Thanksgiving Turkey..."The Perfect Turkey"

Ingredients:

• 1 (18 pound) whole turkey, neck and giblets removed


• 2 cups kosher salt


• 1/2 cup butter, melted


• 2 large onions, peeled and chopped


• 4 carrots, peeled and chopped


• 4 stalks celery, chopped


• 2 sprigs fresh thyme


• 1 bay leaf


• 1 cup dry white wine

Preparation:


Rub the turkey inside and out with the kosher salt. Place the bird in a large stock pot, and cover with cold water. Place in the refrigerator, and allow the turkey to soak in the salt and water mixture 12 hours, or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Thoroughly rinse the turkey, and discard the brine mixture.

Brush the turkey with 1/2 the melted butter. Place breast side down on a roasting rack in a shallow roasting pan. Stuff the turkey cavity with 1 onion, 1/2 the carrots, 1/2 the celery, 1 sprig of thyme, and the bay leaf. Scatter the remaining vegetables and thyme around the bottom of the roasting pan, and cover with the white wine.

Roast uncovered 3 1/2 to 4 hours in the preheated oven, until the internal temperature of the thigh reaches 180 degrees F (85 degrees C). Carefully turn the turkey breast side up about 2/3 through the roasting time, and brush with the remaining butter. Allow the bird to stand about 30 minutes before carving.

Cheesy Shrimp & Asparagus

Ingredients:

• 1 lb cooked shrimp thawed
• a small bunch of asparagus, cut in small pieces
• 2 TBS butter
• 2 TBS flour
• 2 cups warm milk
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
• pasta of your choice

Preparation:
Use a 2 quart micro pitcher. Melt 2 tablespoons butter on full power for 1 minute. Add flour, stir well. Micro cook 30 seconds at full power. Add warm milk. Cook sauce 1 1/2 minutes at full power. Stir well, repeat another 1 1/2 minutes or until sauce is slightly thickened and bubbly. Add seasonings and cheese. Mix until cheese is completely blended. Add thawed, rinsed and drained shrimp, and add asparagus. Cook pasta as directed. Pour Cheesy Shrimp & Asparagus Sauce over pasta. Serve

Sweet Soy Pork

This recipe was submitted by our friends at Be In Love Designs. Considering their unique taste in their Custom Cut Invitations, we are excited to try this recipe.

This is a quick and easy recipe, learned as a kid. Really, almost no need to measure!

Ingredients:

• 2-4 Pork Chops


• Low Sodium Soy Sauce


• 4-8 TBS of Apricot Preserves


• Minced Dried Chives (to taste)


• 1-2 TBS Minced Garlic (use the preminced in olive oil pepper to taste)

Preparation:

In a casserole dish with lid (or foil), place peppered pork chops inside and fill with soy sauce about half way of the meat's thickness. Sprinkle with garlic and chives. Cover and cook in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes, turning over pork chops once halfway through.

Then place 2 TBS of apricot preserves on top of each pork chop. Cook uncovered for an additional 5-8 minutes, or until preserves begin to melt. This dish is best served over rice.
Thanks Be In Love Designs! Remember to Share Your Recipes With Betty Here .

Betty's Perfect Manhattan

A Perfect Manhattan may possibly be the best alcoholic drink created, but finding someone to make "Betty's Perfect Manhattan" is hard to come by. The requirements for Betty's Perfect Manhattan is 1. Must be served on the rocks 2. Must, I'll repeat, MUST be served in an old fashioned glass or lowball glass AND 3. Must be shaken not stirred. Drink with caution, 1 perfect manhattan made right will do the trick, 2 you may be in trouble.
Serving Size 2 cocktails
Ingredients

• 4 shots Johnny Walker Red (or in this economy Canadian Club will do the trick)
• 1 shot Dry Vermouth
• 1 shot Sweet Vermouth
• ice
• cherry juice
• cherries

Preparation:
Put 4 shots blended whiskey, Johnny Walker Red , 1 shot Dry Vermouth, 1 shot Sweet Vermouth in a shaker filled with ice. Add a few teaspoons of cherry juice. Shake. Pour into 2 lowball glasses filled with ice. Top with cherry. Enjoy responsibly.

Brie Cheese Fondue

Serve with Ideas
Use fresh baguette slices or chunks of flavorful artisan breads, lightly blanched vegetables, fruit (fresh figs and green apples are our favorites), cooked and sliced flavored sausages or chicken, and an array of relishes, jellies (pepper jelly rocks with this), mustards, olives, hot peppers, capers, cornichons, and spreads- whatever you have on hand.

4 servings

• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 cup sherry
• 1 lb Brie cheese, rind removed and cubed
• 1 TBS cornstarch
• 1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg
• salt and white pepper to taste

Preparation:

Rub the garlic all over the inside of your fondue pot, leaving the crushed pieces in the bottom. You can also make fondue in a regular sauce pan and transfer to the fondue pot, but why get two pans all crazy cheesy? Add the white wine and sherry to the pot and heat over medium-low heat.

Toss the cheese cubes in cornstarch to coat. When the wine is hot, add the cheese. Stir slowly with a wooden spoon at first and then use a whisk. Stir constantly to keep it from scorching on the bottom of the pot. When the cheese has melted, remove it from the heat and grate in a little nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper to taste. The fondue should be smooth and coat a wooden spoon. If it seems to runny, add more cheese. If it is too thick, add a splash more wine --sparingly.
Prepare your fondue pot base and keep fondue warm over low heat. Get out the good linen napkins and set the table. This is a meal to be proud of!

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Be Mine

24 servings

• 16 ounces milk chocolate chips
• 2 TBS shortening
• 1 lb frsh strawberries with leaves

Preparation:
Insert toothpicks into the tops of the strawberries.
In a double boiler, melt the chocolate and shortening, stirring occasionally until smooth. Holding them by the toothpicks, dip the strawberries into the chocolate mixture.
Turn the strawberries upside down and insert the toothpick into Styrofoam for the chocolate to cool.

Rockin Oysters Rockefeller

16 servings

• 48 fresh unopened oysters
• 1 1/2 cups beer
• 2 cloves garlic
• seasoned salt to taste
• 7 black peppercorns
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 (10oz) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
• 8 ounces fonitna cheese, shredded
• 8 ounce mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 tsp salt, or to taste
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 TBS fine bread crumbs

Preparation:
Clean oysters, and place in a large stockpot. Pour in beer and enough water to cover oysters; add 2 cloves garlic, seasoned salt, and peppercorns. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat, drain, and cool.
Once oysters are cooled, break off and discard the top shell. Arrange the oysters on a baking sheet. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C.)
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook onion and garlic in butter until soft. Reduce heat to low, and stir in spinach, Monterey Jack, fontina, and mozzarella. Cook until cheese melts, stirring frequently. Stir in the milk, and season with salt and pepper. Spoon sauce over each oyster, just filling the shell. Sprinkle with bread crumbs.
Bake until golden and bubbly, approximately 8 to 10 minutes.
***great article on Shucking Oysters click HERE.

Sweet Potato Pie

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. sweet potato
• 1/2 cup better, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1tsp vanilla extract
• 1 unbaked pie crust

Preparation:
Boil sweet potato whole in skin for 40 to 50 minutes, or until done. Run cold water over the sweet potato, and remove the skin.
Break apart sweet potato in a bowl. Add butter, and mix well with mixer. Stir in sugar, milk, eggs, nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until mixute is smooth. Pour filling into an unbaked pie crust.
Bake at 350 degrees for 55 to 60 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Pie will puff up like a souffle, and then will sink down as it cools.
Serves 8

REALLY Easy Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 orange, juiced (or 2 TBS. of orange juice)
• 1 cup water
• 1 tart apple such as Granny Smith, peeled and cut into a small dice
• 1 bag fresh cranberries
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ground allspice

Preparation:
In a small saucepan over high heat, add all the ingredients. . Bring to a boil over high heat.
Reduce the heat to low and cover the pan partially.
Simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens, the apple is tender and the cranberries have burst, 10 to 15 minutes.
Transfer the cranberry sauce to a heatproof bowl and let cool for 1 hour before serving. Or cover and refrigerate; bring to room temperature before serving

Healthy Herb Sausage Stuffing

Ingredients:

• 2 Tsp Olive Oil
• 3 cups celery, chopped
• 3 cups onions, chopped
• 2 tsp thyme
• 2 tsp marjoram
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sage
• 3 tsp black pepper
• 1 lb. Jennie-O Turkey italian sausage, browned (remove from casings)
• 1 lb. Ezekial Whole Grain bread crumbs cubes for stuffing
• 2 eggs
• 16 oz. low sodium chicken broth

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Saute celery and onions in olive oil, add browned sausage and all the seasonings. Simmer 3 minutes.
Put bread cubes in a large bowl. Add the beaten egg and egg whites. Stir in sauteed vegetables and parsley. Add enough of the chicken broth to moisten. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Transfer stuffing to prepared baking dish. Cover baking dish with foil.
Bake stuffing 25 minutes
Remove foil; turn oven up to 375 and bake stuffing until top begins to brown, about 10 minutes longer.
Serves 6-7 people