Post Holiday Recipe extravaganza!!!!

Hello all. Here are the links to some of the recipes that were used at thanksgiving as well as some (hopefully) helpful commentary. Most of this is cooking technique rather that a magic recipe.

Turkey
Turkey Recipe here.
Simple formula-  1 TBSP of salt per 5 pounds, let it sit in the fridge for 3 days cook until 165 degrees in the thigh and breast. USE A MEAT THERMOMETER! Dry turkey usually comes from overcooking. Also let it sit at least a half hour before carving,this will allow the juice to redistribute through the meat. If you cut it before this you will end up with a puddle of juice and a dry turkey.

I seasoned our bird with pepper and lemon zest in the salt, garlic, a lemon, and fresh thyme and sage in the cavity,and brushed it with black pepper and butter as it baked.

Potatoes
No recipe.Sorry.
The trick with potatoes is to eliminate as much water from them as possible. So boil potatoes than put them back in the pot with the burner on low/medium. Mash them by hand, a couple at a time. DO NOT put them in a mixer and try to whip them. This injures the fragile starch molecules and creates a gummy texture. Besides you can use the arm workout.
In our potatoes I added softened butter and warmed cream. They are warm so I can keep a consistent temperature to keep the water coming out even as I add the fat.
SALT is of the uttermost importance in mashed potatoes, without it you might as well be eating plain oatmeal with gravy. Salt does not just make food salty, but magnifies the flavors. Without salt you cannot taste the butter or the potato flavors. So be liberal in your salting. Doesn't taste right--add more salt.

and here is the candied cranberry recipe for Tami. I would use normal sugar-I tried raw sugar last year and they were kind of brownish and the sugar wouldn't stay on.