Turducken

I figured Halloween calls for an extra-special recipe, so here we are.

_{o_o}

I believe this feast of epic-ness was from 2007, but I figured I’d document it for future reference, should we ever choose to embark on a mission like this again.

Turducken

Ingredients:
-10-12 lb. turkey, deboned except for wings & legs
-5-6 lb. duck, completely deboned
-3-4 lb. chicken, completely deboned
-2 3/4 cups prepared savory bread stuffing, room temperature
-2 cups prepared cornbread stuffing, room temperature
-1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup whole berry cranberry sauce
-4 tbsp butter
-3 cloves garlic, cut in quarters
-6 fresh sage leaves
-2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
-1 tbsp browning sauce
-1 tbsp olive oil
-salt, pepper

Instructions
1) Have turkey, duck and chicken already deboned. (Save bones for stock). Keep poultry refrigerated until ready to use.
2) Measure out 2 1/4 cups bread stuffing and set aside. Place remaining 1/2 cup of studding in another bowl and mix with 1/2 cup cornbread stuffing, cranberry sauce, and pecans. Set remaining 1 1/2 cups cornbread stuffing aside.
3) Combine butter and finely chopped garlic, sage and thyme. Run hand under skin to separate and make a pocket, and distribute butter herb mixture evenly under skin.
4) Rub skin of turkey with browning sauce, then olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Flip turkey over (skin-side down) and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
5) Preheat oven to 300 F. Spread bread stuffing evenly over turkey cavity and place duck on top of bread stuffing (skin-side down).
6) Spread cranberry nut stuffing on top of open duck cavity and top with chicken (skin-side down). Spread cornbread stuffing on top of open chicken cavity.
7) Skewer back of chicken closed and bring up sides of duck to cover chicken. Skewer back of duck and bring up sides of turkey to cover duck. Turn turducken over and remove skewers except for the skewer holding the turkey together.
8 ) Roast for 3-4 hours (center of chicken ~165 F). Baste once each hour with pan juices. If turducken starts getting too browned, tent loosely with vegetable-spray-coated aluminum foil.
9) Let turducken rest 30 minutes before carving.

_{Here’s us making the appropriate epic poses/expressions in front of our meal.}

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first snowfall

Keeping this short, but it snowed yesterday! It’s not even November yet!

This is what my front yard looked like yesterday… The other footprints were what alerted me that one of my housemates was home. :O

Here’s my backyard from today. :O

Today was my first snow-shoveling experience. :O Here’s the giant shovel I used (I found it under the stairs). Foot included for size reference!

The fruits of my labor!

Soya Bean Turkey Rice

Another one of my dad’s creations! :] For the record, “豆瓣醬” is chili bean sauce and can likely be found in any Asian supermarket. :O

Soya Bean Turkey Rice

Ingredients:
-豆瓣醬
-tofu
-turkey, minced
-green peas
-onions
-rice

Instructions:
1) Cook the tofu, green beans and onions. Add turkey and rice. Mix in with 豆瓣醬, to taste.

Pumpkin Peanut Butter Oat Bars

Since Laura and I were experimenting with different pumpkin recipes, we decided on making these and the pumpkin applesauce muffins (largely due to the fact that we already had most of the ingredients it called for). It took about an hour to make both, which isn’t bad at all. :D We drastically reduced the sugar on this one since the original recipe called for 1.5 cups (…).

These are like chewy granola bars. We baked them in a pie tin since our baking pan was too big (recipe called for an 8×8 or so, and ours definitely was not).

Pumpkin Peanut Butter Oat Bars

Ingredients:
-1/2 cup peanut butter
-1 cup pumpkin puree
-2 cups oats
-1/4 cup dark brown sugar
-cinnamon, to taste
-nutmeg, to taste
-dried cranberries
-1 tbsp vanilla extract
-raisins, nuts, chocolate/white/peanut butter chips (1/3-1/2 cups; optional)

Instructions:
1) Combine all ingredients. Press into foil-lined and sprayed pan.
2) Bake at 350F for 22-25 minutes, cool, slice and serve. (Will look somewhat undone, but it sets while it cools.)

belay-certified

Just thought I’d share with the world–I am now belay-certified! <3

After our couples massage class on Tuesday, Melanie and I passed by the rock wall and went in to ask how much it cost to climb. Apparently, it’s free for all gym members, but you need someone certified to belay you and unless you know someone, you’ll have to pay. :O So, being Asian, we decided to bypass this by getting belay-certified so we could belay each other.  At 15 bucks for a 2-hour lesson and certification, it was a steal.

Our lesson was tonight. :D We learned how to tie the knots for if we were climbing and how to belay each other (and what to check for on each other before we started climbing, since we’re, y’know, putting our lives in each other’s hands and all). Our instructor asked if I’d done it before (belaying) since I apparently did it with such ease (I failed for a while earlier when I was tying that knot though, haha). In actuality, I just watched and did it in my head. I’m definitely better at learning when I get to actually do whatever it is that I’m learning. If there were a way to do this for cell bio, I’d be golden, but alas.

The importance of communication was definitely stressed (and for good reason). Hamidah and I were the first to take and pass the test. I actually didn’t even know our instructor was testing me until a guy walked over and started talking to her and she said, “Hold on, I’m testing someone right now.”

But hooray! :D We ran off to the other side of the wall to start climbing after we passed. Our other housemate failed the first time because she let go briefly with her right hand, although of course, I didn’t believe her. Oops. ._. But all is well, she’s passed too, so we’re good to go! I’m good at climbing the easy ones, but it is my goal to get through and past the crazy incline where you’re almost hanging upside down by the end of the school year! We’ll see how that goes.

I’ve been somewhat toying with the idea of participating in the bench press competition that Rutgers is having, but I’m going to be gone for the weekend of the actual competition. :[ I can be there for one of the qualifying rounds though, and I thought it might be fun? As a female, all I have to do is list 50% of my body weight for just 6 reps. >_> Maybe they’ll let me just do the qualifying round for fun?