Thanksgiving is peaceful when you cook the day ahead

Thanksgiving Menu 2011-with random musings, photos, tips and ideas that are flowing freely from my head as I cook. Some might call it flight of ideas : ) I'll insert more photos later. Taking them on my iphone so have to fiddle with them later. Thought a photo of the very busy kitchen might be a good way to start.

 MENU

21 lb. Butterball Turkey (sister Sandy says to soak it, but don't think I will. It's delicious without bothering - keeping it simple. But I will cook it in a cooking bag. Shorter cooking time and very very moist.)

Mom's Italian Stuffing (which Ed said I could substitute for oyster stuffing because "your italian stuffing is more important to you than my oyster stuffing is to me" - and that's reason #758 why I married Ed)

Stovetop Stuffing (for my crazy sons who love Stovetop so much they just MUST have it, even though they could have homemade stuffing)

Brown & Beautiful Sweet Potatoes (Ed won't touch sweet potatoes due to a bad childhood experience,  but everyone else loves them)

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes (a new recipe this year from Facebook friend Gwin Grimes)

The old standby, Green Bean Casserole, but this time with a touch of Soy Sauce - because Campbell's said so!)

Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce for Ed

Jellied Cranberry Sauce right out of the can and cut into those slices because I've tried those fancy recipes, and no one seems to like it.

Hot Crescent Rolls -they'd eat hundreds of these if I made them

Pecan Pie and Pumpkin Pie right outta the box, because I cook, but I'm really not a baker. No one will know or care!

Here we go...
Started promptly at 6:45 am. Do your least favorite things first. Like peeling all those potatoes.

I've got the eggs hard boiling for the stuffing so they'll be ready when I put it all together. Went to Martha Stewart.com for a reminder. Put eggs in cold water, bring to boil, when boiling turn off heat, cover for 12 minutes. We'll see Martha!

Made mashed potatoes first. Those are now done and it's only 9 am.

Then made the green bean casserole. That's done too.

Then the sweet potatoes - not done yet...

and finally I'll make the stuffing today.

...but have to run to the store now to get the last ingredients that I was too lazy to get yesterday. I'm gonna regret not going to the store yesterday. Today will be hell - but I'm going early, so maybe it will be ok.