<p>I am reading all of the postings and taking notes.
My own Mom was a get up at 4am person. She made getting the turkey in the oven seem like such an event. My MIL’s turkey is usually hit or miss, usually miss. Sometimes she buys a Butterball, sometimes a free range, and sometimes the super cheap Albertson’s bird. She is not the person to ask about the best way to cook the bird. I will cook stuffing both in and out of the bird. H likes it stuffed.
My H keeps telling me I need to have people bring things. MIL has an apple orchard and she will bring her homemade applesauce and her homemade cranberries. I have one SIL who insists on bringing a bunch of desserts from Costco which we don’t need since we have 2 other relatives who are excellent bakers.
I realize my first order of business is cleaning out my refrigerator and freezer.
I went into Pottery Barn yesterday and they are already having some of the Thanksgiving decor on sale. I didn’t buy anything. I have picked up two 100% cotton Thanksgiving colored tableclothes at Ross. But now thinking they are not going to match my Mom’s china.
S and H are arguing over how to arrange the tables. H wants to leave them where they are and have two separate eating areas (most of the relatives coming are from his side of the family not mine). S wants to put them together to make a long table. I agree with my S.
My MIL loved to host Thanksgiving but it stressed her out. She would start now making my FIL expand the dining room table and put the protective cover on it, Pull out all the silver and serving stuff. They would have the table set a week in advance. She also made the table look for festive. Pinecones and leaves from their yard. She also has cute little pilgrim and indian candles from many many years ago. The price on the bottoms of the candles say 69 cents. (She doesn’t light those) Last year the in laws took everyone out to the desert for Thanksgiving but it wasn’t the same. All leading me to make the offer to have everyone at my house.</p>
<p>Posts # 33, 46, and 60, yes! I have tried many, many methods in the past 25 years, but cooking the turkey unstuffed, in a bag, following the very simple directions included in the box is the simplest method, with the best results. it just doesn’t have to be complicated unless you WANT it to be complicated…in which case I have a turducken to serve you.</p>
<p>With all the commotion, side dishes, talking and family that are a part of Thanksgiving, I wouldn’t try anything even remotely related to Martha Stewart, cheesecloth, brining, grilling or deep fat frying the first time.</p>
<p>Cheesecloth stuck to the skin for us, the one time we tried it. But, a friend used to rave about soaking kitchen towels in bourbon and keeping them wet with more bourbon for the whole time. And, I suppose, sampling the bourbon. Oh, yeah, the towels go over the bird.</p>
<p>Mom60 - I thought I was the only one who had never hosted Thanksgiving dinner!</p>
<p>Several years ago, my wonderful (and YOUNGER) sister-in-law offered to host. I will be forever grateful. I am a good guest. I always bring a couple of dishes, send a centerpiece, and a gift certificate to a restaurant. She thinks it’s a good deal.</p>
<p>I 'm another one who cooks turkeys in a bag. Simple. And to me that is the key for a dinner. Keep it simple.</p>
<p>Can you do the bag with a stuffed turkey? I can’t imagine not stuffing - and I don’t think anyone has mentioned chestnuts in their stuffing, which is a must!</p>
<p>mom60- I made this sweet potato puree last year for the first time, and it was really yummy. And it couldn’t be easier. The best part is that it is actually better if it’s made a day or even two ahead of time. :)</p>
<p>[Recipes</a> for Health - Sweet Potato, Pumpkin and Apple Puree - NYTimes.com](<a href=“http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/19/health/nutrition/19recipehealth.html]Recipes”>Sweet Potato, Pumpkin and Apple Puree Recipe - NYT Cooking)</p>
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<p>lol, WE did the turducken one year. Perfectly hideous! </p>
<p>Actually, in some ways, it’s the Thanksgiving meal debacles that we tend to remember most fondly. There was the Turkey that I inadvertently cooked for an hour for every pound. Not sure where I got that from but kept insisting to my husband as the smoke seeped from the oven that it was the ONLY way not to poison our guests. We ended up grilling steaks . . . As for what to ask people to bring, I usually tell them wines that work with turkey. That is a whole conundrum in itself.</p>
<p>My SIL and I do the cooking at Thanksgiving for about 30. What’s funny is that the turkey is only thing we do not cook. My SIL’s dad deep-fries a turkey and my step-dad smokes a turkey. I’ve never had to cook the turkey! But there are so many great ideas here. I usually cook turkey breasts for sandwiches often during the holidays because they are so inexpensive.</p>
<p>Another turkey in a bag question: Does the turkey skin get browned/crisp this way? My hairdresser was just telling me yesterday that she does her turkey this way, but I didn’t think to ask the question. I’m thinking of giving it a try.</p>
<p>sewhappy, LOL!!! I needed that! Love your perspective.</p>
<p>LOL, sewhappy! I’m sure we all have some Thanksgiving fiasco stories to tell. The very first time I cooked the bird, I forgot about the giblets packet (and I’ve been warned many times!!). Thank goodness I remembered about it halfway through, and pulled it out before anyone could see. Opps. :o
“…another important thing about Thanksgiving: it’s really not Thanksgiving unless you’re swimming in leftovers.”</p>
<p>That’s my Thanksgiving motto, too. I’ve been cooking Thanksgiving dinners for 20+ years and always make sure that DH gets at least two days worth of leftovers. :)</p>
<p>I’m sure scout’s feast is delicious. Chemists are good cooks by definition. ;)</p>
<p>I make the usual Thanksgiving fare: green salad; sweet potatoes, pre-cooked, peeled, cubed and tossed with butter and some brown sugar in a pan; some green bean dish; roasted root veggies with fennel and quince; mashed potatoes; gravy, and, of course, the big bird. I cook my turkeys unstuffed, since the home team likes their stuffing to be “crunchy”, so the stuffing gets some oven time in a casserole dish. This year I’m planning to make the 2009 NY Times’ chanterelle pear stuffing. I made a dry run, and it was delicious.</p>
<p>For dessert, I already made and froze some wild strawberry pies (made with vodka crust - thank you, whoever posted the recipe here on CC!), and will also make Nanaimo bars (thank you, crabbylady!).</p>
<p>Try Mark Bittman’s 45-minute turkey. This really works!</p>
<p>[Roast</a> Turkey in 45 Minutes - Video Library - The New York Times](<a href=“http://video.nytimes.com/video/2008/11/21/dining/1194833563448/roast-turkey-in-45-minutes.html]Roast”>http://video.nytimes.com/video/2008/11/21/dining/1194833563448/roast-turkey-in-45-minutes.html)</p>
<p>I’m fascinated by the 45 minute turkey (though suspect I would massacre the poor thing trying to remove the backbone). But that turkey in the video looks on the small side for our crowd–333, what size do you use in your successful Bittman method?</p>
<p>Two words; “dry brined turkey”…ok that’s three words
[Dry</a> Brine Turkey | Recipe: Dry-brined turkey - Los Angeles Times](<a href=“http://articles.latimes.com/2009/nov/18/food/la-fo-calcookrec18d-2009nov18]Dry”>Recipe: Dry-brined turkey)</p>
<p>And this turkey stock
<a href=“http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Brown-Turkey-Stock-231026[/url]”>http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Brown-Turkey-Stock-231026</a></p>
<p>Both can be started ahead. And I vote for stuffing outside the turkey and a heavy duty roasting pan.</p>
<p>shrinkrap: When I was a girl I read the series of books: All of a Kind Family. There was a “recipe” (a description actually) of koshering chicken. This brine recipe was their koshering. Fascinating. (I believe that this was in the first or second book.) Yes, I know…I have a strange memory.</p>
<p>Good point; this and other recipes are not recommended for kosher or " injected" turkeys. Injected turkeys will give a percentage of salt and water. If you are going to brine, you want a “natural” turkey.</p>
<p>I know this makes me a less-than-adequate hostess, but after 20 years I am finally waving the white flag on doing the turkey myself, and will be ordering from Safeway or something. I LOVE doing the side dishes, but the turkey-stress just about kills me every year. Between spending half the day disinfecting the kitchen, and overcooking the bird out of fear of poisoning someone, it’s just not fun for me. I will miss the wonderful smell of a roasting turkey, but will enjoy puttering with stuffing, potatoes and pies – and relaxing with my guests.</p>
<p>Try Nugget market! And roast a few legs from Safeway for the aroma and the stock.</p>
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Oh, that’s a good idea. Thanks. 
And I’ll check Nugget Market.</p>