Thanksgiving Schedule --------------------- The Turkey ---------- Just buy a nice frozen bird today at the latest and defrost in your frig (12 lbs will defrost by Thursday) or buy fresh and keep in frig. Get one with one of those pop-up-tells-you-its-done thermometers (I think they all have them now) and one that is natural or injected with broth rather than soybean oil. I usually just take out the guts, wash the bird under the tap in cold running water, pat dry, plop it in a large pan, rub with salt and pepper, and bake unstuffed at 350 for 3-4 hours (for 12 lbs). While roasting I put a bit of water in the roasting pan to keep the juices from burning on the bottom- not much- a half cup from time to time. During the last hour I baste every 15 minutes by just spooning the juices all over the turkey. When the thermometer pops up I take the turkey out of the oven and let it rest for 30 minutes while I get the other stuff pulled together. Timing ------ 4 1/2 hours ETA: Stick bird in oven 3 hours ETA: Set table. Chill water and drinks. Fix salad, cranberry, celery, carrot sticks, etc- all that diddly stuff. Send guys out for anything you have forgotten. Kitchen Bouquet is great for adding to gravy to make it look dark and delish. Comes in a bottle. 2 hours ETA: Do squash in oven in flat pan over, under, or beside bird. Make stuffing and place in a casserole -I cheat and use Stove Top and add chopped celery, apples, raisins- whatever I feel like adding. Place in a covered dish or bowl ready to warm up later. This stuffing has no meat juices so you don't have to worry about temp. and Salmonella. 1 hour ETA: Put pot of water on to boil. Peel potatoes (get slave to help with this and all messy tasks). Boil potatoes until tender and mash. 1/2 hour ETA: take bird out of oven when done. Let it sit. Mash squash. Put in nice dish with cover and keep warm in oven. Put stuffing in oven. Last 15 minutes: Warm rolls in foil in oven for last 15 minutes. Fix green beans or whatever veggie in that last 15 minutes,and....for gravy: Put 2-3 tablespoons turkey fat or butter in a saucepan with 2-3 tablespoon flour, blend and heat gently until bubbly, slowly add the turkey juices from the pan, whisk until smooth and thickened, add more water if too thick and a teaspoon or so of Kitchen Bouquet if the gravy looks anemic. Salt and pepper to taste. Get a guy to carve the bird while you put all the food on the table. Get another to pour the drinks. Now enjoy. After....make em do the dishes while you relax and warm up the pies. Siek tradition...the cook NEVER washes the dishes or cleans up. Tips ---- - EEE gads...timing... that is always so much fun....make em wait and get good and starved so that anything tastes great. - Don't hear of it when they say it doesn't taste like Mom's cooking...tell 'em their taste buds were deprived... and yours is better!