Thanksgiving

We are now in the throws of the holiday season. First up, is Thanksgiving!

Being that it's my first year back in Cleveland in a few years, everyone is going to be in town for the holiday. It will be interesting to say the least. The entire family, a boyfriend, a husband, a new baby, and lots and lots of friends. The house will be filled to (or beyond in some instances) capacity.

My mom and I have started planning the menu. It's still under discussion, but so far it's as follows:

• Butternut Squash Soup
• Orange Honey Turkey (also known as Death to Vanessa)
• Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Hazelnuts (thanks Joelle!)
• Fresh baked rolls
• Fresh made butter
• Roasted Brusslesprouts
• Fresh Cranberry Sauce (and the jelly type from the can with lines for my dad)
• Green beans of some sort

So that's the list so far. It will probably change but at least it's a start.

First Recipe - Death to Vanessa Turkey

This recipe is the only recipe my mom ever uses for turkey. Which is just fine with us. It's moist, somewhat sweet, and no oil or butter is needed!!!

1 Turkey or Turkey Breast – what ever size you need for your dinner

1 can frozen orange juice

Water to mix with juice

1 cup honey

Heat oven to 325°F

Place turkey in roasting pan, breast side down (really, breast side down)

Mix honey, can of juice and half a can of water together

Pour over turkey (since you put it in breast side down, you won’t need to baste!!)

Roast turkey until almost done (approx. 160°F )

Flip turkey so breast side is up and continue cooking to 165°F. check for doneness by sticking a meat thermometer in to the deepest part of the meat. Use the table as a guide but make sure to check for temperature!!!!

Let sit for 15 minutes before carving

Filter the drippings to use as or make a gravy

Size of Turkey (lbs.)	Timing (Hours)
8-12	2¾-3
12-14	3-3¾
14-18	3¾-4¼
18-20	4¼-4½
20-24 lbs.	4½-5