Preparing for Turkey Day

We're getting ready for Thanksgiving at my house, one chore at a time. I have a number of cleaning chores left to be done. I have spotted my dining room chairs because the seat covers needed cleaning. I am almost finished with oven cleaning -- don't do that very often but I hate smelling burned food when I am cooking my Thanksgiving dinner. I don't think my guests would like that either.

The photo above is not of the turkey in my backyard! It is one my daughter took this summer at the Highland Park Inn in North Carolina. Love the turkey. I also love the turkey I bought this past weekend at Whole Foods. It was a free-range, antibiotic-free turkey and it was only $1.49 a pound. They said when these were sold out, they would be selling fresh ones for $1.99 a pound. Both prices are phenomenal for a turkey like this.

A couple of years ago, I priced one at a local grocery store for more than $45.00 and I passed on it, so even though the Whole Foods turkey is more, it is worth the price to me. I will also add that we cooked one last year -- the same brand -- and it was the best turkey we have ever cooked. It seemed like there was more white meat and it was delicious.

I also have my menu almost completed. Besides the turkey, we will have ham, sweet potato casserole, broccoli casserole, mac and cheese, green beans, cornbread dressing, oyster dressing, cranberry sauce, deviled eggs, and a few vegetables that are TBD.

For dessert I will be making a carrot cake, but I will also have a pie bar. I hope to cook a pecan pie, a chocolate pie, a pumpkin pie, a cranberry pie and maybe a peach custard. I am still working on this list.

Any suggestions for my menu?