Why I Buy Extra Turkeys

Just because turkeys are only on sale once a year, doesn't mean you can only eat them once a year! My local grocery stores usually offer incredible deals on turkey around Thanksgiving, hoping they can sucker you into buying all your other holiday items there.

If you have room in your freezer, now is the time to stock up. Last year I bought SIX turkeys, all for $5 - $8 apiece. I probably get a week's worth of food out of each turkey I cook. What else will feed you for a week for $5? Of course it helps that I'm only feeding two people, but if you have a larger family, you can always get larger turkeys!

Besides the initial roast turkey feast, we usually have several days of open faced turkey sandwiches for dinner, and turkey sandwiches for lunch. When we're sick of that, I make turkey pot-pie, turkey noodle casserole (recipe below), or salad with roast turkey on top.  I also boil the carcass for turkey stock, and usually end up with enough for two batches of soup (like this Turkey and Wild Rice soup) - each of which makes enough for several days.

If you don't want to eat turkey for a week straight, just portion it out into freezer bags and stick it in the freezer. You can use it just about anywhere cooked chicken is used.

If you don't have room in your freezer for a full turkey, consider just getting a frozen turkey breast. They are a little more expensive per pound than a full turkey, but it is still pretty economical. Plus, turkey breasts can usually fit in a crockpot, which makes for a super easy meal.

And even the Ninja Pups get a treat when I make turkey! Giblets and the neck get mixed in raw with their kibble for an extra special treat! (Dogs can eat RAW poultry bones - but don't give them cooked poultry bones because the cooking process dries out the bones, making them brittle and liable to break into sharp shards which can injure their digestive tract).

A freezer full of cheap turkeys works for me!

Turkey Noodle Casserole

• 2 cups cooked turkey, diced (white meat is best for this recipe)
• 1 cup white sauce (or a can of your favorite cream soup)
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables
• 2 cups egg noodles, cooked and drained
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese

1. Stir the white sauce, milk, black pepper, vegetables, turkey, noodles and Parmesan cheese in a 1 1/2-quart casserole dish
2. Bake at 400°F. for 25 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
3. Stir the turkey mixture. Top with the Cheddar cheese.

Homemade Dog Treats - Liver Brownies

Here at the Ninja household, we are pretty insistent that our pets get healthy, high-quality food and treats. Feeding your pets cheap food can save money in the short run, but end up costing you in the long run with higher vet bills, shorter life spans, and lower quality of life. Unfortunately, buying high-end "gourmet" prepackaged dog treats can be insanely expensive.

In order to provide our animals with healthy treats that aren't laden with chemicals and preservatives and not go bankrupt in the process, I started making homemade dog treats. Just like cooking for your human family allows you to save money and increase quality, cooking for your fur family is a win-win as well. One of the ninja pups' favorite treats is Liver Brownies!

Warning: This recipe involves raw liver. And cooking liver. It smells pretty gross, but your dogs will LOVE you for it.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. (approximate) Beef or Chicken Liver (I used 3/4 lb beef liver because that's what I had)
• 2 cups flour
• 3 eggs

Dump everything into your food processor:


Process for a minute or two until well-blended. You may need to add a little bit of water (1/4 to 1/2 cup) if it is too thick for your food processor. The batter will be rather thick and gooey:


Dump the liver goo into a greased 9x13 pan:


Use a rubber spatula to spread the goo evenly in your pan. Did I mention it is thick and gooey? Spread it as evenly as you can, but don't worry if its not pretty. It's liver, I don't think pretty is an option.


Bake at 350° for 20 - 25 minutes. Caution: Wild ninja pups will begin to circle the kitchen during the cooking process as the aroma of baking liver treats begins to permeate the air:


The brownies are done when they appear dry on the surface - they may puff up some. Remove from oven and let cool


Once they're cool enough to handle, cut into small ninja pup sized bites:



Since these have no preservatives, they will probably only be good for a couple of days unfrozen. I usually package mine in plastic gladware containers and put them straight in the freezer.


OK, so they don't all get put in the freezer... the vicious Ninja pups must be appeased!


Cost breakdown for these treats:
.75 lbs beef liver: $1.49
2 cups flour: ~$.25
3 eggs: ~$.25

Total: $1.99

I could easily pay over $10 for similar quality treats at the store - and I still wouldn't know for sure what was in them!

Liver Brownie Dog Treats

1 lb. (approximate) Beef or Chicken Liver
2 cups flour
3 eggs

1. Preheat oven to 350°
2. Grease a 9x13 pan
3. Place all ingredients into food processor, blend until a smooth paste (a few liver chunks are ok) is formed
4. Spread paste evenly in pan
5. Bake for 20-25 minutes
6. Allow to cool, then cut into bite-size pieces
7. Store in airtight container for 1-2 days, freeze for up to several weeks.

This post is part of Works for Me Wednesday.