What's for dinner tonight?

[Brent S]

I just threw all the leftover turkey parts (bones and all) into a pot and cooked it down in some water. I took the bones and fat out after about 40 mins. Then I took some carrots, celery, green onions, and a little bell pepper and chopped them up and simmered them in the broth. I also threw in the tiny bit of leftover stuffing and mashed potatoes and green beans that I had left in the fridge, along with some garlic and pepper. At the very end I threw in a bag and a half of wide egg noodles. Right now it's a nasty cold and wet night, but I'm enjoying a big pot of really good turkey noodle soup, next to a good fire and a pit bull that's glued to my side. It dosent get much better. I feel even better knowing that most would just throw out the leftover bones, but with a little time they make another great meal.

 

[klon solo]

I'm digging everything but the stuffing. I guess it just disappears?

Nevertheless, I'd eat it. I'm starving right now.

 

[Brent S]

I'm digging everything but the stuffing. I guess it just disappears?

Nevertheless, I'd eat it. I'm starving right now.

There were only a few table spoon fulls of stuffing left, and yeah it just melted in the broth. I couldn't taste it but am sure it added a little flavor. I almost went for Chinese takeout on the way home from work, but am glad I spent the hour and a half making this.

 

[Roninsensei]

LOL I did that exact same thing Brent!!!! Great minds!!!

 

[Brent S]

LOL I did that exact same thing Brent!!!! Great minds!!!

I'm basically a lazy cook, so soups and stews are great for me. You just throw a bunch of stuff in a pot and let simmer, then you have good wholesome food for days!

 

[Gazrok]

Like others, I'm not so sure on the stuffing or mashed potatoes added to it, but suppose they would just cook down. We'll be doing the same with our turkey carcass this week, for some turkey soup. Bet it was delicious!

Today, we're crocking some beef stew. Some lightly browned cubes of beef, baby carrots, sliced mini potatoes, celery, onion, garlic, bell peppers, and gravy with seasonings, all cooking for about 9 hours on low heat in two different crock pots.

I love coming home to dinner already being ready. Yum! Can't wait!

 

[Brent S]

Like others, I'm not so sure on the stuffing or mashed potatoes added to it, but suppose they would just cook down. We'll be doing the same with our turkey carcass this week, for some turkey soup. Bet it was delicious!

Today, we're crocking some beef stew. Some lightly browned cubes of beef, baby carrots, sliced mini potatoes, celery, onion, garlic, bell peppers, and gravy with seasonings, all cooking for about 9 hours on low heat in two different crock pots.

I love coming home to dinner already being ready. Yum! Can't wait!

We definately have the same tastes! I just put those exact same ingredients in my Dutch oven before checking my emails tonight. I had a nice sirloin steak thawedfor the grill, but it's so cold and windy outside that I decided to make the beef stew instead. The only thing I added was a little radish that I got out of the greenhouse. I've never put it in stew before, but it seemed like it may work, I'll let you know. Now the problem is it's almost 6:30, so I'm cooking it on 400 and hope I can get it tender enough to eat some tonight. I usually slow cook it, but sometimes in life we have to compromise. With the cold weather now soups and stews are going to be my main meals for a while.

 

[DrHenley]

Venison chili for supper tonight.

I'd share the recipe, but I don't really have one. I pretty much play it by ear every time.

 

[Brent S]

Venison chili for supper tonight.

I'd share the recipe, but I don't really have one. I pretty much play it by ear every time.

Most of my dishes are done using what I have on hand. It's really rare that I go shopping for specific things just for one dish. I do have a pretty well stocked pantry with all the spices that I normally use, and am pretty good about keeping fresh veggies in the fridge, so I generally have enough to make something taste pretty good. All I know for sure is the stew tonight is smelling awesome. I'm going to pull it out of the oven in about fifteen minutes. I don't like eating this late but that's the way it goes sometimes.

 

[Dani]

I would think that your stuffing and mashed potatoes would add a little thickness to your turkey stew. I ended up throwing my carcass with bones cracked in the pot with some veggies & water and cooked it down, then canned the meat with broth. I had extra broth left over so made chicken and dumplins with it for dinner and canned the leftovers up. It's just been a canning week for me. . .

 

[Brent S]

I would think that your stuffing and mashed potatoes would add a little thickness to your turkey stew. I ended up throwing my carcass with bones cracked in the pot with some veggies & water and cooked it down, then canned the meat with broth. I had extra broth left over so made chicken and dumplins with it for dinner and canned the leftovers up. It's just been a canning week for me. . .

Thats why I put it in there, to thicken a little and to add some flavor. I never thought about cracking the bones first, good idea! Ive heard that the marrow not only adds flavor but is good for you as well. The next time I have any large bones I'll do that. Next question, how do you break them?

 

[Gazrok]

Two pairs of pliers.

 

[Gazrok]

My son and my daughter just aren't big fans of stew, so can't have it near as often as I like. In fact, they aren't big fans of crock meals in general, which is just too darn bad, as I like coming home and not having to wait for a meal to be cooked, or to cook myself.

I wish I could trust them to cook (both are technically adults), but given that my son burned Ramen noodles last night (he didn't want the stew, and ruined a pot in the process).... I love him, but man, I just don't know.....

 

[Dani]

Thats why I put it in there, to thicken a little and to add some flavor. I never thought about cracking the bones first, good idea! Ive heard that the marrow not only adds flavor but is good for you as well. The next time I have any large bones I'll do that. Next question, how do you break them?

I keep a hammer in the kitchen gadget drawer

 

[Brent S]

My son and my daughter just aren't big fans of stew, so can't have it near as often as I like. In fact, they aren't big fans of crock meals in general, which is just too darn bad, as I like coming home and not having to wait for a meal to be cooked, or to cook myself.

I wish I could trust them to cook (both are technically adults), but given that my son burned Ramen noodles last night (he didn't want the stew, and ruined a pot in the process).... I love him, but man, I just don't know.....

Soups and stews are my mainstay. Not only easy but hearty and healthy too. Kids, what are you gonna do! My daughter burned a pot onto the stove top of a new stove several years ago. Trust me you will survive them growing/learning. Your kitchen may not, but you will..

 

[Brent S]

I keep a hammer in the kitchen gadget drawer

If your ever in doubt about anything in life, 'get a bigger hammer'. Brent's motto.

 

[Gazrok]

reminds me, we need to make some turkey/chicken stock and soup with some rotisserie chicken bones we have.
will have to do that tonight. I love some homemade chicken/turkey soup. Egg noodles, carrots, celery, peppers, green onions, regular onion, some minced garlic, salt, pepper...mmm...mmm.......

 

[Brent S]

reminds me, we need to make some turkey/chicken stock and soup with some rotisserie chicken bones we have.
will have to do that tonight. I love some homemade chicken/turkey soup. Egg noodles, carrots, celery, peppers, green onions, regular onion, some minced garlic, salt, pepper...mmm...mmm.......

It amazes me how few of the people that I work with cook at all. Even most of the women don't have 'time' to bother in the kitchen. I guess someone has to keep Burger King and Taco Bell in buisness. Chicken soup is one of the easiest things to throw together, and is so hearty! They all think I'm some kind of gourmet chef or something from the lunches I bring. I'm far from anything close to that, but I do like to eat real food, that's not only healthier, but is a lot cheaper too. I have to admit though, I can cook a mean steak!

 

[Gazrok]

That's just it, we need to feed 5 in the household, so eating out is an EXPENSIVE option. So, we have a home-cooked meal pretty much every night. Sadly, the kids (well adults, but...) aren't fans of crocked meals, soups, or stews, but this isn't a restaurant. My wife and I work and get home late, so we like having a meal ready when we come home. Wish they could cook, but they can't really, at least not like we do.

 

[Brent S]

That's just it, we need to feed 5 in the household, so eating out is an EXPENSIVE option. So, we have a home-cooked meal pretty much every night. Sadly, the kids (well adults, but...) aren't fans of crocked meals, soups, or stews, but this isn't a restaurant. My wife and I work and get home late, so we like having a meal ready when we come home. Wish they could cook, but they can't really, at least not like we do.

You mean our sole pourpose in life isn't to cater to our kids?

 

[Gazrok]

You mean our sole pourpose in life isn't to cater to our kids?

Nope, especially when they are grown and perfectly capable of feeding themselves.


We did something neat last night. My daughter works at a wing restaurant chain, and picked up some different sauces. We fried up some chicken wings and used the sauces, and basically had a wing restaurant night in, while catching up on American Horror Story. Fun family night. (Yeah, we're pretty messed up that way).

 

[Brent S]

I was proud of my club sandwich for dinner tonight!

 

[jimLE]

we came home with turkey,ham and pork from xmas day.the pork was fixed in a smoker..i fixed up pinto beans what ham i came home with.and one slice of pork..even thoe i forgot to add the salt..it came out pretty great..

 

[Brent S]

we came home with turkey,ham and pork from xmas day.the pork was fixed in a smoker..i fixed up pinto beans what ham i came home with.and one slice of pork..even thoe i forgot to add the salt..it came out pretty great..

Sounds good! Tomorrow it's supposed to be rainy, so I'm planning to make some turkey broth and can it. For some reason I can't find turkey broth in the grocery stores anymore. I sometimes think there's a conspiracy going on, all my favorite things get discontinued! I've also got a ham, and will get some ham and bean soup going as well. I love playing with leftovers, sometimes they turn out better than the origional meal!

 

[jimLE]

seems like the turkey broth could be found in cans..have you tried looking for it in the cartons? i know certain broths and/or a type of milk can be found in them....

 

[Brent S]

seems like the turkey broth could be found in cans..have you tried looking for it in the cartons? i know certain broths and/or a type of milk can be found in them....

I have looked everywhere! I'm sure it's still made somewhere, but darned if I can find it. I canned 13 pints of it today though! Yeah! It's still cooling in the canner. I learned that if you let it cool slowly then you don't loose as much liquid from the jars. Some of my earlier ventures would boil out too much juice, leaving up to a couple inches air space in the jar. The slower cooling seemed to eliminate that. Anyways, I have a pot of turkey noodle soup, and the pints of broth for later on. Even though I have been canning for a while now, it's still really satisfying. I also racked or siphoned off the wine in 6 5gal jugs. It left the sediment on the bottom of the jugs, and was really clean/clear looking now. I'll bottle it in a few weeks now, as that was the last racking. Over all it was a pretty good day. It looks like the rain is clearing off too. I really hate wet gloomy days, but they do force me to get some inside stuff done.

 

[Dani]

I have looked everywhere! I'm sure it's still made somewhere, but darned if I can find it. I canned 13 pints of it today though! Yeah! It's still cooling in the canner. I learned that if you let it cool slowly then you don't loose as much liquid from the jars. Some of my earlier ventures would boil out too much juice, leaving up to a couple inches air space in the jar. The slower cooling seemed to eliminate that. Anyways, I have a pot of turkey noodle soup, and the pints of broth for later on. Even though I have been canning for a while now, it's still really satisfying. I also racked or siphoned off the wine in 6 5gal jugs. It left the sediment on the bottom of the jugs, and was really clean/clear looking now. I'll bottle it in a few weeks now, as that was the last racking. Over all it was a pretty good day. It looks like the rain is clearing off too. I really hate wet gloomy days, but they do force me to get some inside stuff done.

You tend to loose liquid in your jars if the pressure fluctuates too fast, which includes your 'cooling' process. When time is up, I shut off heat and take it off the burner to drop pressure naturally leaving the vent cap (black knobby thing in my case) on. Once dropped, I still wait about 5 minutes to take the jars out to a towel on the counter. With a rapid drop in pressure or over filling your jars will have a loosing liquid effect. Still edible, just changes colors on you. Always nice to have stored up canned broth on hand no matter from what meat.

 

[Brent S]

You tend to loose liquid in your jars if the pressure fluctuates too fast, which includes your 'cooling' process. When time is up, I shut off heat and take it off the burner to drop pressure naturally leaving the vent cap (black knobby thing in my case) on. Once dropped, I still wait about 5 minutes to take the jars out to a towel on the counter. With a rapid drop in pressure or over filling your jars will have a loosing liquid effect. Still edible, just changes colors on you. Always nice to have stored up canned broth on hand no matter from what meat.

I didn't know about the temp increase, but it makes sense since the rapid drop affects it. Ive been just removing the canner from the heat and letting it cool by itself. The extra heat probably helps to make sure things are steralized anyways. The only issue could be if you overcook something and turn it to mush.

 

[Brent S]

It's been a dreary rainy day here again. I decided some comfort food was in order. I baked a ham in the oven, and then used some of the juices and made some egg noodle soup to go with it. There's not much better than a bowl of hot soup on a rainy day to lift your spirits. I boil egg noodles in ham broth with chives, pepper, garlic, onion, green peppers and soy sauce. I'm deciding if I want to be a glutton and go get a second bowl.

 

[jimLE]

yup.your gonna get the 2nd bowl..that is if you aint done it yet..i made up a batch of potato chips to fill 5-1 quart zip bags yesterday.now im fixing up the rest of the 10LB bag..i love my chips..