I propose that the word thanksgiving be considered an action verb. Well, for me, it's starting, you guessed it, in my kitchen. I remember hearing on public radio about a double blind study on chocolate. I couldn't find it online, but I did find a similar reference here if you're curious. The basic premise is that the chocolate that was prayed over by Buddhist Monks, registered higher mood elevation than the chocolate prepared the same way in the study. So, one might argue, that an angry cook makes for a sour meal. Fortunately for my family, I'm a happy cook. I've scoured recipes, and gone over my notes, and here's how I'm roasting this year's bird from Schacht Farm. 
First, I brined the turkey for about 20 hours. I haven't brined my turkey before, but my friend Jason has prepared some absolutely amazing food that he brined, so I decided to give it a go. For my brine, I mixed two cups Kosher salt to 8 cups water, 1/4 cup peppercorns, 8 bay leaves and 1 tbsp allspice into a saucepan. Don't hold me to any amounts in my blog, by the way, I don't cook with such precision. It's more an estimate on the ratio. I let it simmer until it was dissolved and put the concentration aside to use the next morning. Then, yesterday, I went over the turkey pulling feathers and left over bits off the fowl. I took out the gizzards and neck, cleaned it inside and out with water, and set it inside double 13 gallon bags, lining my roasting pan. I added the concentrated brine, making sure some was poured into the cavity. I then added more water until the bird was nearly covered. I removed the excess air, and clipped it with one of those self-closing clips you use for chip bags. I put the turkey in the fridge, about 9am yesterday. 
This morning, I pre-heated the oven to 350°F. I made sure my kitchen table was clean and ready with an extra large mixing bowl large enough to accommodate the 22-1/3 pounds of poultry. I turned it neck up to empty the cavity and left it in the bowl while I discarded the brine. I wiped the entire turkey in olive oil, and covered the roasting pan in olive oil. Then, I cleaned and cut the following: mirepoix of one bunch of celery, four medium onions, 8 carrots. I added to the mirepoix prep: two Arkasas Black apples, two Granny Smith apples. I put those in a bowl and returned to the turkey on the table. The base of the roasting pan had long carrots, not cut, the width of the pan, interspersed with the onions, celery, apples until the entire base of the pan was lined with the mirepoix, and then the remainder, put into the cavity, making sure not to fill it such that heat would circulate. I have found that if you stuff the bird with stuffing or too much mirepoix, the skin will burn, no matter my attempts to tent or cover or baste. Then, I positioned bacon from Fiedler Family Farm that I picked up at the Highlands Farmers' Market. I had to use toothpicks at the neck to hold it in place. I'll take these off the last hour of roasting. I made sure that the wings were covered. I don't know if you can see that in the photograph. The turkey is roasting for the first hour. I'll take some apple cider and baste it after the first hour, and again after another 30 minutes. From then on, I'll baste every 30 minutes or so until the turkey is 160°F. Then, I'll pull off the bacon, and baste with the herb butter I made the same night as the brine until the turkey is 175°F.
Once the turkey is on the platter, I'll put it into a 12 gallon storage tub for transport. This way, it will travel easier. From the roasting pan, I'll sieve the turkey juices and discard the solids. I'll reserve the liquids and finish two kinds of gravy at my Mother's house. I have the base that I made the other night. It's made from 4 cups chicken broth, 4 cups mushroom broth. Be sure to use LOW sodium because I then simmered until reduced to about 6 cups. I removed the reduced broth and made a roux of butter and flour and slowly whisked the broth back in, adding about 1 cup apple cider, and a couple of jiggers of Weller Bourbon. I reduced that further to about 5-1/2 cups and set in the fridge. The plan is that once at my Mother's home this afternoon, I'll whisk the two the base and the juices from the turkey, adding some heavy cream to only half the gravy, since some of my family are lactose intolerant. What about the herb butter, you ask? Well, they are intolerant, not impossibly limited. 
Ideally, I'd let the turkey rest for an hour on the platter before serving, but I have to get my family dressed and ready. That's me, Greta Jo and JJ. JJ can mind himself, as I now trust he won't choose torn cargo shorts and stained shirt for dinner. Greta Jo, however, needs her bath. I love giving her baths. Her sweet Mohawk looks so darn cute all soaped up. We need to be at my Mother and Father's home in time to help get the house ready for the invasion of 15 or so Moise extended family. My Mother, Jo, Father, Les, have been married for going on 53 years. Then there's my eldest sister Leslie. This will be her second Thanksgiving of the day, her friend/fam dinner at 2pm, then coming home to make her yummy green bean casserole. Then there's Elaine and her brood. I believe the count is Elaine plus four. But Andrew may be bringing his girlfriend, a very sweet Alissa. Elaine's bringing pies and I forget what else -- her pies are just that good. Then there's Ellyn. She too will have come from another Thanksgiving dinner. She and her family has the tradition of going to the track on Thanksgiving. I LOVE her holiday, even if the first year they went, she stood me up. heh. Ellyn has scalloped apples, candied yams. Again, I'm sure I'm forgetting someone or something on the menu.
Wait, there's my cranberry-marmalade chutney. I greedily set aside a cup for the left overs I'm hoping to bring home.
Yet to come, JJ and I, newlyweds still, have some Haws' family traditions we have started. I declared yesterday the first inaugural "Ingrates Day." If yesterday is to Thanksgiving, what Halloween is to All Saints Day, then a day for ingrates seemed in order. Mind you, I do hope you read this with the dry humour I intend.
We have much to be thankful for. Family, friends, an amazing year that marks our wedding, the birth of our daughter, Greta Jo, travel, making of what feels like home. Home in a way these four walls hadn't felt when I lived here alone.
Thanksgiving starts here at home, and in 2010, with what will be our organic garden, giving to our food bank such that it can offer the same healthy alternatives to the processed foods often donated. But, I digress once again. I'll leave those plans for a post on another day.
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