I'm alive! Thanks for all the reminders - I need to get better about keeping this one up as much as I keep the business one up!

Speaking of, on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving I volunteered at the Albany Boys and Girls Club for their Thanksgiving Feast - I put more pictures of that on the Photography Blog --->>> HERE <<<---

Thanksgiving rocked. I love it. It might be my 2nd favorite holiday - right behind Independence day :) We spent the actual Thanksgiving day at Kate and Ezras house. It was supposed to be at our house, but since Peets is open on T-day - Kate had to work, and Tina (joshes mom) invited three extra people - it was going to be pretty sucky to make everyone come all the down to Albany to squeeze into my tiny house. SO - I cooked the turkey and the mashed potatoes and Kate cooked pretty much everything else!

For the recipes, you HAVE to try this for the turkey. This is the third time I have made it, and it is perfect and moist and delicious every time:

Thank you to Alton Brown of course - my hero. This is from Good Eats Episode EASP01
Romancing the Bird (A Good Eats Thanksgiving)

1 (14 to 16 pound) frozen young turkey
For the brine:
1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 gallon vegetable stock
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1/2 tablespoon allspice berries
1/2 tablespoon candied ginger
1 gallon iced water
For the aromatics:
1 red apple, sliced
1/2 onion, sliced
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup water
4 sprigs rosemary
6 leaves sage
Canola oil

Combine all brine ingredients, except ice water, in a stockpot, and bring to a boil. Stir to dissolve solids, then remove from heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

Early on the day of cooking, (or late the night before) combine the brine and ice water in a clean 5-gallon bucket. Place thawed turkey breast side down in brine, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area (like a basement) for 6 hours. Turn turkey over once, half way through brining.

A few minutes before roasting, heat oven to 500 degrees. Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick, and cup of water in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes.

Remove bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard brine.

Place bird on roasting rack inside wide, low pan and pat dry with paper towels. Add steeped aromatics to cavity along with rosemary and sage. Tuck back wings and coat whole bird liberally with canola (or other neutral) oil.

Roast on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees F. for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cover breast with double layer of aluminum foil, insert probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and return to oven, reducing temperature to 350 degrees F. Set thermometer alarm (if available) to 161 degrees. A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting. Let turkey rest, loosely covered for 15 minutes before carving.

And the Mashed Potatoes were also heavenly - we added the real bacon bits from Costco. Also from Alton Brown - on All Star Thanksgiving on the Food Network

3 1/2 pounds russet potatoes
16 fluid ounces (2 cups) half-and-half
6 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons kosher salt
6 ounces grated ParmesanPeel and dice potatoes, making sure all are relatively the same size. Place in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and then reduce heat to maintain a rolling boil. Cook until potatoes fall apart when poked with a fork.

Heat the half-and-half and the garlic in a medium saucepan over medium heat until simmering. Remove from heat and set aside.

Remove the potatoes from the heat and drain off the water. Mash and add the garlic-cream mixture, salt, and Parmesan; stir to combine. Let stand for 5 minutes so that mixture thickens and then serve.

Liam was great - he is all potty trained and speaking more and more clearly everyday - he is so stinking cute. He loves the wieners. I talked to him on the phone a few days before Thanksgiving, Josh was up there with them and I was at home. I asked Liam which one of the wieners was him favorite - he said "Coopah is..." Basically Cooper is a masochist and loves how rough a little kid can be to a dog and Mike barks and nips at him. But he told me at Thanksgiving that he loves them both equally.

Friday we headed down to Bandon for our second Thanksgiving on Saturday. Josh spent Saturday golfing with my dad while I hooked with my mom and Colleen. I am aiming to have that huge Sunflower rug done in time for rug camp in April.

I slacked on taking pictures - but man! Ripley is so fast - he is hard to catch a shot of. This is him and Cooper running from the kitchen. I think its the only picture I have that is even a little bit focused of them... The three of them never stopped. Ripley was a little much for Cooper to take - he retreated into his kennel voluntarily to escape the constant puppy play.

So better late than never - HAPPY THANKSGIVING!