Easy Appetizer

Sharing one of our  favorite appetizers.  We make this for every family gathering.

Dried Beef Roll Ups

Recipe

6 bags of  Beef or Corned Beef

1 Block of softened cream cheese

1 T Worcestershire sauce

1 T dried minced onion or 1 whole minced green onion top included

Mix softened cream cheese, Worcestershire sauce and onion in a small bowl.

Spread onto beef and roll them up.  Store refrigerated in an air tight container.  These may be made up to 3 days ahead of time.  

Stunning Christmas Tree

I want to share  my brother's unique Christmas Tree.  Steve spent a year collecting these stunning wine bottles. I love the lights and tree topper.   

Wire frame that he uses to display his wine bottle collection.  The different colored bottles and labels are stunning.

The addition of the tree topper and lights complete the holiday design.

Isn't the tree gorgeous?

Air Fresheners Refilled For Pennies

Dollar Stores carry  33.6 fl. oz bottle of liquid potpourri.    They carry several different scents.

Gently pry the top off the container. 

Be careful not to damage the wick.  Refill the air freshener with liquid potpourri.

Carefully replace the top of the freshener.   Hope you enjoyed this money saving tip!

Watermarks Be Gone

My antique cherry drop leaf table.   This is what happens to unprotected wood.

I used several different products to get rid of the white rings.  A paste of white toothpaste and baking soda worked the best.

The paste should be the consistency of icing.

Smear the mixture on the watermarks.  Do not let this dry.  Begin rubbing in circular motion immediately with a damp rag.  Make sure you get all the mixture off the wood with as little water as possible.  When the wood has dried use your favorite furniture polish to help preserve the wood.

The piece of furniture after treatment on the watermarks.

Roasting The Bird

Time frame for roasting a unstuffed, defrosted turkey.

Place the meat thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh, taking care that it does not touch any bone. Roast the turkey until the meat thermometer reaches 165 degrees F. Don't forget to let the bird rest at least 30 minutes before carving to allow the juices to re-absorb into the flesh. You don't want the moisture to drain out.

Roasting times are for a preheated 325 degrees F. oven.

Turkey Weight        Hours

6-8 pounds            3 to 3- 1/2 hours

8-12 pounds          3 -1/2 to 4 -1/2 hours

12-16 pounds       4-1/2 to 5-1/2 hours

16 to 20 pounds   5-1/2 to 6 hours

20 to 24 pounds   6 to 6-1/2 hours 

Scented Fall Garland

Materials needed to make a scented fall garland. 

  dehydrated orange slices

1 bag of mixed scented rose hips, pine cones and cinnamon sticks

Twine and scissors

Thread the dried materials onto the twine.  

The first garland is simple and considered primitive using only cinnamon sticks and dried orange slices.

We then glued on  rose hips and some pine cones for added dimension.  The possibilities are endless.  When you are working with garlands, wreaths or florals it is always more appealing to the eye to use an odd number in your design.  Work in 3's or 5's.

By adding some extra decoration and foliage we made a gorgeous garland to lay on top of the mantle.

Thawing Time For Big Bird

"The Big Thaw"
Turkeys must be kept at a safe temperature during "the big thaw." Frozen turkeys should not be left on the back porch, in the car trunk, in the clothes dryer, or any place else where temperatures cannot be constantly monitored. 

Refrigerator Thawing 
When thawing a turkey in the refrigerator:

• Plan ahead: allow approximately 24 hours for each 4 to 5 pounds in a refrigerator 
• Place the turkey in a container to prevent a nasty mess.

Refrigerator Thawing Times
Whole turkey:

•  4 to 12 pounds ……  1 to 3 days
• 12 to 16 pounds …… 3 to 4 days
• 16 to 20 pounds …… 4 to 5 days
• 20 to 24 pounds …… 5 to 6 days

A thawed turkey can remain in the refrigerator for 1 or 2 days before cooking. 

Preparing for Thanksgiving

Can hardly wait to ring the dinner bell! Thanksgiving planning has started in our home.  We will be having 30 for dinner.  While that sounds like a lot of guest the fun part  is half of them are under 12.  All the little ones add joy and yes, stress.  You have to keep them  entertained until dinner is served.

One of our tricks over the years has been to have a kids table.  Instead of tablecloth we use brown butcher paper.  Have a basket filled with crayons and washable markers.  We also have some coloring pages and word searches.