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Seasonal

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Seasonal

What’s the difference between stuffing and dressing?

What's the difference between stuffing and dressing?

For carb-lovers, stuffing is the ultimate thanksgiving side dish. That delicious blend of bread, celery, onions and seasonings when smothered with gravy and served atop roast turkey is truly a feast to be thankful for. (Heck. Forget the turkey! I’d be happy with stuffing alone!) That said, while we all unanimously seem to agree that stuffing reigns supreme, what we disagree on is what to call it. Some people say stuffing. Others call it dressing. So what gives? Avoid these 8 common stuffing mistakes. Well, historically, some people used the terms to note the difference between stuffing (cooked inside the bird) and dressing (cooked outside of the bird, likely in a baking dish). But this wasn’t really ever “official.” Dictionaries no longer even really distinguish the two. The difference in the terminology is actually due to regional dialects. Though both dishes contain the same ingredients, if you’re from a southern…

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Seasonal

How much turkey should you buy per person? And other turkey questions, answered

How much turkey should you buy per person? And other turkey questions, answered

There are a lot of decisions the Thanksgiving host has to make. Cranberry sauce; fresh or canned? A side of carrots or corn? Pumpkin or apple pie? (That answer there is easy. Both!). But perhaps the most important question of them all: How many pounds of turkey do I need to buy? How much turkey should i buy per person? As a rule of thumb, you should aim for about 1 1/2 pounds of turkey per person. Don’t forget that number takes into considering the weight of the bones, giblets, and a bit of leftovers too. That means, if you’re having 8 adult guests, you’re going to want a 12 pound turkey. Of course, if you have a bunch of big eaters or turkey lovers — or think you might get a few unexpected last minute guests — you’ll want to go up from there. When should you buy your turkey?…

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Seasonal

The most-Googled Thanksgiving recipe in each state

The most-Googled Thanksgiving recipe in each state

Each November when the leaves start to fall, we turn our attention to the upcoming Thanksgiving feast. But while we all look forward to plates piled high with food, what’s on those plates can vary greatly from region to region. Cooks everywhere turn to the internet to make sure they’re ready with recipes that will please their guests. Satelliteinternet.com analyzed all of those food-related searches to find out which states are mostly likely to each which dish. It’s no surprise that turkey was the most-Googled Thanksgiving dish across America, but beyond that, plenty of cooks were looking for other advice. And depending where you live, you were definitely more likely to search for different dishes. Green bean casserole and corn casseroles were the next most-searched recipes after turkey, with a particularly heavy following in the Midwest. Other searches were more localized. For instance, Vermonters seems to include ambrosia salad in…

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Seasonal

10 great hostess gifts that aren’t wine

10 great hostess gifts that aren't wine

Anyone can run to a nearby liquor store and pick up a bottle of wine, but your hostess will be much more impressed with your thoughtfulness if you opt for something else. Whether it’s something they share that evening with guests, or something they save for themselves, these gifts will be greatly appreciated. Soyil Natural Soy Wax Candles (Starting at $14, everybodyshops.com) Show your smart and savvy hostess you appreciate her hospitality with a dye-free, natural soy wax, small batch candle. Seasonal fragrances can help her warm her home with a welcoming scent, plus, soy won’t mark up walls with that nasty black soot. Wine Glass Mahogany Appetizer plates ($19.99, everybodyshops.com) You can bet your host won’t be able to wait to break these out for guests to use atop their wine glasses as they graze all of the amazing food at the party. Each set includes four plates, and…

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Seasonal

8 common stuffing mistakes that could ruin your holiday dinner

8 common stuffing mistakes that could ruin your holiday dinner

Okay, maybe “ruin” is a bit dramatic, but that doesn’t mean you and your guests won’t be disappointed with dry or less-than-stellar stuffing. This classic Thanksgiving dinner dish — with its familiar flavors of onion, celery, and herbs mixing with crispy, chewy, buttery bread — is well-loved, but it’s also easy to mess up, so be sure to avoid these 8 common stuffing mistakes: 1. You make it on Thanksgiving Day Don’t wait until Thanksgiving day to start your stuffing. Your bread base — whether it’s a bread loaf, cornbread, bagels or even waffles — needs to be dry and stale, so let it sit out for at least a day or two before you begin. If your bread is still moist, your stuffing will be soggy. 2. You try to save calories If you’re looking to keep your Thanksgiving meal within a certain calorie count, perhaps you could cut…

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Seasonal

8 ways to save money on your Thanksgiving meal budget

8 ways to save money on your Thanksgiving meal budget

For all the attention the stress and craziness of cooking on Thanksgiving receives, we often fail to acknowledge the other downside of being the designated host: the cost. If you’re on a tight budget it can seem nearly impossible to pull of a feast with all of the fixin’s guests have come to expect. This Thanksgiving, you’ll be thankful you followed these 10 tips for saving money on your Turkey Day grocery bill. 1.  Set a budget — and don’t budge from it! It’s easy to go overboard on extras when planning a holiday meal, after all, you want to show your loved ones you appreciate them. But don’t feel pressure to recreate the lavish spread you saw in Martha Stewart magazine. According to the American Farm Bureau Federation, the average American Thanksgiving meal for 10 costs $48.90 — that’s less than $5 per person!  If you’re about to blow…

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Seasonal

Should you wash a turkey before cooking it?

Should you wash a turkey before cooking it?

You MUST resist. Yes, poultry doesn’t exactly seem super clean, but no matter how gross or how slimy that bird feels, whatever you do, do not wash your turkey. More than 46 million turkeys will be eaten this Thanksgiving Day, and with that comes one of the biggest days of the year for food borne illnesses. With so many different foods being stored, rinsed, prepared, and cooked all in the same space, it’s easy to imaging how cross contamination can happen. But the easiest way to spread illness-causing bacteria? Washing the turkey. But why? According to the USDA, rinsing your turkey, whether fresh or frozen, will not get rid of that unwanted bacteria on your bird — in fact, that’s pretty much impossible to do without the high heat of the oven (more on that later). Actually it’s washing your turkey that increases the chance of spreading that bacteria. This…

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Seasonal

Everything you need to know about freezing cookies

Everything you need to know about freezing cookies

Nothing is better than freshly baked cookies. But during the holidays when fresh, homemade cookies matter most, we’re also needing to split our time between cooking, hosting, shopping, and celebrating the season, leaving little time to spend rolling out and filling dozens of dainty little cookies. This is when having a magical holiday depends on the magic of the freezer. Freezing cookies or cookie dough now can save you later when you’re just too busy to bake. Just follow these tips and you’ll be good to go. What types of cookies can I freeze? Lots of cookies are great candidates for the freezer. Cutout cookies, slice and bake (icebox) cookies, drop cookies, and biscotti are all excellent choices. Any cookie with a lot of butter or fat will freeze well. Try to avoid freezing cookies that are decorated, filled, or delicate — like meringues — since they would loose a…

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Crave-Worthy Recipes

17 Thanksgiving recipes you don’t want to miss

Thanksgiving recipes you don't want to miss

This year, make Turkey Day more delicious than ever. Even if you’ve hosted the holiday for decades and think your menu is as good-as-it-gets, it could be time for a refresher. For the ultimate holiday feast, try a few recipes from this Thanksgiving recipe roundup. Stuffing in the crock pot Who has oven space for all of those side dishes? Plus, cooking stuffing in the bird might not be the best idea anyway. http://craves.everybodyshops.com/crock-pot-stuffing-saves-time-on-thanksgiving-day/ Roasted butternut squash It’s delicious and healthy. Plus is will ad a splash of color to your table. What more could you want? http://craves.everybodyshops.com/roasted-butternut-squash-with-cranberries-and-goat-cheese/ Cheesy broccoli casserole Make room for a new tradition at the table. These cheesy broccoli casserole is a win with kids and adults alike. http://craves.everybodyshops.com/thanksgiving-day-broccoli-cheese-casserole/ Baked brie with cranberries and jalapeños How fast can an appetizer disappear? Just don’t blink! This cranberry brie will be gone in seconds. http://craves.everybodyshops.com/baked-brie-with-cranberry-jalapeno-jam/ Layered pumpkin delight…

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Seasonal

The 6 biggest mistakes you can make when baking pumpkin pie

The 6 biggest mistakes you can make when baking pumpkin pie

Pumpkin pie, with its thick, pumpkin-y custard, fragrant spices, and flaky pastry crust, is about as delicious as Thanksgiving gets. Served with a dollop of homemade whipped cream, there is no Thanksgiving dish that arrives with such anticipation. Yet, even the most seasoned bakers know a truly perfect pumpkin pie is no easy task to pull off. Here are a few mistakes you need to avoid in order to make your best pumpkin pie ever: 1. You use fresh pumpkin I can hear you now, “But such-and-such variety of pumpkin makes a delicious pie, just like my grandma made!” Well, if you have a tried-and-true family recipe that you’re used to, then nothing is going to change your mind — nostalgia looms large on Thanksgiving. But for those who want to make a truly perfect pie every time, it’s important to practice consistency. Fresh pumpkins can vary wildly in size…

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