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Turkey tips…

Roasting time for turkeys:

Unstuffed
4 to 8 pounds (breast) 1½ to 3¼ hours
8 to 12 pounds 2¾ to 3 hours
12 to 14 pounds 3 to 3¾ hours
14 to 18 pounds 3¾ to 4¼ hours
18 to 20 pounds 4¼ to 4½ hours
20 to 24 pounds 4½ to 5 hours

Stuffed
4 to 6 pounds (breast) Not usually applicable
6 to 8 pounds (breast) 2½ to 3½ hours
8 to 12 pounds 3 to 3½ hours
12 to 14 pounds 3½ to 4 hours
14 to 18 pounds 4 to 4¼ hours
18 to 20 pounds 4¼ to 4¾ hours
20 to 24 pounds 4¾ to 5¼ hours

Preparing

Fresh or Frozen?

Fresh Turkeys
Allow 1 pound of turkey per person.
Buy your turkey only 1 to 2 days before you plan to cook it.
Keep it stored in the refrigerator until you’re ready to cook it. Place it on a tray or in a pan to catch any juices that may leak.
Do not buy fresh pre-stuffed turkeys. If not handled properly, any harmful bacteria that may be in the stuffing can multiply very quickly.

Frozen Turkeys
Allow 1 pound of turkey per person.
Keep frozen until you’re ready to thaw it.
Turkeys can be kept frozen in the freezer indefinitely; however, cook within 1 year for best quality.
See “Thawing Your Turkey” for thawing instructions.

Roasting Your Turkey

Set your oven temperature no lower than 325 °F.

Place your turkey or turkey breast on a rack in a shallow roasting pan.

For optimum safety, stuffing a turkey is not recommended. For more even cooking, it is recommended you cook your stuffing outside the bird in a casserole. Use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature of the stuffing. The stuffing must reach a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F.

If you choose to stuff your turkey, the ingredients can be prepared ahead of time; however, keep wet and dry ingredients separate. Chill all of the wet ingredients (butter/margarine, cooked celery and onions, broth, etc.). Mix wet and dry ingredients just before filling the turkey cavities. Fill the cavities loosely. Cook the turkey immediately. Use a food thermometer to make sure the center of the stuffing reaches a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F.

A whole turkey is safe when cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 165 °F as measured with a food thermometer. Check the internal temperature in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast. For reasons of personal preference, consumers may choose to cook turkey to higher temperatures.

If your turkey has a “pop-up” temperature indicator, it is recommended that you also check the internal temperature of the turkey in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast with a food thermometer. The minimum internal temperature should reach 165 °F for safety.

For quality, let the turkey stand for 20 minutes before carving to allow juices to set. The turkey will carve more easily.

From the USDA fact sheet found here.

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I love learning…

…even if sometimes it hurts! 🙂
I am really struggling with my JavaScript class. I don’t really know why this is so dificult for me, but it is. I have made some new friends in this class since we have study groups to help us by working together. I fear that I may need to take this class again. I guess it has been too long since my programming logic class back in 2003. I am going to work hard and try my best to learn it, even studying on my own with tutorials and a variety of helps, in hopes of finding something that makes me really understand what I am doing. I will get this!

I have several major projects in the works right now. I have English Comp with a technical focus, with a large research project that I am workign on. I am our group’s project manager. I have three major assignments coming up in “Interpersonal Relationships”. Next Saturday I have to give a Power Point Presentation about the culture of Japan. I am to dress up in Japanese attire, bring Japanese food and have a 10 minute long slide show about the culture of Japan. We also have a big writing project in that class 3-5 pages on “If I had one hour to live, what would make it a happy one”. My new class (Introduction to Flash) will be starting this month too. Whew!

I am very thankful for the opportunity to return to school and get the education that I was not able to have in my younger years. I sincerely hope that this will open doors for gainful employment in my not too distant future.

With the little bit of left over grant money I received, I purchased my first DSLR camera for my upcoming digital photography class. I am soooo excited about this! I love photography! I have books that I bought over the past couple of years about this subject, and I have enjoyed taking digital pictures with my “point and shoot” digicams for over ten years! I love graphic art too! I have played around with Jasc / Corel Paint shop Pro for several years. Now I am learning Adobe PhotoShop! I am thrilled! I never thought I would be able to own PhotoShop! Someday I will get various lenses to go with my new DSLR!
🙂

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Lakeland Community College Levy

I want to encourage everyone to vote for the Lakeland Community College renewal levy on Issue 1. I am thankful to be able to go to a school that offers so much and keeps it affordable. In order to keep education affordable for our area Lakeland really needs this levy to pass.

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What a busy week it has been!

I have not had time to relax this week. School was extra stressful. I am struggling with one of my classes and it is taking a huge amount of my time to try to comprehend it. This week my wonderful son and his lovely daughters came from his Army base in Texas to visit and I have enjoyed seeing them immensely! I’m trying to balance time with school, my relationship with my wonderful man, and also with my children and family. It can be a difficult task. Loved ones are definitely worth the effort!
🙂
I’m doing the best I know how to do in school and am hoping that my hard work and persistance pays off with a decent career that will help us all when I am through.