| Cooking Thanksgiving dinner can be a fun and | | | | sugar. Adjust the water to sugar ratio depending |
| memorable experience. If possible get your family | | | | on your taste. Usually 1 cup of sugar per 1/2 |
| and relatives involved in the cooking process and | | | | pound of cranberries is about the right amount. |
| it can be a learning experience for them as well. | | | | Add enough water to just cover the cranberries |
| Start asking someone to chop up some russell | | | | in the pot. Cook off the water on low heat until |
| potatoes, yellow onions, and bulk carrots. These | | | | you have a think cranberry sauce and then place |
| vegetables will go under the Turkey to keep it up | | | | it in the frig to serve later. The next course to |
| off of the bottom of the pan. The idea is to keep | | | | work on is the stuffing.I prefer to make the |
| the Turkey out of the drippings which would | | | | stuffing outside of the Turkey in a 9 by 13 inch |
| make it soggy and disgusting if left to cook | | | | pan. I start by browning some onions in butter. |
| in.While someone is chopping those veggies, wash | | | | Then I add some fresh spinach and garlic. After |
| your Turkey inside and out. Make sure you take | | | | the spinach has wilted add some stale bread to |
| the giblets out and keep them in the frig for the | | | | the pan. While the bread is absorbing the buttery |
| gravy that you will make later. After washing the | | | | onion / spinach flavor whisk together come half |
| Turkey thouroughly, rub it with salt and olive oil. | | | | and half, 2 large eggs, salt, and pepper. Transfer |
| The oil and salt will help the Turkey to cook | | | | the bread, onion, and spinach mixture to the 13 |
| better as well as give it extra flavor. Some prefer | | | | by 9 inch pan and pour the half and half / egg |
| to use butter instead of olive oil, but I like the | | | | mixture over the top. Sprinkle with italian |
| taste the olive oil gives the turkey and the | | | | seasoning and some fresh chopped parsley. You |
| drippings which you will use for making gravy.Place | | | | can put this in the frig and wait to cook it in the |
| the turkey on the vegetables and stuff the | | | | oven with the turkey for the last hour.By this |
| Turkey with celery, carrots, parsley, thyme, sage, | | | | time your turkey has been in the oven cooking |
| oregano, and a bay leaf. You won't eat these | | | | for about an hour and it is time to begin basting it. |
| vegetables and herbs, but they will serve to add | | | | Take your baster and suck up the drippings in the |
| flavor to the bird. Get the turkey in the oven at | | | | bottom of the pan and release them over the |
| 350 degress. Wash your hands as you have been | | | | top of the turkey. You'll want to do this every |
| handling uncooked meat that can make you and | | | | half hour until the turkey is done. You will know |
| your family sick. Plan ahead of time and expect | | | | that the turkey is done when your meat |
| the turkey to take between 4-7 hours depending | | | | thermometer registers 170 degrees F. I like my |
| on how many pounds it is. In the meantime you | | | | turkey well-done at a safe high temperature well |
| can start on the other fixings like | | | | beyond the recomended internal safe |
| cranberries.Fresh cranberries are by far worth the | | | | temperature.John Lorber is a professional chef |
| extra effort. It's really not that much extra effort | | | | and writer for EasyRecipes.us. Visit for more of |
| as a matter of fact. Just wash the cranberries | | | | his recipes which he adds to weekly. |
| and put them in a pan with some water and | | | | |