Turkey Pasta Salad, Roasted Red Pepper Dressing

This recipe actually comes from the Betty Crocker website. It is really a chicken pasta salad, but I used turkey because it is what I had on hand. I also used rotini instead of bowtie pasta.



Chicken Pasta Salad with Roasted Red Pepper Dressing

3 cups uncooked farfalle (bow-tie) pasta (8 ounces)
6 1/2 cups Green Giant® SELECT® frozen broccoli florets
2/3 cup refrigerated Alfredo sauce (from 10-ounce container)
1 jar (7 ounces) roasted red bell peppers, drained and finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 package (6 ounces) refrigerated diced cooked chicken breast
1 can (11 ounces) Green Giant® Mexicorn® whole kernel corn with red and green peppers, drained


1.Cook pasta as directed on package, adding broccoli for last 3 minutes of cooking. Rinse with cold water; drain.
2.In small bowl, mix Alfredo sauce, bell peppers and salt. In large bowl, mix pasta, broccoli, chicken and corn. Add pepper mixture to pasta mixture; toss until coated. Serve immediately, or refrigerate until serving.

That Peanut Butter Frosting

I posted a few weeks back about a Reese's cake I made. The frosting on that cake was absolutely amazing, and I have had a lot of people asking for the recipe. I made it again tonight(with my homemade vanilla, at that) and I swear it was even more amazing than before. I cheated and used a box cake mix because I forgot I was supposed to make dessert for Justin to take to dinner tomorrow, and just didn't have the time.

Chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting and chopped reese's on top


Peanut Butter Frosting

1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
5 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup heavy cream

Put sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla and salt in mixer. Mix on medium low until creamy, scraping with spatula as you work. Add the cream and beat on high until the mixture is light and smooth.

Original Recipe

Best. Turkey. Ever.

Seriously. I tried a new recipe when I made our turkey today and it turned out amazing! It is a little time consuming, but well worth it. The meat comes out extremely moist and with just the right amount of flavor. SO GOOD!






Perfect Turkey
I used a 13 lb turkey and just adjusted the amount of ingredients a little.

1 (18 pound) whole turkey, neck and giblets removed
2 cups kosher salt
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 large onions, peeled and chopped
4 carrots, peeled and chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1 cup dry white wine

1.Rub the turkey inside and out with the kosher salt. Place the bird in a large stock pot, and cover with cold water. Place in the refrigerator, and allow the turkey to soak in the salt and water mixture 12 hours, or overnight.
2.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Thoroughly rinse the turkey, and discard the brine mixture.
3.Brush the turkey with 1/2 the melted butter. Place breast side down on a roasting rack in a shallow roasting pan. Stuff the turkey cavity with 1 onion, 1/2 the carrots, 1/2 the celery, 1 sprig of thyme, and the bay leaf. Scatter the remaining vegetables and thyme around the bottom of the roasting pan, and cover with the white wine.
4.Roast uncovered 3 1/2 to 4 hours in the preheated oven, until the internal temperature of the thigh reaches 180 degrees F (85 degrees C). Carefully turn the turkey breast side up about 2/3 through the roasting time, and brush with the remaining butter. Allow the bird to stand about 30 minutes before carving.

Original Recipe

Elf Yourself

Streusel-Topped Pumpkin Pie

Since I am working on Thanksgiving, I decided to make a "Thanksgiving" dinner for Justin and I. The turkey is still in the oven(and smelling amazing!) but I made a pie this morning before the oven was tied up. The topping on this pie is amazing! The recipe comes from Pillsbury.

I could not get a decent photo of this!



Crust
1 box Pillsbury® refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box

Filling
1can (15 oz) pumpkin (no pumpkin pie mix)
1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk (1 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon salt

Streusel
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup chopped pecans



Heat oven to 425°F. Place pie crust in 9-inch glass pie pan as directed on box for One-Crust Filled Pie.2In large bowl, mix filling ingredients until well blended. Pour into crust-lined pan.3Bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F; bake 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix streusel ingredients.4Sprinkle streusel over pumpkin filling. Bake 15 to 20 minutes longer or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour.5Gently fold orange peel into whipped topping. Serve pie with topping. Store in refrigerator..

Getting Healthy & Couch-to-5K

I have recently gone on a health kick. I kicked my caffeine addiction and have limited my pop intake. I have been drinking mostly water and am already feeling better from that alone(less bloated, less indigestion). I have been losing some weight lately by just watching what I eat, but I know I need to start exercising again. With winter coming I know I am not going to want to be taking longs walks outside, and I just can't see myself finding the time for a gym membership right now. I have decided to try the couch-to-5K program. It looks pretty simple and it is something I can easily do on my treadmill at home. This link explains the program. I think on the days I am not doing the 5K program, I will try to do just a normal 3 mile walk on the treadmill. I have decided to set a goal for myself to be able to run a 5K by August 2011. I think I would really like to run in the local Melon Run, which takes place during the Howell Melon Festival. Ideally, I would also like to lose 75 lbs by then. I am in a friends wedding at the end of August, and I really want to look awesome. :)

I think I will do a weekly check in post on Mondays to track my progress with weight loss and running.