*ALERT* Turkey Alert *ALERT*

THOSE of you planning on eating your (currently) frozen turkey on Thursday might want to get it out of the freezer today so it will be thawed by then. Air thawing in the refrigerator will take several days.

Alternatively, you can fill a 5 gallon paint bucket with water and the bird and leave it in your garage if it is unheated and at most 40 degrees F. This quick thaw method will still require 12 or more hours.

http://www.homedepot.com/s/5%2520gallon%2520paint%2520bucket?NCNI-5

Dad had a dedicated bucket for this task. He used it for brining his turkey too. IT became contaminated during the move, so he will have to get a new one. Speaking of which, a good video on brining is here.

Take note though. Many birds are treated with 10 ~ 12 percent solution of salt and water (brine) already. So additional brining could result in an over salty bird.

Fresh birds obviously do not need to thaw.

This year Dad investigated buying a Heritage turkey. But at $8 per pound, he declined.

Good article on Heritage turkey versus factory farm raised turkeys here. Does a Heritage bird taste better?

Testers sampled dark and light meat from both birds blind. People found the conventional turkey to be universally saltier and some claimed that it had a more artificial taste. Although most found the heritage meat to have better flavor, the biggest criticism was that it was the dryer of the two meats.

The Health Nut: Heritage. “I don’t notice a huge difference between the two, but I probably prefer the heritage slightly. It’s less salty and has more texture.”

The Foodie: Heritage. “I love, love the flavor of the dark meat on this bird. And the white meat of the other one has an almost chicken nuggety texture and flavor.”

The Kid: Heritage. “The other one is too salty.”

The Dude: Store-bought. “This meat is juicier.”

The Verdict
Heritage.

http://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/cooking-tips/article/does-heritage-turkey-taste-better-than-conventional-in-a-blind-taste-test

Daddy's Little Helper

DAD is currently fixing the hand rail. Buggy wants to help.

Daddy drilled into the wall, so Liesel is "drilling" into the wall.

Buggy Art

LIESEL has discovered MS Paint on Dad's laptop.

Toddler Chic

EJ decided to define his own style that is contrary to social norms. EJ has lately been choosing his own clothes and dressing himself.

Dad is indifferent about his son's fashion sense inside the house. However, when they go out into public, boys wear boy clothes and girls wear girl clothes.

Future Post: Hanging a Towel Rack (or Other Item Onto Drywall)

HERE is the first Future Post for the Twins. It is about hanging a towel rack. It is not a do it yourself (DIY) step by step instructional post. Other resources on the web do that well, much better than Dad could do in fact. What it is, is a supplementary knowledge base of Dad's experience. It is analogous to a bOOk's appendix. It is intended to be augment basic skill set. So guys, go research a how to guide like this one then come back here for more information.

Future Post: DIY Tips for EJ and Liesel

LONGTIME readers will have surely noticed that the scope of this blog has expanded from its tight focus on the Twins during the first 6 months of their life. Food posts are a great example.

It is about to expand some more.

With all of the projects that need to get done, Dad has taken myriad pictures of his projects in progress. Unsure why, other than to document his progress and satisfaction with Getting Stuff Done, he pondered it for awhile.

Then it hit him, this blog documents the New Family with a primary focus on the kids, but also a focus on their life as a family for the purpose of entertaining and informing the kids later in their life when they can look through it and enjoy it.

Moreover, Dad has lots of knowledge and experience to share with them at the appropriate age, so why not get it documented on the blog now?

Going forward, Dad will share his K&E with posts titled "Future Post." This signals to EJ and Liesel when they are older that this post was created with them in mind as the primary audience.

You are welcome to read them too, and if you find anything useful or helpful, please don't hesitate to comment below or email Dad.

Fall Walk

NO Dad is not nearly done with projects, but all work and no play make for crabby two-year-olds. So Dad took a break and went for a pre-nap walk.

Dad needs to mulch some leaves, but now is play time.

EJ wanted ride underneath.

Yogurt Face

Update: It's Morning Again, in America

Voters went to the polls yesterday to send a message. Pundits will debate what that message was, but clearly there is massive dissatisfaction with the current state of affairs.

Dad is reminded of something the President said recently, "I am not on the ballot this fall. Michelle’s pretty happy about that. But make no mistake: these policies are on the ballot. Every single one of them."

That is sufficient explanation for Dad. 

Donna please tell Heidi there are new posts up :-) .

BTW, the post's title is reference to this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EU-IBF8nwSY