Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Packing, cutting off services; Turkey & Dressing

Exciting to move to Kentucky, I've never been there. I plan to call the Salvation Army and Goodwill and schedule pick-ups to donate furniture. I made a list of subscriptions, clubs, insurers, banks, credit cards, many businesses to notify to stop service or to change addresses when I get my new address. It's a long list.
I'll be using my cell phone after about July 6 or so when the 325# is disconnected, so email me if you need the mobile number.
Abilene has been a truly nice town and I would recommend it to anyone. The people are exceptional. I think a lot has to do with the population of maybe 115,000. It is the most sophisticated city I have ever seen for its size.
Chicken or turkey with cornbread dressing
Recipe:
First -make cornbread, second -make dressing, third -stuff chicken and bake.
The cornbread is best if it is a day or two old. Get non-GMO cornmeal or make your own cornmeal by dehydrating organic corn and grinding it in a blender. Make cornbread: oven 350.
  • Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a cast iron skillet or other baking pan.
  • Large bowl: sift together 1/4 cup flour, 1 1/2 cups cornmeal, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt.
  • Medium bowl:Beat 2-3 eggs until foamy, add 2 cups of liquid (milk or buttermilk or water or any combination). Stir the wet egg mix quickly into the dry cornmeal mix.
  • Pour batter into skillet and bake until you smell it and it looks done, about 50 minutes.
Dressing: (amount for turkey, halve the amounts for chicken or other smaller fowl)
  • --4 cups of crumbled cornbread (may substitute 1-2 cups with crumbled toast)
  • --1 - 2 cups of chopped onion
  • --1 - 2 cups of chopped celery
  • --all the chopped giblets: liver, gizzards
  • --lots of sage, a spoon or more of salt, a spoon or more of freshly ground pepper
  • --1 cup of raisins (or chopped prunes or any chopped dried fruit)
  • --a chopped apple (or any other fruit in any combination)
  • --Use just enough water (or any soup or liquid) to make the mix moist. It is optional to beat 1, 2 or 3 eggs with a little water and stir them in the dressing to bind it. I prefer it crumbly without the eggs.
Turkey or Chicken (or duck or pigeon or any fowl or any flesh): It has already been plucked and soaked in salt and rinsed. Turn on the oven. I prefer a low temperature with a long bake. So I might bake several hours at 250 or less. One might bake about an hour or two at 350.
Separate the breast skin from the flesh and stuff dressing between the flesh and skin. Stuff dressing inside the body cavity as well. Place dressing all around the chicken or turkey and put any extra dressing into a separate baking dish.
Bake until wonderful odors waft around the kitchen and then you will know it is done. Or cut into it and see if it is still bleeding.