Thanksgiving Table Centerpiece Made From Costco Or Supermarket Fall Flower Bouquets

This is what you can make from that Fall Bouquet of flowers you just purchased from Costco or the supermarket.

They tend to come all bunched together in a pretty wrapping. But once you get them home open up and put them in a vase for some reason they do not look the same as they did when you choose them.

Here I took two antique pieces that matched. One a juice picture the other a candy jar.

Add water and floral food.

I then separated all the greens from the flowers to use as my base. Cutting them so the stem was long enough that the green lemon leaves just started to peek out of the vase.

So you have your container with all the greens in it for your base.

Then add the next flower, here I did the yellow small bunches, cut apart adding to three sides of the arrangement. Remember make everything even all the way around if you can.

The tall pieces were kept more to the middle of the arrangement for height. Then fill in with the remaining flowers. Here we only had two Sun Flowers, the stems were cut short and put at the base (they are very heavy) so the head of the flower doesn't fall over.

When choosing your bouquets pick one that the flowers have not fully opened yet. They will when you cut the stems and last longer.

Trimming your stems daily and changing the water will help keep your Bouquets lasting at least a week or so.

Tip: keep your table centerpieces low so that all your guests can have a conversation with out leaning around the arrangement. Keep the mammoth arrangements for the buffet table.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Brine Your Thanksgiving Or Holiday Turkey Before Roasting

Brining your Turkey the night before makes 100% difference in how moist your Turkey will be after roasting. After roasting your bird will be so juicy you will not believe your eyes and I guarantee you will not go back to the way you were used to roasting.

You can brine Chicken also! I will post some other brining recipes that are yummy too!

One of my Favorite Food Network Celebrities who's show is amazing everyone should take the time to watch is Alton Brown's Good Eats. You will learn how to cook a recipe easy with results that look like you been in the kitchen for hours!

Here is Alton's recipe for Roasting Turkey:

Ingredients

• 1 (14 to 16 pound) frozen young turkey

For the brine:

• 1 cup kosher salt
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1 gallon vegetable stock
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• 1 1/2 teaspoons allspice berries
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped candied ginger
• 1 gallon heavily iced water

For the aromatics:

• 1 red apple, sliced
• 1/2 onion, sliced
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 cup water
• 4 sprigs rosemary
• 6 leaves sage
• Canola oil

Directions

Click here to see how it's done.

2 to 3 days before roasting:

Begin thawing the turkey in the refrigerator or in a cooler kept at 38 degrees F.

Combine the vegetable stock, salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, allspice berries, and candied ginger in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally to dissolve solids and bring to a boil. Then remove the brine from the heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate.

Early on the day or the night before you'd like to eat:

Combine the brine, water and ice in the 5-gallon bucket. Place the thawed turkey (with innards removed) breast side down in brine. If necessary, weigh down the bird to ensure it is fully immersed, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area for 8 to 16 hours, turning the bird once half way through brining.

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Remove the bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard the brine.

Place the bird on roasting rack inside a half sheet pan and pat dry with paper towels.

Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick, and 1 cup of water in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Add steeped aromatics to the turkey's cavity along with the rosemary and sage. Tuck the wings underneath the bird and coat the skinliberally with canola oil.

Roast the turkey on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees F for 30 minutes. Insert a probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Set the thermometer alarm (if available) to 161 degrees F. A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting. Let the turkey rest, loosely covered with foil or a large mixing bowl for 15 minutes before carving.

Happy Thanksgiving ;)

Thanksgiving Holiday Ginger Spice Apple Tart

This Ginger Spice Apple Tart made with Lucky Leaf Premium Pie Fillings

Apple Topping is "wonderful".

It's easy! Which is the best part and that is what I am all about!

It actually took me less than the 25 minutes prep time to prepare, but cooking is what I do. So it may take you the full 25 or less.

Ingredients:

• 1 Package refrigerated, unbaked pie crust (2 crusts)
• 2 - 21 ounce cans Apple Lucky Leaf Premium Pie Fillings (or any pie filling if you don't have Lucky Leaf, I recommend theirs)
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 Tbsp finely chopped crystallized ginger
• 1 Tbsp pure vanilla
• 1 -1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger
• 1 tsp sugar

Optional:

• whipped cream topping or vanilla ice cream for topping
• additional chopped crystallized ginger

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Prepare Tart Pan: Spray with nonstick cooking spray (butter flavor if you have it).

Defrost crusts according to package instructions.

Combine sugar and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon in small dish, mix and set aside for later.

On lightly floured surface roll out one crust to a 13" to 14" circle to accommodate the tart pan (which is larger than a pie pan). Lay crust into prepared pan.

Using a cookie cutter cut shapes (stars, hearts, Holiday shapes) out of the second pie crust. 5 to 6 cutouts should work. Set off to the side.

In a large saucepan combine pie filling, butter, 1 tablespoon crystallized ginger, vanilla, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg and fresh ginger. Heat over medium heat until butter is melted gently stirring frequently.

Pour apple filling into your crust in the tart pan. Lay the cutout pie crust on top of the pie filling. Trim crust to edge of tart pan and gently press together to seal; crimp edge as desired.

Place the cutouts on top of the tart careful not to cover the openings.

Lightly coat the tart with non stick cooking spray; sprinkle cinnamon and sugar mixture over entire top of tart.

Bake for 40 minutes on a cookie sheet (to prevent browning cover edges with foil or a pie ring). After 40 minutes remove foil and continue to cook for 10 more minutes until tart is golden brown.

Cool on rack for one hour. Serve warm and top with whip cream or vanilla ice cream.

Enjoy!

Brining Your Thanksgiving Turkey Keeps It Moist!

Brine your turkey or chicken before roasting. When you use a brine your bird will stay tender and moist with tons of flavor. And it easy to do!

You will need a large stock pot or spaghetti pot. Room in your fridge or a cooler. If your brining a turkey you can use a plastic garbage bag and a cooler (and ice if using the cooler method).

Here are a list of ingredients you will need:

• Orange Juice
• Brown Sugar
• Salt
• Pepper
• liquid (water, broth, beer)

Spices: You can use what ever you prefer try a few or use them all!

• Dried Parsley
• Dried Oregano
• Basil
• Poultry Seasoning
• Sage
• Dry Mustard or Mustard Seed
• Rosemary
• Bay Leave
• Granulated Garlic (use Granulated instead of Garlic Salt)

Or you can use spice blends which are found at any supermarket. I prefer Italian Seasoning Blend, it has all my favorites all in one jar:

• Thyme
• Garlic
• Marjoram
• Onion
• Rosemary
• Oregano
• Basil
• Savory
• Sage

In a pot on the stove add all your spices about a tablespoon of each if you are brining a Turkey, for a chicken 1/2 that amount.

Like I said I tend not to measure exact so you can eyeball it if you want.

One cup of Brown Sugar for a Turkey, 1/2 cup for a chicken.

1/2 cup to 1 1/2 cup of kosher salt for every gallon of liquid used. So for a chicken I would use 1/2 cup and a turkey I would use 1 1/2 cup salt.

Add two cups water, bring to a quick boil and turn off. This releases all the oils of the herbs and gets the flavors going! Also, it dissolves the sugar and salt.

Let cool or add ice to cool it down quickly.

Add your orange juice one cup for chicken two cups for Turkey.

Rinse your bird, place in your large pot or bag. Add the spice mixture with juice. Add water or broth enough to cover your bird. Make sure brine is mixed good. Turn the bird a few times to make sure all the spice mixture gets distributed.

Place in fridge or cooler with ice and let brine for 6 to 8 hours for a Turkey, 3 or so for a chicken. Less time for other meats. Shrimp for example only need 1/2 hour. I like to brine my Turkey overnight.

Remove from brine rinse and dry. Your ready to roast!