Turkey Talk

This year I decided to brine my turkey. What do you think? Do you brine yours? Smoke or barbecue it? FRY it?

Normally I just roast it the old fashioned way, but THIS year, about a week ago, I decided to brine it, because I had an experience over the summer where I brined pork chops and they came out marvelously moist and tender, which is unusual for pork chops. MY pork chops, at least. So I figured brining was magically good stuff.

There was only one problem: About ten minutes after I decided I was going to brine the turkey this year, before I even LOOKED at a recipe for brining, I forgot. Totally. Until about an hour ago, around 8:30 p.m. on the eve of Thanksgiving.

The internet is a wonderful thing. Within a minute or two I found a TON of brining recipes with all kinds of star ratings, so I was able to find one with an excellent rating that used ingredients I already HAD. Then I went in search of a who-knows-how-many gallon bucket and washed that out--several times. Of course there's NO WAY that bucket will fit in my refrigerator--not with the shelves holding all the OTHER Thanksgiving food! But remember how I said we were having a really cold Thanksgiving? Well, I took the bucket out to the garage and covered it with boards, and I'm sure it will be just fine there until around 7 a.m. when I retrieve the bucket, stuff the turkey, and stick the bird in the oven. (Just as long as Hubby doesn't wake up from his nap in the recliner, decide it's too cold for the Drooling Dog to sleep in his dog house on the patio, and bring him into the garage--THEN we might just lose our traditional holiday meal and have to get Chinese takeout for Thanksgiving.)

I've made the stuffing, and it's in the refrigerator. The rest of the meal--green beans with bacon, onions, and mushrooms; scalloped potatoes (I cheated and got Trader Joe's--we LOVE them!); Crescent rolls; and cranberry sauce will be simple and quick. Hubby was going to make a pumpkin pie, but he ran out of time today, so the Wild Child picked one up at the grocery bakery. Oh, and I have a few appetizers I can throw together. So, all in all, for our little family gathering, we're pretty well set and I'm looking forward to a nice day. And, of course, I hope you are too! Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.