Our Family’s Secret to a Juicy Turkey Every Thanksgiving

Can you guess what we use?

Until Thanksgiving, my family’s turkey was thawing on the top shelf of our refrigerator.

Our 18-pounder tasted delicious, even to nonturkey eaters like my dad. The secret?  My mom always cooks turkey in a brown paper bag from the local grocery store - a family tradition dating back to my great-grandmother.  

On Thanksgiving morning, we maintained the same routine we always do:

First, we removed the gizzard package.

After washing and a good salting to rid the bird of bacteria, we put paprika, garlic, and thin slices of butter on the turkey’s various surfaces and in its crevices.

Then, my mom and I carefully maneuvered the turkey into a paper bag so that the bag doesn’t tear. (This year, we went through one bag before getting it right.) It’s crucial that the writing on the bag faces out and is on top so that the ink doesn’t bleed into the turkey or its juices.

We used cooking spray all over the inside of the bag.

My mom and I worked together to tie a string snugly around the brown package and lay it in a baking pan.

The turkey went in the oven around 1 p.m.

It cooked for  four hours at 350F. We followed the directions on the turkey wrapping with an exception: We don’t baste the bird every 30 minutes because the juices stay locked inside the paper bag.

(We try to use the pop-up timer to guide us about when the turkey is cooked thoroughly, but we are mindful that it sometimes fails to work.) After the turkey came out of the oven, it stayed in the bag so that the juices don't escape.

We tore the bag and let it cool inside for 45 minutes before carving it. We removed the bag just before slicing it down.

Just like every other year, all parts of turkey turned out moist and juicy, even the white breast meat. 

And we were once again thankful for our Thanksgiving feast!

But I know that the brown bag isn’t the only tried-and-true method out there. I’d like to learn other ways to ensure a home-cooked juicy turkey (especially as some grocery stores are shrinking their paper bags or doing away with them altogether). Send us your homespun tips this holiday season….

Souper Suppers!

As much as I love cooking sometimes I'm just too exhausted to prepare a meal. Soup is my solution to a healthy meal when I'd rather be sitting on the couch instead of washing dishes in the kitchen. I usually make a large pot of homemade soup and than freeze it in individual containers for the perfect portion to use when I'm in a mealtime crunch. I just warm up my soup on the stove and add a small salad and slice of whole grain bread and my meal is ready in under 20 minutes.

Although my freezer soups are usually for just my own enjoyment I love Souperstars idea of making soup night an easy entertaining night with friends. An economical and easy way to entertain, not to mention the fact that even your friend with no culinary prowness will probably be able to whip up a decent soup. I'm contemplating starting my own soup night. What are your favorite homemade soup recipes?

Flavor It Up without Fattening Up

Ahh... Fall my favorite time of year, the changing leaves, crisp fall air and seasonal favorites at the local coffee shops. What could be a better motivator to “get up and at ‘em” than a piping hot caffeinated beverage?

When I worked in Washington D.C., it was difficult to walk from the metro to the office without passing several coffee shops. The sounds and smell of the grinding coffee beans lured me like the sirens song. In the bitter winter it was even more difficult to pass the temptation of having something warm to hold onto as I trudged through the snow covered streets.

When I moved from Washington, D.C., to the Baltimore area, I went from a walking to driving commute, but I still pass at least four coffee shops and one convenient drive-thru on my way to work. While like Ari I have a difficult time drinking black coffee, I love the specialty coffee drinks, especially the lattes and frappucinos. As a registered dietitian and savvy consumer, I recognized that both my wallet and waistline wouldn’t benefit from stopping for $4.00 coffee drinks that add as many as 400 extra calories to my daily caloric intake. I was shocked to learn that my favorite 12oz Nonfat Pumpkin Spice Latte with no whipped cream had 200 calories and 37grams of sugar!

While I didn’t want the extra liquid calories or the drain on my wallet, I did want to devise ways to give my homebrewed coffee a little extra boost, so I could still enjoy some of my seasonal favorites without the added guilt.

To add a special touch to my black coffee, I purchased the Bonjour Cafe Milk Frother that whips my milk into thick foam in minutes. I tried to recreate a lower calorie version of Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte (one of my favorite’s, see my recipe below). 

Alison’s Pumpkin Pie Spice Latte

In my version I use French roast coffee instead of espresso. You can substitute this with your own favorite coffee.

Ingredients:

• 8-12oz hot freshly brewed coffee or espresso
• 1 cup hot milk
• ¼ tsp vanilla
• ¼ tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 packet splenda
• Pinch of cinnamon

Directions:

1. Heat milk in the microwave or on the stove until hot (but not boiling). Remove milk from heat and add vanilla and pumpkin pie spice.
2. Whisk with milk frother until frothy.
3. Add freshly brewed coffee to mug and stir in one packet of splenda.
4. Pour the pumpkin spice milk into the coffee.
5. Spoon foam on top and add a pinch of cinnamon.

Creating my own speciality coffee drink allowed me to save calories and dollars. Have you revamped or recreated your favorite speciality coffee drink? We'd love to hear from you.

Healthy Chocolate?

I went to the Chocolate Show in New York this past weekend. At a balmy 65 degrees and barely a cloud in the sky, it didn’t feel like mid-November.  It turned out that a lot of other people had chocolate on the brain and the line for the show snaked around two blocks. While we were waiting, a few vendors sent people out with tons of samples of their specialty chocolates. Yum! There were 78 chocolatiers, presenting chocolate from all over the world: the Caribbean, South America, Belgium, France, the US. My favorite chocolatier name: “2 chicks with chocolate”! For $30, we got to learn the finer points of chocolate production, how to make the creamiest chocolate mousse, and indulge our chocolate cravings. 

The smell of rich chocolate permeated the room, and it was enough to whet your appetite even if you aren't a chocolate lover. Fortunately, chocolate samples abounded at every booth! Not exactly healthy, you say? Except that so many were showcasing varieties of dark chocolate with high amounts of cocoa beans. It wasn’t uncommon to see 65, 70, 85, and even 91 percent.  I’ve always liked dark chocolate growing up, and in the past few years I’ve developed a taste for these cocoa-heavy chocolates, partly swayed by their healthful properties.  Now, sometimes milk chocolate doesn’t seem chocolaty enough to me. But some of these show samples tasted bitter and too much like eating cocoa right from the bean!  The chocolatiers explained that the bitterness reflects where the chocolate is from and the production process. Not all 70 percent chocolate tastes the same. I’ve found that with these more bitter flavors, it helps to roll it around on your tongue for a minute. As it becomes smooth, it’s not as much of a shock to the palette!

At some booths, I saw more blatant displays of healthy chocolate. The vendor, Guy Roux, known for partnering with a nutritionist, was offering sugar free chocolate in milk, dark and nut varieties. Gnosis Chocolate from Astoria, N.Y., adds low glycemic sweeteners, nuts with nutrients, fruits and medicinal to its raw cacao (the defining ingredient in all chocolate). Chocolate making is definitely reflecting the trend of healthy eating.

I ended up buying chocolate from five different chocolatiers. One was from a sugar-free vendor, which tasted so-so I have to confess, unlike some of the sugar-free chocolate I’ve tasted in the past. Another was from Normandy, France. I think I was a bit more taken with the two guys at the booth, though the chocolate tasted pretty good, too. I am a sucker for the chocolate and hazelnut combination. This chocolate mixed in pieces of hazelnut in the shape of a chip. With the crunch from the nut, it was kind of like eating a chocolate potato chip! But I think the best had to be Galler Chocolatiers from Belgium.  The dark chocolate shell and hazelhut chocolate praline filling were just delicious. Once in a while, you’ve just gotta give into temptation!

Is There Such a Thing as Healthy at the Coffee Shop?

A Starbucks coffee shop in the Chelsea section of Manhattan, not far from where I went to grad school.

In the four big cities I have lived and worked in - Washington, New York, Philadelphia, Boston – the coffee shop defines virtually every block. Usually, it's a Starbucks or a Dunkin Donuts (a staple in Boston). Not long after I was living on my own did I begin to see the coffee shop's reach extend beyond the city’s street corners. Coffee and the coffee shop trip organized my workday and almost everyone else’s. During weekdays, the lines ebb and flow, connoting the daily rhythms: coffee runs come in the morning around 9 and then again in midday for that pick-me-up. Then, there are the meetings over “coffee” where I network, discuss a work project, gather fodder for a story, conduct team meetings, etc. In the evening, it's a good place to chill with friends. Yes, connecting over coffee can be a great way to schmooze and get things done at the same time, and I am always about efficiency.

But is it a healthy hangout? It certainly sounds harmless enough if you aren’t tempted by a menu filled with calorie-killer Frappuccinos or Dunkaccinos. But even the calories and other unhealthy contents in cream and sugar add up after a while since I don’t drink coffee black. (Coffee by itself in moderation has proven health benefits, but most Americans don’t drink it straight). I had to wrinkle my nose after drinking coffee shop coffee because no matter the store or the brand, it was always too strong for my taste. But I could swallow lattes like Pumpkin Spice, Mocha just fine, which are particularly popular this time of year. Of course, they are prepared chock full of sugar.  So I must confess that I don't really ever drink coffee at these coffee meetings.

I started ordering tea (zero calories), and just sprinkle in a sugar substitute. I now find the Tazo teas at Starbucks flavorful and provide plenty of variety. Plus, I feel satisfied that I’m drinking the much-touted health benefits of green tea.

At times, I opt for skinny hot chocolate. Thank goodness there’s usually a skinny way for us singles who want to stay thin and attractive. Take Starbucks' grande skim latte that’s just 130 calories, with 19 grams carbohydrates and 13 grams of protein. Since a cup of coffee to start the day is deeply embedded in the American psyche, we want to offer some healthy choices from Starbucks to try. All are under 200 calories. http://www.starbucks.com/menu/nutrition/20-under-200

One caveat I've discovered after spending too much time drinking coffee shop coffee: No matter how healthy you strive to make your beverage, drinking a lot of tea and coffee stains your teeth – which, for sure, is not attractive. So if you’re a coffee shop regular, it’s probably best not to overindulge!

How a Political Journalist Learned to Cook and Eat Healthy

A 20-something single woman, I'm a writer/editor by day. By night and on weekends, I like to cook for myself, family and friends. But it wasn't always a favorite hobby. I used to be all thumbs in the kitchen.

Learning to cook became a necessity after college when I couldn't afford to eat out all the time in the big cities where I lived. Plus I wanted to eat without digesting all that sugar, salt and fat that made me feel guilty (not to mention sluggish). My friends and colleagues in the political journalism world looked at me askance, until they savored the food I cooked for potlucks or at my place.

I've picked up a lot of tricks-of-the-cooking trade from my mom, magazines, and cookbooks since my days in the dorm at Penn State. I even landed an internship with "Good Morning America" on ABC News, where I managed the recipes webpage and sent out weekly recipe e-newsletters. All these sources also helped me learn a thing or two about prepared foods and ways to save money and calories eating out.

My last roommate once half-jokingly nicknamed me "food expert" because I answered her burning questions with authority. Now, while I'm hardly a bona fide expert, in this space with my friend Alison (who is a bona fide dietitian), I am looking forward to more adventures with food and sharing old and new tips with young, single types like us who also want to eat healthy on a budget.

Living the Talk...

My job every day is to inspire and empower others to make positive diet and lifestyle changes, but I would be lying if I didn't admit that once in a while I open my own fridge after a long day at work, scratch my head and then grab a bowl of cereal.

While breakfast for dinner doesn't always have to be a nutritional disaster, and I do try to "live the talk" most days of the week, the point is that when you're cooking for one or two it can be challenging at times to think of new, delicious and nutritious meals. Not to mention all the other "food centric" situations that young working singles deal with on a daily basis, whether it's preparing for a dinner party with friends; trying to impress that special someone with your culinary prowess; or trying to order something healthy off the menu without breaking the budget or your calorie bank... I've probably been there. This is my venue for sharing ideas and recipes, learning from others and attempting to satisfy my appetite for all things food... I'm one Hungry RD.