Hope everyone had a fabulous Turkey Day; mine was low key and stress free. My twinners did most of the work and hosted … my oldest took care of our adult beverage needs.

Not sure about your family but our family has no idea how to cook small. It’s either cook big or go home ... hah, hah, hah.

My husband and I are like the Brady Bunch. We had no children together (except, of course, our adopted dog, Lucy, who we adore). Richard and I have been together almost 20 years. I’ve been cooking for two boys and three girls for a long time. It’s hard to cook for seven people for years then drop down to two. I always cook way too much — God help us if I run out of anything.

The ingredients list for turkey soup includes: leftover turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, carrots, peas, green bean casserole, pepper and whatever you have left for veggies. I normally do turkey and rice but my husband loves noodles so instead of rice I cook spaghetti pasta in some of my stock liquid … so good.

OK, first I pick off a bunch of turkey meat for sandwiches … it’s a must. I have my big stock pot to put my turkey carcass in. The turkey has been stuffed with oranges, onions, celery and fresh cranberries. Keeping all intact, throw it in and cover it with water. Then add extra onions (quartered), whole carrots, and whole celery. I let that simmer for a good couple of hours.

Here comes the hard and messy part, at least in my book; make sure you save all your stock — it’s awesome for other things, like more soup, stir fry, chicken pasta dish, etc. Drain into a big pot and let the turkey carcass, wings and legs cool, then pick away. I keep my veggies whole then chop them up after they cool.

Take some stock and cook whatever you would like for pasta or rice. Mixing it all together, first add your gravy to the big spaghetti pot, add your chopped carrots, celery and onions and then your picked turkey meat. Please be careful – there are lots of little bones in turkey legs. If it’s a little bland, add some chicken paste, pepper, and maybe a dash of garlic — add and be crazy.

Please stay safe this holiday season and have fun with family and friends. Please be kind and thank you all.