Happy Tweet-giving!

Yesterday, while cooking up a storm, I was also “Tweeting” up a storm on Twitter. Using my semi-new Droid X, I was taking pics as I went along and posting them up on my Twitter account @CavemanCooking. Just in case you missed them (or aren’t a “Tweep”), I thought I’d share them, in chronological order (Actually, the first three are from the day before):

Turkey is brined!

Cranberry sauce is done!

Gravy base is simmering!

The “outside the bird” stuffing is ready to go!

Turkey is stuffed and going in the oven!

Spinach Souffle is ready to go.

OMG the house smells good! I keep going outside & coming back in to get a fresh nose full!! 😉
(No picture)

Cavemom’s Orange Yam Turkeys are ready to go!

Table is almost ready!

Shrimp Cocktail is served!

Baked Brie is served!

Turkey is done!

Forgot to get the “before” shot. Oh well! 😉 Happy Thanksgiving!!

Thanksgiving pie trio. (From L to R) Pecan, Apple, and Pumpkin. YUM!

Great day … but, our house looks like Fall threw up on it! 😉
(No picture)

Our first T-Day in our new home was absolutely fantastic. Everyone had a great time and were stuffed fuller than our Thanksgiving Turkey! It was especially nice to have the Cave-mom-in-law there, after her harrowing health issues this year. We hope that your Holiday was filled with love, laughter and deliciousness!
If you’d like to see some more pics from our gathering, go to the Cavewoman’s Flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/16372067@N00/

©2010 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at https://cavemancooking.wordpress.com authored by Caveman. This may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.

Garlic Mashed Taters

One thing that most Thanksgiving gobblers agree on: mashed potatoes are a must! So, I thought I’d share our simple, yet yummy mashed potato recipe. Sure, it’s last minute. But, this is one dish that can be quickly whipped together.

INGREDIENTS

6 Medium Potatoes (Russet, Red, or Yukon Gold)
6 Large Cloves Garlic
1/4 Cup Milk
1/4 Cup Sour Cream
2 Tablespoons Cream Cheese, softened well
1 Tablespoons Butter, softened well
3 Tablespoons Green Onion Chives
1 Teaspoon Pink, Kosher or Sea Salt
1 Teaspoon Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper to taste

RECIPE

Thinly slice garlic lengthwise. Set aside.

Finely Chop green onion chives. Set aside.

Scrub potatoes well. Chop into even, generous chunks.
HINT: This dish tastes great whether you utilize Russet Brown, Red Rose, or Yukon Gold taters. No matter which you use, LEAVE THE SKIN ON! They are both healthier and tastier that way. Though, if you do go with the brownies, I suggest peeling 2 or 3 of the potatoes due to the heavier skin these spuds tend to have.

Fill a large pot halfway with water. Add half the sliced garlic and the teaspoon of salt. Bring the water to a boil.

Take the other half of the sliced garlic and place into tin foil. Drizzle with the olive oil and create a foil tent. Roast garlic in 350° toaster or conventional oven for 15-20 minutes, until tender.

While water is heating up (before it gets to a boil so as to reduce the chance of scalding yourself), and all the salt has dissolved, carefully add the potatoes. Allow to reach a boil and continue to cook until potato chunks are easily penetrated by a fork.

When fully cooked, strain potatoes well in colander, being sure to reserve the boiled garlic slices, as well. Immediately place strained taters into large bowl. Add butter, milk, sour cream, cream cheese, chives, and roasted “gah-lick” to bowl. Salt and pepper to taste.

Use a potato masher for it’s intended employ until the desired consistency of the taters are reached … some like ’em chunky while others like ’em creamy. You can also add more sour cream and/or milk at this point, if needed.

Serve as a side to a multitude of different dishes. Of course, they are perfect for Thanksgiving dinner. Though, they are served here with Korean Pork Chops (Daeji Galbi) and Sauteed Asian Veggies.

The entire Caveclan wishes you a safe and savory Thanksgiving!

Prep Time = 20 minutes
Cook Time = 20 minutes
Serves 6

©2010 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This recipe originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at http://cavemancooking.net authored by Caveman. This recipe may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.

Cavemom’s Orange Yam Turkeys

This is very exciting! Not only is this a great recipe for a unique spin on a Thanksgiving favorite, it’s also the first recipe shared here on C3 from the Cavemom!! She has been making this delicious version of Yams at our Holiday dinner for years. Now, you can, too!

INGREDIENTS

* 8 Small or Medium Yams
* 4 Thick Skinned Oranges
* 4 Tablespoons Butter, softened well
* 1 20 oz. Can Crushed Pineapple, drained (reserve 1/4 cup)
* 1 Cup Chopped Walnuts or Pecans
* 1 Cup Mini Marshmallows
* 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
* 1/4 Cup Orange Juice, reserved from oranges
* 1/4 Cup Pineapple Juice, reserved from pineapples
* Salt & Pepper to taste
* Tin Foil

RECIPE

Place yams and 1/2 a tablespoon of kosher salt into large pot of boiling water.

While yams cook, slice oranges in half. Then, with a paring knife and a spoon, carefully scoop out orange flesh being sure not to cut or tear orange skins.

Reserve 1/3 cup of the fresh orange juice. Eat the orange flesh at your leisure (they also make for a great fruit salad).

Once the yams are fully cooked, drain from water, allow to cool slightly, and remove skin. Place skinned yams into a large bowl or container along with butter, orange juice, pineapple juice, brown sugar, and salt & pepper to taste. Mash and mix well with a potato masher. Add pineapple and nuts, fold in well.

One of the great things about this recipe is that it can be prepared ahead of time and then finished a half hour before serving. If you don’t prepare them right away, bag up the orange skins, place the yams in an airtight container, and refrigerate both until ready for use. Also, DON’T add the nuts until just before you are ready to finish preparing them – you don’t want them to get soggy.

This is the other great part of this recipe (other than the taste), especially if you team up with your grandkids to create a fun tradition. When you are ready to prepare them, evenly distribute the yam mixture into each of the eight orange skins. Then use some tin foil to make the Turkey’s feathers, and the marshmallows to make the bird’s face (we usually make them smile ;)). Place the yam turkeys on a large cookie sheet and place into an oven preheated to 350°. Cook until hot and marshmallows have browned slightly. Serve with the rest of your Thanksgiving fare.

A wish to you for a healthy, happy, and delicious Thanksgiving from the “Cavemom”.

Prep Time = 30 minutes
Cook Time = 20 minutes
Serves 8

©2010 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This recipe originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at http://cavemancooking.net authored by Caveman. This recipe may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

This recipe won Post of the Day for 1/22/10!

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, we have been inundated with inquiries seeking a “different” dessert recipe for the big day. This Pumpkin Whoopie Pie recipe from the Cavewoman fits the bill perfectly. While it is a repost of her first guest recipe here on C3, the response these little disks of yum receive make them well worth it. Besides, these Whoopie Pies also garnered Post Of The Day honors! Well … what are you waiting for?!? Read on!! 😉

INGREDIENTS

* 1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, 1 stick melted, 1/2 stick softened
* 1 cup packed light brown sugar
* 2 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
* 1 cup canned pure pumpkin puree
* 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
* 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 3/4 teaspoon plus 2 pinches salt
* 1-2/3 cups flour
* 4 ounces cream cheese, chilled
* 1 cup confectioners’ sugar

RECIPE

Hi, I’m Dianne, Caveman’s favorite wife. I’m actually his only wife, but that is besides the point. He’s been lagging on posting recipes this week (he’s lazy … and sick). So, I thought I’d invade his blog and post the best Winter cookie ever. It’s the yummiest. Truly, I don’t lie. Well, on occasion I do, but I’m not now. I swear! 😉 Doesn’t this look good?!?! It is. I should know, I just ate three. (Don’t judge, I had to test them!!)
Whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, eggs, pumpkin puree, pumpkin spice, vanilla, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Fold in flour with a rubber spatula.

I’m not condoning eating raw dough……but…..this dough tastes amazing! Like pumpkin mousse!! Soooo good!!!

Make 24 generous mounds on 2 cookie sheets. Bake 10 minutes at 350 until cookie is springy to touch.

Meanwhile, using an electric mixer, cream the softened butter with the cream cheese. Add the confectioners’ sugar and the remaining 2 pinches salt and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla; mix on low speed until blended, then beat on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Spread the flat side of 12 cakes with the cream cheese frosting. Top each with another cake.

This is how I eat them. That way there is more frosting to cookie ratio. 😉

Enjoy!!!

Prep Time = 20 minutes
Cook Time = 10
Makes 12 two-sided Whoopie Pies

©2010 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This recipe originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at http://cavemancooking.net authored by Caveman. This recipe may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.

Thawing Your Turkey

If your Thanksgiving turkey is frozen, you are going to need to make some plans in the next several days to start defrosting it. The method you choose, and the size of your bird, will determine when you need to commence the thawing process in order to guarantee you won’t be left with a giant odd-shaped curling stone on the big day.
When defrosting a turkey it is critical to follow strict guidelines so as to not poison yourself and your guests with some bacteria borne illness. Personally, I don’t like the microwave method because the bird usually starts to cook in the process. So, I try to follow one of two thawing procedures, the Refrigerator Method (the slow, and best way) or the Cold Water Method (the quick way).

Refrigerator Method (Recommended)

For this procedure it is important to really plan ahead. You need to allow about 24 hours for every 5 pounds in a fridge set to 40 °F. Here are the approximate times to thaw a whole Turkey:

8 to 12 pounds -> 1 to 2 days
12 to 16 pounds -> 2 to 3 days
16 to 20 pounds -> 3 to 4 days
20 to 24 pounds -> 4 to 5 days

Cold Water Method (Acceptable)

Make sure the turkey is in leak-proof packaging … they absorb water like crazy. Cover the turkey completely in cold water. Be sure to change the water every so often and allow about 30 minutes per pound when thawing a turkey this way.

8 to 12 pounds -> 4 to 6 hours
12 to 16 pounds -> 6 to 8 hours
16 to 20 pounds -> 8 to 10 hours
20 to 24 pounds -> 10 to 12 hours

Either brine or cook your turkey immediately upon completing one of the above defrosting methods. By following these simple steps your bird should be safe to eat and, next year, your guests won’t be making up strange excuses as to why they can’t join you for Thanksgiving. 😉

©2010 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at https://cavemancooking.wordpress.com authored by Caveman. This may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.

Thanksgiving Prep

I don’t know about you but, for the Caveclan, Thanksgiving is the holiday we look forward to the most. A day filled with friends and family, fantastic football, and fabulous food is certainly a day worth giving thanks for. Which is why, when the Cavewoman and I wed, we chose Turkey Day as the one we would host for the entire family. Yeah, it is a lot of work in the kitchen. But, seeing everyone slumped into the couch, satiated and smiling, is worth every moment spent hoping not to burn the gravy or undercook the bird.
Over the last dozen years, we have incorporated some of our families’ recipes with our own to create a meal that has become a tradition … to the point we are threatened with embarrassing public revelations from our pasts if we change anything. Making blackmail truly the most sincere form of flattery you can receive! 😉 With that in mind, I want to share with you some of the recipes we’ll be employing next week for the big day. I hope to also post a few new recipes over the next week that we will be enjoying this year, as well.
Before getting to real meal, we try to tempt our guests palates with some basic, yet delicious appetizers. And, shrimp cocktail is about as basic as it gets. However, a chilled shrimp is only as good as the sauce that accompanies it. You could make your own sauce from scratch. But, that is time consuming and, as you know, we like to make things as easy as possible around here. Thus, with necessity being the mother of invention, came the recipe for Cave’s Quick Cocktail Sauce. As the name suggests, it’s quick, it’s easy, and man is it goooooood! If there is any doubt about how good it really is, on a holiday known for leftovers, there are never any leftover shrimp!
As good as those little crustaceans bathed in that sauce are, man (and, more specifically, the vegetarian Cavewoman) can’t live on prawns alone. So, we also whip up an incredible veggie friendly Baked Brie with Peach Sauce. When coupled with the dried cherries and pecans, this gooey plate of yum becomes a huge hit. Serve it up with some quality Lavosh or water crackers and let the feasting begin!
NOTE: Even though you will want to dig right in, be sure to let the baked brie cool for about 10 minutes after pulling it from the oven as the melted cheese inside the brie casing can get quite hot. Nothing worse than burning your tongue on that first bite and not be able to taste the full flavor of the rest of the meal. Yes, this is the voice of experience talking! 😳

Too often, one of the cornerstones of the Thanksgiving meal is taken for granted. The cranberry sauce! Serving it right out of the can isn’t worthy of the time and effort most will put into their holiday spread. You could just follow the rather simple directions that come on a bag of fresh cranberries … at least that is a huge step up from pre-made. But, if you want to bump it up a major notch, I suggest you take the few extra steps recommended in our Cave’s Cranberry Sauce recipe. It’s still very simple to make. But, instead of having your cran-sauce be just an also-ran on the plate, it will become one of the stars of your holiday meal. In fact, you just might find yourself making this dish throughout the year!
Of course, it isn’t Thanksgiving without a turkey. However, it isn’t much of a Thanksgiving, foodwise, if your bird isn’t flavorful, juicy and tender. Fortunately, there is one thing you can do to help assure you achieve all three of those lofty goals: marinate your turkey in brine! My now-famous T-day Turkey Brine is one of those modified/modernized family recipes that has been handed down from my Cavenana to my Cavemom, and most recently to me. Combing wine, fresh grapes, garlic, rosemary and various other ingredients for an overnight marinade creates a turkey that is perfect nearly every time. Turkeys done this way usually don’t have much in the way of drippings because the bird retains so much of the moisture. But, it also helps make the meal’s main attraction tender, moist and full of flavor.
Like I said, these are just a few of the recipes we will be whipping up in the coming days. We should have a few more to share before you start winging it around the kitchen. No matter what you end up making, we wish you and yours a safe, savory and happy Thanksgiving. And, don’t be bashful about telling the people sharing your holiday table how thankful you are for having them in your life – it is the only true fail-safe ingredient to a successful T-Day gathering.

©2010 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at https://cavemancooking.wordpress.com authored by Caveman. This may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.

Winner, Winner! Fresh Pasta Dinner!!

We are extremely excited to announce the winner of our latest giveaway promotion on the C3 site. Pam Wilbur of New York has won a $200 Florentyna’s Fresh Pasta Factory gift certificate! With it, she will be able to order any of Florentyna’s amazing Fettucini, Linguini, Spaghettini, Fusilli, Ravioli, Tortellini, or other pasta varieties and sauces that will be shipped directly to her. All of Florentyna’s fresh pasta’s are made daily in their state of the art processing facility with 100% durum wheat (semolina), pasteurized eggs and purified water – NO PRESERVATIVES. NO ADDITIVES. NO COLORINGS. Congratulations, Pam!
By the way, Pam is not only a regular reader and commenter here on C3, she also pens her own wonderful food blog at Bored Cook In The Kitchen. I think you’ll find her irreverent humor as delicious as her food. Stop by and check it out!
We also want to thank everyone for the hundreds of entries we received. The response to this giveaway was amazing. THANK YOU!
We’ve now had two huge food giveaways here on the C3 blog. But, we aren’t done yet! We have more in the works for later this year, as well as some slated for early next year. And, as you know, we don’t do things small around here. Stay tuned! 🙂

SEE THE VIDEO OF THE GRAND PRIZE DRAWING

©2010 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at http://cavemancooking.net authored by Caveman. This may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.