Gobble Gobble

Happy thanksgiving! So I'm thinking better late than never right? Well I was really really excited this year because I got to be in charge of thanksgiving dinner! I was so excited to make a turkey. Although I did have some reservations about the cooking plan. I knew I wanted to brine it but I wasn't sure about the flavors. Also I knew I wanted to try a different cooking method then the standard all day long low and slow.

So everyone was a little nervous and let me just tell you there was no reason to worry...it was amazing!!! Mmmmm, I don't mean to toot my own horn or anything but I've never tasted meat this tender, juicy, and flavorful. So brine, brine, brine for 24 hours. Remove and rinse, rinse, rinse, inside and out. Dry and let rest room temp for about an hour. Rub down liberally with canola oil. Bake at 500F for 30 minutes. Tent with foil and turn down to 350F. Cook until temp is 161F in the deepest part of the breast. Remove and rest at least 15-20 minutes. Carve and devour the goodness. There are more subtle nuances if you're seriously interested leave your email in the comments and I'll email you the whole thing. Seriously it's so easy and so worth it.

Okay, enough about that. We also made some creamy mash potatoes, asparagus, sausage and apple stuffing, cranberry pear relish, and pumpkin pie. I also had lots of fun doing my table...on a budget. I used branches, berries, and leaves I found outside. Napkins I found on sale at Kohls. A drop cloth from Home depot for the table.  And pine cones I found outside for place card holders. It was so fun.

Here's my table.

Here's my brine. And I'm hoping someone has pictures of the beautiful turkey that I can post later.

We also had a wonderful time with our family celebrating Karli's birthday and baptism, the birthdays of my sister, brother, and grandmother, and my new nephews baby blessing. It was very busy! Welcome to the family little Mason, we love you!