(Pre-)Thanksgiving Meal Tips from the Mrs.

Every Thanksgiving since Mr. Terrible Swede and I have been married, I have attempted to make a delicious meal for us. Every time I do, I find some way to improve upon the last year's meal. This is what I typically do:

For the turkey stuffing:

I usually get a seasoned crouton mix, and to the dry mixture, I add thickly chopped celery, carrots and onions in a large bowl, and set it aside.

Turkey:

I have my husband help me with this part, especially if I have a particularly large bird. I make sure the neck and giblets are removed, and then rinse the turkey well inside and out, and pat dry.

Take an oven bag, put a tablespoon of flour in it, hold it shut at the top, and shake it up to make sure the flour covers the plastic. (Use an oven bag made for turkeys to make sure the juices are kept near the turkey and to insure the most moistness. You can find these near the storage bags at Super Wal-Mart, and probably other stores.) Then put the dry turkey inside the bag with the legs facing you.

Stuffing the turkey:

Get your bowl of dry stuffing mix and a large spoon, and stuff the turkey as full as you want. You can either let the stuffing spill out of the opening, or fill it full enough that it covers the opening, and tie the legs together with sanitary white twine.

Preparing the outside of the turkey:

I prefer to use olive oil to spread over the top and sides of the turkey in the bag, and massage it onto the bird. Then, I use lemon-pepper seasoning and shake it all over the turkey, and spread it around with my hands just to make sure I got it all over.

From here, you can either use an injectable marinade or bake the turkey as is. But before you put the turkey in the oven (at 350 degrees for 3-3 1/2 hours for 16-20 lb. birds), make sure you tie the bag closed at the open end, and cut two or three slits in the top to allow steam to escape. Skipping this step could cause the bag to explode in the oven.

By using the oven bag, you don't have to use an injectable marinade in order to keep the turkey moist. It will be moist no matter what.

For the mashed potatoes (start this about 45 minutes before serving the meal):

Start a pot of water boiling on high on the stove top. Clean about 8-12 potatoes, depending on how many guests you're serving. Leave the skins on! Slice the potatoes into cubes and put in the pot to boil for about 20 minutes or until soft. Drain. Put the softened potatoes in a glass or heavy-duty plastic bowl, and add 3/4 cup milk, 2 tbs. butter, dried chives, salt and pepper to taste. Use an electric mixer on low until liquid is well-mixed, then on high until you achieve the thickness you want.

When you finish, you have a delicious main course! Serve with cranberry sauce, corn on the cob, or your favorite other sides, and pumpkin pie or another favorite dessert!

Most importantly, remember to give thanks to God for your life, your family, your home, your job, all your friends, your church home, etc. Thanksgiving isn't worth celebrating unless you're giving thanks to God for all He's blessed you with.