My very first turkey!

Our local grocery store gave away free turkeys to anyone who spent more than $99 during the months of October and November. I squealed in line when I found out that I had gotten a free turkey! The one that I got was 14.2 pounds and super delicious! I was nervous about cooking it since I had never cooked one before and I had no idea about the turkey neck and gizzards! Ian and I defrosted it and removed all the yucky parts before baking it for about 5 hours (approximately 20 minutes per pound). According my Mom's recipe, we sprinkled herbs on the skin and basted it with chicken stalk every hour. When we took it out the skin was crispy and the meat was ultra juicy! I am very proud of my first, perfect turkey.

Yum!!!

Penne in Creamy Basil-Walnut Sauce

Pasta is one of my favorite types of food. I especially enjoy pasta with creamy sauces! I found the below recipe, Penne in Creamy Basil-Walnut Sauce, on Cookinglight.com. The ingredients sounds so fresh - Basil and Walnut - and I cannot wait to try it! With graduate school two days a week and lots of studying, I have been having a hard time finding evenings that I can really cook. I plan on making this next Tuesday for dinner and will post photos and review as soon as I make it.


Penne in Creamy Basil-Walnut Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 (1/2-ounce) slices white bread
• 1/2 cup fat-free milk
• 2 cups loosely packed basil leaves
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
• 2 tablespoons grated fresh pecorino Romano cheese
• 1 tablespoon extravirgin olive oil
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• 1 pound uncooked penne rigate pasta
• Chopped parsley (optional)

Directions:

Trim crusts from bread. Place bread in a shallow dish; pour milk over bread. Let stand 5 minutes. Place bread mixture in a food processor; add basil and next 6 ingredients (basil through garlic). Set aside without processing.

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain in a colander over a bowl, reserving 3 tablespoons cooking liquid. Place pasta in a large bowl. Add reserved cooking liquid to basil mixture in food processor, and process until smooth. Add the pesto to pasta; toss well to coat. Sprinkle with parsley, if desired. Serve immediately.

Spicy Turkey with Cheddar and Goat Cheese Sandwich

Ian loves all kinds of sandwiches and, I am convinced, would eat them happily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Though I enjoy them for lunch occasionally, I get tired of basic boring, cold sandwiches. During last winter I started experimenting with different types of bread and spices. The recipe below, Spicy Turkey with Cheddar and Goat Cheese Sandwich, is one of our favorite creations.

Ingredients:

2 Fresh baked rolls

½ pound shaved turkey (any shaved meat will work fine)

¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese

¼ cup crumbled goat cheese (feta will also work fine)

¼ cup mayonnaise

Sprinkling of the following:

Garlic powder

Basil (dried)

Oregano (dried)

Cayenne Pepper

Directions:

Pre heat oven to 250°

Split rolls in half and place on baking sheet

Mix together mayonnaise, garlic powder, basil, oregano and cayenne pepper together in small bowl

Spread mayonnaise mixture on one half of each roll

Add shaved meat on the side without mayonnaise mixture

Sprinkle cheddar and goat cheese on each side of the bun

Bake the sandwiches at 250° for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and meat is warmed through

I usually serve this sandwich with a creaser salad...yummy!

Stupid joke: A turkey sandwich walks into a bar and says, "Bartender, I need a drink here", and the bartender says, "Sorry, we don't serve food here!"