Can we talk Thanksgiving? (1,867 views)

Wallycat-Prayers for your husband that he stays safe and healthy. Unfortunately, it's everywhere now....not just the big cities.

Finally figured out our Thanksgiving but now my DD is self quarantining because of an exposure at her internship so not sure if it will be just DH and I or whether 2 of the kids will make it. If she has 2 negative tests, I'll let her come home. (She had one yesterday and will get another next Tuesday). Either way it will be a Fiesta Thanksgiving here with tacos. Already made some homemade tortillas and froze. If the kids can't make it, I'll just scale it back a bit for DH and I. 

Karen, thank you for the kind thoughts.

I made a glop (for lack of a better word and I sort of eye-balled everything) 3 tbs of gochujang (use less if you want less spice; it does have heat, but I did not find it overpowering. You can easily smear up half the turkey and use a different spice blend on the other portions), a few glugs of olive oil or sesame oil (not toasted) to thin, 3 garlic cloves, about 2 tbs of soy sauce. You can tweak it to how you prefer it...spicier? Add sriracha or red pepper flakes. More asian flare...add ginger and onion powder. This is pretty forgiving.
I smeared it under the skin and the skin, and flesh side. Wrapped in saran-wrap and overnight in the fridge.

Ugh...crown/dental....i have too sad a story so won't share my ick. Good luck.

We are so close to the finish line with this covid-crap, we cannot get complacent or lax.
Stay safe all.

Patti, can you post the spinach balls recipe?

thanks wallycat.   DH would not like this I'm sure. I will do the turkey  breast standard manner, and  add some of the sauce  plus spicing  to my portion to test it out.   I thought  it might be similar to Uncle Chen chili paste?    I have to measure that by the molecule.   he cant have soy sauce either.   I use some coconut aminos  that are not soy but taste similar.  soy is a migraine trigger.   at least he thinks so.   
 I cracked/broke the temp in under 24 hours but I was able to get back in ASAP  to patch it.  my teeth are  in good shape  and    no sensitivity so I think this will go  OK.   

Happy Thanksgiving! I don't have to work today (healthcare), so we are at home for our 2-person Thanksgiving meal. We'll have pork tenderloin on the grill, roasted Brussels sprouts and bacon, chipotle mashed sweet potatoes, and mixed greens salad. I made some gingersnaps, and I think that covers things. Best wishes to you all today. Hope you are safe and healthy.

HAven't forgotten the request for the spinach balls recipe. I need to reboot my old computer because I think my current version is a modification of the lindrusso's original.

Yes,that is the spinach balls, I use less butter and finely chopped onions instead of the scallions because I always have onions, but don't always have scallions. I add a grated garlic clove too.

I always make this gingersnap recipe from Dorie Greenspan: Princeton Gingersnaps. I add 1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper, and up the fresh and candied ginger a bit. I use Wilton white sanding sugar for the coating. If I am not taking cookies to a gathering (like now), the dough freezes well. I just cut it into slabs for later, wrap it, and freeze it. I thaw it before shaping and baking. The baked-from-thawed dough cookies are identical to fresh-baked.

Wallycat, thanks for your kind comments about my service in healthcare. We have a long way to go to see the end of this beast. Please protect yourselves and your families.

wallycat he is getting screened for  causes for migraines that seem to be worse lately.   regardless, he doesn't like spicy food  at all.   things I consider  dull normal he thinks are "too hot".   anytime he gets a headache, anything he ate for several days prior goes  under the microscope.   soy sauce or related products are high on the suspect list.  I  get a  bottle of coconut aminos and sub it for anything he  will eat.   

 Uncle Chen is the clear jar of chili paste with the bright green lid.   in asian foods.   it's been around forever.  I think it always looked the same... I  only buy it  every other year so I think its still around and looks like that.  Ill look for a pic. 

yes, you're right uncle chen   is a brand name.  I love that stuff.

I got a  bottle of  gochujung.  didn't find it for thanksgiving  but a   few days later.  omg that is amazing stuff.    smoky, a little hot a little sweet!  I love it!. I had some leftover tofu stir fry  and   dabbed some on the tofu.  yummy!   I kept looking for it in spices   or   Asian foods. Haggen had it with ketchup/ mustard/ pickles.   

I finally asked  someone,  who turned out to be a nighttime shelf  stocking person.    she knew where to look after seeing the bottle on google.     I will go to great lengths to   get   my dose of  spicy heat.  Thanks I will enjoy this new taste treat. 

mine is more runny than that, about like ketchup.  it would be great on eggs IMO.  haven't tried yet.  this gives me  incentive to try kim chee also. I dont like cooked cabbage much so have shied away but maybe I'll give it a try anyway.   

I don't remember if there are Haggen stores over  near you, but they carry a decent   selection of chilies and bulk powdered chili & other spices   in envelopes.  I cant remember the brand name  though, and I toss the envelopes after I empty them into a spice jar.   just a thought.  not as many choices as  before the pandemic though. 

we haven't been to the peninsula in a year or so now.  when we  ride or hike there, I've used the  safeway between sequim  and PA.   overall I don't like safeway much. Haggen  ( stanwood) has  the best produce.  we don't have any sprouts or whole foods  near here .     I dont usually like cooked cabbage   so Id probably  buy a small    jar of it before I  try making my own.  I like   raw cabbage lots. 

I  usually hit the twin lakes costco, marysville. I dont think they were out of either.  depends on the panic level of the locals!

my issue is I  hated/ detested sauerkraut.   my grandmother made it at our house.  it reeked so badly I could smell it  outside several houses away.   in general, I  detest the food I was raised on, german food. the smells, OMG the smells and overcooked mush of vegetables.  our house stunk of sauerkraut for weeks.   I have a mental block on cooked cabbage.  all the cole family  vegies used to trigger the same  reaction because they were so over cooked  the sulfurous  odors  came out. once I  learned to cook them less I  love them.  never got over the sauerkraut. 

I recently tried the oven braised cabbage  that I think was posted here. I composted it.   that's why hesitant about kim chee.     if it smells like cooked cabbage its probably a lost cause.   there are other foods that trigger that,  hard boiled eggs, mayonnaise.  I am trying to be open minded because I realized that after  decades of hating tuna,  tuna is actually OK, it was the mayonnaise that it was always paired with that  set me off.  especially tuna paired with  some spiciness.   so will pick up a small bottle of kim chee and give it a try.