Thanksgiving means family

This year is the first Thanksgiving without Jay and is also the first one since my grandpa died. It wasn't, however, the first year for me to bake the turkey. I should be a pro by now. But, I'm not. There is a reason why my freezer is stocked with frozen dinners.

My mom bought a huge 20 lb. turkey. Since she had to work, I volunteered to bake it. Every year since Jay and I have been married, I've cooked a smoked turkey. I figure this was a safe choice because a.) they are precooked and b.) they require almost no seasoning. Too easy! But this year, I actually had to do something with the turkey.

I googled the perfect recipe.

God bless Google.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/good-eats-roast-turkey-recipe/index.html

My sister was my self-appointed sous chef, insisting that she taste everything (mostly the frog eye salad). I didn't have all of the ingredients, so I improvised. I used chicken stock and dried herbs.

After the brine had been sufficiently boiled, JoAnn took it upon herself to drink a shot. Maybe not a shot, more like a teaspoon.

A very full teaspoon.

She was like "Jonnie, I think you did something wrong. There is an entire cup of salt in there."

** insert pause and dumbfounded look here **

"Duh. I'm supposed to dilute with with a gallon of ice water."

That should teach her to go nibbling around MY kitchen.

Later that night, I called my mom to tell her about the brine incident (which, btw, is being filed away with the "haunted forest" incident). Mom informed me that she had been baking the 27 lb. ham since 6 am that morning. We are talking a full 32 hours before dinner, folks.

Hey now. Don't knock it! I happen to like it when my meal can double as tinder.

That night, I dreamed that I was supposed to be cooking the turkey for 15 hours and panicked when my alarm went off at 5:00 Thanksgiving morning. It wasn't until after I had the turkey stuffed with apples and cinnamon sticks (I know, right?) that I remembered non-combustible foods only need to be cooked 30 minutes per pound.

My turkey turned out awesome!!! And it wasn't until my cousin Skeet carved the piece de resistance that I realized (actually, he pointed it out) that I had left the innerds in the bird. (Which was probably better, otherwise I would have been stuffing the bird with Wednesday's dinner.)

All in all, it was a pretty good day. Sure, there were important people missing from the dinner table. But, their absence made me so much more grateful for their presence. And next year, when Jaysen is home and I'm not cooking the turkey, I will feel even more blessed.