Countdown to Thanksgiving!!!

Ahhh..one of my favorite holidays is almost here...THANKSGIVING!  This year is special, because it's our 1st Thanksgiving with our Lil' Peanut AND she'll be 7 months on Thanksgiving!  Like everyone says, where did the time go???

I am finalizing our menu as we speak.  Something that I do that is rather silly, is that I buy a HUGE turkey, no matter how many guests we are having.  This year's bird weighs a whopping 23 pounds!!! 

Over the past week, I have seen many "turkey tips" on different websites and today I am going to share one of my best tips for a delicious turkey.  Tomorrow I will post the whole turkey cooking procedure that I use, along with a couple of recipes. 

My best tip, you ask?  Stuff the turkey, NOT with stuffing/dressing, but with these simple items:

1 apple, any kind, quartered
1 onion, any kind, peeled and quartered
Whatever seasoning you will use on the outside, use a generous portion on the apple and onion
(Rosemary, sage, etc.)

Usually, I take these items and insert them raw.  This year, I will try Alton Brown's suggestion and place the apple, onion, seasoning and 1 cup of water in a bowl and microwave on high for 5 minutes before inserting them into the turkey's cavity.  I will let you know if this extra step makes a difference, but usually Mr. Brown is pretty darn helpful with his suggestions.  (Explains why he has a Food Network Show, right?)

Speaking of shows, who doesn't love Charlie Brown?  I am so excited to watch Ol' Chuck with our family this year!

Thanksgiving food is great, but what is the real reason why this is one of my favorite holidays?  It gives me a day to reflect just how lucky and THANKFUL I am.  It's a reminder that we should all give thanks EVERY DAY.

To kick off the holiday, I would like to tell you what I am thankful for.

I am thankful for my beautiful children, Dylan and Braelyn.  (I finally have my boy and girl!)
I am thankful for the wonderful man who loves us all so much, Chris.
I am thankful for both sets of our parents (Grandmas and Grandpas!)
I am thankful for my siblings, even during the times we argue.
I am thankful for my nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents and friends.
I am thankful for my family's good health.
I am thankful for the big, warm home that we live in.
I am thankful for my new friends, my blog followers and readers.

Now, obviously, I am thankful for a lot of other things, some quite trivial...but I will list those in a separate "fun" post tomorrow. 

What are you thankful for?

Have a great day...some of us are enjoying our first snow flurries!

Jaime "Peanut's Mom"