Happy Thanksgiving!

Our gathering here at my house was so nice. My parents drove over from Pittsburgh and my brother, his wife & their two kids came down from Connecticut, and we had a HUGE feast. We used the Williams Sonoma turkey brine and turkey gravy base and I highly recommend them; we used Alton Brown's methodology for cooking (500 deg F for 30 min, then continue until done); and we circled up all the cooks and agreed upon 165 deg F in the deepest parts as the temp we'd take it out of the oven. It was the best turkey I've ever had, much less ever made!



My niece and nephew were in good form. Johnny gets under Adam's skin right now, but that's temporary. He's four and he's going through a very, uh, independent phase where he doesn't listen to anything anybody asks of or tells him.

My sister-in-law has an eye inflammation so she couldn't have her picture taken without sunglasses on. But see how glamorous she looks!



My mom made brussels sprouts, which she shreds and sautees in bacon grease. So it's a very very healthful concoction. Okay, maybe not so much - but it is delicious! Here she is cooking the bacon:



Adam gazes adoringly at Ange's electronic meat thermometer:



And my brother and my dad help out by not helping. Everybody wins!