook until the meat is done.
5. Once it is, add the oregano, chili powder, cumin, and chili flakes. Mix everything together.
6. While you’re stirring make sure that you separate the meat into smaller pieces.
7. You can pour in the tomatoes and wait for the turkey chili to start boiling.
8. Lower the heat and let it simmer for 20 minutes. The pot should be covered.
9. To finish off, add the beans, cook for a few minutes.
10. The only thing you have left is to pour the honey or coconut sugar, salt, and pepper.

The post You Have To Try This Turkey Chili appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Stock

Most people have a whole turkey at their Thanksgiving, and by the end of the night, you might have some left, or you might just have the bones. If you do have bones, you can easily make a stock. All you have to do is boil all the bones in water with any other vegetables and herbs you have left over until the flavor infuses, and you have homemade stock that is super healthy and delicious! You can also add in the meat if you are tired of turkey for a rich broth.

Mashed Potatoes

If you have leftover mashed potatoes but you’re growing tired of them, instead of just reheating them, turn them into mashed potato balls! Combine the potatoes in a bowl with bacon, cheese, onion, and eggs. Mix everything together and shape it into balls. Roll the balls in breadcrumbs and pan-fry them until golden brown. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

The post Take Thanksgiving Scraps And Create Something New appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.