Holiday Leftovers

The reason I love thanksgiving is that it's a time of reflection when we can take stock of just how lucky we are to have a home and family. Those are the things that are most important. We take so much for granted in this country. There are more than 3 million people who are homeless in America. Children who don't know when their next meal will come. This is happening today. It started in 1980 when the homeless rate grew dramatically. This coincides with the election of that prick Ronald Reagan. I witnessed this first hand when I was a social worked at the time. Reagan opened up the doors of the mental hospitals and put the people, who were being cared for in those facilities, on the streets to fend for themselves.

Hunger in America effects some 15 million children who are considered chronically undernourished.  Imagine trying to go to school and concentrate on learning when you haven't had a good nutritional meal in two days. So, this is a plea to the 6 people who read this blog to find their local food bank and donate this holiday season, and please to do it on a regular basis. Thank you.

OK, enough about helping people. I don't know if I like the actual holiday meal or the leftovers better. Food just tastes so good after it's had a day in the refrigerator. There are so many things you can do with the remains of a turkey.

Some years I have boiled the carcass remains, and made a nice hearty turkey soup. It's been tradition for Geri to make a pie crust, and we construct a turkey pot pie, but pie crust is a lot of work, and we are very busy people. So, this year pot pie is not in the cards.

The other thing I like about TG is the day after our friends Alex and Suzanne have a party, and about twenty of us gather to have baked ziti. Suzanne does several excellent versions with a sausage, a chicken, and a vegan one. It's great not to cook after having slaved the day before.

The highlight of our meal this year was Geri's mashed potatoes. The recipe is included below. That, along with making turkey salad sandwiches is my blog for this week, complete with photos. This year I deboned the turkey right after the meal and yesterday, Saturday, I made turkey salad sandwiches, with fresh baked wheat bread, and it came out smokin'.

So, here's a nice recipe for those leftovers. Peace, and once again, please be thoughtful of those who are less fortunate.

Make Food/Not War

Geraldine's Mashed potatoes

Ingredients:
4 pounds peeled russet potatoes
1 tablespoon kosher salt + more for later
1 cup whipping cream
8 tablespoons of butter sliced
fresh ground pepper to taste
large pinch of nutmeg
2 tablespoons fresh chives
small handful of parsley medium chop

Directions:
1) Peel the potatoes and cut into eights. Place in a large pot and cover with cold water. Add a teaspoon of salt and bring to a simmer at medium high heat. Cook till the potatoes are cooked through, 12-15 minutes. Drain to remove as much of the water as possible.

2) Heat the cream in a saucepan over low heat till it's warm. Do not let it boil.

3) In a large mixing bowl mash the potatoes with a handheld potato masher until they reach the texture you desire, add the nutmeg, chives, parsley, and then fold in the cream and butter.

4) Adjust salt and pepper to your taste.

To serve as potato pancakes like shown in the photo below. Add one large tablespoon of breadcrumbs per potato pancake, mix well, and fry in a skillet with olive oil.

Turkey salad

leftover steamed veggies

potato pancakes before the frying pan 

side one

side two

Q- What's for dinner?  A- leftovers

Turkey Salad Sandwiches: Cut the leftover turkey up into 1/4 cubes, and dice onions, celery and then mix with mayonnaise, fresh parsley, slat and pepper to taste. This sandwich was served on toasted whole wheat bread, on a bed of spring lettuce, and avocado on top, with leftover steamed veggies, and the potato pancake.