Cash, if your DH can't be persuaded to brine, buy a kosher turkey instead of a self-basting one. The koshering process is basically a dry brine, and yields very similar results.

He's just freaked by the thought of the work because he's never heard of brining. To be fair, I hadn't either, but I watch Good Eats and I have faith in the science of cooking. It doesn't sound like a lot of extra work to me. But I always helped my mother get up at four a.m. and start cooking Thanksgiving dinner when I was a kid so I'm less stressed by the thought.

We even have an extra fridge so space isn't a problem for the brining container or anything.

I'm determined to convert DH to the process.

Does Alton Brown do interventions?

If so, someone please send him to my tiny tiny kitchen. Or, you know, my bed.

If you're doing the turkey, just do it how you want and let him be convinced by the taste.

I was also a "up early to help Mom with the food" girl. This year we may be going out to eat, heaven help us.

In that case, may I also recommend the CI-endorsed method of also letting the turkey air-dry (uncovered) in the fridge for 24 hours after brining? The moisture and seasoning are still locked into the meat, but the skin ends up bone-dry and gets amazingly crisp.

(I also highly recommend butterflying the turkey so that the thighs and the breast are the same distance from the heating element, but so far I've only been able to convert people to this method if I cook the turkey myself. But it really really works! And it saves time!)

I'm prepared to relax my not-eating-meat-that-reminds-me-of-living-animals guideline for brined roast turkey, so long as someone else does the carving.

butterflying chickens works wonderfully. I assume it would be the same for turkeys.

oh man. we need to get stuff together for thanksgiving. That's next week, right?

YES IT IS!!!

I need to get fred steak.

WHERE DID THE MONTH GO!?

Ack, too much to do this week.

My daughter has taken Thankgiving away from me. I can't decide if that makes me happy or want to pout. I'm taking the day before T-day off to help her get ready for it; even with only 5 people coming it's still a lot of work to get everything done because half the fun is all the fixin's.

This is the first time in several years that I'm not cooking Thanksgiving dinner, and it's making me craaaaaaaaaazy. We're going to DH's aunt's house, and she's a fantastic cook, but I don't know how she does her turkey, what kind of stuffing she makes, what kinds of sides there are going to be...it's going to be all different and weird and so I'm bringing 2 sides and 2 nibbly things and maybe more if I have the time.

WHERE DID THE MONTH GO!?

T-day is early this year.