Pumpkin Bread

Here's a "holiday" recipe that you could really make any time of the year. My sister-in-law Amber shared it with us. Matt loves it, and my Mum begged for the recipe. I believe this recipe makes 3 loaves.
Thanks for sharing, Amber! (As typed by Amber.)

3 ½ cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
3 cups sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup oil
1 teaspoon baking powder
4 eggs – beaten
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 can pumpkin (15 oz)
1 teaspoon ground allspice
2/3 cup water
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves

Cream sugar, eggs and oil. Add pumpkin and mix well. Add flour and spices to batter alternating with water. Mix well. Grease and flour 3 1 lb. loaf pans (8” x 3 ¾” x 2 3/8” disposable aluminum pans – it seems to do better in the disposable ones. Can make in another). Divide batter between the 3 pans and bake. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until done. Use toothpick method to test for doneness.

When the pumpkin bread is done I let the pans cool about 20* minutes and then wrap in Saran or Reynolds type plastic wrap (Glad Wrap). The plastic wrap seals in the moisture as the pumpkin bread cools. I have left some without doing the wrap, as it stays moist for the short time we have it before eaten.

* This is still hot but you should not burn your fingers.

Merry Christmas: Celebration Turkey!

Since I started this blog on Christmas Eve, I think it's only fitting that my first recipe should be my Celebration Turkey! I roast my turkey this way for both Thanksgiving and Christmas, and I always get wonderful compliments.

1 Turkey (of course), around 15 lbs depending on number of family and friends
1 bottle of Tony Chachere's "Creole Butter" Injectible Marinade
20 oz (around 600ml) of good quality apple juice
20 oz water
2 Lemons
1 Onion, peeled
Seasoning Salt

Preheat your oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit (around 260 degrees Celsius).

In the bottom of your baking pan, pour in the apple juice and water. (Apple juice is a great substitute for white wine in recipes, and adds a nice tang to the gravy, if you make it from the pan drippings.)

Prepare your turkey as you normally would, taking out the neck and gizzards (I discard mine, but some people roast them in with the turkey or put the gizzards in the pan drippings for more flavour). Wash and dry your turkey.
Put the turkey in a baking pan, preferably on a rack, breast side up.
Cut the lemons and onion into quarters, and stuff them into the turkey cavity.
Inject the marinade into the turkey's breasts and legs. This helps the turkey to stay wonderful and moist, and also adds some wonderful buttery flavour. I use about half of the bottle to inject.
Pour the remaining marinade over the top of the turkey, and sprinkle with seasoning salt for a bit of colour and taste.

The turkey is now ready to put into the oven! Put the baking pan as low in the oven as you can, so that the top of the turkey doesn't dry out or burn.
Set the timer for 30 minutes. When the timer goes off, you need to make an aluminium foil "breast shield" for the turkey. Get a double thickness of foil, and press in and over the breasts, to protect them from drying out and burning. You can also take this time to cover the tips of the wings, if needed.
You will also, at this stage, turn the oven down to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (around 175 degrees Celsius).
The best way to guage if your turkey is cooked is with an oven-proof digital probe thermometer. Insert the probe into the thickest part of the turkey breast, through the foil.
Set the alert (if you have one) to 165 degrees Fahrenheit (or 74 degrees Celsius). The minimum internal temperature should reach 165 °F for food safety.

When the alert sounds, remove the turkey from the oven, and let rest for at least 15 minutes. I like to leave mine rest for 30-40 minutes, which gives me plenty of time to put my Mashed Potato Casserole and my Sweet Potato Casserole in the oven.