Progress report

[anahata56]

The soup is done.

The sweet potatoes are assembled and ready to bake off.

The butter is softening for the herb butter for the birds. Done

Comments

[captain_phil]

I'm ordering pizza for munching on while packing this evening!

[anahata56]

Paul and I both have been thinking about the "night-before-Thanksgiving" pizza since we watched "Ham on the Street".

I don't know if you saw it, but he went to Plymouth and asked the Pilgrim re-enactors what they had the night before Thanksgiving and they said usually just a bit of bread and cheese. He told them that most modern families do that, too--only they called it "PIZZA".

And then he ordered pizza for everyone on the Mayflower--which was kind of fun.

But yeah, we're keeping with tradition this year! ;-)

[captain_phil]

Pizza usually figures in in most holidays for my family. Kinda traditional.

Then there's the Christmas Day viewing of "Strange Brew"...

[anahata56]

Paul is threatening "Jurrasic Park", which'll be OK because I'm hoping that by that time I will have had enough wine to send me the way of the dinosaurs...

[freyas_fire]

Well, if you have time to doodle with nuts, then you must have everything under control. ;)

Our turkey is happily soaking in its brine mixture right now, I just have to figure out how long to cook the damn thing so that it's ready in time for us to get it to my parent's house by four.

[anahata56]

How big is it?

A 20 pounder usually takes about 3 hours--maybe just short of that--at 325F. But you need to keep your meat thermometer handy to check it.

[freyas_fire]

It's just shy of 20 pounds. I was figuring four, but I'm putting it in an oven bag, so three might be more on the mark. That bad boy still had some ice on it, and it's been thawing in the fridge for over two weeks!

[anahata56]

It's the only way the turkey can defend itself.

You've already got it dead and naked, the only thing it can do in revenge is refuse to thaw. Ever.

I tend towards fresh turkey myself, for exactly that reason--I don't need the anxiety of coping with the physics behind trying to get a solid 20 lb block of poultry to thaw in time for dinner. But the problem with fresh is that you daren't pick it up more than three days in advance, and sometimes it's a crap shoot as to what'll be left by that time.

This is the kind of thing that makes me miss Lenny the Butcher, who used to tag one for me and keep it in the back...

[lolleeroberts]

I'm roasting pumpkin. And I'm steaming pumpkin.

I'm making two pies. One with steamed pumpkin puree and one with roasted. Just to see which is better, you know. And I'm roasting garlic for the garlic mashed potatoes. Sam's already mixed up a basil, mozzarella and tomato salad with balsamic vinegar and EVOO. That's our contribution. My sister's making beef tenderloin, appetizers and cheesecake bites. The other sister's bringing the bread. Oh, and I'm taking a VAT of whipped cream because it's not pumpkin pie without the whipped cream!

[anahata56]

I'll take pumpkin pie steamed OR roasted, honestly. I like the COLOR of roasted better, though.

I didn't make it this time, but the next time I make pumpkin pie (maybe NEXT weekend!), I'm going to try Paula Deen's recipe with apple butter in it. It sounds amazing.