Thanksgiving master recipe

As I promised yesterday, here's my giant Thanksgiving recipe.  Shopping done!  Today's stuffing day.

Tuesday

• Make space in fridge by emptying out gross moldy things.
• Grocery shop.
• Make cranberry relish:  (grind together in the blender 4 cups cranberries, 1 orange, and then 2 cups sugar.  place in refrigerator.)
• Make salad dressing:  (mix 1/4 c walnut oil, 1/2 c vegetable oil, 3 tbs cider vineagar, 1 tsp mustard, 1 TBS honey, salt, pepper,  and 2 tbs chives.) 

Wednesday

• Chill white wine, water, and canned cranberry sauce.
• Defrost turkey.
• Start the stuffing:

Brown 2 lbs turkey sausage with sage and celery and break up clumps.  While letting cool, toss 12c. bread cubes with 2 tbs olive oil, thyme, salt, and pepper.  Spread onto 2 baking sheets and lightly toast in 350° oven for 20 min, shaking pans occasionally.  mix with sausage (not grease), cherries, and apricots.  Store in a ziploc bag.  Save 2 tbs grease.

Thursday

t = -5.5:  20 lb turkeys take 5 hours; cook about 15 min per pound.

• preheat oven to 450°.
• finish stuffing:  (chop up 2 apples.  mix sausage grease with 2 cups water.  add both of these to dry mixture.  stuff into turkey).
• grease turkey with butter or oil & cover with foil.

t = -5:

• place turkey in oven; reduce heat to 325°
• put the rest of the stuffing in a crock pot.
• start salad: (wash and dry lettuce; tear into small pieces and store in ziploc bag in fridge)
• for dressing, chop 2 apples and mix with 1 tbs lemon juice and then 1/4 c walnuts.  mix all ingredients together with dressing from Wednesday and store in fridge.
• make sweet potatoes:  Preheat small oven to 400°. Wash and slice potatoes into quarters. In a large bowl, mix together 1 tbs olive oil and 1/2 tsp paprika. Add potato sticks, and stir by hand to coat. Place on greased baking sheet. Bake for 40 minutes.  Serve at room temperature.

(this is the last chopping until t = -1.5.)

• run dishwasher.

t = -4.5:

• baste turkey now and every 15 to 30 minutes (says Joy of Cooking).  ugh!

t = -1.5:

• empty dishwasher.
• set table.  Don't forget serving bowls, serving spoons, and butter.
• wash, peel, and quarter potatoes.  place in a pan of cold water.

t = -1:

• open red wine.
• boil potatoes, then simmer.
• check turkey temperature (when cooked, stuffing should be 165°).
• preheat second oven for bread.

t = -15 min:

• put cranberry sauce & relish on table.
• boil water for greenbeans.

t = -10 min:

• nuke 1/3 c. milk for 1 min.
• nuke gravy
• add greenbeans to water.

t = -5 min:

• Finish mashed potatoes (drain potatoes; add 3 tbs butter and nuked milk, mash together and use mixer to whip it lightly). Put in nice bowl on table. 
• open white wine. 
• mix lettuce with salad dressing. 
• pour water, milk. 
• remove turkey from oven, remove stuffing from turkey.

t = 0:

On table or sideboard:

• Turkey 
• gravy 
• mashed potatoes 
• butter 
• stuffing from turkey 
• bread 
• sweet potatoes 
• salad 
• green beans wine 
• cranberry relish 
• cranberry sauce 
• milk 
• water

After dinner, begin preparations for leftovers:

• shepherd’s pie 
• soup