Thanksgiving Dinner

Here are the recipes for a traditional Thanksgiving Dinner. Thanksgiving doesn’t have to be expensive at all. We can make an entire Thanksgiving Dinner for around $20 for 5-10 people! Turkey isn’t expensive at all so stock up now. I got two today for .39/lb. I had the butcher cut them in half just like last year and the year before! Tawra

Roast Turkey

1 turkey, 20-22 lbs.

1 stick margarine or butter

Defrost frozen turkey for several days in the refrigerator according to the directions on the package.

Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil.

Remove the insides of the turkey and save for giblet gravy or for fried livers and gizzards.

Lay turkey, breast side down, in the pan and place the stick of butter on the inside. Cover tightly with aluminum foil.

Bake at 250 degrees for 1 hour. Reduce heat to 200 degrees and roast for 10-15 hours .

Cooking time can be longer to fit your schedule. Test with a meat thermometer to make sure the temperature in the thigh is 180 degrees. This is the best turkey you will ever eat. The meat will just fall off the bones so you will have to serve it already carved. It will be very juicy and moist.

We have been asked what to do if you have a smaller, say a 10 lb turkey. If I have a 20-22 lb turkey I put it in the oven 1 hour before I go to bed (that way I can turn it down to 200 and sometimes I go down to 170 before I go to bed). It will be done by noon the next day. Because it is at such a low temperature if you aren’t going to eat until 1-2 it will stay just fine in the oven until then.

If I have a 10 lb turkey I put it in the oven early Thanksgiving morning. About 6 or 7 in order to eat at noon. You don’t need to worry too much about it getting done. An hour or two before the meal check it an see how it is doing if it isn’t cooking quickly enough you can always raise the temperature to 350 degrees. Also with a 10 -12 lb turkey you only need to use 1/2 of a stick (about 4 TBS.) of butter.

Thawing

Sometimes turkeys do not cook properly because they do not get thawed. You need to allow 1 day of thawing time for every 4 lbs. of turkey. Plus you can keep a thawed turkey in the fridge for at least 3-4 days. This being said I am pulling my out of the freezer today. Also thaw your turkey with the breast side down so the juices will run into the breast.

Jill

Mashed Potatoes

5 large potatoes, peeled and cubed

2 Tbsp. sugar

2 Tbsp. butter

1 tsp. salt

½ cup milk

In a large saucepan place potatoes and enough water to cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer until potatoes are tender (about 10 minutes). Drain. Transfer potatoes to a mixing bowl and mash. Add butter, milk, sugar and salt. Beat until smooth. Serves 5-6.

Sweet Potato Casserole

3 cups sweet potatoes, mashed

½ cup butter or margarine,melted

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 Tbsp. vanilla

Topping
1 cup brown sugar, packed

1 cup pecans

½ cup flour

1/3 cup butter, melted

Mix all the ingredients and put in buttered 9×9 casserole dish. Sprinkle on topping. Bake uncovered at 350_ for 20 minutes. This is a great dish for holiday dinners and potlucks as it can be made up the day before and then baked the next day. Serves 8-9.

Pie Crust

3 cups flour
½ tsp. salt

2 Tbsp. sugar

1 ¼ cups shortening, cold

1 egg, cold

1 Tbsp. vinegar, cold

5 Tbsp. water cold

sugar

Mix flour, salt and sugar in a bowl. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender or 2 knives. Add egg, vinegar and 3 tablespoons water. Mix lightly. If dough is too dry, add more water. Mix with hands. Don’t overmix. Mix just until the dough sticks together. Divide into thirds. Roll out to make 3 pies crusts. When using the crust for the top of the pie sprinkle sugar on top. Crust can be frozen in balls and then defrosted and rolled out when ready to use. Makes 3 crusts.

Pumpkin Pie

1 pie crust

2 eggs

1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin

¾ cup sugar

½ tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. ground ginger

¼ tsp. ground cloves

1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk

Bake pie crust at 350_ for 1-2 minutes until crust starts to puff with small bubbles. Watch carefully. Blend all ingredients together in a bowl. Pour into pie crust and bake at 425 for 15 minutes. Then turn the oven down to 350 for 45 minutes. When a knife is inserted into the center of the pie and comes out clean it is done. Makes one pie.

Pecan Pie

1 stick butter

1 cup light corn syrup

1 cup sugar

3 large eggs

½ tsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. vanilla

dash of salt

1 ¼ cups pecans, chopped

Brown butter in a pan until golden brown. Do not burn. Cool. Add other ingredients in order given in a separate bowl. Mix well. Blend in cooled butter well. Pour into pie crust. Bake 10 minutes at 425 and then 40 minutes at 325.
Makes one pie.

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From Living On A Dime Blog » Living On A Dime Blog.

November 16, 2009 | Filed Under Frugal Living | Leave a Comment

What Is Escapism? How Does It Cost Me?

Marti writes in with a question about the second step of Your Money or Your Life:

Step two, and I’m sure you remember, is about figuring out what hourly wage you’re actually earning at your job, once you factor in the commute, clothes for the job, lunch food and fast food, etc. I’m looking at the category “Escape Entertainment” and I’m a little stuck. Yes, I have cable. Yes, I have a Netflix subscription. Yes, I follow several weekly TV shows. But I don’t necessarily consider those escape entertainment. I never sit down in front of the TV just to channel surf and zone out. If the TV is on, it’s so I can explore characters and stories of a fictional world that I thoroughly enjoy, much the way I would a good book. “Bones” for example, is a show that I enjoy and watch regularly. “Stargate: SG-1″ is one of the shows that my husband and I have on our Netflix queue because we’re huge sci-fi fans.

Yes, I know that the time spent watching those programs could probably be “better” spent playing a game, or going for a walk, or reading, but I don’t consider them escapist entertainment. Am I wrong? Is TV (or for that matter, a pulp-fiction novel) by its very definition an escape, no matter how you look at it? And what about movies? I’m an avid movie-goer. Not because I hate my job (it’s not perfect, but it’s interesting and challenging and if, at the end of two years, I’ll be moving anyway, so it’s really only temporary), but because I truly enjoy movies.

But am I missing the point? The authors write, “Notice the common phrase, ‘escape entertainment.’ Escape from what? … If your experience of life were consistently fulfilling and exciting, from what would you escape?” (pg. 62 – 1999 ed.) And that begs the question, am I actually using those hours in front of the TV or movie screen to escape, and just telling myself that I want to be doing it?

So what do you think? Should I factor the expenses of those movies and subscriptions and the time of watching them, into my “actual hourly wage” as they suggest, or should I leave them out, because I’m not using them as a way to decompress or escape from my job?

Marti raises several very good points here that are each worth adressing.

Not All Entertainment Is “Escape Entertainment”
First of all, there’s a big difference between escape entertainment and ordinary leisure time One is part of a healthy normal life, while the other can be a sign of significant trouble.

I would distinguish between the two as thus: entertainment contributes a significant positive value to one’s life that’s independent of the other aspects of one’s life. Escape entertainment contributes a short-term positive, but only in the sense that it’s reducing the impact of a negative in one’s life.

The reason this distinction is so confusing is that escape entertainment and ordinary entertainment have a lot of overlap.

Take me, for example. One of my favorite television shows is Mad Men. I often enjoy watching it in the late evening after the kids are in bed. It makes me think about a lot of social and cultural issues: what constitutes a marriage? What impact does advertising have in our lives? The questions go on and on. Beyond that, I simply enjoy the well-written plots and characters in the show.

Yet, for a week in the middle of October, when my book deadline was staring me in the face, I had a tremendous case of writer’s block. I was nervous and anxious about the book. And during that week, I spent quite a few hours watching old episodes of Mad Men.

However, this time, it wasn’t enjoyable entertainment. It was escape entertainment. It was helping me to avoid something I didn’t want to face.

In other words, it’s not about the entertainment, it’s about the context. Why are you enjoying this entertainment? Is it because it fulfills you or is it because you need to unwind? Is it because you’re trying to avoid working on something else or is it because the entertainment itself is bringing value into your life? There’s no cut-and-dried answer for this – it’s one you have to look inside yourself to discover.

Do We Need to Escape?
The next question is whether or not escape entertainment actually fills a role in our life. Do we need escape entertainment to unwind or to reduce the stress we feel from our work?

My belief is that we do need an escape valve of some sort in order to help us deal with stress. Escape entertainment is an easy valve for it, but the problem is that it’s a horribly inefficient valve. Rather than focusing your energy on calming down and unwinding, you split your attention between the entertainment and the valve you’re trying to release. The end result? You don’t get much value out of the entertainment and you’re still stressed out.

As I sat there watching Mad Men, I’d often realize that I didn’t really feel any better. I’d also often realize that I had little idea of what was actually happening on the show. I would space out and think about the work I needed to do or about other things I was avoiding. Afterwards, I didn’t feel much relief at all.

The Cost of Escapism
Another problem with escape entertainment is that it’s often expensive for what you get. A new video game bought as fulfilling entertainment (I’m a big believer that interactive entertainment can be very fulfilling) is very worthwhile. A new video game bought as escape entertainment is money spent just to delay an unpleasant feeling.

Even worse, the time invested in escape entertainment is often immense. I remember countless hours playing Warcraft II in the dorms as I avoided my schoolwork, for example. I remember at one point during my previous job, I would come home and watch two episodes of Lost every single night after work.

Those hours lost are themselves a cost, since they’re not actively fulfilling you nor are they reducing your stress levels. You could likely be spending those hours doing something to actually eliminate whatever it is that is bothering you so deeply.

A Better Solution
If you wish to be entertained, seek entertainment. If you wish to de-stress, de-compress, or escape from the situation, do that. Go into a quiet room, turn off the lights, sit down, and close your eyes. Breathe in slowly and deeply. Try to clear your mind of all thoughts. Let the relaxation wash over you.

For the last year and a half of my previous job, this was my routine when I would arrive home from work. I would literally go in, lay down on the bed for about twenty minutes with my eyes closed, and think about nothing. I’d breathe in deeply, breathe out deeply and slowly, and just let my mind and body drift away. After twenty minutes, I would feel tremendously refreshed.

I also find that this works as a great de-stresser and a powerful way to break through writer’s block. Even better, one can easily do this in the shower. Go home after work, take a shower, and then do this under the water.

Here’s the take-home message: escape entertainment can be dangerously expensive in terms of both time and money. Find ways to split the two and you’re much better off – escape through meditation and prayer to quickly relax, and entertain yourself in ways that truly add a positive value to your life. Both avenues are often far less expensive than pure escape entertainment and leave your life in a better place.