Dear Ingrid: Turkeys are one of the easiest things to cook. I am sure you will do fine. I bake mine with melted butter and herbs an the cooking time is usually given on the turkey packaging, or in a cook book.
Are you planninbg a special dinner for the dogs? Mine will have raw ground turkey, with pumkin. And some dog treats I will make.

May God bless your thanksgiving.
We can be thankful for so much. Our dogs are one thing to be thankful for. It is great you have dog people to invite over.

 Quote: Connie Sutherland

 Quote: Kristel Smart

and chocolate dumplings.

Oooo! What's that?

agreed... details needed.

Ingrid,

If you would like, I can talk you through a fool proof, step by step guide from selection and purchase through to serving a Turkey, correct portioning etc...Once you have the right information it's really easy...

Let me know if you would like me to do that.
Regards....Kathryn

I want to tell short little stories

My grandparents emigrated to the U.S. from Italy. My dad and his siblings didn't learn English until they started school.

I grew up in a large extended family and we had these huge get togethers for the holidays. I always thought that our holiday dinners were as about as traditional American meals as you could get.

Then one year my older sister went to a boyfriend's home for Thanksgiving. She was shocked. Shocked! There was no pasta on the table! On Thanksgiving day there was no pasta on the table! She couldn't believe it. What was wrong with these people, that they served a Turkey without any pasta!

My brother was visiting a friend and met his grandma. He was very young at the time. He was surprised that she spoke English. Before then, he had no idea that anyone's grandma spoke English.

Aunt Mary used to make huge pans of lasagna for Thanksgiving dinner. She used to tell me that I was her favorite nephew. She'd say "Richard, you are my favorite nephew. Don't tell your cousins I said that." Of course, I assumed that she told all her nephews the same thing. We were all her favorites. That was the kind of woman she was.

At her funeral one of her sons gave the eulogy. He said "You always knew where you stood with mom by the amount of lasagna she put on your plate." And then, at that moment, I knew it was true. I was her favorite nephew. She would always heap huge servings of lasagna onto my plate then come back and ask me "Richard, did you get enough to eat? Would you like some more?"

That was long ago and the family became much too large for all of us to get together on holidays. So now my siblings and I and our spouses and children gather at my brother's home in Seattle every year for Thanksgiving dinner. He makes the Turkey and the dressing. My wife brings the smashed potatoes. My sister makes a fruit salad, others bring the veggie trays for before dinner and the deserts for after dinner.

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. It's a wonderful time for the family to get together and doesn't have the pressure of preparation that Christmas has.

Rich, wonderful stories...

Well, we've already had our Thanksgiving, but I could eat turkey anytime. I think it would be worth the AirMiles to eat at Will's house.
I really enjoy Alton Brown and remember that episode, but I haven't yet brined a turkey or chicken. Friends have have done so, as well as pork chops and they say it's great.
I absolutely LOVE to cook and my favourite cookware is.... LE CREUSET. When I bought new appliances this June I went to a gas stove. Love gas cooking! Always wanted a gas stove, but was going to go ceramic until the salesman said I couldn't use my cast iron pots. No way was I giving up my Le Creuset. Forked out the extra $$$ to run a gas line through the kitchen.
Also, when I bought my KitchenAid appliances I qualified for a free KitchenAid blender, stand mixer and food processor! How cool is that.
Anyways, happy Thanksgiving to all.

Thanks for the stories Rich. Thanksgiving is my favourite holiday. It's not so messed up with all of the material things that Christmas brings.

 Quote: Rich Pallechio

... Then one year my older sister went to a boyfriend's home for Thanksgiving. She was shocked. Shocked! There was no pasta on the table! On Thanksgiving day there was no pasta on the table! She couldn't believe it. What was wrong with these people, that they served a Turkey without any pasta! ...

I had an Italian roommate many decades ago and I know that our Thanksgiving dinners did not lack lasagna or full-on-turkey!

We could hardly put plates on the table because of all the food.

 Quote: Melissa Blazak

Also, when I bought my KitchenAid appliances I qualified for a free KitchenAid blender, stand mixer and food processor! How cool is that.

VERY cool. I use my KA stand mixer constantly...I make my own bread and it's a handy appliance for that plus, it saves my arm muscles from giving out completely.

 Quote: melissa blazak

Also, when I bought my KitchenAid appliances I qualified for a free KitchenAid blender, stand mixer and food processor! How cool is that.

I have a KitchenAid story too. A few years ago my wife brought me a catalog from Bed Bath and Beyond and showed me a KitchenAid mixer she wanted. The picture in the catalog showed a red mixer and she said "I don't like red. If you get me one, don't get me a red one." So my son and I went Christmas shopping with the catalog and I went to the store and cornered a salesman, pointed to the picture and said "I need one of these in not-red." So he took me to where they were. Then he pointed to the bigger mixers and said "These are the same, but bigger and better." And I asked "Do you have those in not-red?" He said yes, so I bought her the big one.

She was thrilled when she opened it and says she's happier with the big mixer than she would have been with the small ones.

A few months later we were at her sister's and my wife saw that she had one too. So she told her the story. Then my sister-in-law told her story. She sent her husband to the store to get the large mixer. At the store the salesman showed him what he was looking for then pointed to the smaller mixer and said "these do the same thing but cost less." So my brother-in-law brought home the smaller mixer. His wife saw it, got really mad, and made him take it back and get the big mixer.

Lesson: When your wife says "not-red" it is OK to substitute the big one for the small one. Bigger is better. When your wife says "Get me the big one", don't think smaller is just as good.