Day of Cooking, Part 2-TURKEY DAY

Thursday, the 24th-Turkey Day! Everyone tells me I always underestimate how long it takes to cook the turkey so we put the turkey in the oven by 11a. And lo and behold it's ready by 2p. I have absolutely no memory of the turkey taking longer so I'm glad there are witnesses from my previous attempts. I should write a note about that. While the turkey is cooking, we make candied yams AND gingered carrots because I bought way too many carrots. Sorry, Elise, I hope you like carrots. Elise made the salad (dried blueberries, goat cheese, spiced walnuts, on a bed of greens with raspberry vinagrette) as well as a vegetarian stuffing and mashed potatoes and Mary brought green beans made with pine nuts and a raspberry vinagrette and steamed broccoli. Diane bought us some Trader Joes cranberry sauce and cheeses for snacks. I made the turkey, the stuffing, and the gravy from the turkey stock along with the aforementioned yams and carrots. Elise brought an apple pie, Kathy made a pecan pie, and I made the gluten-free pumpkin pie as well as some whipped cream. And the Trader Joes Bluberry juice was really, really good. So we had quite the feast and I only had one helping all day. I really was stuffed. I bought a baster from a cooking store that I love, love, loved. It worked like a charm! People seemed to enjoy the food, so I think I did well. And maybe I'll get another set of turkey legs as well as a whole turkey for next year. Or maybe just cook two. People really seem to like it. Heck, I like it.