Bird(s) in the Oven

I started the day making more of my little birds, as all but one sold at the Celebration! But then soon Wes, Bacchus and I headed for Aberdeen, Southern Pines and I had the day off!!! Bacchus had a "spa appt" as Wes calls it, at PetsMart Grooming, for a bath and freshening up. He was not too happy when we left him, in fact, he jumped that gate to try to go with us, rather than into his "spa". When I go into Chakra's for my spa treatments, you couldn't pay me to back out. The difference between me and my dog!

We, then, went shopping to get ready for tomorrow, and this evening I have been preparing the food. But first I must give a plug to Fried Green Tomatoes in Aberdeen (1 south to 211, first left and down a bit on the left). We've been there a couple times and Wes wanted fried oysters in a big way (despite the fact that we are having oyster stuffing tomorrow). They aren't on the lunch menu, but the French (truly a French Chef) chef, Philippe Brainos, is so very accomodating and said "But of course", in a large French accent. So I ordered them too, with a double order of slaw (you get 2 sides). OMG, were they ever good, cooked perfectly (I worried after ordering if we should have requested lightly fired) and that is what we said about our first visit so if you are down in the Pinehurst area drop in here. Not a ton of atmosphere, but not bad-definitley run by a Frenchman and defintely serving great food! Plus they have a dinner menu.... if you get on their email list you see it weekly, and they have a back room for dinner that has a bit of a Moulin Rouge feel, well kind of, sort of, maybe if you haven't actually been to the MR in Paris ( I saw no scantily clad, fabulously outfitted women, but if you've been to the MR, you know you do have to pay the pretty penny to see it all). But it is a room one would feel at home in and perhaps think of as Parisian! And the food so far has been fabulous, and extremely reasonable.

Anyway back to Thanksgiving, I thought I might post some pictures of my preparation for Thanksgiving. Not many of us so if you are alone and needing a place, call me!

acorn squash to be roasted and drizzled with a vinaigrette made from the below garlic, pepper, cilantro, etc! Sounds yummy, hope it is!

Roasted garlic for the red mashed potatoes!

Naturally greens from the garden, arugula, and we have 4 different lettuces and baby spinach. All with tunnels to go over them for a year round crop of fresh greens, beets, turnips etc.

Jellied Cranberry sauce, I can't live without that and there are the oysters for the

GLUTEN FREE oyster stuffing or is it dressing, when you don't stuff it in the turkey?

Fresh natural, hormone, anti-biotic, etc free turkey is brining in cider, with some sea salt, sugar, smoked paprika, chipotle, ginger, clove and allspice.

And the neck and giblets are creating the stock for the gravy.

Part of this gallon went into the brine, but there is still about 1/4 of a gallon left for some nice warm cider tomorrow.

That is a bit of what we'll be having. I haven't cooked a turkey in a while and really wanted to do it, so I am at it full force! We stopped at Sandhill's Winery on the way home today (a great shop in 7 Lakes if you don't know it) and picked up a couple cases of wine, so we are set!

Now I just have to go wrap things  up, make my notes and off to a nice night of snoozing and sleeping in!