Only 48 Days Until Thanksgivng, People.

This week, I started planning for our big day of turkey goodness, and thought I'd share some of my to-do's and why I'm planning so far ahead. The main reason, for me, is budget, budget and BUDGET. I'm on one. And you have to always be thinking ahead.

Now, I won't have a ton of planning to do this year, as we've decided to host a community Thanksgiving, with a bunch of friends and neighbors. We are doing only turkey and drinks, and letting everyone else fill in the rest. I think we have about 18 people coming so far, so it's going to be HUGE!

Here are a few things on my mind.

1. Planning zee drinks. Last year we had 14 attendees, and this is everything we got! Plus, my friend, Teresa, brought some Prosecco, which was my favorite thing. Drooool. Anyway, we want to make sure we have enough soda, tea, and water to accommodate everyone, first and foremost. We'll aslo do wine, Shiner Cheer (because it's just not the holiday season without it), and if we get fancy, a Thanksgiving Cocktail. Probably something along the lines of a cranberry margarita.

 2. TURKEY! I got on the list today, for our Greenling bird, which will be delivered two days before Thanksgiving. We made a decision last year, to make the move to a cage-free (or free-range), organic bird. They are costly, but worth it. Most store-bought birds have been injected with sodium and this one's pretty much you know...taken to it's resting place, de-feathered, and brought to my front porch. Super fresh! And so, so good. Here's my turkey resting comfortably next to the Shiner. Appropriate, I'd say!

3. The Brine. The most important thing you can do for your bird is soak it in a brine, for at least 12 hours. I started looking for brine recipes, but decided that I'm going to stick with a tried and true one from the Pioneer Woman. It's just so good! 2 gal of water, 3 cups of apple juice, 3 tbsp peppercorn, 4-5 bay leaves, the rind of 3 large oranges, springs of fresh rosemary---I leave out the garlic, though. Aside from the fact that it makes your turkey tasty, it makes your house smell amazing! You must do this. A tip: Let the brine cool COMPLETELY before putting the turkey in it.

4. Thinking back. We had such a great time last year--about 14 people in our home, together, as a family. I loved every minute of it. Here was my plate (notice my trifecta of water, beer and prosecco, HA!). It's fun to take a minute and think back to how everything went, and what we liked and didn't like about it, so we can make adjustments. This year, I think we'll probably do more kid-focused things, since there will be so many over here, and create ways for us as a family to participate. Create and modify traditions, if you will.

I'll keep posting every week or so, to share more of our ideas, creations, activities  and menu planning. I also have some great organisational resources for you!

Gobble gobble.