Turkey and gravy

1 Turkey (up to 20 pounds)
Onions, carrots, celery

Rinse bird inside and out.
Remove giblets
Line cavity with 2 layers of cheesecloth
Fill cavity with stuffing
Line neck end with 2 layers of cheesecloth
Fill end with stuffing.
Heat oven to 325°F
Place bird on rack made of onions, carrots, and celery
Cook until thigh and stuffing (if stuffing) reach 165°F

Take giblets and place in a pot covered in water.
Simmer 1 hour, skimming off dark foam.

Use lifter to remove turkey from roaster. Tent with foil
Remove vegetables and discard
Pour juice from roaster and allow oil to settle to top.
Return oil to roaster with equal amount of flour
Cook roux
Use remaining turkey liquid to form sauce
Chop giblets and add them plus their water to gravy
Salt gravy.

Turkey Stuffing

1 loaf of bread; cubed
1 large onion; chopped
2-3 stalks celery; chopped
1 apple; chopped
raisins
poultry seasoning

Sautee celery, onion, and poultry seasoning in better/oil mixture.
Add bread
Add Raisins and apple and mix
If cooking on stovetop, add some liquid and oil.Stir often

Yam casserole

2 large yams
¼ tsp. Paprika
Milk and butter for mashing

½ cup brown sugar (packed)
½ cup butter
1 cup pecan halves

Cook yams and mash with butter, milt and paprika
Spread yams into greased casserole dish
Stir butter and sugar over low heat until butter barely melts
Spread topping over yams
Cover with pecans
Serve immediately or refrigerate and reheat. Should be bubblingly hot.

Aspic

3 Tbsp vinegar
1 tsp. Salt
3 pkg. lemon gelatin
3 Tbsp. Lemon juice
3 cups spicy clamato juice
2 stalks celery; chopped
3-4 green onions; chopped
dash tobasco
4 cloves

Bring gelatin and all liquid to boil.
Add all but celery
Cook 5 minutes
Remove cloves
Add celery
Poor into lightly oiled mould
Chill overnight

Cranberry Sauce

1 cup water
1 cup sugar
12 oz Fresh or frozen cranberries

Makes approximately 2 ¼ cups.

Boil water and sugar
Sort and wash cranberries
Add berries to boiling syrup
Return to a boil and lower heat to mediumBoil gently for 10 minutes stirring occasionally

Christmas Green Beans

1 pkg (1 kg) frozen French cut green beans
½ onion diced
5-6 oz mushrooms sliced and halved
handful of sliced onions

Sauté onions, mushrooms and onions with butter.
Put beans in pot and add 1-2 inches of water
Boil, stir occasionally for 1-2 minutes
Drain
Add beans to mushroom mixture and mix.Reheat before serving by turning on burner under pan and stirring.

Carrot Cake

2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup oil
1-2 cups sugar (to taste)
4 eggs
3 cups grated carrots
1 cup chopped walnuts

Source: Elizabeth

Preheat oven to 325°F
Oil and flour 2 9 inch pans.
Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon
Add sugar gradually to oil beating well after each addition with electric beater on high.
Beat eggs until very light
Gradually beat eggs into oil and sugar, beating until smooth and fluffy
Gradually stir in dry ingredients until thoroughly mixed.
Add carrots and nuts, mix well.
Poor into pans and bake 60-65 minutes or until golden brown and cakes spring back.
Cool 20 minutes before removing from pans

Cream Cheese Icing
8 oz package cream cheese
3 Tbsp oil
3 ½ cups icing sugar
¼ tsp salt
Cream the cheese, blend in the oil
Gradually add sugar and salt
Mix until smooth and spreadable
Frost cake.

Chemistry Cake

Source: Isabelle
1 ½ cups flour
¼ tsp salt
¾ cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
3 Tbsp cocoa
1 tsp vanilla
6 Tbsp oil
1 Tbsp vinegar
1 cup cold water
*1 egg (for richer cake, see below)

Put dry ingredients in small cake pan and mix until smooth
Make 3 wells and put one of following into each:
vanilla
oil
vinegar
Pour water over all and mix (* if using egg place in cup and fill remainder with water)
Bake at 350 °F for 25-30 minutes

Nanaimo Bars

Source: Isabelle

Crust
½ cup butter
¼ cup cocoa
1 egg
¼ cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
¼ tsp salt
Combine above and cook over low heat until it coats a spoon
1 ¼ cups Graham cracker crumbs
¾ cups coconut
Add to mixture
Spread into a greased 9"x9" pan

Filling
½ cup softened butter
3 oz cream cheese
2 Tbsp instant vanilla pudding
Cream together
1 cup icing sugar
2 Tbsp milk
Beat into mixture
Spread over crumb base
Place in fridge until firm (20 minutes)

Glaze
4 oz semi sweet chocolate
1 Tbsp butter
Melt and spread over filling
Refrigerate until set but not hard before cutting.

Apple Cheese Crisp

Oven 375ºF
6 medium apples
2/3 cup sugar
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp all spice
¼ tsp nutmeg
2 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2/3 cup sugar
¾ cup flour
½ tsp salt
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1/3 cup butter
Heavy cream to serve
Source: Elizabeth
Serves 6

Butter 1 ½ qt casserole
Peel and core apples and cut into splices or chunks
Mix with 2/3 cups sugar and spices.
Turn into dish
Pour lemon juice and water over mixture

Mix together 2/3 cup flour, sugar, salt
Cut in butter
Stir in cheese
Sprinkle mixture over apples
Bake 45 minutes or until tender.

To Serve: Serve with cream.

Butter Tarts

1/3 cup butter
2 Tbsp milk or cream
1 egg beaten
1 cup sifted brown sugar
1 cup raisins
1 tsp vanilla
Pastry

Source: Isabelle

Mix ingredients and spoon into muffin tins lined with pastry. Bake at 450ºF for 8 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350ºF and cook until pastry is lightly browned.

Chocolate Mousse

6 oz (12 Tbsp) semi sweet chocolate chips
2 oz crème de cacoa
2 oz water, crème de menthe, or peppermint tea
melt in microwave until smooth
3 Tbsp sugar
Add and stir until glossy
Cool mixture
2 cups Whipping cream
½ tsp vannila
Whip
Fold whipped cream with chocolate
Refrigerate several hours or overnight. Or freeze.

Source: Mark

Note: A whip cream stabilizer is a good idea to give the dessert a better consistency.

Creme brulée

1 quart heavy cream
1 vanilla bean split and scraped (or 3 tsp of extract added at end)
1 cup sugar
6 large egg yolks
hot water

Source: Mark
Serves: 6 (though one whole serving may be too rich for many people)

place cream and vanilla (if using bean) into medium saucepan over medium/high heat. bring to boil
Remove from heat, cover and sit 10-15 minutes. Remove vanilla bean
Whisk egg yolks with 1/2 cup sugar until lightened.
Add cream a little at a time
Pour into 6 7-8 oz ramekins
Place ramekins into large dish and pour hot water half way up the sides of the dish
Bake 40-45 minutes. Should be set but still trembling
Remove from water and refrigerate at least 2 hours

To Serve:
Remove from fridge 30 minutes prior to browning
Divide sugar amongst remaining ramekins and melt sugar with torch
Let sit 5 minutes

Brownie Pudding Cake

350 ºF Oven
1 cup flour
½ cup sugar
3 Tbsp cocoa powder
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
Combine above

½ cup milk
2 Tbsp oil
1 tsp vanilla
Mix in to mixture

1/2 cup chocolate chips or raisins
Mix in and transfer to casserole dish

4 Tbsp cocoa powder
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 ½ cup boiling water
combine above and pour over mixture. DO NOT mix with mixture
Bake at 350 ºF for 30 minutes

Simple Rhubarb

10 -15 Stalks of Rhubbarb (n.b. leaves are poisonous)
1 cup brown sugar packed

Source: Elizabeth

1. Clean and cut rhubbarb into chunks, place in oven safe dish
2. Cover with sugar
3. Microwave on high roughly 10 minutes coverred
or
3. Bake at 300 degrees ºF for ½ hour

To Serve: Serve hot or cold with ice cream or yogurt

Compound Butter

½ stick of butter
1 clove of garlic; crushed
1 ½ tsp dried tarragon

Source: Mark

Place butter in a small bowl
If butter cold, microwave 10-15 seconds. This will cause some of the butter to melt while some stays solid.
Add garlic and herbs and mix until the butter reaches an even consistency.

To Serve:
Bread