[xstreaminsanity]

Tomorrow is literally my favorite holiday of the year. I say favorite holiday rather than favorite day because paydays, birthdays and anniversaries are better (on occasion, lol). Anyways, I wanted to make a thread in reference to turkey day to see what everyone has planned. Beckett has a News Article where they want to know what you're thankful for, but I wanted to extend it to something more. Share recipes, share stories, talk about turkey day games (only football, but it's still sports, lol), etc. So, I'll get it started.

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My turkey day actually gets started tonight. Once I get home, which I hope to get off early today, I have to get the kitchen ready for baking and cooking. I'm the chef of the house. Tonight I'll be cooking the cookies, brownies and pies, getting the jellied cranberry sauce in the fridge to get cold, and whatever else I need to do so when I wake up, I can really get started.

Tomorrow I'm hoping to start early. I have a 20lb turkey to cook and it's going to take me 6-7, maybe even 8, hours to cook. The reason it takes me so long to cook mine is because instead of basting it every 45 minutes like I was taught when I was younger, I baste it every 20 minutes (I keep tabs on the fridge to count the time). Tomorrow I also have to cook macaroni and cheese, stuffing (in and out of the turkey), cornbread and hush puppies, and candied yams.

Also, tomorrow I'm hoping that the Lions beat the Packers. One, I'm a Lions fan, and secondly, I would like to know that the Packers are vulnerable. I'll be watching the game while doing all of the cooking.

My Turkey Recipe

Everyone I know that has ever had my turkey I have either taught to cook my recipe or calls me every time they cook a turkey to make sure they're doing it right. So I thought I'd share for those curious at trying something different. It's nothing out of the ordinary, many people probably already do this, but if not, you should try it.

Ingredients & Materials

• Turkey (1 - thawed)
• Butter (2-3 sticks, softened)
• Garlic Salt (to taste)
• Oregano (to taste)
• Water (1.5 cups)
• Turkey Baster
• Roasting Pan (Aluminum or a washable one)
• Aluminum Foil (If you are using an Aluminum Pan or don't have a lid for your Roasting Pan)
• Stuffing (I use two boxes of Stove Top Cornbread Stuffing, but you can use whatever you prefer, but REALLY stuff that bird)
• Measuring cup

Directions

1. Cook stuffing and let it cool while continuing on with the other steps.
2. Heat the oven to whatever temperature your bird says.
3. Remove turkey from plastic and netting (if not already done).
4. Remove all extras that come inside the turkey and throw them away (unless you're going to use that to cook something else like greens)
5. Wash the turkey thoroughly (in and out) under tepid water
6. Place turkey in Roasting Pan
7. Depending on size of turkey, use 1-2 sticks of the softened butter and give the turkey a good massage (I had to use two for my 26lb turkey last year). Now this massage doesn't need to be a deep tissue massage, just make sure you get butter over and inside the ENTIRE turkey.
8. Wash hands to remove butter (you may want someone to use some paper towel on your hands first, it makes it easier...you'll need plenty of hand soap)
9. In the measuring cup, put in the 1.5 cups of water and put that at the bottom of the Roasting pan.
10. Put Garlic Salt and Oregano to taste (three tablespoons of each is what I use) in the water at the bottom of the pan
11. Put in 1 stick of butter in the water at the bottom of the pan (preferably cut up, but it doesn't need to be)
12. Use turkey baster to mix all of the ingredients thoroughly in the water
13. Stuff turkey with turkey stuffing
14. Use turkey baster to spread some of the water mixture over the bird and stuffing
15. Place in oven and set egg timer, phone, or something to go off in 20 minutes
16. Baste (about 4-6 squirts) turkey every 20 minutes until the turkey is done (remove lid/aluminum foil when you have about 45 minutes until the turkey is done, make it a little more golden brown)
17. When turkey is done, take out of the over and set aside with cover still on for another 10-15 minutes

Here's a pic of what it looked like two years ago (I don't have a picture of the one from last year in my photobucket):

(Sorry, I cut off a slice to taste, lol)

This year I think I'm going to add some salt and pepper to the water mixture, but I'm still debating it. If I do it will be fresh cracked pepper as compared to store bought already cracked pepper. If you try this recipe, let me know how it comes out or what you think could be added to it.

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving (I probably won't be on at all tomorrow). I want to thank Beckett.com for allowing me to be a moderator on here, the wonderful members who make this site the best sports card collecting site I've ever seen, my family (immediate and extended), our service men and women (active, retired and passed away), and ↑ for this wonderful life and all of the blessings I witness day in and day out.

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Contest

The rules to this contest are very simple. Be the first 5 people to choose the winners (or as many winners as you can) of the three football games tomorrow and you can pick a prize (idea stolen from another great member of this forum). When you make your poll selection (which I can see who chose what) you must make a post so that I can see WHEN you made your selection (the poll doesn't tell me when someone makes a selection) and put in your post WHAT OPTION you chose. You also need to put in there what you think the total combined score was for all three games combined. Your selection must be made before noon of 11/24/2011 (22 hours from now). If a post is edited, it is disqualified (that way you don't change your answer over and over and over again). Once you make your choice, that's the one you have to stick with. Also, please make sure to make your post. You could be the first (other than me) to make your selection and I can see that, but if you don't make a post until 15 other people have made a post, then that's the time you get credited with your selection.

The Prizes

AGM
UBL
CAP
BFT
PYT

The prizes will range in size depending on the prize chosen. I have not pulled these cards yet, I'm just coming up with this idea right now. Here's the hints on the prizes. One of them is a single card parallel of a legendary baseball player along with some other baseball cards. Two lots will be for you to choose what you want. Two choices are baseball, one choice is football, Two are basketball. I hope that confuses you.

The winners will be chosen in the following fashion. Number of teams accurately picked, time of post, (and if the posts are within seconds of each other or show as the same time) absolute difference from total estimated score and total actual score, length of membership, then number of posts and then any other factors I can think of. I can't guarantee everyone will be thrilled with their prize, but hopefully you're THANKFUL. lol.

HERE ARE THE WINNERS!!!!!

And the winners are:

1. leadmetogreatness (all three right, first to post of all right group)
2. dodgytrousers (all three right, second to post of all right group)
3. eman97 (two right, first to post of two right group)
4. gjpoll1 (two right, second to post of two right group)
5. tmakact7 (two right, third to post of two right group)

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HAVE FUN, DRIVE SAFE, AND HAVE A
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!!!!!

[leadmetogreatness]

I voted gb,dallas,baltmore.

[eman97]

i voted gb dallas and 49ers.

[xstreaminsanity]

I voted gb,dallas,baltmore.

What is your estimate on the total points?

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i voted gb dallas and 49ers.

What is your estimate on total points?

[buckunteer]

I'm going Green Bay, Miami and San Francisco. Total points for all three games=177.

and you are a THIEF of ideas sir!

[eman97]

sorry my total points world be....146

[xstreaminsanity]

I'm going Green Bay, Miami and San Francisco. Total points for all three games=177.

and you are a THIEF of ideas sir!

Muchas gracias por tu idea (I think that's what it is) senor.

[dodgytrousers]

Green Bay, Dallas & Baltimore.

Total points = 132

Awesome Turkey by the way. For the last couple of years I have smoked our Turkey. Now that takes a long time! Comes out great though. Not as traditional but we like it.

[xstreaminsanity]

Green Bay, Dallas & Baltimore.

Total points = 132

Awesome Turkey by the way. For the last couple of years I have smoked our Turkey. Now that takes a long time! Comes out great though. Not as traditional but we like it.

Mmmm, that sounds good. I wonder how that would taste on my turkey sandwiches.

[gjpoll1]

I'll go with GB, Mia, Bal with a total score of 132. Thanks for the contest.