Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!

I can't believe it's Thanksgiving already! Where has the year gone? I took the day off from work so I could begin my Thanksgiving cooking, this holiday was made for me I think. My Turkey Brine is cooling, click here for the recipe. I am going to try to make a pumpkin pecan cheesecake like the Cheesecake Factories if possible, they have pecan pie on the bottom (this is a good recipe for pecan pie) and it had a pumpkin cheesecake on top.... I love experimenting. I will post my recipe later if it turns out. Also making a Lemon Meringue pie from one of my older cookbooks that's all pies. Also my daughter LOVES the jello Brand cheesecake mix ... I always have to make that for her. It is good and I'm glad she likes it.

Tonight for dinner to start of the Thanksgiving feast (i tried to do an all day dinner one year with appetisers, soup, and then the feast and pie later all spread out about 2 hours apart, but my parents say they can't eat that much) So tonight I thought I would make a light dinner with stuffed mushrooms (recipe) and a Butternut squash soup (recipe) and maybe this pumpkin dinner roll (found this recipe) with cinnamon butter (recipe)  ...or I might make those for tomorrow along with my regular roll recipe.
Tomorrow I think I will roast my turkey in the oven instead of smoking it. I like to use those oven bags for roasting... my turkey is never dry that way....especially when I stuff butter under the skin. When you brine the turkey you can't really stuff it because of the salt in the brine, so I like to make y stuffing in the crock pot. I use Mrs. Cubbison's and follow the directions, then I put it in the crock pot for a couple of hours... I'm never disappointed with it. I'm going to try this recipe from Guy Fieri for Green Bean Casserole. I'm making my Mashed Potatoes (recipe) and gravy. (For gravy I always cook the turkey neck in broth  with a little onion and celery; then thicken and season it after I take the neck and celery and onion out) My mother always makes our candy yams, I also cheat and buy the canned jellied cranberry sauce because that is what my hubby likes best. I think that's about it for my turkey dinner.
Just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving... enjoy your dinner... whatever you make, and enjoy being with family and friends. I'm so thankful for mine and all of the things I have been blessed with. Life is good.