Turkey Day is Right Around the Corner!

OMG! Is Thanksgiving really only a week away?! November has just flown by and before you know it Christmas will be here followed shortly by New Years. Things always seem to move so quickly toward the end of the year. It really is crazy how anyone manages to stay sane.

On Thanksgiving I will try my hand at cooking a turkey again. Last year's attempt wasn't perfect. It was actually surprising that it was edible. I had thought to myself -- well, a turkey is just a giant chicken and I've made plenty of those. How hard could it be?-- HA! If I only knew... it is much, much harder. My turkey was well seasoned with a crisp skin, a very dry interior and the gravy I attempted to make from the drippings downright unedible.

This year I'll have help from a friend and my other half. We are determined to get the turkey done right. The fixings come out great on the other hand. I make smashed potatoes, potato skins, green bean casserole and stuffing. I've got the sides down pat. Oh, and let's not forget the biscuits.

What is your favorite Thanksgiving dish? Do you have a traditional dish that you serve? Do you serve something other than Turkey?

Happy Thanksgiving!
-Linda

Pink Slime in Ground Beef and Food Supply Issues

GMO Corn Lehighton Post

There are some very disturbing things going on with the American food supply. I encourage anyone who loves to eat to know what they are eating by researching the products that they buy. That being said, not everything is labeled and apparently the USDA thinks that this is an acceptable practice.

A recent report on ABC News, talked about 'pink slime' that can be found in 70 percent of ground beef found in supermarkets. 70%!!! This is the same type of product that McDonald's was criticized for last month when the world found out that the company used 'pink slime' to make chicken nuggets. Both variations of 'pink slime' go through a separating process before being sprayed with ammonia gas to kill off bacteria before being placed in the food supply as a meat product. ABC News spoke with two former USDA scientists who did not approve of the plan to use the 'pink slime' meat product. However, that did not stop the USDA from approving the ingredient which is not used in most ground beef found in grocery stores and in school lunches.

'Pink slime' is not the only item that the USDA is supporting without a label telling consumers exactly what it is. Soon Monsanto's genetically modified sweet corn will be available in Walmart unless Walmart decides not to sell it due to customer complaints and petitions. Monsanto's GM sweet corn contains Bt toxin, commonly used as pesticide on crops. Monsanto's corn produces this ingredient without the need for outside pesticides. The problem with Monsanto's GM sweet corn is that when bugs attempt to eat the crop it causes the stomachs of the insects to rupture. It is completely unknown what the affect this corn will have on humans who eat it. According to Care2 and many other activist sites, lab rats that were fed the corn experience internal organ failure.

Monsanto's GM sweet corn won't be labeled or at least it doesn't have to be just yet. Numerous petitions have gone to the USDA, the FDA, and Walmart urging the use of clear labeling on products that are genetically modified. Consumers don't just want to be informed of what they are eating. They need to know what they are eating.

Feeding 10 People Cheap: Going Old School

Pigs-in-a-Blanket with Pillsbury Crescent Rolls

I like to feed my friends when they come over. One of my regular guests are K and J along with their 4 children. When they come to visit it means I need to figure out what we are eating for dinner and how I can feed all 10 of us (my family of four) on a limited budget. I also want to be able to feed the kids some sort of vegetable. I know how picky kids can get so I like to find things that vegetables can be hidden in.

Last night, K and J came to visit. We had a great time. I decided we were going to go old school for dinner and make pigs in a blanket and homemade mac & cheese. It turned out to be the perfect dinner and fairly cheap. 2 packs of hot dogs costs $2 since my regular grocery store was having a 12 for $12 special, 2 boxes of Rotini for the same price, 3 bags of shredded cheddar cheeses for $5 (sale 3 for $5), 2 cans of crescent rolls   for $2 (sale again, I love sales), and a package of fresh broccoli florets cost $1.50 for an approx. total of $12.50 to feed 10 people. Not too shabby.

And the kids loved it. I don't know many kids who don't like hot dogs or mac & cheese. Putting them together was a great dinner for everyone. The kids kept coming back for more of everything. And no one complained about the broccoli in the mac & cheese.

We have done several meals with K and J on a budget. I'm sure there will be many more but for now the easiest meals we have covered included spaghetti and meatballs, lasagna, mac & cheese with ham, home made pizzas, beef and chicken tacos, and our latest dinner pigs in a blanket w/ mac & cheese.

I wonder what we'll have next time they come over. Perhaps, I'll have to treat them to a vegan or vegetarian meal just because it will be different from the norm and change things up a little.