Roast Turkey
March 20th, 2009 | 
Author: Making a roast turkey is very easy to do. We cook a lot of turkey in our household because it is a good source of protein and it can be used in a variety of dishes. Most of the time is spent cooking. It is not as hard as it looks.
Start by obtaining a whole bird and make sure it is completely thawed, first. Note its weight and plan for a cooking time according to the table below:
| Net Weight | Unstuffed (Hrs.) | Stuffed (Hrs.) |
| 14 – 16 Lbs. | 3 – 3 ½ Hrs. | 3 ½ – 3 ¾ Hrs. |
| 16 – 18 Lbs. | 3 ½ – 3 ¾ Hrs. | 3 ¾ – 4 Hrs. |
| 18 – 20 Lbs. | 3 ¾ – 4 Hrs. | 4 – 4 ½ Hrs. |
| 20 – 22 Lbs. | 4 – 4 ½ Hrs. | 4 ½ – 5 Hrs. |
| 22 – 24 Lbs. | 4 ½ – 5 Hrs. | 5 – 5 ½ Hrs. |
Note: the actual cooking time may vary from this chart. The turkey will be done when the temperature in the deepest part of the thigh reaches 180° and when the juices are clear when the thigh muscle is carved (not reddish pink).
Shown below is a shot of the ingredients that I use to prepare the turkey before roasting: olive oil, sage, thyme, a brush and a cooking thermometer.
I will add about 1/4 cup of olive oil to a small dish (shown above), then I will add about 2 – 3 tsp of thyme and about 1 to 1 1/2 tsp of sage to the dish.
Rinse the cavities of the bird with fresh water and clean them out. Remove the neck and giblet pack. Place the turkey in a roasting pan breast side up and arrange the neck and giblets in a free space in the pan.
Preheat the oven to 325°.
Brush the skin with the oil and spice mix. This will prevent drying of the skin and will add flavor. Optionally, lightly salt the skin after brushing the oil and spice mix.
Insert the thermometer in the deepest part of the thigh without touching the bone.
Shown below is a shot of the prepared turkey, ready to cook. By now, the oven should be ready.
Place the roasting pan and turkey in the oven so the thermometer is visible, close the door and set a timer for about 2/3rds of the amount of cooking time. In this case I am cooking an 18 lb. unstuffed bird, so I will set the timer for about 2 hours and 45 minutes.
After the turkey has been cooking for about 2/3rds of the cooking time, cover the breast with a piece of aluminum foil to keep from overcooking the breast.
Close the door and set the timer for about 30 minutes less than the remaining cooking time. Check it at that time to make sure you don’t overcook. Continue cooking until it is done, checking it every 10 or 15 minutes. When the thermometer reaches 180°, the bird is done.
Shown below is a shot of the finished turkey. It is ready to carve.
After carving the turkey, you can make a delicious soup from the carcass. That way you don’t waste anything.
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Study Shows Daily Vitamin Use Affects Telomere Length
Telomeres are structures on the ends of chromosomes which determine how many times a cell can divide. Each time a cell divides, a little bit of the telomeres are shaved off. The more times a cell divides, the shorter the telomeres become. The longer the telomeres, the more times a cell can divide. Thus, it is important to understand what factors affect telomere length.
The length of the telomeres are directly related to aging and health. Shorter telomeres have been linked with higher mortality along with increased risk of some chronic diseases. Factors like diet, stress, vitamins, etc. can be important.
A recent clinical study conducted by researchers at the National Institutes of Health has shown that the length of telomeres were affected by the use of multivitamins. The study was reported online on March 11, 2009 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The study was done on a group of 586 women between the ages of 35 and 74 and showed that daily users of multivitamins had, on average, 5.1 percent longer telomeres compared with nonusers.
Instant Green Drink
This is the recipe for our morning green drink. I found that it gives me energy and holds me over before breakfast so I can go for a morning walk without getting hungry. It takes about 5 minutes to make. Use a hand blender to blend all the ingredients and use an old jar with a lid that you can save from some other food product. The hand blender we use is a Cuisinart Smart Stick. We got it at our local Bed, Bath & Beyond store.
The Berry Greens we use are called “Delicious Berry Greens 8000”. They are made by Pakonen Nutraceuticals Inc. (www.greens8000.com), but they are available from many online distributors at better prices. Just search Google for “Delicious Berry Greens 8000”.
The Spirulina powder and the Barley Grass powder we use is from Starwest Botanicals and they each come in a 1-lb re-sealable bag. The Chlorella powder we use is called Jarrow Formulas “Yaeyama Chlorella” (1 kg) . We buy all 3 of these from from VitaCost.com (www.vitacost.com).
Instant Green Drink (makes 2 servings)
- 1 tbsp Spirulina powder
- 2 scoops Berry Greens (it comes with a scoop)
- 1 tbsp Chlorella powder
- 1 tbsp Barley Grass powder
- 24 oz drinking water (bottled, distilled or filtered)
Directions:
Add 1 tbsp Spirulina to an empty glass shaker (with lid). We use an empty jar with lid that we saved from some other food product. Add about 8 oz drinking water to the jar (bottled, distilled or filtered). Mix with a hand blender for a few seconds. This is to mix the Spirulina. It tends to get clumpy if you don’t mix it first. Next, add the Berry Greens, then the Chlorella and then the Barley Greens. Add more water bringing the total up to 24 oz (enough for 2 servings). Put the lid on the jar and shake it thoroughly for a few seconds to submerge all the powders, then remove the lid and blend with a hand blender for about 30-45 seconds. Make sure everything is blended thoroughly. Serve immediately. Makes 2 servings.
Appetite Suppressants
It is my opinion that the use of appetite suppressant pills to lose weight, especially those with stimulative effects and whether available over the counter or by prescription, should be avoided if possible. As recently as 2004 ephedra (ma huang) was banned from dietary supplements. It was widely sold and used and was eventually linked to serious side effects and some deaths.
There is a very large and profitable market for dietary supplements. While I do take vitamins and some supplements, I avoid all appetite suppressant pills because of the inevitable “drug rebound effect” that occurs (“the characteristic of a drug to produce reverse effects when the effect of the drug has passed or the patient no longer responds to it” – ref: http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=5234).
Diet pills may work for a short time, but eventually it weakens the body’s own mechanisms to deal with hunger because it is being supplanted by artificial means. The only solution is to withdraw from the pills – along with experiencing hunger – and to develop a sensible eating plan involving natural foods to give the body a chance to strengthen itself naturally.
Certain foods will act as natural appetite suppressants. Flaxseeds, oatmeal (not instant oatmeal), soups, salads and “green drinks” (made with chlorella, spirulina, barley greens or berry greens) are some of the best foods to stave off hunger. These foods are loaded with high quality nourishment that will increase energy and help keep you from being hungry.
Tags: Quick and Easy Veggie Soup
This is a quick and easy recipe for veggie soup that is also inexpensive and very healthy. This recipe makes enough to feed a small army or a large family (10 to 12 hefty servings). You can serve it "as-is" or you can add 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup cooked, diced turkey or chicken to the finished bowl.
It takes an hour and 20 minutes to cook, and total preparation time is about 15 to 20 to minutes. You can set a timer and go off and do something else while it is cooking. This is a very delicious soup and is sure to be a hit with family and company.
Veggie Soup Ingredients:
- 1 lb carrots
- 1/2 lb celery
- 1 large onion
- 2 vegetable bouillon cubes
- 10 cups water
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- *1 1/2 tsp salt (if using low sodium boillon)
Directions:
Add water to a 1 gallon pot and place on stove and turn up flame to get water boiling. In the meantime, chop the carrots, celery and onion. When the water starts to boil, add the bouillon cubes. The directions for bouillon cubes usually state 1 cube per cup of water but for this recipe we want a little less than half the concentration because the vegetables supply a lot of the flavor.
Allow water to boil until bouillon is completely dissolved. Use a wooden spoon to help break up the bouillon cubes, if necessary. Then add chopped vegetables, salt and pepper.
*Note: Be careful not to use too much salt. The amount of salt depends on whether you are using low sodium or regular bouillon cubes. Regular bouillon cubes are very salty. Taste first before adding any salt. In this example, I am using low sodium bouillon cubes. Adding 1-1/2 tsp of salt in this case will make it slightly under-salted, but not too bland.
Bring the mixture back to a boil, then reduce flame, cover and simmer for about 1 hour and 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve hot. Add cooked, diced chicken or turkey into the bowl to add protein and make more filling.
Shown below is a shot of all the ingredients. Very basic: carrots, celery and onion, bouillon cubes, salt and pepper.
Add water to a pot, then turn on the flame to bring water to a boil. While the water is heating, chop the veggies. I usually start with the celery, then the carrots and finally I chop the onion. Below is a shot of all the chopped vegetables, ready to go. By this time the water is starting to boil…
Add the bouillon cubes to the boiling water. Use a wooden spoon if necessary to help break them up. When the bouillon is completely dissolved, add the chopped veggies, salt and pepper (see note above regarding salt).
Bring the mixture back to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Cover and cook for about 1 hour and 20 minutes. You can set a timer and go off and do something else. Stir occasionally. If some of the water is lost during cooking, you can add it back at the end of the cooking time.
Use a soup ladle and serve hot. Optionally, add about 1/4 to 1/3 cup cooked, diced chicken or turkey to the bowl for a more filling meal. Store excess in 2 qt Mason jars in the refrigerator for later.
Avoid Hot Foods in Plastic Containers
Plastic containers should never be washed with hot water or in a dishwasher or used to cook or re-heat food in a microwave oven. Nor should hot food be stored in a plastic container without first allowing time for the hot food to cool down. Plastic food containers have been found to leach the toxic chemical BPA (Bisphenol A) among other harmful chemicals.
An article at the Scientific American website has the following to say about this:
“The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) found traces of BPA in nearly all of the urine samples it collected in 2004 as part of an effort to gauge the prevalence of various chemicals in the human body.”
The article goes on to say that BPA has been linked with “increased breast and prostate cancer occurrences, altered menstrual cycles and diabetes in lab mice.”
The article also states:
“If canned goods or clear plastic bottles are a must, such containers should never be microwaved, used to store heated liquids or foods, or washed in hot water (either by hand or in much hotter dishwashers).”
Plastics give off toxic chemicals whether heated or not. These chemicals will leach out into the contents of the plastic container. Heat only accelerates the process. The Scientific American article also states:
“When the polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins made from the chemical are exposed to hot liquids, BPA leaches out 55 times faster than it does under normal conditions”
Drinking bottled water is very popular nowadays. Try to avoid drinking water from plastic bottles and by all means, never drink from a plastic water bottle that has been sitting in the sun.
Canned Foods
Canned foods should be avoided wherever possible because the lining of the cans nowadays contains a toxic chemical called Bisphenol A (BPA). BPA has been linked to “birth defects of the male and female reproductive systems in over half of 97 cans of name-brand fruit, vegetables, soda, and other commonly eaten canned goods,” states the Environmental Working Group (the EWG). The EWG also states that “BPA is associated with a number of health problems and diseases that are on the rise in the U.S. population, including breast and prostate cancer and infertility.”
This is a big reason for cooking your own food. Always try to buy fresh fruit and vegetables and prepare them yourself on the spot. Fresh cooked foods will be at their peak of nutritional value and is one of the main working principles of my eating plan to lose weight. Sometimes it’s unavoidable, but please, for your own safety and health, try to avoid canned foods as much as possible.
Diet Soda
Diet soda is not only ineffective for permanent weight loss it can actually make it more difficult for you to lose weight. Diet soda contains artificial sweeteners and other artificial ingredients. The body will only have to cope with artificial ingredients because they are not of natural origin. This will result in a loss of energy and will usually backfire, causing you to consume more diet soda, which results in more reduction of energy, etc., etc. into a dwindling spiral. Anytime the body is forced to cope with unnatural ingredients the resulting loss of energy will cause an increase in appetite. More calories will have to be consumed to beat down hunger.
Diet soda is addictive like sugar. It is not unusual for one to become so addicted to diet soda that it is consumed by the litre every day. As more and more diet soda is consumed, the body will demand more and more calories in an effort to obtain the energy it needs to dispose of the artificial ingredients.
It doesn’t sound like a very good deal, does it?
Ground Beef with Mushrooms and Onions
This is a very simple recipe with a lot of possibilities. It can be prepared fairly quickly and easily (about 10 – 15 minutes). This dish can given a completely different character by using the various seasoning options.
I like the basic garlic and oregano version, but the other two seasoning options are equally good. One of the unusual ways to season this dish is to use toasted onions. Toasted onions used to be available in most stores in the spice section, but lately I haven’t seen them. You will have to find them either at a store that offers imported foods or you will have to obtain them online. You can add them dry after cooking or you can add them during cooking. I prefer to add them during cooking.
The third seasoning option is to use a little toasted sesame oil during cooking. Toasted sesame oil is available at most health food stores.
Ground Beef with Mushrooms and Onions
- 1 lb Ground beef
- 10 oz Sliced mushrooms
- 1 Medium onion
- Seasoning
Divide the ground beef into 4 parts and make 4 patties. Grill the patties until done. Chop the onion and add to a frying pan. Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook for about 10 minutes over a medium flame. Add seasoning while cooking. Top each patty with a portion of the cooked mushrooms and onions.
Seasoning Options (choose one from the following):
- Salt, pepper, garlic powder (or granulated garlic) and oregano
- Salt plus toasted onions (chopped/minced)
- Salt, pepper and toasted sesame oil
First, divide the pound of ground beef into 4 patties, then grill them.
While the meat is cooking, chop the onion and add the chopped onions to a frying pan. Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook for about 10 minutes or until done. Season the vegetables while they are cooking using one of the seasoning options.
Top each beef patty with the cooked and seasoned vegetables. Serve hot.
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