I got a lot of things done yesterday. Planning ahead and being organized always helps make the actual big cooking day go more smoothly.
I have the traditional pre-feast appetizer made. I got the recipe from Steven's mom many, many years ago. She shaped hers in the shape of a turkey on Thanksgiving, I found this easy leaf mold and use that. It's still festive. It's a simple appetizer but yet loved by everyone, it's one of Steven's favorite and Hannah is excited about it as well. Cheese and mayonnaise, with a dash of salt and pepper, mixed and chilled overnight, and then served with Fritos. The original recipe called for some cooking Sherry, but I omitted that years ago.
The table is also ready. The great thing about setting a holiday table is that you can set it days in advance if need be. We however, needed silverware and plates for a few days so the table was set yesterday! Depending on the size crowd we have, we'll just leave all the food on my kitchen counter and serve buffet style, but years like this one where we all fit around the same table, we'll put all the food on the table and just pass it around. 
And last but not least, since it's the main attraction for the meal...the turkey is now sitting in a nice Brine bath. Last year was my first year of brining and roasting a turkey and it turned out awesome! Last years Brine had too much rosemary for our liking, so this year, I searched for a different brining recipe and found one that not only sounded good, but was also given rave reviews by some friends, Alton Brown's brining recipe. I've made a few other Alton Brown recipes, so I'm sure we won't be disappointed by this one.
The way I have it figured, for an 18 lb turkey, it'll need to be in the oven by 9:30 for it's 2:00 presentation time. So I have a few hours left until that, but between then and now I have some dressing to make, a corn dish to prepare, and oh, those Cinnabon Grands rolls to make for enjoying during the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade!
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