Is that Ryan?! I'm stunned! He's such a big boy! Sounds like you had a wonderful geeky father-son weekend, and wow, he slew dragons!

omnis, that sounds to me like the best possible first date! Glad it went well!

My family is having Thanksgiving here in the "little house" instead of in the "big house" this year, and I wish I could catch a quick bout of the flu. At least I don't have to drive 2.5 hours there and back for the joy of being uncomfortable and listening to people fuss at each other.

I just looked up the recipe for the sausage stuffing that I'm taking to Thanksgiving. I also started a load of laundry. I don't have to be productive for the rest of the day, right? I can bimble around on eBay and browse super-frilly gothic heroine nightgowns? (Too big for me, but just the sort of thing I'm looking for.)

I was not going to do turkey, but won a free one - so yay?

I'm thinking of cutting the turkey up before cooking. Nobody in my family cares about seeing a big "display" turkey, and from what I understand it will brown more evenly and be juicier cut up first. (At least several chefs say that.) Also I think it will make cleanup easier. More work up front in cutting up the raw turkey, but I have one really good large knife. If this really results in better turkey, plus less cleanup I think it will be worth it. But have I assessed what I'm losing and what I'm gaining properly? Thoughts?

Hmm, I need a sausage stuffing recipe.

And I have no idea on cooking a pre-cut turkey. I also just realized that I have no idea on how to cut a cooked whole turkey either. Which will be fun.

I am honestly mostly into the whole dinner as a pathway to making an enormous amount of stock.

I'm having trouble figuring out what can be chopped now and kept until being assembled closer to the date, how far out things can be assembled. Going to a concert Wednesday night i seemed like no problem when I bought the tickets...

I love the fact that we go to a buffet for Thanksgiving. My kitchen is not amenable to involved cooking.

I'm having trouble figuring out what can be chopped now and kept until being assembled closer to the date, how far out things can be assembled.

Buzzfeed has you covered for the basics.

I've struggled with plans for T-Day due to some family uncertainty. A couple of days ago, one of his ARP buddies invited us to a potluck T-Day and it looks like that is what we are going to do.

But I asked what we should bring and was told "food". So, I figure a pie and something...just not sure what that something should be.

Something you like to eat, in case the other potluck offerings are sketchy.

CJ just added "meat" to the "food", so I'll bring a ham, I think.