Self Help | Dinner With Joy

Nov 19

Happy Thanksgiving

I can’t believe how fast this year, especially the last few weeks have flown. I swear I’m still in Halloween mode. I promised to discuss stuffing and am really pushing the wire here, but perhaps a few of you have decided to follow my example and buy a bird for next month and are planning ahead, or are perplexed as to what to do now, or simply want to make notes for next year. In any case here’s some general advice on stuffing or filling or dressing whichever is your regional term for that favorite side dish we enjoy with our turkey. Read more

Nov 15

Let’s talk turkey

When I think of a turkey in its natural setting, I picture colorful autumn woods, falling leaves, pumpkins and acorns. I don’t visualize tropical foliage, sun-drenched fields, blue water and a cactus. We learn, as children, that the turkey is native to North America, but that covers a huge area. It turns out that the Aztecs in Mexico domesticated the turkey years before they introduced it to the Spaniards in 1591. Their counterparts in Massachusetts were still picking them out of trees when the Pilgrims arrived in 1630. To further disillusion you, the birds we prize today for their plumpness, are bred from a Dutch strain. Oh yes! And I saw as a child, when visiting a farm on a class trip, the birds grown for the markets are white, not brown. It seems the common, sedate turkey has a bit of mystique that would make it a good topic for True or False quizzes, from its history, through choosing, to preparing, to cooking to carving one. So let’s start from the top, bearing in mind that this discussion is “Roasting a Whole Turkey 101”. To widen it further would allow enough information to fill a book. Read more

Nov 8

When the frost is on the pumpkin…

In my area more than the frost is on the pumpkin. We’ll have to brush the sand off too! But wherever you live the calendar pages are turning and the path to preparing for the holidays is lighting up. I mentioned back in September, that I was drawing up my master food shopping list for the various “feasts” ahead. No matter what your situation, there are bound to be increased provisions to acquire and increased costs to be faced in the coming weeks. Amortizing both over a period of weeks, even months, reduces the stress on you and on your wallet and helps turn panic to pleasure. Pre-planning also allows you to recognize and take advantage of the best “deals” on different products as they appear. Read more

Oct 11

Facts Of Basics – Part 2, Sugar

To refresh your memory, a friend asked, in view of the rising prices, if she had to buy all of the different types of the basic ingredients listed in the recipes she would prepare for the holidays, or if she could save a bit of money by making some of them do double duty. I realize that “The Holidays” not only means those so many of us celebrate in December, but Thanksgiving and Halloween as well, which for lots of people involves cooking, especially baking, for classroom and organization parties in addition to family gatherings. It has become a long season! Read more

Oct 4

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Facts Of Basics – Part 1, Flour

A friend stopped in while I was writing last week’s posting and read what I was writing. She remarked that she loved, as she termed them ”mechanical tips” that make cooking easier, but would really like to learn more about her options among the ingredients she had to buy when preparing baked goods for the holidays. There are so many kinds of flour available now and types of sugar, she didn’t know if she had to buy everything stipulated in each recipe, or if some could do double duty and save a bit of money. This was true of other basic items required as well. So I promised to do what I could to help. Read more

Sep 27

Planning Ahead

It’s been a few months since I passed on kitchen tips, and a list has been gathering on my desk. This seemed a good time to do it since we’re now looking down the short end of the year toward, what is for most of us, the Holiday Season, when we spend more money on food and more time cooking than any other. Personally, I not only have three major dinners within six weeks, but three birthdays and an anniversary to celebrate in the month before Thanksgiving, so it really is a “Season of Giving” and I need all the help I can get. Read more

Sep 6

Organics

Much has been said about organic food lately and many questions arise. Exactly what is “organic” food? Is it that much better than non-organic? Why is it more expensive? Should I switch over to buying it? Do I have to go completely organic? Am I jeopardizing my family if I don’t? What if I can’t afford it? Should I feel guilty if I can’t? Let’s look at the story of organic foods. Read more

Aug 9

Empty (or sparcely populated) nests

Much has, and still is being written about the Empty Nest Syndrome, and rightly so. The downscaling of a household is a major lifestyle transformation, and requires time to adjust. One thing these people might be surprised to learn is that, as consumers, they are now part of a large demographic that encompasses all ages: young couples, single parents, childless couples, roommates, retirees and those with only one child as well—any household with three or fewer members can be included. Read more

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