Turkey Gravy

Queen of Clean Linda Cobb

9 hrs · 

What is worse than running out of turkey gravy on the big day or not having any to eat with those leftovers. I always have plenty of gravy because I have a secret......Make Ahead Turkey Gravy! I have been doing this for years. It is the real thing, and it is so good. Very easy to do and once it's made, no standing over the stove thickening gravy when people are ready to sit down and eat. I always add a little of the broth from the turkey to it when the turkey comes out of the oven. Then let the broth from your turkey cool, skim the fat and add to the Make Ahead Gravy after dinner. It's ready to eat with lefovers or those hot turkey sandwiches. Freeze any that is leftover. Here's my secret!

MAKE AHEAD TURKEY GRAVY

INGREDIENTS:

6 turkey wings
2 medium onions, peeled and
quartered
1 cup water
2 quarts chicken broth, divided
3/4 cup chopped carrot
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Arrange a single layer of turkey wings in a large roasting pan. Scatter the onions over the top of the wings. Roast in the preheated oven for 1-1/4 hours or until wings are browned.

2. Place browned wings and onions in a 5 quart stockpot. Add water to roasting pan and stir, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Pour the water from the pan into the stockpot. Stir in 6 cups broth, carrot, and thyme. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 1-1/2 hours.

3. Remove wings from the pot and place on a cutting board. When the wings are cool, pull off the skin and meat. Discard the skin and save the meat for another use. Strain contents of stockpot through a large strainer into a 3 quart saucepan. Press on the vegetables to extract any remaining liquid. Discard the vegetables and skim the fat off the liquid. Bring the contents of the pot to a gentle boil.

4. In a medium bowl, whisk flour into the remaining 2 cups chicken broth until smooth. Gradually whisk the flour mixture into the simmering turkey broth; simmer 3-4 minutes or until the gravy has thickened. Stir in the butter and pepper. Serve immediately or pour into containers and refrigerate or freeze.

HOLIDAY CLEAN UP NOTE: Head to the Warehouse store, like Sam's or COSCO and pick up some aluminum Steamer Pans. They are used in restaurants, but work great in place of a 9X13 pan for all of your Thanksgiving side dishes. They cost about $7.00 for 30 pans. When you are done, toss them, and avoid the dishwashing! If you are using the crockpot, use crockpot liners or spray with non-stick cooking spray.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Pineapple Upside Down Cake 

Cake
2 ½ cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup sugar
¾ cup butter (softened)
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs
1 cup milk (I use the juice from the pineapples and add milk to make 1 cup)

Preheat oven to 350°.
Mix flour, baking soda and sugar in a mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients and mix on medium speed until all lumps are gone and batter is well incorporated.

Pan preparation
3/4 cup butter
1 can pineapple slices
Maraschino Cherries
1 cup brown sugar (may need more)

Melt butter in the bottom of a 9 x 13 cake pan. Add 1 cup of brown sugar and mix. Add more brown sugar if needed to absorb all the butter. Spread evenly on the bottom of your pan. Add pineapple rings and place a maraschino cherry in the hold of each pineapple ring.
Pour cake batter over pineapple rings.
Bake at 350° for 35 minutes.
Remove from oven and let rest for 2 minutes.
Invert pan onto an oblong dish (I use a cookie sheet)

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No Bake Candy Bars

Borrowed and shareing

Robert Hunter

16 hrs · 

Oatmeal Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bake Candy Bars 

WAIT! These are HEALTHY! SHARE to save to your wall! 

Ingredients:
1 cup peanut butter
2/3 cup honey
1/2 cup coconut oil (no substitutes, this is what gives its creamy texture and flavor)
2 cups oats (not instant)
1 1/4 cups mini chocolate chips
3/4 cup dried cranberries

Directions:
In a medium sized saucepan, melt together peanut butter, honey and coconut oil.
Remove from heat and add oats, chocolate chips and dried cranberries. Stir until combined and chocolate chips are melted.
Spread into a 9x13 pan. Refrigerate until hardened, about an hour.
Store in refrigerator...

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• 23 shares
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Bed Bugs

Browed from the Queen of Clean

The busiest travel time of the year is Thanksgiving and Christmas. As many of us have heard and read, bed bugs are a huge issue even at some of the finest hotels. They can be found in airline seats, theater seats, everywhere people are. Before you head out on that trip here are some tips to keep you bed bug free.

BED BUGS - They are on the rise across the country. These are the top 25 cities in the country with bed bug problems. Believe me, the long list includes just about every city, large or small.

Chicago
Los Angeles 
Columbus, Ohio
Detroit
Cincinnati
Cleveland/Akron/Canton
Dayton
Washington D.C.
Denver
Indianapolis
Richmond/Petersburg, Va.
Raleigh/Durham/Fayetteville, N.C.
Dallas/Ft. Worth
Syracuse, N.Y.
Atlanta
Houston
New York
Seattle/Tacoma
San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose
Boston
Milwaukee
Miami/Ft. Lauderdale
Nashville
Pittsburgh
Charlotte 

Let’s talk about what you can do to protect yourself from these bugs.

First of all, what should you do when you travel and stay in a hotel/motel to check your room for bedbugs?

Head Straight for the Bathroom

Bedbugs are least likely to be found in the bathroom. They don't like the tile floors and there aren't as many hiding places. They like to be closer to where people may be sleeping.

Inspect the Bed

Here's how to check for a bedbug infestation: Pull back the linens and check all the way around and under the mattress and behind the headboard. Look for blood stains or small black dots that look like mold or ground pepper. Bedbugs are about the size and shape of an apple seed, and you may find them hiding in corners or seams of the bedding. If you see any suspicious signs, let the hotel staff know immediately.

Check The Room

Now check areas surrounding the bed: behind picture frames, under the telephone and alarm clock. Studies have shown that most bedbugs are found in or within 15 feet of a bed, but some may still be further away. Also check in the cushions and seams of any couches or soft chairs and in the closet before putting your clothes away.

Keep Luggage Off the Ground

Leaving suitcases and bags on the floor or on a second spare bed may be one way to bring home bedbugs. They can travel from room to room. For the duration of your stay, keep your bags on the desktop, on top of the dresser, or on a luggage rack in the room. 

Wrap Suitcases in Plastic

Luggage retailers sell zip-up bags specifically for this purpose. I travel a lot and I have seen people with garbage bags wrapped around their suitcases. This barrier can protect your belongings not only in your hotel room, but also in transit; bedbugs can also hide in airplanes, trains, and taxis.

Move

Any evidence of bugs warrants a new room and hotel staff are usually always glad to do this. They want to inspect and stop the problem before it spreads. My rule is always move several floors above or below your current floor.

Have Plan For Your Return Home:

When you return home from vacation, wash all your clothing,even the items you didn't wear, in hot water. Bedbugs can't survive in temperatures above 122 degrees. This will make sure they don’t take up residence in your drawers and closets. Sending clothes to the dry cleaner will work, too. Inspect and vacuum out your suitcases before storing them away, as well, and if you've invested in a plastic luggage case, keep it sealed up until you need it next.

Watch for Bedbug Bite Marks

Bite marks are one sign that you may have brought bedbugs home with you. They often will bite in a line-shaped pattern. Itching or bites aren't enough to confirm bedbugs. Have them looked at by a professional.

Call a Professional

Bedbugs are not a do-it-yourself pest. If you suspect that you've brought home bedbugs from a recent vacation, call a pest-management service to conduct an inspection. Once an infestation is confirmed, pros may use heat, freezing, vacuuming, or steaming methods to clear your home
.
Bedbugs have been found in all 50 states, in many locations including rural, urban, and suburban. Knowledge is the best defense.

Chicken Enchilada

WHITE CHICKEN ENCHILADA BAKE

INGREDIENTS:
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts (cooked and shredded)
1 medium onion (finely chopped)
12 ounces salsa verde
1 can low-fat cream of chicken soup
1 can low-fat cream of mushroom soup
½ cup milk
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
10 corn tortillas
1lb shredded Mexican cheese blend
sliced black olives (for garnish)
chopped green onions (for garnish)

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 inch casserole dish. In a large bowl combine chopped onion, salsa verde, cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, milk, garlic powder, and ground black pepper. Whisk until well combined.
Spread a thin layer of the soup mixture onto the bottom of the prepared casserole dish. Layer 5 of the tortillas over the soup mixture (You can cut them into pieces of you want or layer them whole). Layer half of the shredded chicken over the tortillas, followed by half of the remaining soup mixture. Sprinkle with half of the shredded Mexican cheese blend. Repeat the layers, ending with the cheese on top. (At this point if you want to bake it the next day. Cover the casserole dish tightly, place it into the refrigerator overnight and bake it the next day).
Place into the oven and bake at 350 degrees F. for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown. Top with sliced black olives and chopped green onion.

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Apple Pecan Cake

Apple Pecan Cake

What you need is
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups Sugar
3 eggs
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking Soda
2 teaspoons Vanilla extract
1 cup Chopped Pecans
3 cups peeled and chopped apples

Preheat oven to 350. grease a 9x13 pan. In a mixing bowl ix all above except for pecan and apples. The batter will be stiff, mix well then add pecans and apples and mix. Spread into your pan. Bake for 45 min. The apples moisten this cake while cooking, its delicious.

Icing is optional.. you could sprinkle it with a bit of powdered sugar also But here is what I did
Took
1/2 cup of butter
1 cup of brown sugar
1/4 c. evaporated milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
Brought it to a boil for 2 min. then I set the pan in a bowl filled with ice water and beat till it thickened... You can also add powdered sugar to the mixture if its not thick enough.
Enjoy ~

☆

Coffee Filters not just for coffee

COFFEE FILTERS....not just for coffee!!! Please SHARE 

Coffee filters .... Who knew! And you can buy 1,000 at the Dollar Tree for almost nothing even the large ones.
1. Cover bowls or dishes when cooking in the microwave. Coffee filters make excellent covers.
2. Clean windows, mirrors, and chrome... Coffee filters are lint-free so they'll leave windows sparkling.
3. Protect China by separating your good dishes with a coffee filter between each dish.
4. Filter broken cork from wine. If you break the cork when opening a wine bottle, filter the wine through a coffee filter.
5. Protect a cast-iron skillet. Place a coffee filter in the skillet to absorb moisture and prevent rust.
6. Apply shoe polish. Ball up a lint-free coffee filter.
7. Recycle frying oil. After frying, strain oil through a sieve lined with a coffee filter.
8. Weigh chopped foods. Place chopped ingredients in a coffee filter on a kitchen scale.
9. Hold tacos. Coffee filters make convenient wrappers for messy foods.
10. Stop the soil from leaking out of a plant pot. Line a plant pot with a coffee filter to prevent the soil from going through the drainage holes.
11.. Prevent a Popsicle from dripping. Poke one or two holes as needed in a coffee filter.
12. Do you think we used expensive strips to wax eyebrows? Use strips of coffee filters..
13. Put a few in a plate and put your fried bacon, French fries, chicken fingers, etc on them. It soaks out all the grease.
14. Keep in the bathroom. They make great "razor nick fixers."
15. As a sewing backing. Use a filter as an easy-to-tear backing for embroidering or appliqueing soft fabrics.
16. Put baking soda into a coffee filter and insert into shoes or a closet to absorb or prevent odors.
17. Use them to strain soup stock and to tie fresh herbs in to put in soups and stews.
18. Use a coffee filter to prevent spilling when you add fluids to your car.
19. Use them as a spoon rest while cooking and clean up small counter spills.
20. Can use to hold dry ingredients when baking or when cutting a piece of fruit or veggies.. Saves on having extra bowls to wash.
21. Use them to wrap Christmas ornaments for storage.
22. Use them to remove fingernail polish when out of cotton balls.
23. Use them to sprout seeds.. Simply dampen the coffee filter, place seeds inside, fold it and place it into a plastic baggie until they sprout.
24. Use coffee filters as blotting paper for pressed flowers. Place the flowers between two coffee filters and put the coffee filters in phone book..
25. Use as a disposable "snack bowl" for popcorn, chips, etc.
Not just for coffee--