If you’ve never had a brined turkey, trust me, you are missing out. And once you try it, you’ll never go back. This recipe is the piece de la resistance of our Thanksgivings. I have to say, if I was going to have a last meal, this would be it. When I make a turkey, even if I’m only serving 4 people, I always make one to serve 12. Turkey is the perfect leftover meat because you can keep it in the fridge and turn it into so many other dishes like sandwiches, turkey hash, turkey pot pies and so on. In our house you never have to worry about it going bad because it’s all gone before that can even happen. It feeds us all for a week: lunch, dinner….sometimes even breakfast!
I’ve been brining turkey for several years and I have to say it’s THE trick to making a perfect turkey. It makes turkey extra juicy and imparts the perfect flavor. I like to use cloves and bay leaves as aromatics in the brine, but you could also toss in some onion, cinnamon stick, apple, celery, or basically any flavors you love. I brought a turkey to our regular “kids dinner party” last night and everyone devoured it. At the same time, though, most of the mother’s were saying “I couldn’t EVER roast a turkey”. Don’t be intimidated, it’s really easy.
After making the brine and placing it in a large pot with the turkey, I cover it and leave it outside overnight. Yep, outside and overnight. First of all, I don’t know anyone with a refrigerator large enough to hold a gigantic pot and second, it’s usually 55 degrees or lower in
most of the U.S. this time of year, so it’s the perfect temperature to brine in — certainly as good as your fridge, if not better. Besides the cooking time, this recipes is reasonably
economical, super easy and everyone in the family will love it! Even the tiniest members.

The Best Brined Turkey (Makes 8-10 Servings)

Water
1 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Salt (preferably kosher)
1 10-12 Pound Turkey, defrosted if frozen
4 Cloves
4 Bay Leaves
1 Tbsp Vegetable or Canola Oil

1. Place the sugar and salt in 4 cups of hot water. Stir until the sugar and salt to dissolve.
2. Place the brine in a large stock pot with a gallon of cold water, cloves and bay leaves and a handful of ice to make sure the water is cold. Stir to combine.
3. Wash the turkey inside and out and place breast side down in the stockpot with brine (you want the water to just cover the turkey).
4. Refrigerate 18-24 hours (or set it in a cool safe place outside as long as it’s below 55 degrees outside).
5. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
6. Take the turkey out of the brine and rinse inside and out with cold water, discarding brine.
7. Place the turkey on a roasting rack inside a wide low pan and
blot the turkey with a paper towel.
8. Tuck back the wings and rub the skin of the turkey with the oil.
9. Roast on the lowest rack of the oven for 30 minutes and then place a piece of foil just over the breast of the turkey to cover (the breast cooks faster then the legs and wings so this process helps it to cook more evenly.
10. Pour 1 cup of water in the pan and continue to roast 1 hour.
11. Remove the foil from the breast and cook another 15-30 minutes. Insert a meat thermometer into the deepest part of the thigh (avoiding the bone) to reach a temperature of 160-165 degrees. The turkey will actually continue to cook a little even after you take it out of the oven (the total cooking time in the oven will be 1 hour 45 minutes-2 hours total).
12. Let the turkey rest for 20-30 minutes (this is an essential step to allow the juices to redistribute and settle).
13. Slice and serve.
14. So good!

I’m sure I’m not the only person greatly saddened by the passing of Paul Newman several weeks ago. Not only was he one of the greatest actors ever to grace the screen and stage, but he was also an incredible philantrospsit. Newman’s Own is a brand that you count on to make quality food products which also send a positive message and do a lot of good in this world. The Newmans started their company with a $6000 investment which 26 years later turned into a $250 million company. The proceeds of the sales of their products go to thousands of charities and camps such as the Hole in the Wall Camps.
When Kenya was just starting to get teeth and I wanted him to have simple, healthy snacks to munch on, I found these unsalted pretzels. They’re still one of his favorite snacks and mine too.
We miss you, Paul.

Everyday I try to visit different message boards on the web to see what moms are talking about. Lately, I can’t get over the one common obsession that moms are asking about everywhere: How to cook a pumpkin! For a country obsessed with Halloween and pumpkins, it’s kind of ironic that we rarely cook with them, unless its using pumpkin out of a can on Thanksgiving.
Now, I admit it’s something of a mantra at weelicious that I don’t like using canned foods in general, but canned pumpkin is an exception to the rule. I once read Martha Stewart say that you shouldn’t waste your time cooking fresh pumpkin when making pumpkin desserts (because it’s very hard to get the exact flavor you want) and I believe she’s correct, but roast pumpkin on its own with a touch of cinnamon and maple syrup is heavenly.
When I was living in Australia years ago, I ate pumpkin every few days. Pumpkin is as common to cook there as sweet potatoes are in the States. The pumpkin down under was so sweet and creamy, I wanted to try and replicate the flavors that I remembered. There are several types of pumpkins this time of year at my farmer’s market, so it’s kind of hard to tell which one to buy, but I’ve found you can’t really go wrong no matter what you choose. I bought several varieties last weekend such as “autumn gold” and “sugar”, which are both high in vitamin A. The cooking time will vary a bit depending on the size of the pumpkin you buy, but whatever you get, with this recipe it will be tender and delicious.

Roast Pumpkin & Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

1 Pumpkin
1 Tbsp Maple Syrup
1/8 Tsp Cinnamon
Vegetable Oil Spray
Sea Salt to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Carefully cut a hole in the top of the pumpkin using a knife, about 2 in x 2 in. Remove the “top”.
3. Using you hands or a spoon, remove the seeds and rinse with water in a colander. Remove any of the stringy pulp pieces that stick to the seeds.
4. Lay the seeds on a towel to let dry.
5. Pour the maple syrup into the pumpkin and swirl it around coating flesh.
6. Sprinkle cinnamon inside.
7. Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 40 minutes.
8. Place the top on the pumpkin and continue to cook for additional 20
minutes or until tender (the cooking time will vary depending on the
size of the pumpkin. Take a fork and pierces the inside to the flesh every 10 minutes towards the end of the cooking
time to see if it’s tender). Uncover the pumpkin and cool.
9. Spray another cookie sheet with a think coating of vegetable oil and evenly place the pumpkin seeds on the sheet. Lightly sprinkle pumpkin seeds with salt.
10. Bake the seeds 20-30 minutes or until the start to turn a golden color.
11. Cool and serve.
*If you’re making baby food puree, you can leave out the maple syrup

Nothing could be sweeter and have more texture than roasted beets. I’ve been making them for Kenya since he got his first teeth in and he has always loved them. It was so funny to watch him eat these when he was teething because he would roll them around in his mouth, massaging his gums.
Another fun part about beets is that they come in so many colors. Kenya always seems to be taken with foods that are bright in color or cut in interesting shapes. My personal favorites are the orange/yellow ones, but the “candy cane” beets (with their white and red stripes) have a uniquely sweet flavor. Red beets, usually the easiest to find are great too, but beware that the red color can get all over your hands (and your baby’s which in turn will get all over you).
The recipe for beet puree is the same as these roast beets except that you cut them into little bite size squares. When Kenya and I take a walk and he’s in the stroller, instead of filling his little cup with cheerios, I put this sweet treat inside. Give it a shot.

*Don’t toss the tops of the beets called beet greens. The greens are also good finger food or you could substitute them for any of the greens in the weelicious purees. Just steam the greens in a pot over boiling water for 4-5 minutes or until the stems are tender. Cool and serve.

Beet Puree (6 Toddler Servings)

2 Beets, washed (any color)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Take a piece of tin foil and fold it in half.
3. Place beets on one side of the foil and cover the beets like a book. Pinch the edges to fully seal the package (this way they will steam in the oven).
4. Bake for 45 minutes.
5. Open foil, let cool beets to the touch.
6. Take a ziplock or a gloves and peel the beets (this prevents your hands from getting stained). The skin should slide right off.
7. Cut beets and puree in a food processor until smooth.
8. Cool and serve.

It’s funny to me how one day Kenya has no interest in a certain food and the next he can’t get enough of it. Two months ago, right after his 1st Birthday, I made him an omelette. I had seen my friend Diane giving one to her son and he was lovin’ it. That afternoon, I made a gorgeous fluffy omelette for Kenya, cut it into pieces and put it on his tray. He proceeded to hold it in his hand and drop it on the floor, piece by piece. Considering the fact that he loves egg yolks, I was kind of shocked. Yesterday, I decided to give it another try. Kenya couldn’t chew fast enough. He loved it. He was singing to the omelette, dangling it into his mouth — it was cracking me up. For parents with finicky eaters, this will hopefully be a home run and it’s also a good lesson that if your little one doesn’t like something, you can always try it again at a later date. Sometimes you just have to let their palettes develop at their own pace.
Eggs are a wonderful source of protein, Vitamin A and iron. If you serve the omelette with a Vitamin C food such as kiwi, your baby’s body will absorb the iron more readily. You can even finely chop vegetables or add a little cheese as I did to give it more flavor.

Baby Omelette (1 Baby Serving)

1 Organic Egg (we buy ours at our local farmer’s market, but every supermarket should carry organic eggs)
1 Tsp Whole Milk
1 Tbsp Cheddar Cheese, shredded (you can use other types of cheese)
1 Tsp Butter or Oil

1. Whisk the egg and milk in a bowl with a fork until throughly combined.
2. Melt butter in a 6 or 8 inch omelette pan over medium heat (approximately 30 seconds) making sure it coats the bottom of the pan. As soon as the butter stops bubbling (and before it starts to brown), slowly pour in the egg mixture.
3. Pour in the egg mixture tilting the pan to spread it evenly. Let eggs firm up a little, and after about ten-seconds shake the pan a bit and use a spatula to gently direct the mixture away from the sides and into the middle. Allow the remaining liquid to then flow into the space left at the sides of the pan.
4. Continue to cook for another minute or so until the egg mixture holds together. Do not let the underside of the eggs brown.
5. Sprinkle the top with the shredded cheese and with a spatula, gently fold the omelette in a half moon shape.
6. Continue to cook another 30 seconds or until the omelette is throughly cooked through.
7. Cool, cut into bite size pieces and serve.