As I said in my note to Amy on Facebook, here is the recipe/advice sheet, well worn and used by family and friends:
Thanksgiving recipes/suggestions:

1. Turkey care – If frozen, which yours probably will be, keep in refrigerator for three days. Takes time for it to fully defrost, and you want to be able to clean it up on Wednesday.

Take the giblets etc. out, cut off the wing tips, remove the neck bone, and trim away extra fat, blood clots. With the exception of the liver, fat and blood clots, put the turkey carnage into a pot with onion ( a whole onion studded with cloves is good), coarsely chopped carrots, celery, parsley leaves, salt and pepper, plus a bay leaf or two and some thyme and/or sage leaves. Add water to cover – about 4-5 cups should do it – bring to a boil, skim off yucky-looking stuff as that is happening, and simmer for a long time. You really can’t simmer this too long – 2-3 hours should do it, just make sure the pot is tightly covered and the heat very low. Strain, chill and save this broth for the gravy.

2. Stuffing – I like to use Arnold’s plain bread cubes and add my own seasoning. Sometimes an even mix of crumbled cornbread (easy to make, but they sell bags of that, too), white bread cubes and whole wheat bread cubes is good, too. Anyway, for a 16-18 lb. bird, you need about 10 cups. Chop up in fine pieces the additions you want to put in: onion and celery for sure, and I like to add apples and walnuts/pecans. I also like to use some bulk sausage, which should be crumbled and browned in a large frying pan, and then either drain and save the fat to sauté the other additions, or drain, wipe out the pan and melt some butter. I use less than suggested – half a stick should do.

Then mix the additions with your seasoning – fresh parsley, chopped fine, a healthy handful (2T or so) of thyme, 1T of sage leaves (dried is fine, you may want to chop those up if they seem too big), and pepper/salt. Mix together with the bread in a LARGE bowl, and slowly add canned chicken broth – probably about 1-2 cups, but do it gradually so that you don’t over/under soak the bread cubes.

3. Assembling – Clean out the turkey with a thorough rinse and dry. Check again to make sure those pesky blood clots are purged. Then slide a cut lemon over the inside of the bird, rub some salt inside thoroughly and adjust him/her into the roasting pan, legs down. The first section to stuff is under the neck flap – spoon in what you can without forcing it, and then pin the flap closed. (Don’t forget to have a couple of packs of turkey pins on hand, and string.)

Then turn the bird over, legs straight up, and finish spooning in the stuffing. Don’t force; you will put the extra stuffing in an oven-proof glass pan or baking utensil, (which only need to be buttered up, covered and baked for 45 minutes along with the turkey.) After you have trussed up the bird, making sure the stuffing won’t spill out, tie the legs together at the ankles over the opening (gently), rub all over with a lemon-softened butter mix (keep some more of this handy), sprinkle with s & p – and you’re ready for the oven! Well, not you – just the turkey.

4. Roasting – 325 is a good temperature, and for a stuffed bird, 12 minutes per lb should be about right. Check about every 20 minutes, basting first with additional lemon-butter mix and then with the pan juice. Turn the roasting pan occasionally for even browning. If you have an instant meat thermometer (my favorite) check both the breast temp and the thigh temp. Breast should be 165 and the thigh 175-180. Start checking the temp after 2.5 hours; if the breast seems to be winning the race, put an aluminum foil tent over it loosely.

When temperature is right, remove and let stand for at least a half hour (keep a foil tent over it to maintain warmth). An hour is fine. At some point remove from roasting pan and place on carving board (you can do this at any time).

5. Gravy – remove your drained, defatted turkey broth from refrigerator, measure the amount (hopefully you have 4 cups), and add 2T of Wondra for each cup of gravy you want. I suggest 8 cups minimum, so that means 1C of flour. Set aside the Wondra-turkey broth mix. Pour the roasting pan accumulated liquid into a large measuring glass (you can’t have too many measuring cups), let stand for a bit until the fat/liquid have separated. Remove by gentle spooning as much of the fat as you can without losing the juice underneath.

Put roasting pan back on stove, add 4 cups of CHICKEN BROTH – or as much as you need to make a total of 8 cups gravy – and bring to a healthy simmer, scraping the yummies up from the pan as you stir. When all is scraped up, remove pan from stove, pour contents into a large saucepan, stir up the turkey-broth Wondra mix and add that, too. Return to stovetop, bring to a boil (gently), stirring constantly to keep the flour from lumping up. Then just reheat when its time to put the turkey on the table.

6. Slicing – You’re on your own with this one. Convince Brian that it’s in your prenuptial agreement that he has this responsibility.

Eleanor McGee

Yonkers, NY