posted on
October 8, 2024
Hi, I’m Jesse, your farmer here at Whiffletree!
Welcome to our new farm blog, where we'll share stories, recipes, videos, pics, and more
Each week leading up to Thanksgiving, we’ll be releasing info on everything turkey and Thanksgiving related… fun turkey facts, recipes, how-tos…you won’t want to miss it!
Sometimes in the rush of the Christmas season, I have to remind myself to slow down and take in all the little things that make the season special. I tend to go from day to day checking off my lists, and I forget to stop and just enjoy the moment. But I’ve found it’s in those moments that the best memories lie. Christmas is one of those times of the year that has so many good memories attached to it. Or, it’s the perfect time of year to create new memories and traditions for you and your loved ones to make the season special. So today, we wanted to share with you the favorite memories from some of the folks here at Whiffletree. Grab a cup of hot chocolate or eggnog and some cookies, sit back and relax, and enjoy! Christmas Memories from the Farm… Jesse Straight “Some of my favorite memories from growing up are the Christmas Eve service with all the candles in a big dark church, all the beloved Christmas books that came out each year, my mom's "monkey bread", playing with my family’s nativity set much like I would with playmobils/legos/etc.(camels and wise men were more likely to be in a Western-style battle with the shepherds–ha!), writing funny notes on the gifts for my siblings, the handful of classic Christmas movies we would watch each year, and just getting off from school! Some of my favorite traditions now with my family: we love getting our tree from Oakshade Farm and just hanging out there a bit. We have lots of great Christmas books that we only bring out this time of year–and as a family we read “A Christmas Lie” and “Christmas Day in the Morning.” I am a total sucker for both. The kids and I like to go around to our neighbors on the morning of Christmas Eve and give out gifts and notes, and then decorate the tree in the evening. I love the kids piling on our bed with their stockings early in the morning on Christmas Day, and then off to the 7:30 Mass! And then I like how we try to do something a little special or fun on all 12 days of Christmas.. And watching the Muppets Christmas Carol and It's a Wonderful Life (my absolute favorite movie)!” Liz Straight “My favorite part of Christmas growing up was that we woke up Christmas morning to find the house all decorated and the Christmas tree lit up. My parents did all of it in the night and told us that Santa did it for us. We had to wait at the top of the stairs and go down all together after my dad turned on all the lights and made sure everything was ready. I can’t imagine staying up late and doing all of that now that I am a parent, but it was truly magical and so much fun! Now, my favorite part of Christmas is that we take it really easy that day. We eat tasty foods that we have made ahead of time, go to Mass either at midnight on Christmas Eve or early in the morning on Christmas Day, and then relax together enjoying our new gifts, favorite games, favorite Christmas movies, and taking walks around the farm.” Carmen Ashwell “I have lots of wonderful Christmas memories of my family, but something I look forward to every year is the Christmas cookies. Coming from a large family of home chefs and bakers, my family goes all out with Christmas cookies. We have easily up to 20 different types to try some years! I don’t remember what year it was exactly, but I baked 13 different types of Christmas cookies, and I love to watch my family try each one and hear their thoughts. It seems like almost every year we find a new favorite to be added into the regular rotation, but that list is getting bigger and bigger! And I love to eat Christmas cookies for weeks after Christmas!” Elliot Anderson One Christmas Eve, my family made ginger cookies, and we walked up and down our road in Wisconsin (3.5 miles) in the slushy snow, caroling to our neighbors.” Bethany Fisher “I have a few favorites from the Christmas season. My absolute favorite memory from Christmas happened a couple weeks before Christmas, when we would go pick out our Christmas tree. That day was as big as Christmas Day for us. We would go to the Christmas tree farm in the morning, trudge through the snow (I grew up in Minnesota, so we usually had a few snowfalls in early December!), find the perfect tree and cut it down to bring home. Then we would make an assortment of Christmas snacks, hot chocolate, cider, and homemade eggnog. In the evening, we would put on the same Christmas CD each year and decorate the tree and house while we ate all the goodies. A couple other favorites…on Christmas Eve, we always watch a ‘Christmas Carol,’ and then my little sister and I grab our sleeping bags and sleep under the tree. (The reason is definitely not so we can spy on our Mom as she brings out wrapped gifts for under the tree…). And then homemade caramel rolls for Christmas brunch are the best!” Anthony Schiano “My favorite tradition would have to be the food! More specifically, the cake that we bake every Christmas. Fittingly named the “Jesus Cake,” it’s a coffee cake I look forward to every Christmas morning.” What is your favorite Christmas memory or tradition? Let us know in the comments below! Merry Christmas! ~Bethany
Christmas is in the air! Trees are going up, Christmas lights enchant people’s homes, carols spread the Christmas cheer…all of which means it’s the time of year to begin planning your Christmas gathering with family and friends! My family’s home (Bethany here!) was the gathering place for our family Christmases. I love cooking, especially for large groups of people. I love how food brings everyone together, and seeing all the smiles and hearing the laughter around the table as we enjoy a good meal is the best part. The star protein of our family’s Christmas meals vary from year to year, but the maple orange glaze is always a constant. So this year, I wanted to share with you a recipe for the tastiest Christmas turkey ever! Sweet meets savory in this take on a Christmas turkey. Maple glaze with bright notes of citrus…a gravy with Whiffletree seasoning meat and thyme…what’s not to love? Grab your pasture-raised Whiffletree turkey HERE and give this recipe a try! What you’ll need: For your turkey: 1 whole pasture-raised turkey, thawed and giblets removed (brined or not brined! I did just a simple 24 hour saltwater brine for my turkey) 4 oranges Handful of thyme sprigs 6 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed ½ tsp whole allspice For your maple butter glaze: ¾ c. unsalted butter 1 c. maple syrup ½ tsp whole cloves For your gravy: 1 package Whiffletree seasoning meat (similar flavor to bacon! You can use bacon, but I used seasoning meat in this recipe because it’s fattier and I wanted the fats for the gravy) 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 ½ tsp thyme leaves ⅓ c. flour 3 c. reserved drippings and broth (you’ll make this from the turkey neck and giblets) Salt and pepper to taste Optional garnish: Pomegranate seeds (adds a nice contrasting color and a pop of flavor!) How to Prepare: Preheat your oven to 325F. First, make your maple butter glaze. Melt ¾ cup butter over low heat. Add the maple syrup, the juice from two of your oranges, and the cloves. Bring to a simmer and let cook for a few minutes before removing from the heat. Remove your turkey from the package, take off the plastic truss, and set into a roasting pan. Make sure to take the giblets out of the cavity and save them for your gravy! Now is also the time to remove the turkey neck if you wish. Next, cut the 4 remaining oranges into halves and place in the cavity of the turkey, along with 6 cloves of garlic, ½ tsp whole allspice, and a small handful of thyme (make sure to save enough thyme to get about 1 tsp of thyme leaves from). Then, if desired, take some kitchen twine and truss the legs together. Now take your maple butter glaze and spread all over the turkey skin with a pastry brush. (Make sure to leave about a cup for serving later with your turkey!) Then place the turkey into your heated oven. *Note: The rule of thumb is 8-10 minutes per pound of turkey, but always plan for less so you don’t overcook your turkey. If you have one, place an oven-safe thermometer into the breast before putting it into the oven. You want the meat to reach 165F to be safe for eating, but no more as you don’t want dry turkey! The breast tends to cook faster than the leg, so if it reaches 165F but the leg doesn’t read that temp yet, simply cut off the legs and leave in the oven to keep roasting until done. This way you don’t overcook any part of your turkey! While the turkey is roasting, you can start prepping your gravy! Put your reserved giblets (and turkey neck if you removed it) into a small pot and cover with 4.5 cups of water. Set over medium low heat and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat, take out the giblets and turkey neck, and set them aside to cool, saving the broth in the pot. After the giblets have cooled, finely dice them. After the turkey has reached 165F, drain off the drippings into a bowl and set the turkey aside somewhere to keep warm while you prep the gravy. Next, fry up your Whiffletree seasoning meat in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once the meat is fully cooked, remove to a plate, leaving all the fats behind in the pan. Turn the heat to medium low. Mince your remaining two cloves of garlic and add to the fat, along with 1 tsp. thyme leaves stripped from the stalks. Cook until the garlic is starting to brown and is fragrant. Then, add in the flour, whisking to make a roux. Let the roux cook for a few minutes while stirring often to keep it from burning. Next, slowly pour in 3 cups of your reserved drippings and your giblet broth, whisking the entire time to keep clumps from forming. Cook the gravy for a few minutes or until it reaches your desired thickness. Once it reaches the right consistency, remove from heat, add the diced giblets, and stir in salt and pepper to taste. And you’re all set! Carve up your turkey and serve with the seasoning meat, thyme gravy, maple butter glaze, and optional pomegranate. Enjoy!
December is definitely my favorite time of year. I love the holiday season. A huge part of that isn’t just Christmas itself, but everything that happens leading up to Christmas. It’s all the little things…frosty mornings, the first snowfall (I grew up in Minnesota, so snow came early!), the perfect Christmas tree, drinking hot chocolate by the fireplace, lights twinkling in the windows… and of course, eggnog. If there’s one drink I love most in the world (except coffee, which deserves its own category!), it’s eggnog. Rich, creamy, smooth...with hints of nutmeg, cinnamon, and vanilla… it automatically makes me think of Christmas. Quite often in December, you can find me curled up on the couch in front of the fireplace, reading a book and enjoying a glass of eggnog. This week, I wanted to share with you my favorite recipe for homemade eggnog. It takes some time to make, but the results are SO worth it! Store-bought eggnog can’t compare to homemade. Whether you want to treat yourself to help get you in the Christmas spirit, or whether you want to have a special treat for your loved ones on Christmas Day, I guarantee you’ll love this recipe! This recipe is a cooked version. While raw eggnog is still mouthwatering, I personally like it cooked better. I think it gets a richer, creamier consistency that is absolutely amazing! One tip for making this recipe is - patience! You can’t rush perfection! Cook your eggnog at a low temp to avoid cooking the eggs too fast. That way it doesn’t get clumps of scrambled eggs or start to taste too “egg-y.” And I promise, the patience pays off! Ready to make your own? Grab the ingredients and follow the recipe below, and bring your eggnog game to a whole new level! Perfect Homemade Egg Nog Recipe What you’ll need: 6 large Whiffletree egg yolks⅓ cup sucanat, coconut sugar, or maple sugar1 cup heavy cream2 cups whole milk1 cinnamon stick1 vanilla bean, or ¼ tsp vanilla extractPinch of salt¼ tsp ground nutmeg (fresh ground nutmeg is the way to go! I just use a lemon zester to grate what I need from a whole nutmeg…otherwise already ground nutmeg works just fine!)Optional: ¼ cup bourbon, whisky or rum Here's how to make it: First, whisk the egg yolks with the sweetener of your choice until it turns a light color and is creamy. Next, add the milk to a medium saucepan and warm over medium-low heat. Once you begin to see steam rising from the milk, measure out one cup of the heated milk. Slowly pour the milk into your egg mixture, whisking the entire time to make sure the milk doesn’t cook your eggs. This helps to temper your eggs, or warm them up so the shock of adding them to the hot milk doesn’t fry them. Next, take the tempered eggs and slowly pour them into your saucepan with the heated milk, again stirring the entire time. Add in the cinnamon stick and vanilla bean, if using. Keep the heat on medium-low. (Don’t get impatient and turn the heat up too high - you’ll cook your eggs too fast and end up with a clumpy mess!) Using a wooden spatula, slowly stir the mixture as it cooks, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pan to keep bits of eggs from sticking to the bottom. After about ten minutes, you should see the mixture begin to thicken. Test the temperature with a thermometer - you want it to get to 160 F before taking it off the heat. (The mixture will further thicken as it cools in the fridge.) Another way to test the thickness is by dipping your wooden spatula into the mixture and taking it back out - if the egg mixture coats the spatula and doesn’t just run off, it’s ready. But if you’re not experienced making eggnog, use your thermometer to make sure! Once it reaches 160 F, pour the egg mixture through a strainer into a bowl or jar. This will make sure you don’t end up with unpalatable clumps of eggs in your drink. If you used the vanilla bean, cut it in half down the length of it, and use a butter knife to scrape all the vanilla bean seeds from inside the pod. Add that into your egg mixture and whisk to incorporate. If you didn’t use the vanilla bean, add in your vanilla extract. Next, add in the nutmeg. Then cover the mixture and set into the fridge to cool it down. While the egg mixture is cooling, pour ½ cup of the heavy cream into a bowl. Using a hand mixer, beat the cream until it thickens and forms soft peaks. Once the egg mixture is cold, add in the whipped cream with the other ½ cup of heavy cream and whisk it together to incorporate. Don’t whisk too fast as you don’t want to break the cream down too much…whisk slowly and just enough to mix the two together. If you want to make it alcoholic, add in a quarter cup rum, whisky or bourbon. And there you have it! The best, most delicious eggnog. It’s so creamy and smooth…you’ll never want to go back to store-bought again! Stop on by the farm store, pick up your eggs, and give this recipe a try! Make sure to let us know what you think! Have you ever had homemade eggnog before? Comment below and tell us how you like to make it! Cheers! ~Bethany
8717 Springs Road
Warrenton VA 20186
(540) 935-0600
info@whiffletreefarmva.com
Store Hours: M - F 11AM to 5PM; Sa 10AM to 5PM
