Thanksgiving Planning: Dinner Results

Well, I made a few adjustments to fit with scheduling and getting some sleep this week in the proces. The acorn cookies while they would have been cute, were dropped from the menu. I have all the ingredients though and will still make them sometime within the week or two.

I adjusted my Apple Pie to an Apple Raspberry Pie, and added Apple and Sausage to one batch of the dressing. The Sausage Apple Dressing was a huge success, everyone raved and preferred it to the stuffing and regular dressing, so that will be my recipe from now on.

I didn't get the flour in time to make Touch-of-Grace Biscuits, because I was making these though I didn't get carrots and the selection was poor when I went back. So, I made cloverleaf rolls, but plain ones.

A lot of adjustments, but I had enough back-up options.

Unfortunately, due to the timing of the items coming out of the oven and people showing up a bit early and "helping", some items made it to the table without getting photographed and I didn't notice until it was too late. I did get a picture of the turkey in the pan, but not plated. Due to the size of the turkey it was slightly too big for the rack so when we pulled it out, because it was so tender the wings and one of the legs just fell off. So, we disected it before taking it to the table.

All in all, a very successful and delicious meal.

Thanksgiving Planning: A Whirlwind of Cooking About To Begin

I'm leaving work today at noon to go home and begin my whirlwind of cooking and last minute cleaning, organizing and preparations to make sure tomorrow goes off without a hitch. Tomorrow or Friday evening (depends on how long people stay) I will add pictures to all the recipes and one last Thanksgiving post linking everything from one post, summarizing and detailing all the recipes and what I would change for next year, if anything.

I hope everyone has a lovely Thanksgiving, good luck with the recipes if you've decided to try any.

I'm still crossing my fingers that my White Lily flour will show up here today or I'm back to my Carrot Cloverleaf Rolls.

Sweet Potato Pound Cake

Adapted from Better Homes and Garden Best Loved Community Recipes Vol I (still available used). I usually use some of the leftovers from Brandied Candied Sweet Potatoes to make this and adjust amounts accordingly. So I'll give the recipe as in the cookbook, and then also my ingredient modifications when making with leftovers from Thanksgiving. I will make the pound cake Thursday evening, so I can verify amounts for the modifications and tweak them as need be and post pictures. Those are the adjustments I have in my cookbook, but I might have tweaked it a bit based on appearance.

Sweet Potato Pound Cake

INGREDIENTS:

Cake:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 cups cooked, mashed, cooled sweet potatoes (about 2 medium)
1 tsp vanilla
4 eggs
3 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
3-5 tsp orange juice
Orange Peel (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Cake:
Preheat the oven to 350 F
Grease and flour a 10" tube pan or 4 loaf pans
In a large mixing bowl, cream together sugar and butter, then add sweet potatoes and vanilla and beat until well combined
Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition (the batter will look curdled)
Sift together remaining cake ingredients in a bowl
Add slowly to the sweet potato mixture, beating on low until just combined
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 80 minutes (40-50 minutes for loaf pans) or until knife inserted halfway between center and edge of pan comes out clean.
Cool on wire rack for 20 minutes
Invert onto plate(s)

Glaze:
Add orange juice to powdered sugar 1 tsp at a time, just until the glaze reaches drizzling consistency. Stir in orange peel, if adding. Drizzle over pound cake(s).

MODIFICATIONS:

6 Tbsp butter, softened
1 3/4 cup sugar
3 cups Brandied Candied Sweet Potatoes
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
3 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

Follow directions as above.

Vanilla Pears

Just to give you something to look forward to, I bought a handful of pears for my Thanksgiving Centerpiece. As I mentioned earlier I'm going to do more of a fruits, pumpkins and nuts centerpiece. And I bought a few each of three different pear varieties.

After Thanksgiving I am going to make Vanilla Pears based on a recipe from Angelina of Dustpan Alley. I can't wait to taste how they turn out.
I'm hoping to have some time for this on Saturday or Sunday.

I also have 5 pomegranates to do something with after Thanksgiving, so I'll be looking for a recipe to play with for those as well. Let me know if you have any recommendations.

Sage Orange Gravy

Sage Orange Gravy

INGREDIENTS:



Juice from turkey roasting pan (discard giblets, etc.)
1 cup dry sherry (or cider, if you prefer)
1/2 cup flour
2 cups chicken or turkey broth
1/4 cup heavy cream
Optional: Herbs, bacon fat or whatever seasonings you prefer

DIRECTIONS:

Separate fat and broth in the pan drippings. (Pour pan drippings juice into a glass. Fat will rise to top)

Pour 1/4 cup of fat into a saucepan.

Pour pan juices back into roasting pan (not the remaining fat). Over low heat, scrape bottom of pan with a wooden spoon to incorporate all the fond (bits and pieces of meat and crunchy stuff) into gravy.

Add dry sherry or cider to roasting pan and stir. Let mixture simmer.

Add flour to saucepan containing fat. Whisk for a few minutes until a roux (a flour fat paste) is formed.

Pour roux into roasting pan, whisking constantly until gravy thickens. Add additional broth, and cream and whisk until gravy thickens.

Dressing/Stuffing

This is adapted from DIY Network, Chef Jamie Gwen.

I added 1/2 lb browned sausage, and 2 diced McIntosh apples to this batch.

Dressing/Stuffing

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup onion, finely diced
1 cup celery, finely diced
6 Tbsp butter
12 cups dried bread in cubes
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
1/2 tsp dried sage
1/2 cup minced fresh thyme, if using dried reduce to 1/8 cup
1/2 cup minced fresh marjoram, if using dried reduce to 1/8 cup
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups chicken stock

DIRECTIONS:

Sauté onion and celery in butter for 7 to 8 minutes over medium heat in a skillet until soft and lightly browned

In large bowl, combine all ingredients until saturated.

If using as stuffing, pour half of mixture into a baking dish and use the rest to stuff the turkey after microwaving for 6-8 minutes. Once the mixture is hot, stuff the turkey.

Otherwise, pour all the mixture into a baking dish. Tent foil over the dish and bake in a 400 F oven for 25 minutes remove foil halfway through.

Turkey with Sage Orange Butter

Brining the Turkey

Start the night before you plan on cooking the turkey, this is a 10-12 hour process.

This is the turkey before being basted one last time to remove the sage and lifted out. It fell apart as it was lifted out of the roaster, so this was the best picture I had. It is seriously the best turkey I've ever tasted. I've tried several recipes before settling on this as my preferred recipe.



You need:

Large pot or medium cooler
Large plastic bag
1-1/2 cups kosher salt
1 1/2 cup Orange Juice
Cold water
1 Tbs. cracked black pepper
4 dried bay leaves
Sprigs of Sage and Rosemary
Turkey


Directions:

Remove giblets and neck from the cavity (place in plastic bag in 1/2 cup orange juice in the fridge)
Pick a pot or cooler that will hold the turkey, but allow for approx 1-1 1/2 gallons of water to submerge it in as well.
Line pot or cooler with the plastic bag.
Place turkey in pot/cooler, and fill with enough cold water to submerge with 1" of water above the turkey.
Add remaining ingredients and stir until salt is dissolved.
Place turkey back in pot/cooler and pull plastic up and around turkey.

Sage Orange Butter

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups orange juice, room temperature
Zest of an orange
1/2 cup fresh thyme
1/2 cup sage

DIRECTIONS:

Beat all ingredients together, the orange juice will not incorporate fully.

Cooking the Turkey

INGREDIENTS:

Brined Turkey
Sage Orange Butter
Stuffing, if applicable
2 cups of chicken broth

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350
Pull turkey out of the brine solution, rinse thoroughly and pat dry.
Place turkey in roasting pan
Tuck the wings under the bird and tie the legs together with twine.
Stuff the turkey if you are going to.
Coat turkey with Sage Orange Butter, get all the crevices and under the skin if you can.
Pour remaining Orange Juice over the turkey slowly (you don't want to lose all the Sage Butter off the turkey)
Pour bag with giblets and neck into the bottom of the roasting pan
Pour chicken broth in bottom of roasting pan

This recipe requires basting.
Cook for the first hour without opening the oven door, then baste every 30 minutes after that. If the turkey is browning too quickly, loosely tent with aluminum foil.

Cooking Times, from the USDA website:

Timetables for Turkey Roasting
(325 °F oven temperature)

Use the timetables below to determine how long to cook your turkey. These times are approximate. Always use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature of your turkey and stuffing.

Unstuffed
4 to 8 pounds (breast)	1½ to 3¼ hours
8 to 12 pounds	2¾ to 3 hours
12 to 14 pounds	3 to 3¾ hours
14 to 18 pounds	3¾ to 4¼ hours
18 to 20 pounds	4¼ to 4½ hours
20 to 24 pounds	4½ to 5 hours
Stuffed
4 to 6 pounds (breast)	Not usually applicable
6 to 8 pounds (breast)	2½ to 3½ hours
8 to 12 pounds	3 to 3½ hours
12 to 14 pounds	3½ to 4 hours
14 to 18 pounds	4 to 4¼ hours
18 to 20 pounds	4¼ to 4¾ hours
20 to 24 pounds	4¾ to 5¼ hours

It is safe to cook a turkey from the frozen state. The cooking time will take at least 50 percent longer than recommended for a fully thawed turkey. Remember to remove the giblet packages during the cooking time. Remove carefully with tongs or a fork.

Remember:

The turkey is done when a meat thermometer inserted into the thigh (don't touch the bone) reads 180 F and the stuffing reads 165 F. The juice from the thigh should be clear when pierced with a fork and the drumstick and wings could just about fall off the bird when moved a bit.

Thanksgiving Planning: Countdown, Final Week

Thanksgiving is fast approaching! At this point, you should have a
lot of preparation done already:
Your shopping done
Your serving dishes ready and marked with the utensils you'll need
Your linens should be ready
Your fridge and freezer ready for make-ahead dishes
Your Wednesday night dinner made or planned
Your turkey,if frozen, should probably be defrosting

Dessert and side dish assembly are great do-ahead items to make
Thursday go a little smoother for you. Some sides can even be cooked
in advance and just reheated 20 minutes before dinner.

Thanksgiving Planning: My Grocery List

Assuming I have nothing in my pantry or refrigerator, my grocery list for Thanksgiving based on my menu looks like this. I specified amounts for items that I need for several recipes and need more than normal quantity for.

Wine
Coffee
7Up
Apples
Apple Cider
Bay Leaves
Black Pepper
Bourbon
Brandy
6 cups Butter
2 cups Buttermilk
Celery
Cheese
4 cups Chicken Broth
Cinnamon
Cinnamon Sticks
Coke
Confectioners Sugar
Corn on the Cob
Cottage Cheese
Cranberries
Cream Cheese
Cream Of Mushroom Soup
Diet 7Up
Diet Coke
Dr Pepper
Dry Sherry
Egg Noodles
18 Eggs
Flour
6 cups French Bread
French Bread Baguette
French Onions
Fresh Parsley
1 can Frozen Oj
Ginger Ale
Green Beans
Ground Cloves
Ground Ginger
Ham
Half-And-Half
1 quart Heavy Cream
Kosher Salt
2 pkgs Light Brown Sugar
Marjoram
Milk
Nutmeg
1/2 gallon Oj
Onion
3 Oranges
Pecans
Potatoes
Pumpkin
Root Beer
Rubbed Sage
Salt
Shortening
2 tubs Sour Cream
1 bag Sugar
Sweet Potatoes
Thyme
Turkey
Vanilla
1 quart Vanilla Ice Cream
Walnuts
White Lily Flour

Cocktail Party Menu

My first party for November was on 11/6, and since it was on a Tuesday evening, I was literally running down to the minute, and had no time for photographs. This Saturday is my second for November, and should afford me plenty of time to photograph and detail out what I put in items and how to prepare it.

If you've read the blog description, the dump cook is quite literal. Most of these things I've made a hundred times or more, but I don't have a list of what I put in. So as I'm making these favorites, I have to take some time to make notes about quantity. Where in the past I would quite literally just squeeze, pour, scoop etc, directly into the bowl, I am actually taking time to use measuring utensils so I can give you an idea of what really goes into these recipes.

My hubby asked what I'll do if I try something and it doesn't turn out, it's simple, I won't post it. Maybe I should and tell you not to try it that it's terrible or blah. I guess I intend this to be a repository for all those recipes that I love, and the ones I don't want to forget. We can all get into a rut when it comes to "What's for dinner?"

Now, on to what this post is really about... the food...

Here is my menu for my cocktail party this weekend:

Savory Appetizers
Spinach Artichoke Dip
Bruschetta with Tomatoes, Roasted Red Peppers, Goat Cheese and Balsamic Vinaigrette
Cheese Ball (I know what you are thinking, but I get asked to bring this all the time)
Firecracker Shrimp
Brie in Puff Pastry
Assortment of Quiche
Assorted Hard Cheeses
Assorted Crackers
Assorted Nuts and Mints

Sweet Appetizers
Assorted Tarts
Assorted Cheesecakes

Beverages
An Assortment of Liquor, Wine, Beer and Mixers

Thanksgiving Planning: My Cooking Timeline

I thought I'd share my cooking timeline with you, this is the only way to get everything done on time. Thanksgiving has crept up quickly and my cooking starts this weekend. If you don't recall, I posted my menu on October 31 and my general timeline to get through November on November 1. I ordered my ham today from our local butcher and that will be ready for me to pick up on Wednesday after work. I have dinner at 2pm, it's the only way to get everything done on-time and not go insane. My turkey will take a minimum of 4 hours and a max of 5.5 and needs to rest for at least 20 minutes after it's done, so I assume 5 hours, with 30 minutes in the oven to crisp the skin. My last hour is VERY tight, but it's the only way to get everything to the table warm and on time.

* Modifications Since 11/1

My Menu:
Turkey, brined and basted with a sage orange butter
Ham, with a brown sugar glaze
Gravy
Dressing
Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Brandied Candied Sweet Potatoes
Egg Noodles
Green Bean Casserole
Corn on the Cob
Cranberry Sauce
* Touch-of-Grace Biscuits

Hot Buttered Rum
Hot Apple Cider
Wine
Coffee
Punch

and for dessert...
Pumpkin Pie
Buttermilk Pecan Pie
* Apple Pie (spiced apples made and canned already)
and Ice Cream (already bought)

ITEMS FROM THE GENERAL TIMELINE

Saturday:
Make Butter mixture for Hot Buttered Rum
Add spices to Apple Cider.
Make Sage Orange Butter mixture for the Turkey
Pull turkey out of deep freezer and place in pan in the refrigerator to defrost

Sunday:
1 Wash and/or iron any linens, as needed
2 Pick up all perishables and anything else you haven't bought already
3 Clean out your fridge and freezer to make room for all the make ahead dishes
4 Make a meal for Wednesday night that can just be heated up quickly
5 Write down everything you are serving on small pieces of paper, assemble all of your serving platters and utensils and put the corresponding slip of paper with them. Borrow additional items, if needed.
6 Clean out your ice trays and start making extra ice for Thursday.

Monday:
ANY LAST MINUTE SHOPPING HAS TO BE DONE!
Put together the centerpiece

Tuesday:
1 Dust and vacuum the rooms you will be using
2 Clean the powder room
3 Have all dishes washed and put away (you will want an empty dishwasher ready to go) and counters wiped down and ready for service
Set up the tables and chairs for Thursday
Make cranberry sauce
Make the glaze for the ham
Assemble dry brine ingredients
Assemble dry dressing ingredients
Make punch and put in downstairs fridge

Wednesday:
1 Put the turkey in brine solution, if applicable
2 Set the table
3 Have all dishes washed and put away (you will want an empty dishwasher ready to go) and counters wiped down and ready for service
4 Consult your timetable for tomorrow
5 Go To Bed Early! You will need to wake up early to get everything done on time.
Make pecan pie
Make apple pie
Assemble Brandied Candied Sweet Potatoes without the topping
Assemble Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes without the topping

Thursday:
Rinse Turkey thoroughly, pat dry and cover with Sage Orange Butter and put in the Roaster by 8am
Relax until 11:00am
11:00am Coat Ham with glaze and put Ham in downstairs oven (it's precooked and just needs warming)
11:15am Whip cream for pies later
11:30am Assemble the pumpkin pie and put in the fridge to cook later
12:30pm Assemble Green Bean Casserole and Dressing
12:45pm Top Potatoes with respective toppings
12:55pm Set up coffee maker with 1 hr delay
1:04pm Take Ham out of downstairs oven to rest, tent with foil
1:05pm Put Turkey in downstairs oven to crisp skin
1:08pm Put Green Bean Casserole, Dressing and both Potatoes in the upstairs oven
1:15pm Assemble Biscuits
1:35pm Take Turkey out of downstairs oven to rest, tent with foil
1:39pm Put Biscuits in the oven downstairs
1:40pm Get two pots boiling for Corn and Noodles
1:43pm Make the Gravy
1:45pm Boil Egg Noodles on the stove
1:45pm Boil Corn on the stove
1:48pm Pull the Green Bean Casserole, Dressing and both Potatoes out of the oven
1:49pm Put Cider on stovetop to heat
1:50pm Half the Dressing and drizzle half with Turkey broth from the pan
1:55pm Toss the Egg Noodles with 2 Tbsp Turkey Fat leftover from making the gravy
1:56pm Stick Pumpkin Pie in the upstairs oven
2:40pm Stick Apple Pie and Pecan pie in the oven to warm up for 5-10 min

Cider Acorn Squash

Maybe I've totally lost it, but there seems to be a little bit of a peanut butter smell when you cut into an acorn squash. Anyway, because I smelled peanut butter I went with sweet for this acorn squash instead of savory. I had one of my nights where I just had to throw together what I had. So, we had some leftover Baked Macaroni and Cheese and some Cider Acorn Squash. This is almost dessert.

Cider Acorn Squash

INGREDIENTS
1 large acorn squash
1/2-3/4 cup apple cider
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp butter

DIRECTIONS
Cook acorn squash until soft, you can do this many ways depending on time(*preferred):
- Cut in 1/2 and cook covered in a saucepan with boiling water and 1/4 cup apple cider for 10 minutes
- *Cut in half and place on baking sheet cut side up, fill each 1/2 with Tbsp apple cider in a 350F oven for 35-40 minutes
- Cut in half, fill each 1/2 with Tbsp apple cider and microwave for 5-10 minutes at 50% power (check often every microwave is different)

Scoop filling out of the acorn squash and tranfer to a small saucepot
Add remaining ingredients, smash together, cook over medium heat until apple cider is reduced. Don't puree, this isn't baby food, keep it chunky and textured.

Leftover Turkey Sandwich

These are delish and a staple for at least a week after Thanksgiving and particularly good with the homemade Cranberry Sauce posted this week. Pictures will be forth coming after Thanksgiving.

Leftover Turkey Sandwich

INGREDIENTS

Sliced bread (I use an oat and flaxseed bread, basically you just want a good sturdy bread)
Mayonnaise
Thick turkey slices
Cranberry Sauce
Stuffing
Lettuce
Pinch of salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS

Spread mayonnaise onto two slices of bread. Place a few thick slices of turkey on the bread. Add a little cranberry sauce, then the stuffing. Top with lettuce, add a little salt and pepper and place the other slice of bread on top.

Orangette: Double Chocolate Cupcakes with Ricotta, Bourbon, and Orange Zest

Have you any idea how hard it is to pick a favorite recipe? Luckily Molly of Orangette catalogues her recipes or I'd have never found the one I was looking for. Those who know me can almost guess... it has to involve chocolate... probably something baked...

Double Chocolate Cupcakes with Ricotta, Bourbon, and Orange Zest

Who can resist the combination of dense dark chocolate and creamy ricotta... with the citrus zip of the orange... and the bourbon... oh the bourbon...

Now, I know my tagline is Cooking Shouldn't Be Complicated... and it's geared toward easier recipes for those learning or just needing something fast and easy to get through the week. Seriously... Step away from the fast food. And these muffins while not complicated have more ingredients and steps than I'd normally feature, but they are SOOOOOOO worth it. Where I live orange flower water isn't exactly a staple, so I had to forego that ingredient, everything else should be readily available... it'll be fine I promise.

Orangette: My Favorite Post

And on my favorite blog there was a favorite post, and it has nothing to do with a recipe! Her entry titled So we feasted. describes quite eloquently her quest for the perfect caterer for her wedding, and of course, the food.

"We even changed our wedding date – from July 28 to July 29 – to match their availability. We meant business. We just knew they were right."

You know someone is dedicated to finding the perfect caterer and the food they are serving when they change their wedding date to suit availability. She went with Ciaò Thyme and their website has some wonderful, mouth watering pictures. There is an apple pie in their catering portfolio that looks heavenly.

Now, I must go eat some breakfast. I am making myself terribly hungry just looking at everything again.

Orangette

Today is all about a little bloglove. Once a month I plan on featuring other cooking blogs and of course have to start with my favorite. I have been enamoured with Orangette since I first found it. Lovely recipes and photos that look absolutely delicious. Molly's anecdotal style to introducing food and recipes lets you get to know the person behind the blog which I just love. Her writing style and even the simple touches, like the linens in the photoes make me want to curl up in a chair and sit a while with a cup of tea. It just feels like home.

Anyway, today I'm going to feature my favorite recipe from Orangette, Double Chocolate Cupcakes with Ricotta, Bourbon, and Orange Zest. Also, while I haven't tried them yet, I'm sure the Touch-Of-Grace Biscuits will be gracing my table this Thanksgiving instead of the Carrot Cloverleaf Rolls. I plan on trying them this week so I can post lovely pictures and sing their praises, as I'm sure they'll deserve.

I will still share the recipe for the Carrot Cloverleaf rolls this week, as well.

Ham with Brown Sugar Glaze

This is adapted from a Baked Country Ham that I saw done on a show several years ago. It took me a while to find it, but many of my Thanksgiving recipes are adapted from Jamie Gwen's recipes that were showcased that day. She got me through my first Thanksgiving. I've changed amounts a bit over the years, and I dropped the fruit since no one would ever eat it. If you want to give it a try with the fruit that she originally recommends, follow her original recipe linked above. The ham has an unnatural red color to it, it's my picture taking skills, not the ham. Sorry.

Ham with Brown Sugar Glaze

INGREDIENTS

1 precooked smoked ham, about 16 lbs.
whole cloves
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
1 - 2 cups apple juice

DIRECTIONS

Peel skin from ham and trim fat to a l/4" layer. Using a sharp knife, score fat in a diamond pattern. Insert a whole clove into each diamond. Spread mustard evenly all over ham. Sprinkle brown sugar over top and sides of ham and pour 1 cup apple juice into pan. Add additional Apple Juice as necessary, you want a glaze as opposed to a water like consistency. Don't let it get too thick or dry out though, because it can burn as it carmelizes.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1-1/2 hours, basting often.

Cranberry Sauce

This is the cranberry sauce that I've been making for at least 4 years now. Most people who are used to the cranberry jelly in a can are reluctant to try it. So, I always have that as well, but I much prefer this. I love the way the cranberries pop in your mouth. There really is no comparison in the flavor. I love the citrus zip that you get from the added orange juice and zest. I usually make this 2 days before it is needed.

Cranberry Sauce

INGREDIENTS

2 cups orange juice
1 large bowl cranberries (extract all stems and soft or bad cranberries, wash thoroughly)
1 tsp. ground ginger
2 cups sugar
Zest of 1 orange
1 cup walnuts (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Combine orange juice, cranberries and ground ginger in a pot and bring to a simmer. Let mixture cook for approximately 10 minutes until all or most berries come to a pop. (This is important, if they haven't popped, the skins will get tough after the sugar is added)

Turn off the heat. Add sugar, orange zest and walnuts to mixture. Stir until sugar dissolves completely.

Once sauce has cooled, pour into a serving dish. This recipe tastes best if stored in a refrigerator for a day or two.

Quicky Quiche

Quiche isn't that difficult, but this cheat makes it even faster and easier. I like to also sprinkle in some bacon, or other fillings. Sometimes mushrooms, or peppers and onions. It all depends on what I have handy to use up.

Quicky Quiche

INGREDIENTS

1 9" pie crust
6 eggs beaten
1 container Allouette cheese spread (I use Spinach and Artichoke)
Salt and Pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
Combine eggs, cheese spread, salt and pepper and pour into pie crust
Bake at 350F for 35-40 minutes or until crust is golden brown

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Baked Macaroni and Cheese is on my list of personal comfort foods. This is not the neon orange cheese food that comes in a box from Kraft (though I admit I love that as well), but rather a creamy concoction started on the stovetop, but finished to a crusty perfection in the oven. If you'd like something a little quicker you don't have to finish in the oven, but then you lose the combination of the crusty goodness along the edges and top mixed with the creaminess in the middle. I always use finely shredded sharp cheddar, but feel free to use your cheese of choice. For a sharper flavor, substitute a 1/2 cup of the cheddar for a 1/2 cup of blue cheese. This recipe is featured in one of my favorite cookbooks, the Ultimate Southern Living Cookbook, and made with little variation it's just that good. The only way to really mess this up is to use high instead of medium heat when using the saucepan.

Ingredients assembled

Whisk flour and melted butter until smooth

Add Milk and whisk until thick and bubbly

At this point you can either cook it for another 5 minutes or place in buttered casserole dish and bake

Baked with a paprika, cracker topping

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

INGREDIENTS
8 oz cooked macaroni, elbow or spiral shaped work best
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup white flour
2 cups milk, I use skim (it's probably intended to be whole)
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar
1 tsp salt
paprika (optional)
crumbled butter cracker (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Assemble ingredients before use, this is fairly important for this recipe.
In medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter
Whisk in flour until smooth, continue whisking for 1 minute over medium heat
Slowly pour in milk while whisking
Continue stirring over medium heat until thick and bubbly about 6-7 minutes
Switch from a whisk to a spoon (wooden recommended)
Stir in cheese and salt until melted and smooth
Add to macaroni and stir in to coat
Pour into buttered casserole dish
Sprinkle with paprika and/or crumbled butter crackers (like Townhouse Crackers)
Bake at 350F for 30 minutes

If you want to skip the baking, just stir over medium heat for about 5 minutes after combining the macaroni and cheese mixture.

Thanksgiving Planning: Your Centerpiece

Have you thought about your centerpiece yet? If you choose a centerpiece that requires fresh flowers, make arrangements with a local florist to pick them up the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. You don't want to count on them having any left on the spur of the moment.

In my case, I don't plan on spend much time the night before Thanksgiving working on a centerpiece. So I'm choosing something I can assemble several days in advance.

I've decided on something similar to the last picture in this post of Thanksgiving centerpiece ideas.

So, I've added apples, pears, cranberries, small decorative pumpkins and gourds, pomegranates, mixed nuts in shell, and pillar candles in a soft orangish-brown to my grocery list.

Here's the picture again as a reminder. The nice thing about this arrangement is that it's all reusable the week after Thanksgiving.

Apple Galette

This is inspired by an Apple Galette I saw on Angry Chicken a while back. I use my Spiced Apples as the filling for this Apple Galette. This is an easy substitute for an apple pie, when you want a pie without all the hassle of a perfect crust and sealing the top and bottom crusts together. Simple, but just as tasty.

For a Galette Pie Crust, you want enough for about 1 1/2 pie crusts. This is a basic pie crust, yielding a great flaky crust. To make this quick, I use my food processor, however you can use your fingers, two knives, or a pastry blender to cut in the butter.

An Apple Galette

Apple Galette

INGREDIENTS

Crust:
1 1/2 cups white flour
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, cut into Tbsp sized pieces
ice cold water

2-3 cups Spiced Apples

DIRECTIONS
Mix together flour, sugar and salt (Pulse twice if using FP)
Add butter, toss in the flour to separate, cut in butter into flours mixture until butter is in pea-sized pieces (Pulse 5-8 times if using FP)
Drizzle in ice cold water 1 Tbsp at a time, until just moistened and sticking together, usually 4-5 Tbsps (Pulse after each Tbsp)
Lay out a sheet of plastic wrap, and pour on dough bits
Form dough into ball in center using the plastic wrap to pull it together.
Pat down to about 1 - 1 1/2" round
Let rest 20 minutes in the refrigerator
Lightly dust surface with flour and roll out dough into circle (adding as little flour as possible, but enough to keep it from sticking)
Transfer dough to circular pizza pan or stoneware circle
Fill center with Spiced Apples about 3/4" thick, leaving about 1 1/2" crust at the outer edge
Fold the outer crust with no filling on it up over the Spiced Apples
Bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes, until crust is lightly brown.

Spiced Apples

These are great on their own or layered in a galette or as filling for an apple pie. They are a great candidate for canning as well. I make these in large batches for canning to have handy for throwing together cobblers, pies or just to dress up vanilla ice cream in a pinch.

The apples as a filling for a simple Apple Galette.

Spiced Apples

INGREDIENTS

3-4 lbs apples, peeled and sliced (McIntosh, Granny Smith, or other pie type apple)
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
2 Tbsp butter

DIRECTIONS
Toss the apples with the lemon juice in a casserole dish
Mix in brown sugar and spices
Cut butter up into small pieces and dot around the top of the apples
Heat in the oven at 350 until apples are softened and spices and sugar are bubbling about 20 minutes

Annual Cookie Swap Part 2

Well, the date is set and the attendees have RSVP'd, so now all we need is to start baking.

If you are interested in hosting your own Cookie Swap, Martha Stewart has a free downloadable planner available on their website. You will need Adobe Reader in order to view it, which is available free for download.

Her planner gives you recipes for cookies, cookie label clip art, recipes for cookie swap appetizers, a timetable, decoration ideas and cookie packaging tips.

Robin's Cookie Exchange is one of the oldest sites on the web that covers Cookie Swap tips and ideas. It's worth checking out and there is a forum so people share their personal cookie swap tips.

Balsamic Vinaigrette

A basic vinaigrette typically consists of lemon juice or vinegar and oil and various seasonings to taste. The oil to vinegar ratio is usually in the area of 1-1 to 2-1. The seasonings can be as simple as salt and/or pepper to whatever you feel like throwing in with it. A sprinkle of this, a dash of that...

This is my preferred Balsamic Vinaigrette, I add a little honey to curb the vinegar for my hubby. If I'm the only one eating it, I leave the honey out altogether. I make it with a 1-1 ratio for Cucumber Salad, and 2-1 for anything else. I like the heavier vinegar flavor for my cucs.

Balsamic Vinaigrette

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup olive oil
2 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp crushed garlic
1/8 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/8 tsp salt
1 - 1 1/2 Tbsp Honey, to taste

DIRECTIONS
Whisk together first 6 ingredients
Taste at this time, you may not want to add honey.
Whisk in honey to taste, I add a tsp at a time until it takes enough of the edge off.

Cucumber Salad

I love this as a simple light salad with pasta dinners. The creamy goat cheese and Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing compliment each other nicely.

Cucumber Salad

INGREDIENTS



1/2 cucumber

1 roma tomato

2 Tbsp goat cheese

Balsamic Vinaigrette, to taste



DIRECTIONS

Thin slice the cucumber, 1/16-1/8" (Use a mandolin if you have one)

Cut the tomato in 6th's lengthwise, then in half

Divide the cucumber and tomato between 2 bowls

Crumble 1/2 the goat cheese on each salad

Drizzle with vinaigrette to taste

Thanksgiving Planning: Your Grocery List

I've noticed a lot of people hitting this post looking for a grocery list, mine is actually on another post. Hopefully this will help out.

If you don't have readily available access to fresh herbs this time of year, like myself, consider picking up anything you need this weekend. The closer we get to Thanksgiving the harder it will be to find items like Rubbed Sage. If you haven't gotten your grocery list together already, consider setting aside some time before Saturday to find your preferred recipes and compile your grocery lists.

If you are using a fresh turkey, get it ordered if you haven't done so already.

Buttermilk Pecan Pie

Check back the day after Thanksgiving for pictures. I don't care for the corn syrup in typical pecan pies. So this is my substitute. This is one of the more complicated recipes you will find on this site. It's being featured for Thanksgiving, I will try to find an easy Pecan Pie recipe as well. If you don't want to go through all the work. After 15-20 minutes, I recommend slipping a pie crust guard or aluminum foil over the exposed crust at the edge of the pie. This is adapted from a Holiday Cooking Special I watched on DIY Network about 3 years ago.

Buttermilk Pecan Pie

INGREDIENTS

One 9" baked pie shell, bring to room temp if it's coming out of the refrigerator
6 Tbs. unsalted butter, cut into 1/2"-1" pieces
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/3 tsp. salt
3 large eggs
2/3 cup buttermilk
2 tsp pure vanilla
1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans

DIRECTIONS

Adjust oven rack to center position, and heat oven to 275 degrees.

Melt butter in medium heatproof bowl set in skillet of water maintained at just below simmer. Remove bowl from skillet; mix in sugar and salt with wooden spoon until butter is absorbed. Beat in eggs, then buttermilk. Return bowl to hot water; stir until mixture is shiny and warm to the touch, about 130 degrees. Remove from heat; stir in pecans.

Pour mixture into warm shell; bake until center feels set yet soft (like gelatin) when gently pressed, 50 to 60 minutes. Transfer pie to rack; let cool completely. Serve pie at room temperature or warm, with lightly sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Serves 8.

Hot Artichoke Spinach Dip

I'll have to make this again for pictures, I was too slow in getting the camera, everyone was already digging in.

{Edited: Made it again, here's the pic, little blurry, sorry}

Hot Artichoke Spinach Dip

INGREDIENTS
1 block frozen spinach
1 can small artichoke hearts
1 brick cream cheese
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper

DIRECTIONS
Microwave spinach 90 seconds til heated through, squeeze out all water
Drain artichoke hearts and snip into 1/4-1/2 inch pieces
Add brick of cream cheese and artichoke hearts to spinach and microwave additional 45-60 seconds
Add seasonings and stir well
Optional, place on top rack of broiler until just brown and bubbly

Cheesy Garlic Mashed Potatoes

I have no idea where this recipe came from, so unfortunately I can't give credit. However, if anyone is familiar with this recipe and knows for sure, let me know. I'm guessing it was adapted from this recipe from McCormick. They are close but not quite the same.

I left the cheddar out of this version and sprinkled parsley on top for serving. It's better with the cheddar!

Cheesy Garlic Mashed Potatoes

INGREDIENTS
6 potatoes - cubed & cooked until tender
1/4 c milk
1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese
1 c sour cream
1 t parsley flakes
1/2 t crushed garlic
1 c shredded cheddar (or other cheese)

DIRECTIONS
1) Blend all ingredients until smooth and stir in 1/2 c cheese
2) Spoon into greased casserole dish. Cover and bake at 325 for 30-40 minutes.
3) Uncover, sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 5-10 minutes, until melted.

Brandied Candied Sweet Potatoes

Absolutely, hands down, my favorite Thanksgiving side dish. If I have enough leftover I always make Sweet Potato Pound Cake from the same cookbook, just a few modifications to account for the extra stuff added to the sweet potatoes in this recipe. I will share that recipe later this month as well, both as intended and tweaked to use leftovers from this dish.

Brandied Candied Sweet Potatoes

From Better Homes & Gardens Best Loved Community Recipes Vol I (Just about impossible to find anymore, if you can find it, I HIGHLY recommend purchasing it. I linked to Amazon's Used & New Listings for it, if you are interested)

INGREDIENTS
1 40 oz can of sweet potatoes, or 2.5 lbs fresh cooked
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter melted
3 Tbsp Brandy (I use an Apricot Brandy)
2 Tbsp Frozen Orange Juice concentrate
2 Tbsp water
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs, slightly beaten

Topping:
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp flour
1/4 tsp ground cardamom or cinnamon
2 Tbsp cold butter
1/4 cup chopped pecans (I prefer cashews for this)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350
In a large mixing bowl, beat the sweet potatoes with an electric mixer on medium speed about 4 minutes until they are well mashed.
Add the 1/2 cup brown sugar, the melted butter, brandy, Orange Juice concentrate, water, vanilla, and salt. Beat until combined. Add the slightly beaten eggs and beat until smooth
Transfer the mixture to a 2-quart rectangular baking dish
To make the topping: In a small bowl, combine the 1/2 cup brown sugar, flour and cardamom or cinnamon. Using a pastry blender, cut in the cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the nuts.
Sprinkle the topping mixture over the sweet potato mixture. Bake in the 350 oven for 35-40 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are heated through.

Tips:
To cook fresh sweet potatoes: wash and peel 5-6 sweet potatoes. Cut off the woody portions and ends and discard. Cut the sweet potatoes in quarters or cubes. Cook, covered, in enough boiling, salted water to cover for 25-35 minutes or until tender.
The casserole can be assembled, covered and refrigerated up to 48 hours before baking. When taken directly from the refrigerator, bake in a 350 over for 45 to 50 minutes or until heated through.
If desired, divide the misture among eight individual casserole dishes. Sprinkle on the topping and bake in a 350 oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until heated through.

Serves : 8

Tortellini with Beef and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

This is a quick meal that works well for us on nights when we go to hockey games and only have a short time to prepare dinner.

Tortellini with Beef and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

INGREDIENTS
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 lb Beef, in small cubes or slices (I buy stew meat when in a hurry)
1 oz sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, about 1/8 cup
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Italian Seasoning
Cooked Tortellini (I buy Buitoni's in the refrigerator section)
Grated Parmeson or Romano

DIRECTIONS
Heat Olive Oil in a skillet on medium heat
Add beef to the skillet
Sprinkle with garlic powder, onion powder and Italian Seasoning, to taste. I use about 1/8 tsp garlic powder, 1/8 tsp onion powder and about 1/4-1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning
Brown beef until cooked through, add tomatoes and reduce to low
Stir and heat for 1-2 additional minutes
Toss with Tortellini, sprinkle with cheese and serve
Serves 2

Thanksgiving Planning: What To Ask For When Others Offer

First, if someone offers to bring something, accept their offer. This is not the time to be a martyr and try to do it all yourself.

While you can't dictate exactly what they make (No handing over of specific recipes), you can ask for a specific type of dish. You can specify the vegetable for instance. However, be prepared because it may not be exactly what you had it mind, but it will all be fine.

If you noticed in my menu I have "various salads", I have NO idea what that will consist of because I'm going to give them all up for someone else to bring. Same thing with crudites.

I happen to have an upstairs stove, downstairs stove and a standalone roaster. So, I have no problem coordinating hot foods at various temps. However, if you have one stove and that's it, give away the items that require different temps for long periods of time. You can spend all morning chopping veggies and assembling salads, corn on the cob can be cooked on a grill. However, green bean casserole and dishes like that require different temps are the perfect candidates to ask others to bring.

Remember, we want to open the stove as little as possible to ensure the perfect Turkey, so if you think you'll have to open it trying to fit casseroles in there, try to pass those off.

If you don't want to give away the casseroles and prefer instead to ask people to bring buns or a chopped veggie and relish tray, consider grilling your turkey. It will free up your oven for all the other things. I will cover turkey grilling in the next week, so if you decide to go that route you have plenty of time to modify your timetable and grocery list.

Thanksgiving Planning: Invites and Menu

I probably should have reversed the order of the first two items, because you can't really think about your menu until you've determined who you will be inviting and how many people you will have to serve. Decide whether you will send formal invitations or just call everyone. I host Thanksgiving every year and don't send invitations out, I just call people to let them know "Yes, I am hosting Thanksgiving again this year"

In my case, I'm going to need to make sure I have enough food for 28 people. I'm assuming my husband's grandmother, parents, siblings and their families, and niece and her family will be joining us, plus 4 possible unknown others. My father-in-law doesn't eat Turkey, so I make ham and turkey every year. My favorite dish is the Brandied Candied Sweet Potatoes, so while I could probably do with just the mashed potatoes each year, I make both. I do divide the mashed potatoes in half though, and leave half plain and use the other half to make Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes. So, 3 kinds of potatoes. We are in the Midwest, meat and potatoes country. At this point I could probably leave off everything else and at least half the people coming would be fine with it.

I'm probably going to make two kinds of Green Bean Casserole this year. First, the mushroom soup, french fried onions, green bean type that everyone knows. Second, I want to try a new recipe that will hopefully taste just as good, but have a lot less sodium and preservatives, maybe. I'll let you know how they go over.

I make my own cranberry sauce every year, but after the first year I also include a can of the jellied cranberries in a can. Most of them won't even try the homemade sauce, the few that did really like it. I keep making it because I like it.

Don't forget to think about drinks and dessert.

Wine, coffee and hot buttered rum for the adults. Punch and hot apple cider for the kids. I'll probably have ginger ale as well for those that have to have soda, and Diet Pepsi for my father-in-law.

I always make Pecan and Pumpkin Pies, this year I'm including Blueberry (my mother-in-law and one brother-in-law's favorite), and Apple (I have a ton of them). I also make something more along a cake/cookie/bar type item that the kids might like better than pie. I'm still deciding on this. I'll pick something out and post the recipe tomorrow.

I'll make my grocery list later today, I write down everything that I need for each recipe. Then consolidate the amounts and check the pantry to see what I need. If you need fresh herbs, try to get them early and freeze them if possibly. Finding fresh Thyme or Sage the weekend before Thanksgiving is all but impossible! And they won't last long in your fridge. I'll have tips for freezing herbs a little later this month.

Thanksgiving Centerpiece

Give some thought to your centerpiece today. Better, Homes and Gardens has a few galleries of centerpiece ideas.

Fruit Centerpieces
Easy Centerpieces
Pretty Thanksgiving Centerpieces

Here are a few of my favorites. I especially like the ones that encompass pumpkins, candles, and bittersweet branches. I also think pomegranates would look very pretty as part of a centerpiece.



I think the pumpkin composed of mums in this centerpiece is so ingenious. You would definitely need to carve out some time the night before for this project. Too long and the flowers might get limp.









This is my favorite, simple yet elegant. The wooden ice bucket keeps it from feeling stuffy, it feels very homey. However, I think the white of the flowers and the silver accent on the candlesticks dresses this up. LOVE IT!



And finally, I'm leaning towards something incorporating more of these types of elements.





Make sure to make note of what you need so it gets added to your shopping lists and timeframe, if it requires assembly. In my case, I have several long tables, which will be set up in a U shape in order to get everyone at one table and able to face each other. So I will need several centerpieces that will be low enough to see over. I have a lot of copper pieces scattered around the house that I am planning to pull together and fill with apples, pumpkins, pomegranates, pears and nuts. I think the colors will go well, and the pomegranates and nuts can tranfer well enough as the Christmas season begins. Since they can all be used for baking nothing will go to waste.

Please Don't Squish the Pancakes! Basic Pancakes

The lemon juice probably seems like an odd ingredient but the chemical reaction makes a very light fluffy pancake. This is just a basic pancake, stir in cinnamon, nutmeg, blueberries, chocolate chips, bananas and nuts or other ingredients if you wish.

After it has set for 2 minutes the batter is full of all these lovely bubbles. This is what we want to see to get light, fluffy pancakes.



Again, all these lovely bubbles means it's time to flip the pancakes.




This recipe makes about 12-13 4" pancakes. I take a shortcut and pour my batter straight out of a large pyrex measuring cup, they are my standby mixing bowls as well. So my pancakes are never uniformly shaped or sized, but they all taste the same and that's what matters.

Basic Pancakes

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon white sugar
1 1/4 cups milk
3 tablespoons butter, just melted (not too hot)
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons lemon juice

DIRECTIONS
Melt the butter in a skillet on low heat.
In a large bowl, sift together dry ingredients. Pour remaining ingredients (milk, then butter, then eggs, then vanilla) except the lemon juice into a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Mix until smooth.
Mix in lemon juice, then let sit for 2 minutes. Do not stir again at all.
Increase the heat to medium. Pour batter onto skillet by scant 1/4 cupfuls.
Brown until small bubbles appear across surface of each pancake. Flip, brown until pancake fluffs up (or check bottom as you get used to it). Resist the urge to flatten the pancakes with the spatula, you will ruin the fluffiness.

Thanksgiving Timeline

The timeline is also available as a Microsoft Excel file for you to download and modify for your own personal use.

Thanksgiving Planner Download

Thanksgiving Checklist

You will be making a time table for dishes that can be made ahead of time, consult this daily the last week in November to keep on schedule.

First Weekend in November
1 Determine the menu
2 Decide when you are going serve dinner and who you are going to invite
3 Decide what dishes you will ask others to bring, if they offer. Accept their offer!
4 Figure out a Thanksgiving Day Timetable for preparation of dishes and specifically of when dishes need to begin cooking in order to serve on time
5 Determine when you need to start defrosting your turkey, or order a fresh turkey
6 Issues invitations either formally or verbally
7 Make a complete list of ingredients needed so you aren't caught with last minute trips to the grocery store, remember beverages
8 Take an inventory of your pantry and make a grocery list
9 Pick up everything you need except perishables two weeks in advance
10 Make a timetable of items that can be made in advance
11 Plan your breakfast and lunch, if necessary for Thursday morning
12 Add any items you want to get accomplished between now and Thanksgiving to the calendar

Second Weekend in November
1 Plan and order or create your centerpiece
2 Clean your house, polish silver, switch to fall décor, make a plan to keep on top of the cleaning and clutter over the next two weeks
3 Find all of the utensils and items that you only use this time of year and make sure they are in good working order
4 Make arrangements to rent or borrow any additional seating, tables, linens, or other items

The Weekend Before
1 Wash and/or iron any linens, as needed
2 Pick up all perishables and anything else you haven't bought already
3 Clean out your fridge and freezer to make room for all the make ahead dishes
4 Make a meal for Wednesday night that can just be heated up quickly
5 Write down everything you are serving on small pieces of paper, assemble all of your serving platters and utensils and put the corresponding slip of paper with them. Borrow additional items, if needed.
6 Clean out your ice trays and start making extra ice for Thursday.

Two Days Before
1 Dust and vacuum the rooms you will be using
2 Clean the powder room
3 Have all dishes washed and put away (you will want an empty dishwasher ready to go) and counters wiped down and ready for service

The Night Before
1 Put the turkey in brine solution, if applicable
2 Set the table
3 Have all dishes washed and put away (you will want an empty dishwasher ready to go) and counters wiped down and ready for service
4 Consult your timetable for tomorrow
5 Go To Bed Early! You will need to wake up early to get everything done on time.

Thanksgiving Day
1 Pull turkey out of the brine, rinse well, and pat dry, follow recipes from here
2 Follow your timetable you made the first weekend of November

Frequently Asked Turkey Questions

How long do I defrost my turkey?
Use this timetable as a guide. You should defrost a frozen turkey in its original wrapping in the refrigerator (don't count Thanksgiving day):
10- to 12-pound bird 2 days
12- to 14-pound bird 3 days
14- to 18-pound bird 4 days
18-pound-plus bird 5 days

When is the Turkey done?
The turkey is done when a meat thermometer inserted into the thigh (don't touch the bone) reads 180 F and the stuffing reads 165 F. The juice from the thigh should be clear when pierced with a fork and the drumstick and wings could just about fall off the bird when moved a bit.

How often should I baste the turkey?
Actually, basting is not necessary, can prevent a wonderfully brown crackly skin and will extend the cooking time from the opening and shutting of the oven door. Keep the oven door shut as much as possible.

How big a turkey do I need?
Butterball has a great turkey calculator which will even let you account for leftovers and how much stuffing will be needed. If you are only cooking for a smaller group (2-5), consider a turkey breast, or a smaller bird (duck, chicken, quail, game hen).