Help for the upcoming holiday season!

The holidays are upon us! Can you believe it? Summer is gone, the leaves have fallen and we had our first snow of the season yesterday (not much, but it counts!).

As has been my habit the past few years, I plan ahead for holidays. I keep real close tabs on what the scale is telling me every morning. I like to be a couple pounds under my goal weight when the holiday arrives. That way I have a cushion if I need it. Even during holidays I watch what I eat and make healthy choices. I am in this journey for life and will not, can not, allow myself to loose site of my program and what my goals are! I still enjoy the holidays, but I don't have to eat everything in sight anymore, as was my habit for so many years!! Holidays hold a special place within me and I enjoy each one to the fullest........................

Here's some help in preparing that turkey for the holiday table. I came across this years ago and its great. It was broadcast on Mn public radio during the Splendid Table program. This is a way to prepare your bird for roasting a few days ahead of time. It delivers a wonderful, MOIST, done to perfection, turkey. No more dried out white meat. It uses a brining process and it really does work. Here's the process..........

ROAST TURKEY
Brining turkey makes it more succulent, more tender and well-seasoned throughout. This is for about a 15 pound turkey.

The brine:
1 cup salt
1 cup sugar
1 gallon cool water
2 tablespoons garlic powder (optional)

Dissolve the salt and sugar in the water. Add the garlic powder.

Rinse and dry the turkey, place it in the brine to cover the entire bird. Place in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.

To roast:
Rinse the turkey thoroughly, inside and out. Pat dry and temper the bird by leaving it out in room temperature for a couple hours. This starts to moderate the temperature before roasting it. It cooks more evenly and rapidly. (In any roasting process, the outer sections tend to overcook as the heat reaches the center. But if you temper it so the center is even 10 degrees warmer than refrigerator temperature before you roast it, you minimize this effect.) NOTE: Do not temper a stuffed bird.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Warm a shallow roasting pan. Dry the turkey again and set in the pan (having the skin dry and the pan hot helps prevent sticking later on). Rub the surface with extra-virgin olive oil. Place in the oven and roast to 150F at the thickest point, about 1-1/2 to 2 hours, depending on size, oven, and how cold the turkey was when you placed it in the oven. Baste only if it looks like the skin will dry out, otherwise basting doesn't do much at all.

Once your thermometer reaches 150F remove the turkey from the oven and place it in a warm spot, free of drafts, to finish roasting as it rests for about 30 minutes. The internal temperature will rise about 1 degree a minute for at least 15 minutes, and will continue to rise, although more slowly thereafter. During this resting process the tissues of the meat will relax, becoming more tender, and the juices will be redistributed throughout the turkey making it uniformly moist and tender. Do not rush this resting step. After 30 minutes you can carve the turkey as usual.

I have never failed using this recipe! I'm sure you could add other spices or herbs to the brining solution if you wished. I use garlic powder and its wonderful.

I also remove the skin before carving. Turkey is a very healthy meat (especially the white meat), but there's too much fat in the skin. Ditch the fat and enjoy another small slice of white breast meat instead!

I hope you have as good luck with this recipe as I have.

Have a very happy holiday season. Enjoy your family and friends and treat yourself well!