Menu and shopping list for Thanksgiving

Okay, here we go. Below is the menu and the shopping list. I'll have the actual cost of the meal later, but for now just let me say; be careful where you get that turkey. You can get some great bargains on your Thanksgiving bird by looking at the deals at your local supermarkets. Some have whole turkeys for as low as 49 or 59 cents a pound. For a 20 pound turkey, that's only 10 bucks! Others do the "scratch my back..." philosophy and offer a free turkey if you buy groceries, or $10 off a turkey if you use your store card. Go for the best deal you can find.

And don't be sucked in by that Butterball commercial. They're expensive, and you can have just as good an outcome with that cheap or free bird you can get at your local market or discount store. All you need are some softened butter, herbs and two hands you aren't afraid of getting a little greasy. Look at it this way; at least you'll get nice soft hands after you shove all that butter under the turkey skin.

So, without further ado, here's the complete, traditional Thanksgiving menu for 8:

Turkey
Slow-cooker dressing
mashed potatoes with giblet gravy
sweet potato casserole
green beans sauteed with mushrooms and onion
fresh cranberry sauce with orange zest
dinner rolls
sage butter
pumpkin pie
pecan pie

Shopping List

MEAT
Turkey (about 2 lb per person, if you want leftovers, 1.5 if you don't)

PRODUCE
3 medium to large onions
5 lb bag russet potatoes (3 lbs will do, if it's on sale and cheaper)
1 bag fresh cranberries (12 oz)
1 orange
2 lb fresh green beans or 2 16oz packages frozen green beans
8 oz fresh mushrooms (buy in bulk, if possible, because that's cheaper than the packaged)
1 head celery
1 pkg fresh sage (usually in the salad fixins area of the supermarket)

DAIRY/REFRIGERATED SECTION
2 dozen eggs
1 lb butter
1/2 gallon whole milk
1 pint heavy whipping cream
1 pkg Pillsbury pie crusts (not frozen, but in the refrigerator section)

MISC.
2 boxes Jiffy cornbread mix
1 loaf white bread
1 large (40 oz) can sweet potatoes (yes, canned...trust me)
1 15oz can pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
32 oz box chicken broth
1 can cream of celery soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 bottle white corn syrup (store brand is just as good as Karo)
1 small jar pumpkin pie spice (you can get this at the dollar store cheaper than the supermarket)
1 small tin dried sage (again, from the dollar store, unless you can find cheaper)
1 lb box brown sugar
2 cups shelled pecans, whole or chopped, doesn't matter
Yeast
Self Rising Flour

You may already have some of these things. If so, great. I did call for buying the pie crusts premade instead of making them. Two reasons for this. You're really going to be stressed for time, and making pie crust is simply something you can skip. And the second reason is, if you buy the refrigerated kind that's rolled up, you can unroll it into your own pan, crimp the edges as you would if you'd made the crust, and your guests will be none the wiser. And, I call for canned sweet potatoes for basically the same reason. Fresh ones can be a hassle, messy, and you just don't need the added time consumed when you're already stressed as it is.

NOW THE NUMBER ONE TIP:  If you bought a frozen turkey, take it out of the freezer NO LATER THAN SUNDAY NIGHT!!!  Place it in the bottom of your fridge to thaw for several days, or else you'll wind up with a still frozen bird on Thanksgiving morning, and nobody needs to try to thaw a bird at 5 a.m.

So, there's your shopping list. Tomorrow, we'll prep as much as we can ahead of time to give you even more time to relax on Thanksgiving.

ONE MORE TIP:
Take the fresh mushrooms out of the plastic bag and put them in a brown paper bag in the crisper drawer of your fridge. This will keep them fresh and white, with no slimy brown spots before the big day.