So this Thanksgiving was a bit
bittersweet for my family. My Gram has been in and out of the
hospital since July, so she wasn't able to be with us this
Thanksgiving. I usually go over to her house in the morning and help
her get the turkey in the oven. It is such a wonderful tradition
that we've created, and I really hope that one day it continues with
my children and either my Mom or myself. Before I volunteered my
services, we used to get both Thanksgiving and Christmas catered.
While the catering was good, I missed the home-cooked holiday dinner.
So for roughly the past 10 years, a little longer if memory serves
correct, I've spent every Thanksgiving morning with my Gram. We
would chat and prep the holiday dinner, have a cup of tea and watch
part of the parade. This year I still wanted to help out any way I
could, so in the morning, I went next door to my Mother's and helped
her get the turkey in the oven. This was her first year ever hosting
Thanksgiving. Although the company was different, the tradition was
still the same. We chatted, and I had a cup of tea.
After the prep work was complete, I
went home, got ready and the boys and I went to the other side of the
family for brunch. But went back to my Mom's for dinner later on.
Of course I asked my Mom if she needed any help when I got there, so
I wound up making the Sweet Potatoes on a whim. After my Dad took
the turkey out of the oven, the topic of a homemade gravy came up. I
said that it was simple and that although I've never made it before,
I could certainly try it out. Never be afraid to try to cook
something. Especially if you have a backup sitting on the counter
next to the stove!
My Dad strained the drippings, skimming
all the fat off of it, I think we had about 100 ounces altogether.
Just take the drippings a little at a time in a saucepan. Adding a
teaspoon at a time of flour, whisking it in until you get your
desired thickness. Make sure you whisk out any and all lumps. Since
the turkey was seasoned with rosemary and thyme, I added a little of
each of these spices into each “batch” of gravy that I made. It
came out fantastic! It really was so, so simple! From now on, I
will be making my own poultry gravies, and saving a huge amount in
the long-run! If you become afraid of cooking, afraid of something
being too complicated, or of something not coming out edible (never
mind even being good!) you genuinely hinder what capabilities you may
have. And please, don't just use this advice in the kitchen!
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