Turkey Time!

Posted by Paula Deen on Thursday, Nov 19, 2009 at 9:24 pm

Hey y'all, my wonderful Aunt Peg joined me in the kitchen to cook our final dish before the holiday.  If you hadn't guessed, it's the big one!  Literally.  It’s Turkey! 

There are so many ways to cook a turkey, from roasting to braising to grilling, boiling, broiling and barbecuing!  We chose to do a Southern-style favorite: deep-frying!  We use a Butterball Indoor Electric Turkey Fryer, which is a good solution if you live in cold weather and can't fry your turkey outside. 

Deep-frying a turkey is an incredibly fast way too cook, keeps the turkey very moist and full of flavor,  and the clean up is very easy.  However, it can be incredibly dangerous.  Every year you hear stories of deep-fried turkeys blowing up, so please, if you decide to cook your Thanksgiving turkey this way, BE CAREFUL!

Thanksgiving is a week away.  Over this week we’ll be talking about turkey.  Hope y’all are excited.  Remember, we're asking you to send in your dishes AFTER you cook your Thanksgiving dinner.  That way you can have a family member or friend take pictures and video of you preparing your Thanksgiving meal and then send it in to Get Cookin' for the activity challenges!  We will announce the winners of each of the dishes, after the holiday.  So don't forget to have someone take pictures and video of your brilliant work!

Now, if you want to send it your dishes every week like usual, we welcome you do that, and we'll still post them on the Community Dishes blog.  You can submit for each week's theme starting that week and lasting up until the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.  There will be eight winners this month, two from each of the Thanksgiving dishes.  Each winner will get a signed copy of my book 'Paula Deen Celebrates', which has recipes for every holiday of the year, from Thanksgiving to Elvis's birthday!

Love and Best Dishes,

Paula
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  • Paula,

    I always love when the holidays come and you can bring those of us who are hundreds of miles from our family, back just a bit when watching you cook.  Its almost like being home. Especially for those of us with southern roots. 

    Love ya Paula

    Greg
  • Paula, just wondering why there have been no updates since shrimp week on the community dishes or community photos?  Has no one really posted anything since then?  Missing the food pix.
  • I just love you Mrs. Deen. You are my idol. I have the same aspirations of owning my own southern food diner with a spicy twist. I have to share a funny story. I am 38 years old and live in Pearland, Texas. I have finally perfected my mashed potatoes. All of my friends use instant potatoes. Everybody knows a true southern cook never serves instant mashed potatoes. Leaving the skin on I boil the sliced potatoes with cloves of garlic. Mash all and add a little sour cream, salt, pepper and lots of butter. I now consider my potatoes perfect and thought I would share. Enjoy and thanks again for sharing your talents and those of your handsome sons.

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My QVC Show

Posted by Paula Deen on Tuesday, Nov 17, 2009 at 8:06 pm

Y'all, I went on QVC yesterday and had a blast!

I always have a fun time doing those shows.  I'm so proud of all my products, I could talk about them for hours.  I showed off my enamel cookware, and we tasted some good old fashioned Southern food.





But y'all, I was so embarrassed, I forgot to change my shoes before i went on set and accidentally wore my Uggs out there.  We all had a good laugh about it.



Here are a few links to the products I was talking about:

Paula Deen Speckled Enamel 8 qt. Stockpot with Glass Lid

Paula Deen Enamel on Steel 3 qt. & 5 qt. Colander Set

Paula Deen Southern Belle 8-piece Cookware Set

Love and Best Dishes,

Paula
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Mashed Potatoes Time!

Posted by Paula Deen on Thursday, Nov 12, 2009 at 9:41 pm

Hey y'all!  When thinking of Thanksgiving a few obvious staples come to mind: biscuits and stuffing, like we've already talked about, Turkey of course.  And one of them most definitely is mashed potatoes.

Mashed Potatoes is one of the most favorite dishes over at The Lady & Sons. We use red potatoes and make them in huge batches using industrial mixers, boy it's a site to see!  And we use lots and lots and lots of butter!!



I asked Jamie to came over so we could show you how we make mashed potatoes for our holiday dinner. Now there are lots of different potatoes to use, but the one we use the most is the Idaho russet potato.  They bake easily and make a fantastic mash.  I like to keep the skin on the potatoes, because that's where all the nutrients are.  Also cause I don't always wanna peel them!

Let me know how you make your mashed potatoes, I know y'all have great imaginations in the kitchen.

Like we've been mentioning, we're asking you to send in your dishes AFTER you cook your Thanksgiving dinner.  That way you can have a family member or friend take pictures and video of you preparing your Thanksgiving meal and then send it in to Get Cookin' for the activity challenges!  We will announce the winners of each of the dishes, after the holiday.

Now, if you want to send it your dishes every week like usual, we welcome you do that, and we'll still post them on the Community Dishes blog.  You can submit for each week's theme starting that week and lasting up until the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.  There will be eight winners this month, two from each of the Thanksgiving dishes.  Each winner will get a signed copy of my book 'Paula Deen Celebrates', which has recipes for every holiday of the year, from Thanksgiving to Elvis's birthday!

Love and Best Dishes,

Paula
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Featured Recipe
Spring Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients

* 2 pounds Idaho potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks (about 5
* cups)
* 3/4 cup hot milk
* 4 tablespoons butter
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
* 2 cups frozen peas
* 6 tablespoons butter
* 2 tablespoons chicken stock
* Salt and pepper to taste
* 2 tablespoons fresh mint, finely chopped
* (Have 1/2 cup hot milk on hand if needed for creamier consistency)
... Read entire recipe

The Today Show and the Smithfield Giveaway

Posted by Paula Deen on Monday, Nov 9, 2009 at 6:00 pm

Hey y'all!  I went on The Today Show this morning and made a big announcement!  Starting today, I will be working with Smithfield Foods and the UFCW to give away millions of servings of food over the next three years at food banks around the country. 



I kicked off this wonderful food drive in the Bronx by helping to unload seven truckloads of Smithfield products that will be given out at the Food Bank.  It was hard work, but so worth it!




With the Holidays coming up, it's important to do something to help those in need.  It does good for your soul, and for the world around you.  My family didn't have a lot but we were never hungry. I just can't imagine the pain it would cause a mom and dad to hear that their child is hungry and not be able to help. It just breaks my heart. That's why this cause is so important to me and why I feel so blessed to get that chance to help.  We need to raise awareness about hunger and really help our fellow man.

Love and Best Dishes,

Paula
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Biscuit Time!

Posted by Paula Deen on Thursday, Nov 5, 2009 at 7:08 pm

Hey y'all!

I am so pleased to have my great friend Jellyroll in the kitchen with me this week.  Jellyroll has been a part of my life for over a decade.  You might have seen her stealing the show in the first video we ever put up here on Get Cookin'.  She works at The Lady & Sons and is one of the first faces you see when you walk in.  She always has a smile on her face, and rings the lunchtime bell every day.  She is a star in Savannah and one of my favorite people in the whole world!

Oh yeah, and she can REALLY cook biscuits.  She has made thousands of em and I consider her a certified pro. 

We're cookin' up Thanksgiving dishes all this month, and this week, if you hadn't guessed, is all about biscuits!  My thanksgiving table would be absolutely naked without biscuits.  Jellyroll and I are gonna take you through making a traditional garlic and cheese biscuit.  SO delicious!  How do you make your biscuits?

Like I mentioned last week, we're asking you to send in your dishes AFTER you cook your Thanksgiving dinner.  That way you can have a family member or friend take pictures and video of you preparing your Thanksgiving meal and then send it in to Get Cookin' for the activity challenges!  We will announce the winners of each of the dishes, after the holiday.

Now, if you want to send it your dishes every week like usual, we welcome you do that, and we'll still post them on the Community Dishes blog.  You can submit for each week's theme starting that week and lasting up until the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.  There will be eight winners this month, two from each of the Thanksgiving dishes.  Each winner will get a signed copy of my book 'Paula Deen Celebrates', which has recipes for every holiday of the year, from Thanksgiving to Elvis's birthday!

Love and Best Dishes,

Paula
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Featured Recipe
Cheese Biscuits
Ingredients:

1 cup buttermilk
1/4 stick butter, melted
3/4 cup grated sharp Cheddar
1/3 cup shortening
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 cup self-rising flour ... Read entire recipe

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