Happy Thanksgiving

from CharmingChick.com

Amidst our busy plans preparing for Christmas, we wanted to take a moment to pause and reflect upon how thankful we are for each of our customers - you!  It has been a pleasure serving you over the past year.  Whether packing your order with care, or replying to an email to help you pick out the perfect treasure, we are simply grateful to have the privilege of serving you.

We are also extremely grateful for all of the men and women serving our country, who may not be able to spend time with their families this holiday season.  And to all of those military families, we are grateful for your sacrifice, as well.  Our thoughts and prayers are with you this Thanksgiving, as always. You have given us so much for which to be thankful.

I hope that you are able to enjoy some time with your family and friends this Thanksgiving, and reflect upon all of the little (and big) things in life for which you are thankful.

May you have Blessed Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving  Day is tomorrow and if you are in charge of the BIG dinner tomorrow you might need a few "Turkey Tips." Well, at Charming Chick we have just the tips you need to ensure your turkey bird is the start of the Thanksgiving Day show!!! If it's your first time cooking a turkey, or even if you just need a little refresher, this post will definitely have some information you'll appreciate. Before we talk turkey tips, we just want to let you know that in addition to all of our Black Friday Week specials we are running through Friday, we will also have some SUPER Black Friday deals going on the day after Thanksgiving. Be sure to follow us on Twitter and Facebook to hear about all of these amazing deals. In addition, if you sign up for our newsletter, you'll be one of the first people to know about specials deals and coupons. What could be better than a Black Friday deal? How about FREE Saver Shipping, just be sure to enter coupon code FREESHIPNOV at check out. This coupon code is good through 11/30/2012!!!

Thanksgiving Day Turkey Tips:

Thawing the Turkey

Here's what the USDA has to say on their website:

"There are three safe ways to thaw food: in the refrigerator, in cold water, and in the microwave oven. :

The Big Thaw
Turkeys must be kept at a safe temperature during "the big thaw." While frozen, a turkey is safe indefinitely. However, as soon as it begins to thaw, any bacteria that may have been present before freezing can begin to grow again.

A package of frozen meat or poultry left thawing on the counter more than 2 hours is not at a safe temperature. Even though the center of the package may still be frozen, the outer layer of the food is in the "Danger Zone" between 40 and 140 °F — at a temperature where foodborne bacteria multiply rapidly.

Safe Methods for Thawing
Immediately after grocery store checkout, take the frozen turkey home and store it in the freezer.

Frozen turkeys should not be left on the back porch, in the car trunk, in the basement, or any place else where temperatures cannot be constantly monitored.

Refrigerator Thawing
When thawing a turkey in the refrigerator:

• Plan ahead: allow approximately 24 hours for each 4 to 5 pounds in a refrigerator set at 40 °F or below.
• Place the turkey in a container to prevent the juices from dripping on other foods.

Refrigerator Thawing Times
Whole turkey:

•  4 to 12 pounds ……  1 to 3 days
• 12 to 16 pounds …… 3 to 4 days
• 16 to 20 pounds …… 4 to 5 days
• 20 to 24 pounds …… 5 to 6 days

A thawed turkey can remain in the refrigerator for 1 or 2 days before cooking. Foods thawed in the refrigerator can be refrozen without cooking but there may be some loss of quality.

Cold Water Thawing
Allow about 30 minutes per pound.

First be sure the turkey is in a leak-proof plastic bag to prevent cross-contamination and to prevent the turkey from absorbing water, resulting in a watery product.

Submerge the wrapped turkey in cold tap water. Change the water every 30 minutes until the turkey is thawed. Cook the turkey immediately after it is thawed.

Cold Water Thawing Times

•  4 to 12 pounds …… 2 to 6 hours
• 12 to 16 pounds …… 6 to 8 hours
• 16 to 20 pounds …… 8 to 10 hours
• 20 to 24 pounds …… 10 to 12 hours

A turkey thawed by the cold water method should be cooked immediately. After cooking, meat from the turkey can be refrozen.

Microwave Thawing
Follow the microwave oven manufacturer's instruction when defrosting a turkey. Plan to cook it immediately after thawing because some areas of the food may become warm and begin to cook during microwaving. Holding partially cooked food is not recommended because any bacteria present wouldn't have been destroyed.

A turkey thawed in the microwave must be cooked immediately."

As you can see you must take extra precautions when thawing out your turkey because you sure don't want anyone to get sick. However, just because your bird isn't totally thawed today, don't worry following some of the fast thaw tips can be a great alternative, but start early so it will be done cooking in time for dinner.

Cleaning Your Turkey

This tip actually took me by surprise but it totally makes sense once it's explained. Again, the nice folks at the U.S. Department of Agriculture suggests that you do not wash your turkey before putting it in the oven. I ALWAYS Wash my poultry before cooking it, however when we turn the water on to wash our bird, yucky stuff flies everywhere. It's MUCH better to let the heat from the oven kill all of the bacteria and such. So that's one less step and keeps your kitchen free of unwanted pathogens. If the turkey or any of it's juices touch any part of your kitchen wash with hot soapy water and use disinfectant if you like. On thing that is important to mention. If you aren't washing or stuffing your turkey you might overlook the giblets that are usually in a bag tucked into the cavity. Be sure to remove them.

Don't Stuff the Turkey

My mother is an avid turkey stuffer, as was her mother and grandmother so it would seem natural that I would stuff my turkey as well. Not true. While I have eaten many a stuffed turkey and stuffing out of a turkey with absolutely no issue, I tend to agree with folks that say turkeys cook faster and more evenly when they are not stuffed. Often times the turkey is done cooking before the stuffing even has a chance to get fully cooked. Stuff if you must but roast the turkey just until the meat is done, then transfer the stuffing from the cavity to a baking dish and continue baking (or microwave it) until it registers 165°F.

Cooking the Turkey

For tips on how to cook a turkey for Thanksgiving Day, you should check out the Butterball website. They have all kinds of great tips and if any one knows about turkey -- it's butterball!!! http://www.butterball.com/tips-how-tos/how-tos/roast

We hope you have a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving Day!!! Don't forget to stay tuned for our awesome Black Friday Deals on Twitter, Facebook or visit our website!!!

All of us here at Charming Chick would like to wish you and your families a very Happy Thanksgiving! In honor of this delicious holiday we wanted to share with you some thanksgiving history and fun facts. Eat well, enjoy your family and friends and be sure to give thanks for all of your blessings -- oh and don't forget to amaze everyone with all of your wonderful Thanksgiving trivia.

(Thanksgiving craft via www.marthastewart.com )

Thanksgiving History and Facts:

* Though the exact items served at the first Thanksgiving feast are not known it is safe to assume there was fowl of some kind (though we cannot be certain if turkey was one of them), venison, corn and pumpkin.

* The actual date of the "first" Thanksgiving  is a matter of debate. Some sources claim it happened right after the pilgrims landed at in the New World, while others say it occurred  in 1621 after a hard first winter. During that first winter 46 of the 102 pilgrims died but the following year was plentiful thanks to the Wampanoag Indians for teaching them to fish, hunt and plant crops like corn and squash.

* Thanksgiving wasn't something that was celebrated every year. After  feast, the next one was celebrated in 1623 after difficult times.  An interesting fact is that when they did celebrate the feast lasted three days! It was a time spent feasting and giving thanks to God for a bountiful harvest.

* Thanksgiving wasn't an "official" national holiday until President Abraham Lincoln did so in 1863. Then in 1941 President Franklin Roosevelt established the current date for the holiday which is the fourth Thursday in November.

*Minnesota is the top turkey producing state followed by Arkansas, North Carolina, Missouri, Indiana and Virginia.

 *  Many of the items that we include on our tables during this holiday were not available or part of the English diet. Potatoes and sweet potatoes didn't show up to the table, cranberry sauce requires sugar which was an extravagance at the time and there wouldn't have been any pumpkin pie because they didn't have all the ingredients needed to make a crust.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!! 

Thanksgiving Day is a time for families and friends to get together and enjoy each other's company. Many families have special traditions which make this holiday even more meaningful. Maybe you have some that have been passed down through your family as well. If not, you can always make this the first year to start one or two -- or you can add a new Thanksgiving tradition to the ones you and your family already enjoy.

On the Charming Chick blog today we will share some Thanksgiving Day traditions, which we hope will inspire you. 

* Start a Tablecloth of Thanks ~ Purchase a lightly colored tablecloth. It can have leaves or other festive fall decorations on it and each year have everyone at the table write what they are most thankful for that year. Make sure they sign and date it and as the years march by, it is nice and very special to look back and read all the messages.

* Start a Tree or Turkey of Thanks ~ Starting on November 1st have each member of your family write something they are thankful for. Continue doing this until it is Thanksgiving Day. You can just draw a turkey or a tree and then add paper feathers or leaves to them. Save it for the next year and see all the wonderful blessings that you and your family have received.

* Break the Wishbone ~ Save the wishbone out of the turkey and let two people grab an end, make a wish and pull. It is said that the person who has the largest piece of bone in their hand, will have their wish granted! It's never worked for me but it's always great to brag about winning anyway!

*FOOD ~ Speaking of turkey, food is the main event for this holiday. A traditional spread usually includes a turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, deviled eggs, olives, pickles, pies and so much more! It's also a great time to give to others. Inviting friends and family over who may be struggling - or have nowhere to go - is always a generous idea. Also, giving to organizations who provide food baskets or dinner to those in need is a great way to help others and give thanks for all the blessings you have as well.

* Play games ~ Board games, card games and video games are a great way to enjoy the company of your friends and family -- and to partake in a little friendly competition. Some families even organize a family flag football game to be played each year.

So what are some of your favorite Thanksgiving Day traditions? We would love for you to share some of them below in our comments section. We hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day!