Thanksgiving 2011, Pensacola

Arrived in Pensacola just in time for a Thanksgiving feast.

Deep fried turkey (can't get enough of that), cranberry jello, potatoes, carrot souffle, beans, rolls. Yum!

Almost forgot to mention the pumpkin cheesecake.

Had to get active to wear those calories off. Basketball, speed walking, etc.
Dad watched it all happen from his chair. :)

Then we started all over again. Caramel apple cider with whipped cream.

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Gobble, Gobble

                                            Deep fried turkey for lunch.

  Then we wondered.....do cheese curds float or sink in the oil? Answer, they sink and then as they cook, they float. Mmmm, crispy.

 (notice the fire extinguisher). We may not be done with the oil yet, there is two more days. What else can we fry? doughnuts, coconut shrimp, funnel cakes, squirrel...... (jk)
This post will not be archived under healthy eating.

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Holy Wind.....Turkey Chili

The wind is A-BLOWING today and better yet to quote Holly, "Holy Wind!"

Remember the post, "Going Home"written after Cammie's wedding?
It spoke of turkey chili and homemade bread, mmmmmm, delicious.

I made a batch of turkey chili on Sunday just in time for the Packer vs. Vikings game. It was good then (the chili, not the game) and just as good reheated for supper tonight.

Turkey Chili (Serves 8)

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, diced

1 lb. lean ground turkey

1    14 1/2 oz can diced (sometimes I used crushed) tomatoes

1    10 1/2 oz can black beans, drained

1    10 1/2 oz can kidney beans, drained

1    10 1/2 oz can low sodium chicken broth

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cumin

1 or 2 tsp cinnamon (or to taste)

1/8 tsp cayenne

In a large pot, heat the oil on medium-low

Add the onion and saute until soft (about 3-5 minutes). Add the turkey and brown it (about 5 minutes).

Add the remaining ingredients. Stir and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

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Cammie's Lasagna-esque Recipe

Cammie: Are cottage cheese and ricotta the same thing? 
Mary Ann: Why?
Cammie: Making lasagna and can't find ricotta
Mary Ann: You can use cottage cheese mixed with some parmesan cheese
Cammie: Ok. Thank you... I'm making turkey veggie lasagna with no tomato sauce and no noodles... gunna be delicious!
Mary Ann: Why is it called Lasagna?
Cammie: LOL well instead of noodles, I'm using zucchini squash and eggplant slices and instead of tomato sauce, I'm using pesto... but everything else is the same
Later that day...........
Justin: Is this a recipe you found or are you making it up?
Cammie: ... well... it's kind of a combination of recipes, I found one that has pesto and that sounded good, then I found one with veggies and turkey and that sounded good and I found a no-noodle one and that sounded good!
The next day.........
Mary Ann: If there are no noodles, it's not really lasagna
Cammie: Well it's lasagna-esque!

Lasagna-esque
1 yellow squash, sliced lengthwise
2 zucchini squash, sliced lengthwise
1 baby eggplant, sliced lenghwise
1 lb ground turkey
2 packages fresh basil
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 c pine nuts
1/4 c skim milk
1 lb 6 oz container fat free cottage cheese
16 oz shredded mozzerella cheese
shredded parmesan cheese
extra virgin olive oil
salt

1. Preheat oven to 350. Slice vegetables and place in bottom of long glass baking dish, coat with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 5-7 minutes or until soft. Remove from dish and set aside.

2. Brown turkey, drain and set aside.

3. Place basil, pine nuts, olive oil and skim milk in food processor.  Add a pinch of salt and 1/4 c parm cheese. Set aside.

4. Place a layer of pesto on the bottom of the baking dish (same dish used to bake the veggies), a  layer of veggies and then a layer of ground turkey, then layer with 1/3 cottage cheese, 1/3 mozzerella cheese and sprinkle of parm. cheese.   Repeat this step 2 times, ending with the cheeses on top.

5. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown on top and bubbling

6. Let cool for 15 minutes.

This is best cooked the day before and reheated as the consistency sets and is better for serving and tastes just as delicious.

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