waste not want not

{I wish I could say this was my Thanksgiving table, but alas, it is not.}
So whether you're hosting Thanksgiving tomorrow or you just picked up a turkey since they're stinkin' cheap these days, I wanted to share some tips so that none of that bird {no matter how inexpensive} goes to waste!

First, cook it up and enjoy it the traditional way! Yummy. I have been dreaming of that juicy browned bird for weeks now.

If there's a LOT of meat left on your bird, eat it as turkey bacon subs, pulled turkey and gravy sandwiches {just let some big hunks of meat and the leftover gravy simmer in your crockpot all day and it'll just fall apart}, or make a turkey pot pie {using leftover pie crust dough, the leftover veggies, leftover gravy, and instead of topping it with another crust, top it with those leftover mashed potatoes}.

By now your once plump turkey is meerly a skeleton with a some bits of meat here or there. It LOOKS like it's time to throw it away... or is it? You can do one of two things. 1} freeze that frame of the turkey in a large freezer bag, or 2} take the time and make up some soup! It's a process, but well worth the effort and NOTHING goes to waste.



The recipe I love comes from my Better Homes & Gardens cookbook. So simple. It takes a while, but it's something you can leave simmering on the stove while you get other stuff done. Or, save it for one of those snowy, go nowhere days.

TIP: Instead of the pasta, I love a hearty dumpling. So I choose to use an old family recipe for something called "glace". Nom Nom Nom. The recipe is simple.

1 cup flour
1 egg
dash of salt

Add cold water by Tablespoons until you get a somewhat stiff dough that is smooth and elastic.

Cut off chunks the size you want your dumplings and drop into the soup at the end of the simmering time. When they float to the top, they're ready!

This recipe can be increased if you desire more dumplings in your soup.