thinktank

Yup, you guessed it. I love food and I love the cooking and eating season from now until the New Year begins. This year we'll have about 20 people for Thanksgiving!! I have been so happy with thebrine the night before and high-heat low-heat method that I have used for several years now, but I am a little worried this time. With a larger crowd, that means a larger turkey. Based on some of the reading I did, the larger turkey can get dry with this method because it has to cook for so much longer. I pride myself on NEVER having a dry turkey (of course the brining helps with this) so I am giving SERIOUS thought to doing two smaller turkeys this year.

The only thing that worries me is adjusting the cooking time so I can figure when the birds will be done for timing purposes. All I have to do is take a look at them and see if I can fit two smaller turkeys side by side in my roasting pan (and oven!) I guess that could mean discreetly taking a tape measure to the grocery store, hehe. I am hoping that I'll end up with more drippings for gravy this way, because I was also warned that with 1 bigger bird, I might not be able to make enough gravy for the entire crowd.

I have a tried and true giblet stock recipe I always make the night before while the turkey is brining, so I figure I'll double this since I'll have twice as many giblets and then I should easily be able to make a boat load of gravy (not just a gravy boat, but a REAL boat!). I'll also be making Sausage and Cranberry Stuffing, Oranged Cranberry Sauce (I LOVE the smell of this as it is cooking), mashed potatoes and a caramel pecan pie and then some of my family members are going to contribute other dishes. I am starving already just thinking about it!!!
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That's right, I got tired of waiting for my friends and family members to get started having kids, so I went ahead without them...again!

Due date: May 10th.

Sierra's excited and I've got heartburn :-)
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