Breakfast was a slice of banana quick bread.
<ins datetime="2003-11-30T18:29:00-05:00">I had a <a href="http://www.sierra-nevada.com/beers/celebrationale.html" title="Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale">Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale</a> for lunch. Dinner was left over roast turkey and dressing with gravy and another <a href="http://www.sierra-nevada.com/beers/celebrationale.html" title="Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale">Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale</a>.</ins>
Turkey’s on the hoof
<img src="http://www.personal.psu.edu/staff/m/h/mhl100/images/turkeys.jpg" width="341" height="256" alt="Photo of my neighbors four turkeys" />
My neighbor has four turkeys. We thought he was raising them for Thanksgiving, but they were running around our yard this morning, so I guess that we were wrong.
I do not know what kind of turkeys they are. They do not appear to be domestic turkeys, but the do not look like wild turkeys either.
Food Log
I had a bowl of cold cereal with a banana and a glass of orange juice for breakfast this morning. I weighed in at 162 pounds.
I had a <a href="http://www.sierra-nevada.com/beers/celebrationale.html" title="Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale">Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale</a> for lunch.
<ins datetime="2003-11-29T19:30:00-05:00">Dinner was roast turkey with dressing and mashed potatoes with gravy and cloved onions with two glasses of <a href="http://www.bolla.com/view_wine.asp?nWID=4" title="Bolla Wines of Italy - Open Up">Bolla Pinot Grigio</a>.</ins>
Turkey Roasting Log
The real problem with going somewhere for Thanksgiving — even relatives — is that you do not end up with any leftovers. No turkey stock. No turkey sandwiches. No turkey soup. No turkey pot pie. No turkey salad. No turkey à la king. No turkey casserole. No turkey tetrazini. To remedy that, today Gretchen and I are going to have our own Thanksgiving.
We are going to roast<span style="font-size: smaller; vertical-align: super;">†</span> a 15.93 pound <a href="http://www.butterball.com/en/index.jsp" title="Butterball - Home">Butterball®</a>. It has been thawing in the refrigerator since Tuesday. We will be roasting it in a 325°F oven for 10 to 12 minutes per pound — 2 hours and 40 minutes to 3 hours and 10 minutes — allocating up to 4 hours to account for the possibility that the bird is not completely thawed to begin with. Regardless of the time, we will let it cook until an instant read thermometer, inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, reads 180°F. We are going to dress, not stuff, the bird, so we will prepare the dressing while the turkey cooks, putting it into the oven with the turkey during the last 45 minutes. At that point, we can also tent the bird in foil to prevent the breast from drying out while it finishes. We are planning on having supper at around 5 o’clock, so we will start around 1 o’clock. Since we are not going to stuff the bird, we are going to put some chopped onions, carrots, and celery, along with a little parsley, sage, and thyme into the cavity to perfume the meat and flavor the juices.
<ins datetime="2003-11-29T19:38:00-05:00">Well, we cooked the turkey until it read 180°F — after 3 hours and 15 minutes — and it was still bleeding. <img src="http://www.personal.psu.edu/staff/m/h/mhl100/images/angry.png" height="18" width="18" alt="Angry" /> We put it back in for an hour and it was done. From now on, always poke the bird to see if the juices run clear before taking it out of the oven.</ins>
ROASTED WHITE TURKEY**
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 3 oz. (84g)
Serving Per Container varied
Amount Per Serving
Calories from Fat 50 Calories 140
% Daily Value*
9% Total Fat 6g
10% Saturated Fat 2g
20% Cholesterol 60mg
9% Sodium 210mg
0% Total Carbohydrate 0g
44% Protein 22g
Iron 2%
Not a Significant Source of Dietary Fiber, Sugars, Vitamin A, Vitamin C or Calcium.
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
** Without Neck or Giblets
ROASTED DARK TURKEY**
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 3 oz. (84g)
Serving Per Container varied
Amount Per Serving
Calories from Fat 90 Calories 170
% Daily Value*
15% Total Fat 10g
15% Saturated Fat 3g
30% Cholesterol 90mg
6% Sodium 140mg
0% Total Carbohydrate 0g
42% Protein 21g
Iron 6%
Not a Significant Source of Dietary Fiber, Sugars, Vitamin A, Vitamin C or Calcium.
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
** Without Neck or Giblets
<span style="font-size: smaller; vertical-align: super;">†</span> — Roasting: Traditionally roasting means cooking by exposure to radiant heat on a spit before an open fire. Very few people have <em>actually</em> roasted since the invention of the oven. Nowadays, we mean cooking using dry heat in an oven when we say roasting. To make sure that we get the dry heat, we need to make sure that the meat is resting on a rack to keep it out of the juices so that the heat can circulate completely around the meat.
The United States Beer Drinking Team
<em>Via <a href="http://www.adrants.com/2003_11_23_archive.php#107004603526456719" title="Adrants Steve Hall's Advertising Weblog including, internet marketing and online advertising with news, commentary, and opinion.">Adrants</a>:</em>
<a href="http://www.usbdt.com/AboutUs.htm">About USBDT</a>: “The U.S. Beer Drinking Team (USBDT) is the first team dedicated to the millions of passionate beer drinkers in the United States. If you enjoy the passions that accompany beer: life, family, friends, laughter and good times, then the USBDT is the team for you! At the USBDT we’re always looking for the best beer on the best day at the best place with the best people enjoying themselves to the fullest.”
Gretchen’s New Site
Gretchen has just put up a <a href="http://homepage.mac.com/gretchenlinton/index.html" title="Appaloosa Territory HomePage">Web site</a> devoted to her horses and their heirs. <img src="http://www.personal.psu.edu/staff/m/h/mhl100/images/gasp.png" height="18" width="18" alt="Gasp!" />
Food news from The Netherlands
<a href="http://www.foodingredientsfirst.com/index.asp">Food Ingredients First: Nutrition, Ingredients and Foods Online</a>: “Food Ingredients First.com is the food industry’s leading portal for unique content on food & beverage development. It is a specialist�international website for beverage and food product developers and�the food ingredients industry. It focuses on the technical challenges�of combining ingredients in the product development process. It�covers key successful new product concepts from around the world�with extensive illustrations and supplier information.”
Cinnamon spice produces healthier blood
<em>Via <a href="http://nowthis.com/log/2003/11/28.html#000694" title="Now This log: Friday, 28 November 2003">Now This log:</a></em>
<a href="http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99994413">New Scientist</a>: “Just half a teaspoon of cinnamon a day significantly reduces blood sugar levels in diabetics, a new study has found. The effect, which can be produced even by soaking a cinnamon stick your tea, could also benefit millions of non-diabetics who have blood sugar problem but are unaware of it…
“The active ingredient in cinnamon turned out to be a water-soluble polyphenol compound called MHCP. In test tube experiments, MHCP mimics insulin, activates its receptor, and works synergistically with insulin in cells…
“The cinnamon has additional benefits. In the volunteers, it lowered blood levels of fats and ‘bad’ cholesterol, which are also partly controlled by insulin. And in test tube experiments it neutralised free radicals, damaging chemicals which are elevated in diabetics.
“[The team of Richard Anderson at the US Department of Agriculture’s Human Nutrition Research Center in Beltsville, Maryland,] were awarded patents related to MHCP in 2002. But the chemical is easily obtained. He notes that one of his colleagues tried soaking a cinnamon stick in tea. ‘He isn’t diabetic — but it lowered his blood sugar,’ Anderson says.”
Who goes to a restaurant on Thanksgiving?
<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A17500-2003Nov27.html">Nothing Fancy for This Thanksgiving (washingtonpost.com)</a>: “More Americans eat Thanksgiving dinner out than ever, according to the National Restaurant Association — 11 percent now, compared with 8 percent in 1996. That’s significantly lower than other holidays: 38 percent of Americans eat out on Mother’s Day and 32 percent on Valentine’s Day.”
Britain has a weight problem, too
<a href="http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/health/story.jsp?story=467939">News</a>: “[Britain’s House of Commons Health Select Committee] is considering whether to recommend a ban on television advertising of high-fat and sugary foods during children’s viewing times, and the introduction of cigarette-style health warnings on junk food. One in five people in Britain is classed as overweight or obese and rates have tripled among children.
“Campaigners say the aggressive marketing of sweets, crisps and soft drinks, using sporting heroes such as Gary Lineker for Walkers crisps and cartoon characters for McDonald's Happy Meals, encourages people to eat poor diets. Increased portion sizes, such as ‘go large’ burger meals and extra large chocolate bars, have also been blamed.
“But [the chief executives of the of McDonald’s, Cadbury Schweppes and Pepsi] rejected these claims.”