Thanksgiving, Turkey Bento

Today I made the twins a special lunch for their last daycare day before the American Thanksgiving. This bento is inspired by this upcoming holiday. At the bottom of the box there is an Almond Butter and Pumpkin Butter sandwich shaped like a turkey. The eye of the turkey was created with a small dot of frosting. This turkey sits on a bed of apple cinnamon rice cakes and some string cheese. Up in the left corner is some corn, legendarily the food shared by the "Indians" and Pilgrims at the first Thanksgiving. Above the corn is some turkey meat. On the right is a small orange called a "cutie" with a small french fry to look like a pumpkin.

Happy Holiday!

Thanksgiving, the Gorgefest that is an American Tradition.

This year several little ones have brought together a fresh configuration of family members that are usually scattered to the winds. The gathering was a treat and the wee ones, a joy. The meal was strong on the traditional with a bit of adventure, too. For the first time, we had a Heritage Turkey, a bird much closer to those found in Pilgrim times than the ones we buy at the supermarket today. I found this turkey to be really tender and juicy. The meat was served with a cognac reduction sauce which complimented the poultry completely. This was the best part of the meal for me. It took a lot of will power to keep from taking a second helping. I tried to be modest in my gluttony this Thanksgiving. A Sweet Potato Soufflé in individual ramekins and an excellent Mushroom Dressing stood out as pleasant twists on the standard dishes.

For my part, I made a Pumpkin Cheesecake, another slight deviation from the regular fare. Never having made any kind of a Cheesecake before, I was pretty pleased with the results. Here are two things I learned about Cheesecake that you may be interested in; one cheesecake is made of entirely too much cream cheese, and two, cheesecake can be sliced with dental floss – preferably not mint.

Topped off with some exceptional wine (Sea Smoke), this Thanksgiving was superb. I hope a meal this good becomes a long standing tradition.

Thanksgiving - common problems - simple solutions

problem

You know that you have more requests for white meat than dark and would like to have beautiful slices of turkey breast to serve when you bring out the platter

solution

Make a turkey breast the day before. Refrigerate overnight and it will be very easy to slice. Warm in oven after other turkey is out and resting.

problem

Should you cook stuffing inside the turkey?

solution

Most professional chefs don't. Some feel there could be health concerns. The bird's cooking times will vary. They cook the stuffing separately where they have more control and usually warm it just before serving. Instead stuff the turkey with chopped aromatic vegetables ( onions, celery, carrots) maybe some garlic cloves even things like cut up lemons and oranges.

problem

How do I cut calories or make the dishes lighter? Some people seem to always be on a diet. How do I satisfy these people?

solution

Forget about it! Let them diet on the other 364 day's.