Creamed Turkey

Do you have some left over turkey from your holiday meal?

If you read my post about raising a turkey for Christmas dinner, you know that we do - he was 26 pounds!

Try this easy 'recipe' for creamed turkey.

Start with some extra virgin olive oil and a little butter.

Using those two ingredients, you know it's off to a good start.

Using your handy dandy fingers, shred some chicken into the pan.

Warm it up a little.

Toss in some diced celery for a little added flavor.

Stir in a couple tablespoons of flour to thicken it up.

Add some milk and a sprinkling of salt and pepper.

While you're at it, if you have any buttermilk in the fridge add a little - yum!

Heat everything to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until it's thick and bubbly.

Creamed turkey is delicious by itself or served over your favorite biscuit, bun, or toast.

A Home Grown Turkey For Christmas Dinner (and the hard way we got there)

A home grown turkey for Christmas dinner was part of our vision when we started on the turkey raising journey.

I was so excited to raise two turkeys - one for Thanksgiving dinner and one for Christmas dinner.  It all seemed nostalgic to me.  I envisioned a male and female, happily living at LL Farm.  In the end, they would be my bragging rights at the holiday table.  

The idyllic vision that I had in my head, slowly turned into one trial after another.

Ahem...Did someone say homesteading was easy?  

To read about our journey of raising turkeys, click HERE.

The day came, and I think it is safe to say that we were all ready for it.  My parents came over to help and we ended up with a 26 pound turkey that I put in the freezer.  

On Christmas eve, we put that humongous turkey in the oven to bake 'low and slow'.
The taste was definitely different from the store bought turkeys that we are accustomed to.  After all, it was pasture raised, compared to some poultry farms where the poor things don't see sunlight or get to roam in the grass.

So to sum up our turkey raising experience:

Would I consider it a failure?  No - we did raise a turkey and it did make it to our Christmas dinner table.  We'll call this a learn as you go lesson.

Do I think it was financially the way to go?  No - Wow, those turkeys ate a lot!

Will I do it again?  I'm not going to shout NO, but I can say that I don't plan on raising turkeys any time soon.

Well, like I said, he was 26 pounds!  I need to create some leftover meals using turkey for the next couple days.

This post (with more details) was posted on CommunityChickens.com.  Click HERE to read it.

Merry Christmas!

I wish you a very Merry Christmas filled with love, joy and hope as we celebrate Jesus' birth!

And, THANK YOU for reading my blog and for the awesome comments that you leave!

~ Lori

Candy Cane Kiss Cookies

Looking for that perfect Christmas cookie to make?

The one that looks festive dressed in a red and white stripe...

The one that tastes delicious...

And of course, the one that is easy to make...

This Candy Cane Kiss Cookie fits the bill!

The cookie dough with a dusting of powdered sugar snuggles around the candy cane kiss, making a beautiful presentation!

Candy Cane Kiss Cookies

1 stick of butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla 

2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons milk

1/3 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla until well blended.

Stir together flour, baking soda, and salt.

Add flour mixture alternately with milk to butter mixture, until well blended.

Using your hand, roll dough to make one inch balls.

Roll the dough balls into the powdered sugar.

Place onto an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

While baking, unwrap enough candy cane kisses for the amount of cookies made.

Transfer cookies from cookie sheet to wire racks.

Gently push a candy cane kiss into the center of each cookie.

(You don't want it to protrude through the bottom, but you do want it secured in the dough.)

Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

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Metamorphosis Monday

Using Nature To Decorate The Porch For Christmas

I had a vision for our front porch...

a simple country style, using nature for the Christmas decor.

So, I went for a walk in the woods to gather some cedar branches.

(Note to self:  remember to wear gloves so you don't have to wash in bleach from the itchies.)

Pumpkin Pie Using Home Made Puree

Remember when I made my own pumpkin puree?

I froze it so I could make a pie later...

Well, today I thought I'd share with you that...

Yes, it was a success!  (yeah baby)

I made the pumpkin puree into a pumpkin pie that we enjoyed with our Thanksgiving meal.

DIY Glittery Snow Covered Branches

I've been playing with sticks again ;-)
and spray paint!

I love using natural elements in my decorating whenever possible.

Of course in the summer, there is always fresh flowers, fruits, and vegetables.

The fall season offers colorful leaves, pumpkins, and pine cones.

Recently as the beautiful fall colored leaves disappeared leaving bare branches, I used those in my home decor adding some texture.

As the winter season approaches I am still using those beautiful sticks, but kicking them up a notch...

with glitter spray paint.

Farm Photo Friday (December 11, 2015)

We interrupt your regular viewing of Christmas decor to take you around the farm ;-)

Turquoise the chicken welcomes you  to Farm Photo Friday!

Crock Pot Chocolate and Peanut Candy

Tis the season...for making cookies and candies!

When my girls were little we used to make decorated sugar cookies every year.

We used all kinds of holiday cookie cutters.

We would use food coloring to make different colored icing.

We had all kinds of sprinkles.

Wow, sometimes we made a mess, but...

It was our tradition and I loved every minute of it!

Christmas Mantel 2015

I've said it before, but I'll say it again...

I love having a mantel to decorate.

For the seasons.

For the holidays.

For the 'just because'.

For this years Christmas mantel I decided to go with a simple look.

The deer is from my Mom.  She got it from Home Interiors years ago.

The Eating Nook All Decked Out For Christmas

The eating nook is all decked out and ready for Christmas!

We don't have a formal dining room in our home.  Actually when we were building, we changed what was suppose to be the formal dining room into an office.

In The Meadow We Can Build A Snowman

In the meadow Coke crate we can build a snowman...vignette.

As I take down the Fall decorations and move toward Christmas decorating, I also incorporate Winter decor...things that can stay up all season long...even when the holiday decor is put away.

This vignette is one of those dual purpose decorating items.