you are gonna love this fabulous &
easy classic butter roasted turkey recipe
by
MAILI PRODUCTIONS

soooo easy…a child can do it…seriously….

first you need fresh ingredients…organic is always best….

and you cannot be afraid to get dirty…that’s part of the fun…

maili’s flavor tip…put butter & sage under the skin….

Classic Butter Roasted Turkey
by Maili Productions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  (But you will reduce the heat to 375 after the first 15 minutes)

Remove plastic from turkey in the sink.  Remove the neck and all organs from inside the turkey cavity.  (You will use the neck and neck skin for the turkey broth you will use to make gravy.)  Rinse the turkey and pat it dry.

Place the turkey in the roasting pan.  Slide your hands between the skin and the breast in order to separate it so you can put large clumps of unsalted butter under the skin.  Place at least three or four clumps on each side.  Then place whole sage leaves under the skin.  (You will not be able to see the sage leaves well when the butter is firm and in there, but when the turkey is roasted they will show through beautifully.

Coat the entire outside skin of the turkey with olive oil and generously coat with kosher salt.  Leave cavity empty and do not stuff so the heat can get inside the turkey and it can cook more quickly.  Also, my personal tip is to untruss the turkey and leave the legs out so that the hot oven air can cook the turkey more quickly.  (I’m not a fan of trussing in chickens or turkeys)

Cook the turkey at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.  Then turn the oven down to 375 (or 350 for smaller ovens).  Every 30 minutes while the turkey is cooking, get a stick of butter and rub it all over the top off the turkey.  Cook for 2 hours for a 15 pound bird and under.  Cook for 2 and a half hours for a 16-20 pound bird and higher.  If the turkey browns too quickly on top, tent it with aluminum foil.  (You can just lay the foil over the bird, you don’t have to tuck it in or anything like that.)

Let the turkey rest for at least 20 minutes before carving it.  You can also cover it with foil for up to an hour to keep it warm and then carve it.  Or keep it in the oven on very low temperature 200-225 covered with foil if it is finished before you need to serve it.

Moist and Delicious!  And the leg meat is darker and a bit pink by nature so don’t overcook it worrying that you haven’t cooked it long enough.  There is nothing worse than dry overcooked turkey.

And if you like the taste of stuffing inside the bird, just pour turkey broth or chicken broth over your stuffing to mimic that moist taste that comes from cooking it inside the bird.  But you will have a better tasting turkey if you cook it unstuffed.

(adorable child not included)

another tip…drizzle olive oil over the bird & rub it in….

and voila…the yummiest turkey ever…..

the only thing left to do at this point is….

dig in….bon appetite!

for this & more fabulous recipes visit the MAILI FILES….xoxo

this truly lovely bridal shower is featured in the new issue of
C-MAGAZINE…you simply must pick it up…serious eye candy….

wishing the beautiful bride a wonderful wedding…xoxo

___________________________

C MAGAZINE CREDITS

Cake/desserts: Cupcakes - www.cupcakescouturemb.com
Florals: JL Designs - www.jldesignsandevents.com
Stationery: Momental Designs - www.momentaldesigns.com
Scent Station: Kamilyin - www.kamilyin.com
Linens: La Tavola - www.latavolalinen.com
Champagne: Nicholas Feuillatte - http://www.feuillatte.com/
Production: Be Inspired PR - www.beinspiredpr.com
Photos by Elizabeth Messina – www.elizabethmessina.com
Catering by  Cory Martin Events – www.corymartinevents.com

candle light makes everything taste better…xoxo

may your day be full of sweet things…xoxo

MAILI’S PEACH CAKE WITH BURNT SUGAR SHARDS

The secret to this cake is buying the best peaches possible.
I wait every year for Prima Peaches to come in season.  They are
so addictively delicious.  I sauté the peaches in butter and a
little butter and sugar so there are fresh peaches on
top of the cake as well as inside it.

For Peaches:

1 pound sliced peaches (about 3 cups) for inside of cake.
Additional peaches will be needed for top of cake.

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

a pinch of kosher salt or sea salt

For the Cake:

1 1/2 sticks of butter, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

4 eggs, at room temperature

3 cups unbleached white flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or sea salt

1 1/2 cups sour cream

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups cooked peaches (note:  the three cups of peaches will cook down to about 1 1/2 cups.
Reserve some peaches for the top of the cake or just cook more.  The more peaches the better!
Also remember to reserve the liquid from the cooked peaches for the frosting.

For the Frosting:

2 8-ounce block of cream cheese, softened

2 sticks of unsalted butter

2 1-pound box of powdered sugar

1/4 cup of peach syrup (liquid after you cook the peaches)

For the Shards of Sugar (to garnish additional peaches and to garnish top of cake)

1 cup Sugar

For the peaches: Heat a large skillet to medium high heat.  Add butter and peaches.  Sprinkle with sugar.  (if the peaches are not naturally sweet you may need more sugar.  The peaches I use are very sweet and only need a little sugar)  Add ground ginger and a pinch of salt.  Set aside.

For the Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Butter and flour 2 8-inch-round cake pans.  Set aside.

In a mixing bowl cream together the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs one at a time, mixing them completely into the butter mixture after each addition.

In a separate bowl combine all of the remaining dry ingredients:  flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Mix or sift together well.  Add the dry ingredient mixture alternately with the sour cream.  Stir in the vanilla extract.

Fold in 1 1/2 cups of the cooked peaches into the cake batter.  Divide batter evenly between cake pans.  Baked for 40 to 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Remove cakes from oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Then invert onto cooling racks to finish cooling.

Make the Frosting: It is probably best to make the frosting in two batches unless you have a really big bowl.  So put one block of cream cheese, one stick of butter and one box of cream cheese in a mixing bowl and mix until well blended.  Mix in reserved peach syrup from your cooked peaches.  Then make another batch exactly like it.

Make the burnt sugar shards: Prepare a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  In a large stainless steel saucepan, place the sugar.  Heat over medium high heat until sugar begins to melt and brown.  Do not stir.  Tilt the pan if you need it to melt more evenly.  As soon as the sugar is a beautiful amber brown color pour it onto the parchment paper lined sheet tray.  Slightly tilt the pan so it spreads around.  It should harden immediately as it cools.   When it is completely hard break it into shards by either hitting it with a mallet or dropping the tray so the sugar cracks.

Frost the cake.  Just before presenting place more sautéed peaches on top of the cake for garnish.  Place some of the sugar shards on top of the peaches.  Garnish around the cake with peach halves and quarters and piles of burnt sugar.

most of you know i was married to the love of my life nearly 3 years ago…but what you prbably don’t know if that the one place we registered was WILLIAM SONOMA…you see i sort of consider my self a bit of a chef…well, untrained for sure….but i love cooking…and even more than that i love pretty things in my kitchen….look at this lovely pot of coq au vin in my favorite LE CREUSET pot from  WILLIAM SONOMA (i secretly think my LE CREUSET pot makes anything i put in it taste better;)

we also are the proud owners of a beautiful set of ALL CLAD pots and pans (again thanks to our lovely WILLIAM SONOMA wedding registry)…every morning jasmine helps me make her scrambled eggs in a little ALL CLAD pan (now, i don’t want to brag, but jasmine says i make the best scrambled eggs ever)…i truly think when you have lovely appliances in your kitchen, it makes it a place you want to be….so trust yourself….let your inner chef free & fill your kitchen with beautiful pots & pans….i promise, everything will taste & look better…..these are the beautiful ALL CAD pans we have….

and of course, it is no secret that i am a coffee devote….my morning routine looks a little like this….

the sweetest thing about my coffee is this….one of my closest friends gave us the beautiful cannister set from our WILLIAM SONOMA registry…so every morning while i make my strong yummmy coffee, i think of her….and here are some of the things currently on my WILLIAM SONOMA wish list….

what’s on yours?? see here’s the thing….WILLIAM SONOMA is offering a $200 gift certificate to a lucky KISS THE GROOM follower

So, how do you enter to win the $200 Williams-Sonoma gift certificate?

1st visit Williams-Sonoma.com to create your registry….

2nd….leave a comment here (on kiss the groom) to let me know that you created
your registry & tell me what your favorite WILLIAM SONOMA registry item is.

If you already have a registry, don’t worry! You’re eligible too.
Just go to your registry, add at least one new item and leave a
comment here that includes the new item you added.

If you want to receive an extra entry, include a link to your public registry in your comment.

winning is oh so sweet….

good luck from us & WILLIAM SONOMA

sponsored post

a little more sweetness....

i am for the most part a positive girl…a glass is half full type of girl…but right now my glass if half empty….no, actually completely empty…i am a hungry photographer….not in a cute metaphorical kind of way…but actually hungry….starving….in need sustenance….let me see if i can explain…there is a dirty little secret in the wedding world…its called the “vendor meal”….i am calling out to all brides…and caterers….and anyone who may be listening….ladies…i am a passionate photographer….i love what i do….i can often go tirelessly for hours capturing the nuances & beauty of your wedding day….i will sometimes work for 8, 10 even 12 hours before taking a break…don’t get me wrong, i am not complaining about this…i LOVE being a photographer & will do just about anything to create beautiful images….the thing is when i finally do break, its usually for just a few minutes….and i am often ravenous….i am not sure quite how to describe the experience of coming face to face with a “vendor meal” but its very close to how it feels to be heart broken by the love of your life…it hurts…and words can’t really touch the way it feels…now a “vendor meal” can take all forms, from a soggy sandwich served next too garbage cans in the alley of a five star hotel, to cold pizza at a gorgeous estate, to the ever popular “box lunch” which is usually made at the crack of dawn & served in the evening & includes an array of barely edible nibbles….sometimes we are served a warm “vendor meal”, that is warm, yes, but also basically inedible….imagine lukewarm sliced turkey & soggy vegetables….i when i say inedible, i mean literally i cannot palate it, & instead of eating, i go hungry & wait until i get home or back to my hotel room & eat then…i realize this may sound a bit whiney…again this is not my intention….there have been a few occasions where i was fed wonderful food, i’ve been given the same plate of food the bride & groom were given, these beautiful moments are few & far between….if you still think i’m being too picky, think about this…a photographer is there to capture your wedding….if we are fed well, not only do we have fuel to go on, we also feel happy, appreciated & grateful…which means we can continue tirelessly  to photograph the things & people that are important to you…i also feel its important to emphasize here, that we do not need or want a long break to eat….we have no desire to experience your eight course meal….one edible plate of food will do…as a rule of thumb, if you do not want to eat it, probably we won’t want to either….i have never complained at a wedding & i would never want to distract a couple from enjoying every moment of their wedding day….that would be petty….but i’ve worked many a night hungry & with hurt feelings…photographers if you are out there, please chime in…and lastly, if a bride & groom are unaware of this, then of course they can not do anything to change it….and caterers, we are on the same team…we are all working together to create a memorable & beautiful day for a couple in love….some caterers are incredibly gracious about feeding us & others, not so much…ironically, the same people who will not feed us, are often the ones that want photographs of their food & the event…i am more than happy to share my images with anyone who worked on a wedding…just please share a little food with me, we are on the same team…my head is bowed, my heart is full & my belly is empty.

food for thought…i would love to hear your thoughts….xoxo

when i close my eyes and wish….

i usually wish that i will be present enough in my life to appreciate all of the beauty….i am thankful for the most unexpected things….i am thankful for the hard days full of impossible deadlines & laundry….i am thankful for all the tears i’ve cried & all the lessons i’ve learned…i am thankful to the friends who are tenacious enough to hang in there through my ever changing moods….life is everything i never expected & more….i was sitting yesterday with a lovely friend of mine going through an intense health hurdle (she recently had a double mastectomy & is about to begin chemotherapy)…i had such an urge to take care of her….yet it was she who served me tea & had me laughing so hard my sides hurt….her strength is paled only by her wicked sense of humor & endless intuitive joy….i am so thankful for her….she taught me more about being a woman & the depths of beauty during an afternoon tea than any other time in my life….and so as this day begins (my kitchen already a mess & i haven’t even begun cooking), it feels like one of those days….it will be an epic unorganized thanksgiving….i am in my night gown & ugg boots, sipping the strongest coffee ever….and i wish to be present enough to appreciate the beauty of this extremely un-perfect moment….may everyone be blessed with full bellies & full hearts….good health & a healthy sense of humor….& patience & generosity & kindness & love….& kisses…as ever lots of kisses….

xoxo

a little more sweetness....

you are gonna love this fabulous & easy classic butter roasted turkey recipe
by
MAILI PRODUCTIONS

soooo easy…a child can do it…seriously….

first you need fresh ingredients…organic is always best….

and you cannot be afraid to get dirty…that’s part of the fun…

maili’s flavor tip…put butter & sage under the skin….

Classic Butter Roasted Turkey
by Maili Productions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  (But you will reduce the heat to 375 after the first 15 minutes)

Remove plastic from turkey in the sink.  Remove the neck and all organs from inside the turkey cavity.  (You will use the neck and neck skin for the turkey broth you will use to make gravy.)  Rinse the turkey and pat it dry.

Place the turkey in the roasting pan.  Slide your hands between the skin and the breast in order to separate it so you can put large clumps of unsalted butter under the skin.  Place at least three or four clumps on each side.  Then place whole sage leaves under the skin.  (You will not be able to see the sage leaves well when the butter is firm and in there, but when the turkey is roasted they will show through beautifully.

Coat the entire outside skin of the turkey with olive oil and generously coat with kosher salt.  Leave cavity empty and do not stuff so the heat can get inside the turkey and it can cook more quickly.  Also, my personal tip is to untruss the turkey and leave the legs out so that the hot oven air can cook the turkey more quickly.  (I’m not a fan of trussing in chickens or turkeys)

Cook the turkey at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.  Then turn the oven down to 375 (or 350 for smaller ovens).  Every 30 minutes while the turkey is cooking, get a stick of butter and rub it all over the top off the turkey.  Cook for 2 hours for a 15 pound bird and under.  Cook for 2 and a half hours for a 16-20 pound bird and higher.  If the turkey browns too quickly on top, tent it with aluminum foil.  (You can just lay the foil over the bird, you don’t have to tuck it in or anything like that.)

Let the turkey rest for at least 20 minutes before carving it.  You can also cover it with foil for up to an hour to keep it warm and then carve it.  Or keep it in the oven on very low temperature 200-225 covered with foil if it is finished before you need to serve it.

Moist and Delicious!  And the leg meat is darker and a bit pink by nature so don’t overcook it worrying that you haven’t cooked it long enough.  There is nothing worse than dry overcooked turkey.

And if you like the taste of stuffing inside the bird, just pour turkey broth or chicken broth over your stuffing to mimic that moist taste that comes from cooking it inside the bird.  But you will have a better tasting turkey if you cook it unstuffed.

(adorable child not included)

another tip…drizzle olive oil over the bird & rub it in….

and voila…the yummiest turkey ever…..

the only thing left to do at this point is….

dig in….bon appetite!

for this & more fabulous recipes visit the MAILI FILES….xoxo

a little more sweetness....

makes me so happy…xoxo