Thanksgiving Start Up

This year's Thanksgiving Menu

Turkey (thinking of Ree Drummond's Maple Whiskey Brined Turkey)
Cornbread Dressing
Mashed Potatoes
Skillet Cranberry Sauce
Green Bean Casserole (my recipe)
Pumpkin Bread (made from fresh pumpkin)
Homemade cultured butter (shaped into a turkey)
Pecan pie
Maple whipped cream

More than usual, my food is locally sourced

Leaf lard is homemade from leaf fat from Nature Delivered Farm
Turkey parts for gravy from Trailbale Farm
Pumpkin and locally sourced vegetables from Cheyenne's Country Thangs
Also from Cheyenne's we got the Mary's Organic Turkey and maple syrup ( not local)

Featured this year is a make ahead menu- and my crock pot is going non-stop!  This is to make things easier, so I'm not exhausted.

Make ahead schedule
Saturday: Make the Lard (will do a separate blog post on that)
Sunday: Cook the Pumpkin and make Turkey Broth
Monday:
1) Make cornbread (must)
2) Start butter culture (must)
3) Make mashed potatoes
4) Make sauce for green bean casserole
5) Make cranberries
6) Prepare brine
Tuesday - lots to do outside home-  so finish what is not done Monday
Wednesday
1) Make and mold butter
2) brine turkey
3) Make dressing
3) Make pie and bread
Anything still left from Monday

So on Thanksgiving- all I have to do is the turkey, unmold butter, and put the sides in the oven to reheat.

Each night will post pictures and go through what I was able to accomplish.
See you then!