Tag Archives: thanksgiving

Less Stress this Thanksgiving: 7 Easy Steps to Your Best Turkey Yet

Courtesy of StatePoint

Selecting, preparing and cooking the centerpiece of your family’s Thanksgiving meal can pile on a lot of stress. However there are some easy ways to simplify the process.

“There are a lot of great choices, but they can certainly be overwhelming during a busy holiday,” says Theo Weening, Global Meat Buyer for Whole Foods Market.

Here are seven basic rules to ensure you have the perfect turkey for your holiday meal.

1. Plan ahead: Frozen turkeys can take several days to fully thaw. The safest method is by placing it on a tray in its packaging to catch drips, and put it in the refrigerator on the lowest shelf. Plan for one full day of thawing for every five pounds of turkey. If you’re short on time, put your turkey in a leak-proof wrapper and submerge it completely in cold tap water. The water should be changed every 30 minutes. Plan for 30 minutes of thawing time per pound.

2. Research: There are many different types of turkey to choose from. Some grocers carry a variety of birds and additionally have in-house butcher experts behind the counter to help you choose what is right for your taste and budget. Here are the five types of turkey found at Whole Foods Market:

• Organic: fed organic feed (that means no GMOs, among other things) and given access to the outdoors.

• Classic: known for their trifecta of flavor, quality, and value.

• Heritage: rich, succulent, old-world breeds cherished for flavor.

• Heirloom: robust flavor with a higher percentage of dark meat.

• Kosher: certified kosher.

3. Size matters: A good rule of thumb is to buy 1.5 pounds of turkey per person, providing everyone a healthy portion while allowing for those sought after leftovers.

4. Read the label: The best birds are raised with the highest standards. This means no antibiotics, no animal by-products in their feed, no added solutions or injections and no added growth hormones. To make it simple, shop at a store that only carries turkeys raised with these standards, such as Whole Foods Market. Their turkeys are also 5-Step Animal Welfare rated.

5. Brine: Soaking turkey in a saltwater solution for four to 24 hours before roasting keeps it tender and juicy. Try a brine kit for a simple and easy recipe.

6. Time it: It takes approximately 13 minutes per pound to cook a turkey at 350 degrees, and the turkey is done once it reaches 165 degrees. Use a meat thermometer and insert it into the thickest part of the thigh (without hitting the bone) to test the temperature.

7. Rest: Wait 30 minutes before carving the turkey. Giving the turkey time to rest allows the juices to redistribute for better flavor.

More turkey tips are available at http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/turkey.

When it comes to choosing and cooking your holiday turkey, preparation is key. Do your research, know what you like, and enjoy the rest.

Santa Ana: At-Risk Students Earn Over $25K In Turkey Dinners

Staff Reports

 

Santa Ana – Turkey dinners were awarded on Wed., Nov. 19, to 855 at-risk students who succeeded in the Orange County Gang Reduction Intervention Partnership’s (OC GRIP) 5th Annual Thanksgiving Challenge to improve student attendance, behavior, and grades.

The awards included a full Thanksgiving dinner, complete with side dishes, to feed a family of ten, and were delivered to participating OC GRIP schools for the successful students and their families to pick up. Deputy district attorneys, police officers, deputies, investigators, probation officers, and staff from all of the OC GRIP agencies were on hand to distribute the dinners.

Ralphs/Food 4 Less and Saddleback Church donated over 850 turkey dinners this year, compared to 400 in previous years, as part of the ongoing OC GRIP gang prevention effort to keep kids in school and out of gangs. The total donation is valued at over $25,000. OC GRIP extended the incentive to students at 50 schools across Orange County this year, compared to the previously participating 43 schools.

Orange County District Attorney (OCDA) Tony Rackauckas was at Viejo Elementary in Mission Viejo to personally greet the students and their families.

“I am truly grateful for the generosity of Ralphs/Food 4 Less and Saddleback Church for bringing Thanksgiving to so many deserving children and their families,” said Rackauckas. “I am absolutely thrilled for the opportunity these students have to do something good for their families and praise them for learning that there are rewards for good behavior.”

“Ralphs and Food 4 Less are proud to support a program that benefits families, the community at large, and keeps our children safe,” said Kendra Doyel, Community Affairs Senior Manager for Ralphs/Food 4 Less. “Our donation to this program is one of the many ways that Ralphs and Food 4 Less contributes to the communities where we work and live.”

At the beginning of the 2014-15 school year, over 1,000 students from 50 OC GRIP elementary and middle schools were invited to earn a Thanksgiving turkey dinner for their families by succeeding in a gang prevention challenge. The terms of the challenge were determined by each school and included no participation in gang activity or wearing gang clothing, no disciplinary action, perfect attendance, and improved grades. All of the 1,000 students were in grades four through eight and were individually identified by their respective schools as being the most at-risk of joining a criminal street gang. OC GRIP does not work with documented gang members, who were ineligible to participate.

The OC GRIP Thanksgiving Incentive was run by Orange County law enforcement agencies – including the OCDA, Orange County Probation Department, Orange County Sheriff’s Department in the cities of Dana Point, Laguna Hills, Lake Forest, Mission Viejo, San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano, Stanton, and unincorporated areas of North Orange County, Buena Park Police Department, Costa Mesa Police Department, Fullerton Police Department, Garden Grove Police Department, Orange Police Department, Santa Ana Police Department, and Tustin Police Department – and has over 500 community partners.

 

Did You Know?

By K.P. Sander

 

How much do you know about the very first Thanksgiving? MSN.com recently reported a number of interesting facts about the Pilgrims and what their conditions were like hundreds of years ago. As you prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving this year with your own traditions, take a moment to think back to the very first feast, and imagine how you would fare in 1621.

On board the Mayflower for over two months, the Pilgrims’ diet consisted of hardtack, salt pork, pickled foods, cereal grains, and any fish they could catch. Their primary beverage was beer – even for children – because the distillation process killed most parasites and bacteria in the often contaminated water. Sickness was a constant threat to the Pilgrims, and they ingested lemon juice to help boost their Vitamin C and prevent Scurvy. Rough seas may not have whetted an abundance of appetites, and the Pilgrims longed for dry land.

Initially, the Pilgrims set out for the mouth of the Hudson River (just north of today’s New York City). They missed their mark due to bad weather, and first landed at the tip of Cape Cod. With winter approaching and supplies diminishing, the Pilgrims continued across Cape Cod Bay, and ultimately stopped in Plymouth.

The harsh conditions of that first winter took its toll on the Pilgrims, and nearly half of them died from diseases and starvation. They buried their dead in unmarked graves by night to hide their dwindling numbers from neighboring Indian tribes.

Eventually the Pilgrims were able to gain some success in hunting, planting crops, and befriending their new neighbors. Thanks to Native American, Squanto, the Pilgrims were able to plant corn, which made a significant impact on their survival.

The very first Thanksgiving in 1621 was a three-day celebration of the first successful harvest, and it brought together the Pilgrims and Native Americans in camaraderie. The meal included turkeys, venison, fish, corn (and other grains), shellfish, nuts, and wild berries – not unlike what we prepare today, with perhaps one change. In traditional Pilgrim families, the children served the adults and waited on them throughout their dinner. Perhaps this will become a new tradition at your Thanksgiving table.

This Thanksgiving, raise a glass to the Pilgrims, and their courage to voyage to a new land and begin a new life.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

 

 

 

 

 

Chino: CVFD Offers Thanksgiving Cooking Tips

The Chino Valley Fire District wants to help ensure that your Thanksgiving holiday is a safe and happy one. Below are some safety tips that will help you and your loved ones stay safe during the holiday.
Cooking Safety:
 Begin holiday cooking with a clean stove, oven and food preparation surfaces.
 Keep the kitchen area “off limits” to young children and adults that are not helping with food preparation to avoid accidents or mishaps.
 Have games or other activities for young children outside the kitchen area to keep them entertained.
 Avoid wearing clothing with loose or long fitting sleeves that might ignite if too close to a flame. Also avoid wearing dangling jewelry that might get caught on pot handles.
 Never leave boiling pots unattended. If you must leave the kitchen, turn off all burners or have another adult watch what is being cooked.
 Have a fire extinguisher available no more than 10 feet from the stove or cooking area.
 Remain in the home while food is cooking, and use a timer to remind you that you are cooking.
 Keep anything that can catch fire—oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packaging, towels or curtains— away from your stovetop.
Deep-Fryer Safety:
 If you are using a deep fryer to cook your turkey, make sure it is set up outdoors in an open area that is away from walls, wooden fences, hanging tree branches and any other structure or item that can catch fire.
 Never use a deep fryer on a wooden deck or inside a garage.
 Never let children or pets near the fryer when it is in use.
 Never leave a deep fryer unattended.
For more information on holiday safety tips, visit our website at www.chinovalleyfire.org.