Thanksgiving Prep/Planning

For me I always look forward to eating turkey during the holidays. Maybe it's because we don't actively include turkey in our weekly dinner rotations like we do with fish, chicken, beef, and pork.

So when the holidays come around I get really anxious to eat TOIKEY!!!

 

Behold! Another smashing job delivering my special White Lily flour, from amazon.



Looks like the DEA got involved! Grr, flour EVERYWHERE, bag ripped open




I might have to abandon ship on this biscuit idea [emoji854] no one sells this flour within 100 miles, according to the company website. Oh well, local bakery it is.

 

A boatload of turkeys today in the freezer case at ALDI. The local Ack-a-mee grocery chain is advertising them at 39 cents a pound. Just found out my son and future daughter-in-law have decided not to fly in (his choice) but that's a relief for me and DW. Just didn't have a good vibe. My other son and girlfriend are slated but they might bail too. Oh well, even if it's just the two of us we're making the whole deal. I was even gonna buy some bottom shelf bourbon to honor my late inlaws.

Maybe go for turkey hots dogs.

 

Turkey has been acquired. Smallest one they had, about 15 pounds. So... 5 pounds for each of us I guess. But why not, there will also be 2 and change sides per person as well. It's all about variety. And leftovers. Lots of leftovers. Daddy's not cooking for a week after this!

 

Wow, those DEA people are real f*ckers. Not trying to be political. But they could have at least tried to tape it up or something.

 

Were you able to salvage any of it?!?! Poor flour...

 

No, unfortunately. I mean I could have tried but I there was more flour out of the bag than in the bag. It really was a spectacular mess - I almost applaud them (almost but not quite).

My new plan is to see what they have at whole foods, in person.

 

The Whole Foods near me has a good flour selection! Good luck in your quest!

 

Thank you! I’m sure I’ll find something delicious there[emoji3526]

 

King Arthur Flour.

That's what P works with,
there's a noticeable difference in the end product..

maybeeee they can deliver better than that?

 

We use King Arthur or Bob's.

 

I just pre-ordered my turkeys from Luby's

 

Today i am stopping by my local walmart to get 4 double boxes of Stove Top turkey stuffing, a pound of butter, and some tupperware. My thanksgiving shopping will thus then be completed lol
(I hit the liquor store yesterday)

 

Well, after 3 days on his new job the receptionist at my other son's office tested positve so they're bailing out too. Makes no sense to thaw and cook a 16 pound turkey for two people so I'm thinking about spatchcocking a big chicken over root vegetables and try to make gravy from the drippings. Or stuffing it maybe. Home-made rolls are on the bill of fare. Still gonna be thankful though.

 

Fowl of whatever kind is always fair.

Sorry about the changes.

 

I guess I'm the only person who cooks a huge turkey for just two people ;-) I love leftovers....

 

Our bird will be "oversized" for our Thursday-only needs.

 

I bought another duck today.....And some biscuit flour. @carolinereno inspired me - not for Thanksgiving but whenever.....[I live in NC - we have 3 or 4 options, it seems...though honestly I've never used special flour! I always used unbleached AP flour....]

 

Turkey placed in fridge to defrost...

 

Ack, ok my VMB food lovers, I know its subjective, but I'm really on the fence on mashed potatoes this year, and looking for positive recipes feedback for your favorite.

I've done Yukon gold for years and the come out great. But, they are denser/creamier. We have a local dinner we hit occasionally for their chicken fried steak. Well, they have AMAZING mashed potatoes, fluffy, a few bites of thicker potatoes (versus riced) where you know they're homemade. It really made me remember russet can be really good too, if done right. (Alton brown suggested cooking halfway, rinsing in cold water, the boiling the rest of the way to keep the starch from going crazy. I've done this and it works.)

But, now I can't decide if I want creamy Yukon gold, of fluffy, buttery garlicky russet!

Below is a comparison I like from serious eats, as it lists the pros for both (versus heavily selling a favorite.)

https://www.seriouseats.com/2010/11/how-to-make-mashed-potatoes-thanksgiving-sides-fluffy-creamy.html

But, I wanted to see if anyone on the board has tried both, but has a russet recipe they prefer? Yukon gold I have down on recipes, but the diner's fluffy russet mashed have made me consider giving russet a chance at the dinner table this year. Or, I might do both. But, its only 3 of us, and I'm already going crazy on too many dishes (and a 15 pound turkey) so am trying to reign in my overkill mode. (At least asked potatoes are one of the cheaper dishes!)