Category: Turkey

Today I am thankful for:

1. Yummalicious Turkey Carnita Soft Tacos. I sautéed the leftovers tonight and the meat was even better the second time. My entire family said we need to make this again soon! Go Mom! Recipe follows below.

2. Playful fun and laughter. I ended up with a six-foot-tall cardboard cut-out of Justin Bieber today (not to scale). I placed it in our daughter’s room for her to discover when she got home from school. Sneaky sneaky. We waited, breathless, as she went up to her room… and… screamed… and then laughed hysterically. After we calmed down, we put it in our son’s room and managed to scare him, too. Then, we put smirking, flat Justin by the front door for the UPS man. Much mischief has transpired in our home today.

3. I left my door open at my office today. A woman sitting all by herself in the waiting area began to sing hymns of praise in her native African tongue. I just sat back and listened. I felt incredibly blessed during this sacred moment. I was able to tell her what a blessing she was when I went out to get one of my clients. We both smiled… and I know God was smiling, too. Beautiful.

What are you thankful for today?

Slow Cooker Turkey Carnitas

(Adapted from the OH Kitchen Crock Pot Turkey Carnitas)

• 3 lb. Turkey thighs (skinned)
• 1-2 tbs. Olive oil
• 3 tsp. steak seasoning (I used Fiesta Extra Fancy Texas Style Steak Seasoning)
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 jalapenos, cored, seeded, and chopped
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 2 (4 oz.) cans minced Hatch green chiles
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 cup dark beer
• 1 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 lime

1. Generously season turkey thighs with steak seasoning. Brown turkey thighs in 1 tbs. olive oil in a skillet on medium heat until browned on both sides. Place thighs in slow cooker on high heat.
2. Sauté onions in the skillet with the rest of the olive oil for 3-5 min. until translucent (sprinkle a little salt and pepper onto the onions for flavor). Add garlic and jalepenos. Sauté an extra 2 minutes.
3. Place veggie mixture and bay leaves on top of the turkey thighs in the slow cooker.
4. Stir together green chiles, beer, chicken broth, cumin, cayenne pepper and oregano. Pour over thighs.
5. Cut lime in half and add halves to slow cooker and cover. After 1 hour, remove lime, stir, and continue to cook for 5-6 hours on low. Stir occasionally.
6. The turkey is done when it shreds with a fork. Remove bay leaves and allow to cool with cover removed (to reduce liquid).
7. Serve on warm flour tortillas with diced cabbage, cilantro, sliced avocado, Herdez green salsa, (or my husband prefers Cholula), and grated monterey jack cheese.
8. The meat is great “refried” with a little olive oil in a skillet (makes little crunchy bits).

I would love to share your blessings today. It is always a blessing to share gratitude with others!

Today I am thankful for:

1. A new recipe success. I love trying out new recipes, but I also try to prepare myself for the fact that some recipes may not turn out. I even made a deal with my kids. If they do not like a new recipe, my feelings will not be hurt! Quesadilla stuff is always in the fridge. Tonight I played around with a Turkey Florentine recipe (Paleo style). The kids were sopping up the sauce with their un-paleo rolls. The entire house was smiling. Big smile here. Thankful.

Turkey Florentine (Paleo Version)

4 turkey cutlets cut in half

Flour mixture (for dredging):

1/2 C almond meal

2  T dried parsley flakes

2 tsp paprika

1 T dried minced onion

1 tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp. salt

1 tsp ground pepper

2 eggs

1 C white wine

1 C coconut/almond milk

1 T. Turkey Better Than Bouillon

1/4 tsp salt

2-3 T olive oil

3 cloves garlic

Spinach, fresh (about 16 oz)

Combine dredging ingredients in a shallow bowl. Whisk eggs in small bowl. Dip each piece of turkey in eggs and then dredge in flour mixture. Heat about 2 T olive oil in a pan and brown turkey cutlets (about 5 min. on each side). Remove from pan and put on a plate. In the same pan, add a little more oil and add garlic. Saute until translucent. Add white wine and deglaze pan, scraping every bit. Add coconut milk, salt and turkey bouillon. Bring to a boil and simmer until sauce thickens and reduces a little. Add chicken back to pan. Cook on low for another 10ish minutes.

Now in a separate pan, heat 1-2 tsp. olive oil. Saute a little more garlic and add spinach. When done, put spinach on a plate and top with chicken piece, and sauce.

2. Our youth minister. She took some of our girls from our church to a girls’ conference in Abilene this weekend. What an incredible experience for our girls! I picked up my daughter tonight and she has not stopped talking. She learned all about being courageous, and knowing she is a beautiful creation because God made her!

3. I wake up every morning to this beautiful statuette called “Happiness.” The birds make me think “sing, laugh, and love.” It reminds me of a wonderful ladies retreat a couple of years ago where we discussed the many ways to broaden our happiness. One of those things is the practice of Gratitude. Thankful for beautiful memories.

What are you thankful for today?