Know when the right time is to pull your turkey from the oven, fryer or smoker.

You’ve got the turkey. 

He’s in the freezer. 

But when is the right time to pull him out?

Ever stick your hand in the turkey to stuff him and oh shoot!  There’s still ice in there!

This is not a good start to a long day of cooking.

You don’t want to be the ONE! 

We’ve got you covered.

Simply look up your turkey’s weight on this nifty cheat-sheet and you’ll know exactly when your turkey needs to be placed in the fridge to thaw.

Last week, we brought you a little info on rubs and recipes to cook your turkey using the oven and crockpot.

This week, we’ve included delicious recipes for smoked, deep-fried, instant pot and air fryer turkey.

Simply click on the “Print Recipe” button above the recipe and you’ll be able to easily print them.

If you don’t get a chance to try one of these recipes out, there is always Christmas or Easter or any time you have a hankerin’ for some turkey. 

What’s your favorite turkey recipe?

Does your family like the simple tried and true roasted turkey or do you go all out on the spices?

WHAT’S NEW ON THE FARM

Today, I finally got the garlic in the garden and put to bed for winter. The wind was blowing, but thankfully it was still in the 40’s.

I planted 4 times as much as I did last year, 367 cloves to be exact.

Last year, it was so easy to grow and popped up first thing in the spring when there was no green anywhere else on the farm.

How will you cook your turkey this year?

Oven baked/roasted, deep fried, smoked, instant pot, air fryer, crockpot…SO many options!

Over the next coupla weeks we’ll share with you our favorite recipes. 

We’ve got some interesting options whether you like it more on the simple side to extravagant rubs and exotic seasonings. 

Not sure what you like?

Take a look at some of these options for flavorings:

• Basic Herb Turkey Rub : This classic rub consists of flavor pairings like garlic, onion, thyme, rosemary and sage. The herbs perfectly complement the turkey while keeping the flavor simple.
• Brown Sugar and Spice Rub: Do you crave a hint of sweetness? Look for rubs with brown sugar, honey or maple syrup. Spices like cumin, mustard, cinnamon and cloves pair nicely with the sweet.
• Cajun Turkey Rub: Now here’s a way to add some serious spice and depth to turkey with the classic Cajun flavors of cayenne, paprika, garlic and oregano. The heat makes for an exciting Creole-style turkey.
• Lemon and Herb Rub: Use lemon zest and juice to give this rub a refreshing taste mixed with rosemary, thyme and parsley, it’s a Greek-inspired turkey seasoning.
• Coffee Rub: Have some coffee lovers in your life? The richness of coffee makes an unexpected addition to a turkey rub. Mixed with spices like chili powder, cumin and cinnamon for an incredible taste.
• Jerk Turkey Rub: Wishing you were on the beach instead of freezing for Thanksgiving? Imagine you’re there with the taste of a Caribbean turkey, use a jerk-style blend with habanero peppers, allspice, cloves, garlic, onion and thyme. It delivers spicy heat and warm flavors.

Don’t those ALL sound delicious?

How much rub do I need?

• Plan for about 3-4 tablespoons of rub per pound of turkey meat. Err on the side of more to be sure the flavor permeates.

Now, you’ve got your rub chosen, you know how much you need – here’s how to properly apply it to get the most flavor from your turkey.

How to Apply Turkey Rub

• Under the skin – Loosen the skin from the breast and thighs, rub some of the mix directly onto the meat, then replace the skin. This helps the rub penetrate through the meat.
• Over the skin – Coat the entire surface of the skin evenly with the rub. Try to avoid thick clumps.
• Body cavity – Fill the body and neck cavities with some of the rub for flavor from the inside out.
• Relax the rub – Once coated, let the rubbed turkey rest in the fridge 8-24 hours so the spices can deeply season the meat.

Cook as desired – Roast, grill, smoke or fry, which ever method you choose. The rub adds flavor throughout the entire cooking process.

We’ve got a couple of recipes to get you started:

• Oven Roasted: A Simply Perfect Roast Turkey
• Oven Roasted: Lemon Oregano Roasted Turkey
• Crockpot: Crockpot Turkey with Garlic Butter

Looking for something a little more challenging?

Next week, we’ll bring you recipes to smoke your turkey, use an instant pot or deep fry!

Simply click on the “Print Recipe” button above the recipe and you’ll be able to easily print them.

WHAT’S NEW ON THE FARM
Within the last 30 days, we’ve had 30 cows who’ve been calving.

We moved them close to the house, so we could keep a close eye on the first time mothers.

Thankfully, the weather has been fairly nice.  Only a couple nights dipping to 15*F, but nice warm sunny days.

It always amazes me how strong and determined they are.  Usually, within 15 minutes of them being born they are trying to stand and nurse.

I love watching them race across the field with their tails high in the air.

You got a great deal on a turkey or they didn’t have any small ones left, but you’ll NEVER eat this much. 

Or maybe you overslept and are running out of time and you need your turkey to roast quicker on Thanksgiving day. 

The one way to drastically reduce cooking time or stash away some turkey for later is to cut it up and piece it out. 

Either way, we’ve got you covered. 

Here’s a quick “How To” on cutting up your turkey into pieces.

It’s a chicken, but never the less, same concept.

We’ve also got written instructions below. 

Sure, you can’t beat the amazing appearance of a whole turkey on the table – delicious waves of steam rising off a lightly golden, perfectly plump meal.

But there are definitely times when practicality trumps presentation. 

Cutting up a turkey is a little tricky, but a sharp knife and a dry, stable cutting surface are all you need. You got this!

If you’re afraid you’ll destroy the turkey on the big day, try it out on a chicken. Have one for dinner in the days leading up and practice your skills. 

Here you go!

Step-By-Step Instructions to Cut Up a Turkey

 It’s easier if your turkey is slightly frozen or very cold.

1. The first thing you’ll want to do is cut through the breast meat along the keel bone on both sides and then down the neck along the wishbone.  We’re not going to breast it out at this point.  It’s just easier to get the cuts in before the rib cage is unstable with the legs missing.
2. Next, take the legs of your turkey and pry them apart from the main body of the turkey.  Now you can easily cut the skin where the legs attach.  Once the skin is cut, spread the legs even further until you hear the joints in the thigh bones pop.  Now you can cut the meat along the back of the turkey and through the thigh bone joint to remove the leg and thigh.
3. To separate the leg and thigh, flip the piece over with the skin side on the cutting board.  You can see a muscle line between the leg and the thigh.  Cut right through this line.  This should separate out the leg from the thigh.
4. Repeat for the other leg.
5. Now for the wings.  When you look closely at the wings you can see a ring where it attaches to the body.  Run your knife right around this ring.  It should cut right through the wing joining and remove the wing. 
6. With the wing removed, let’s separate the wing drumette from the wing bow.  When you look closely at the wing, you can see a line of muscle down the center of the wing separating the two pieces.  Cut right down this line and it should cut between the joint and provide you with your two pieces.
7. Repeat for the other wing.
8. Time to remove the breast meat. Continue with your cuts you made next to the keel bone down along the rib cage.  The breast meat should easily come off.
9. Repeat for the other breast.

You did it!

That wasn’t so hard, was it?

Now, you can prepare your parts as you would a whole turkey (brine, butter, baste and season if/as you will). 

•  Start in a preheated 450° oven, cooking only the breasts and wings for 30 min.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 325° and add the thighs and drumsticks. Roast for 60 min. or until done (turkey should reach 165° as a final temperature; the parts will cook at different rates, so be sure to temp each part separately).
• Remember to tent the turkey with foil when it’s removed from the oven and let the meat rest at least 30 min. before serving (temperature will increase as the turkey stands).

WHAT’S NEW ON THE FARM

Two weeks ago, we rounded up the cows in Izee and brought them to the farm to calve. They started arriving on Thursday! 

But, one of my favorite memories of rounding up the cows actually came when the work was done. I took all the kids down to the river to play and I got to soak my feet. They tossed around algae clumps, pulled off a leach, chased after minnows with ball caps for nets and had lots of laughter.

I hope you find the precious few moments there are to enjoy the time with your loved ones making memories whether it’s everyday things or special occasions.

Don’t worry, next week I’ll have plenty of baby calf pictures for you. 🙂

Don’t be caught with not enough or WAY too much turkey at your Thanksgiving gathering. 

Can you really have TOO MUCH turkey? Who are we kidding!

You may be thinking, Thanksgiving?  Already?!  It’s never to early to start planning, right?  Sure makes life a lot less stressful as the big day arrives.

So, let’s figure out just how big your bird needs to be.

How many guests will be at your Thanksgiving get-together? You’ll need to figure about 1 1/4lbs per person. So let’s do the math.

Example: It’s you, your spouse and the in-laws: 4 adults. You’ll need about 1.25lbs per person.
4 people x 1.25lbs = 5 lb turkey

All these numbers hurting your brain?  LOL!  No worries!  We’ve done the math for you.  Simply find the number of guests and wala!  You have the size of turkey you need to purchase.

Number of Guests	Turkey Weight (lbs)
4	5
6	8
8	10
10	13
12	15
15	20
20	25
25	32

I don’t know about your house, but we’ve got a lot of kids at ours.  If you do as well, just round down.  Kids usually go for the rolls and side dishes, or dessert if allowed, and leave little room for turkey.

If you are feeding a large group, consider buying two smaller birds. Smaller turkeys will cook faster and more evenly.

We’ve still got a few turkeys left. 

If you’re looking for a tasty nutritious alternative to the turkeys you’ll find at the grocery store, give ours’ a try.

My father-in-law can’t eat a turkey from the store.  However they process or raise them, there is something there that makes him sick to his stomach.  He makes sure I have one for him every year.

I’d love to hear a bit about your Thanksgiving gatherings.  How many people typically show up at your door? Or does your family travel? 

We tend to head out to the in-laws.  It’s been a tradition for many years to have Thanksgiving there.  We’ve had upwards of 50 people down to just a couple dozen.

What’s New on the Farm

Piglets!! Yesterday, our sow Winnie, had 9 piglets.

They are just the cutest. Enjoy this little video watching them squirm around at only a few hours old.

Mom’s snoozing away after an exhausting morning.

You’ve cut off the pieces with all the meat…now what to do with the bones and rib cage?

Make your own homemade chicken stock, of course!

Perfect for soups and casseroles or to sip when you’ve got the sniffles.

Hopefully, you’ve saved the backbone and rib cage after we cut up our chicken.

Now’s the time to pull it out of your freezer!

These bones are are the perfect ingredient for creating flavorful, healthy chicken broths and soups due to their high collagen, protein, vitamin, and mineral content.

Did you know there is a difference between stock and broth?

 I didn’t!

They are so often used interchangeably. 

So, what’s the difference?

Broth is usually a clear soup and made from simmering the meat to create a flavorful and thinner consistency liquid. 

Stock is typically made from bones versus meat, and often herbs are used to boost the flavor. Stock is thicker than broth. It also contains more calories, fat, protein, vitamins and minerals than you will find in broth.

How long does chicken stock take to make?

The longer the stock simmers, the more flavor you’ll extract from the bones. Plan on two to four hours of cooking time on the stovetop or about 10 hours in a slow cooker, then allow some time for the stock to cool before you store it. 

What goes in the pot to flavor chicken stock?

Traditional stock calls for carrots, onions, and celery, plus fresh or dried herbs. Once you know how to make chicken stock, you can customize it with whatever you like. 

Do I need any special equipment to make chicken stock?

A large pot or slow cooker, plus a large metal spoon or ladle to skim off the foam or other impurities from the surface of the stock. You’ll also need a fine-mesh sieve or strainer to strain your stock through. 

Can I freeze chicken stock?

Stock freezes beautifully—it will keep for about three months. Cool, then skim off the excess fat from the surface and divide the stock among ziplock bags or jars (don’t fill the jars all the way—the liquid will expand as it freezes). You can also pour your stock into muffin cups and freeze until set, then pop out and freeze in a resealable plastic bag—you’ll have perfectly portioned disks. 

Here you go!

Give it a shot!

What’s New on the Farm?

We have three peahens. For the last month, one has been missing. We were hoping that she found a place to hide and was setting on eggs and didn’t come to demise from a predator. 

Well!!  The day before yesterday, I walked down to the chicken house to gather eggs and THERE SHE WAS!!  With two little pea chicks in tow!

Mom is constantly snapping and clicking and talking to her little chicks and they make a constant chirping noise very different from chicks. 

Includes delicious, quick and simple recipes, so you don’t waste a single bite!

Now you’ve got your chicken all cut-up.

What are all these pieces?

How should I cook them?

Don’t waste any of these cuts which are packed with flavor and essential nutrients.

We’ll lay it all out for you.

• Where the pieces are located on the chicken.
• What type or recipes they are commonly used in,
• as well as how to cook them, so you can savor every bite.

Boneless Chicken Breast

Chicken breasts are probably the most known and used part of a chicken. The breast is a lean cut of white meat that comes from the bird’s chest and is packed with protein. Chicken breast works in a variety of recipes with its mild taste and quick cooking time.

• Common uses: Salads, dishes with a sauce, sandwiches, stir-fries 
• How to cook: Oven bake, grill, poach, sauté or barbecued
• Recipes:
  • Quick Chicken Piccata
  • Crunchy French Onion Chicken
  •  Pan-Fried Lemon Garlic Chicken

Chicken Thigh

If you want a juicy, tender cut of meat, cook with chicken thighs. The thigh is a dark meat that comes from the upper part of the chicken’s leg.They are fattier than breasts, making them juicy and flavorful when cooked correctly.

Chicken thighs work wonderfully in slow cooker recipes, but you can also marinate them overnight then grill, saute with veggies, or bake them in the oven. 

• Common uses: Casseroles, sheet pan dinners, barbecues
• How to cook: Smoking, frying, barbequing
• Recipes:
  • Creamy Mushroom Chicken Skillet with Bacon
  •  Grilled Chicken Fajitas
  •  Sheet-Pan Honey Chili Chicken with Veggies

Chicken Drumsticks

Drumsticks are a dark cut of meat that comes on the bone and is from the lower part of the chicken’s leg. Chicken drumsticks are easy to cook. They are a favorite for barbequing on the grill. Unleash your creativity, try different herbs, spices and marinades.

• Common uses: Barbecues, sheet pan dinners
• How to cook: Grill, oven bake
• Recipes:
  • Oven-Baked Chicken Drumsticks in Honey Soy
  • Air Fryer Chicken Legs
  • Grilled Chicken Drumsticks

Chicken Wings

The wings are a white cut of meat and is best cooked in the oven or on the grill drenched in your favorite marinade. There are three sections to the wing: the wing tip (the outermost section that is typically thrown away), the drumette (this looks like a small drumstick), and the wingette. 

Chicken wings are most commonly baked or fried and eaten as a finger food and are popular served as an appetizer or an entree.

Chicken wings can be messy to eat, but they’re delicious: crispy on the outside and soft and tender on the inside. Brine and/or marinate your chicken wings overnight to infuse them with flavor before you cook.

• Common uses: Barbecues, sharing platters, 
• How to cook: Grill, oven bake, deep fry, air fry
• Recipes:
  • Crispy Baked Chicken Wings
  • Amazing and Easy Chicken Wings
  • Fried Chicken Wings

Chicken Tenderloin

The tenderloin is a tender, long, thin muscle of meat hidden between the breast and the ribs. Chicken tenders are a kid favorite.

The tenderloin and breast meat can be swapped for each other in most recipes. Chicken tenderloins are a great option if you own an air fryer because they’re small and quick to cook.

• Common uses: Salads, dishes with a sauce, sandwiches, stir-fries 
• How to cook: Oven bake, grill, poach, sauté, air fryer
• Recipes:
  • Healthy Baked Chicken Tenders
  • Cracker Barrel Chicken Tenders
  • Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Tenders

Just about every bit of the chicken has a use.

Did you know even the rib cage can be made into something delicious and full of nutrients?

Next time, we’ll show you how to boil your rib cage to make chicken stock and  soup.

So, save that rib cage!  Don’t throw it out!

Stick it in a Ziplock bag and toss it in the freezer.  We’ll get to that next!

What’s New on the Farm?

Baby Turkeys!!  Or poults as they are called.

Last year, we purchased a heritage breed of turkey called Holland Whites.  Our hopes were they would produce their own offspring, thus our farm being a step closer to having a sustainable source for turkeys.  

Well….after many eggs and months of waiting on setting turkeys, they have yet to produce any offspring.

Thankfully, there are still some great semi-local sources for turkeys and they were not sold out.

Today, they arrived!

We’ve brought home raised turkeys to Thanksgiving for the last 3 years.  My father-in-law can’t eat commercially raised turkey.  Whatever they feed them or however they process them, it makes him sick.  BUT our home raised turkeys don’t affect him other than a stretched tummy from eating too much.

Have you ever had a home grown turkey?

Give them a try, you’ll never go back. 

CLICK HERE and you can place your deposit on one now for your family for this November.

You’re thinking about purchasing a whole chicken.

BUT how in the heck do you cut one up if you only want to use the legs?  And how do you get the rest of the pieces off?

Well don’t worry!  I’ve got you covered.

Watch this step-by-step video and you’ll be parting your chicken out like a pro.

Maybe next time I’ll get my whole face. 🙂

Incase you’re someone who learns best by reading, I’ve got the steps below:

Okay, so we’ve got the whole chicken here on the cutting board.  It’s easier if your chicken is slightly frozen or very cold.

The first thing you’ll want to do is cut through the breast meat along the keel bone on both sides and then down the neck along the wishbone.

We’re not going to breast it out at this point.  It’s just easier to get the cuts in before the rib cage is unstable with the legs missing.

Next, take the legs of your chicken and pry them apart from the main body of the chicken.  Now, you can easily cut the skin where the legs attach.  Once the skin is cut, spread the legs even further until you hear the joints in the thigh bones pop.  Now, you can cut the meat along the back of the chicken and through the thigh bone joint to remove the leg and thigh.

To separate the leg and thigh, flip the piece over with the skin side on the cutting board.  You can see a muscle line between the leg and the thigh.  Cut right through this line.  This should separate out the leg from the thigh.

Repeat for the other leg.

Now for the wings.  When you look closely at the wings you can see a ring where it attaches to the body.  Run your knife right around this ring.  It should cut right through the wing joint and remove the wing. 

With the wing removed, let’s separate the wing drumette from the wing bow.  When you look closely at the wing, you can see a line of muscle down the center of the wing separating the two pieces.  Cut right down this line and it should cut between the joint and provide you with your two pieces.

Repeat for the other wing.

Time to remove the breast meat. Continue with your cuts you made next to the keel bone down along the rib cage.  The breast meat should easily come off.

Repeat for the other breast.

You did it!

That wasn’t so hard, was it?

You now have all the pieces of the chicken parted out to cook or freeze for another meal.

What’s the best way to cook each of these pieces and what are some great recipes? 

Find out in our next blog!

Also keep an eye out for how to boil your rib cage to make some delicious chicken stock and  soup.

What’s New on the Farm?

Is there something you used to do as a kid and not think twice about and now as an adult it either scares you or you’re afraid you’re going to fail?

I’m in the process of training my two three year old fillies.  As a teenager, I had all the confidence in my ability to train a horse and I was very proud I could produce a calm, quiet, family friendly mount.

Not sure if it’s age or the fact that I am VERY out of practice, but they intimidate me now more than ever and I’m either afraid I’m going to get myself hurt or ruin a perfectly good horse.

It’s been hard to work through this.  I’m on my second day trying to get back into the routine of working them.  I can tell you, there has been lots of YouTube video watching and reading of articles, gleaning everything I can.

Here’s hoping I can stay committed and gain back my confidence to get these girls pulling carts and carrying a rider by the end of the summer.

Aren’t they beautiful! Their names are Bunny and Dot. Ever read Little House on the Prairie? Laura Ingalls had a horse named Bunny (actually it was a mule) and my Bunny was also born on Easter.

Dot got her name because she has one little black dot inside her white patches.

What is your favorite animal?

Leave a comment, I’d love to know!

P.S. Don’t be afraid to cut up that chicken and save a little. 

Okay…so now you’ve cooked a whole chicken…what do you do with all the leftovers? 

With a family our size, we usually have very few.

But if there are only a couple of you at home, there’s enough there for a couple extra meals. 

Our favorite thing to make with the leftovers is Chicken Alfredo. Mmm… the creamy tang of cream cheese and garlic make this irresistible.

Or how about chicken spaghetti? It’s quick and easy to make, yet hearty and delicious.

It’s a great way to use leftover chicken!

You can never go wrong with a great chicken soup recipe.

I was over at my sister’s several years back and she made the best chicken soup: The Lady’s Chicken Noodle Soup.

My kids, who are picky eaters, don’t care for vegetables in the soup and this was the perfect combination.

Ever thought of using your chicken in a wrap?  With strawberries?  It’s a perfect dinner for a warm day or pack it up and take it to work. What a wonderfully satisfying lunch.

Get the recipes below and start cooking!

I’m sure you’ll love them all!

• It’s SO GOOD Chicken Spaghetti
• The Lady’s Chicken Noodle Soup
• Summertime Chicken & Strawberry Wrap

Mmm..Mmmm!!  I can taste them already.

Now,

What’s New on the Farm?

One of the reasons we started farming was to raise the highest quality food possible for our family both in taste and nutritiousness.

Raising high quality food also comes with a lot of work.  Now, we could save ourselves a lot of time by just buying commercial feed from the feed stores, but we’d do so at the sacrifice of our health.

Something I’m not willing to do.

We grind our own feed from a whole pea, barley and wheat mix we get from a family farm in Pendleton, OR.

No corn or soy in this mix.

The animals love it.

Click on the video and watch us grind it up!

Don’t forget to grab those leftover roasted chicken recipes. 

What’s your favorite way to use leftover roasted chicken?  I love to try new recipes.  Leave a comment!