Wow – 2010 has flown by.  I can’t believe I’m blogging about my plans for my Thanksgiving 2010 feast.  While some folks might be stressed out at the thought of hosting Thanksgiving for 15,  I look forward to the opportunity to hone my culinary skills as I prepare this epic holiday feast.  I’m not sure just how many times I’ve hosted Thanksgiving (I forget, is memory the first thing to go as you age?).  I have foodie notes that tell me this is at least my third year running.  I’ll be looking over some of my favorite recipes from Thanksgivings past to create the menu.  Here’s a peek at some of my favorites for the ‘main event’ (aka. dinner itself) as told through my pre-Thanksgiving prep activities …

T – 2 (Thanksgiving minus Two Days)

• Prepare Spicy Cranberry and Zinfandel Sauce.  About 5-6 years ago, I found the most amazing recipe for a homemade cranberry sauce that I haven’t been able to find online since.  Thankfully, I saved a copy!  Sugar, orange rind and juice, cloves, ginger, and cinnamon steep away in a bottle of Zinfandel wine … add cranberries until they pop, then reduce to a simmer for about 30 minutes.  Amazing!  (And one Thanksgiving side is marked off the list).
• GRAVY!  One of the greatest tips I’ve run across to reduce my stress in those final moments of bringing the Thanksgiving meal together is to make the gravy ahead.  Buy a pack of turkey legs to roast off a couple days ahead of the big feast so that you can steal the pan drippings for the gravy.  It saves the last minute hassles of making sure the gravy comes together lumpless and wonderful.  (Save the pan drippings from your turkey to spruce up pan sauces in the days to follow).

T-1 (Thanksgiving minus One Day)

• Brine that bird!  I have been brining my turkey for the past several years and, well, I can’t say how things would have turned out without the brine, but no matter what bone head culinary move I’ve made, the turkey has always been juicy!  While I’ve heard Ms. Martha Stewart wouldn’t agree that my fresh bird (vs. frozen) needs a brine … well, I’m just not going to take a chance.  It’s working.
• Make the homemade dressing for a Spinach and Green Apple Salad.
• Get all the prep out of the way for New England Sausage Stuffing with Chestnuts right up to the point where you put it in the oven.  (Now, I un-lighten this a bit by adding more sausage).  Stick it in the fridge for tomorrow.

Go Time!  (Thanksgiving Day)

• I follow this recipe for cooking the bird itself.  Ignoring the brine of course.  I’d add some chicken broth/stock to the pan in the beginning to keep the veg from burning (lesson learned two years ago).
• Bring the stuffing to room temperature and put it in the oven when the turkey comes out.
• Bring the salad together.  Toss the apples in the dressing to keep them from browning.  Put the cranberries in a pretty bowl.  Heat up the gravy.
• Thank your sister-in-law (mine’s named Beth) … for bringing the mashed potatoes.  We keep it warm in a 18 qt roaster to save oven space.

After you rise from your turkey coma, try one or two of these recipes with all those delicious leftovers.  Figure 1.5 lbs. of turkey per person if you want to make sure you have extras!

• Turkey Bone Stock.  You bought it, so use it up.  Save the turkey bones for this delicious stock.
• Jack Quesadillas with Cranberry Salsa.  I easy this up by making quesadillas out of whatever’s in the fridge and dipping in my cranberry sauce (as is).
• Turkey Magirista.  This is a delicious way to use up leftover turkey or … chicken.
• Thanksgiving Stromboli.  I found this recipe last year (love ya Rach).   I made it with Whole Wheat Pizza dough to make it healthier.

Well, I hope you enjoyed the peek into my Thanksgiving Dinner plans.  Time to go order my turkey and brine.  I can’t wait!