Thanksgiving 2025

Behold the official notes from Turkey Day. Can’t wait to recreate the magic this year. Let the feast begin.

Thursday November 27th
supplies

Who Brought What

Jen and Bryan

Turkey Roasting Pan
Big Ass Beer Cooler
Bry’s Favorite Peeler
Containers for Leftovers
Leaf Blower

Stephanie

Steph has a pot for Brine
Steph brings the wine

Dad and Amy

Brining Bag
Foil Roasting Pan
Large Casserole Dish for Crisp
Igloo Cooler for Turkey
Turkey Cradle
Hand Juicer

Notes

Brought newspapers for Bry, check pantry for crackers, next year bring dad’s gravy shaker.

INITIAL PREP

Early Logistics

Shopping Begins

Stephanie, Dad and Amy met at Euphoric to pick out the cheeses on Saturday the 22nd. First round of shopping on Sunday the 23rd

Arrivals

Amy and Peter picked up Mom from the airport on Monday the 24th. Dad arrived with the Turkey on Tuesday the 25th. Jen, Bryan and Mojo rolled in Wednesday morning.

Pre-Prep

Amy made the brine on Monday night so it would be cool and ready to use on Tuesday.

INITIAL PREP

Shopping: Round One

Stephanie

  • Green Apples (Trout Dip)
    5 lbs Apples (Crisp)
    3 x Oranges (Brine. Crisp, Cranberries)
    1 x Lime (Brine)
    Bag of Lemons
    Garlic
    2 x Celery (Brine and Stuffing)
    Carrots (Brine)
    3 x Brussels Sprouts
    Shallots (Brussels Sprouts)
    GF Oatmeal (Crisp)
    Honey (Brine)
    Sugar
    Light Brown Sugar
    Evaporated Milk
    Whipping Cream
    Eggs

Dad & Amy

  • Pomegranate (Salad)
    2 Green Apples (Trout Dip)
    5 lbs Apples (Crisp)
    Parsley
    2 x Oranges (Brine. Crisp)
    1 x Lime (Brine)
    Bag of Lemons
    Garlic
    2 x Sweet Onion
    Celery (Brine)
    4 x Carrots (Brine)
    2 x Thyme (Brine)
    2 x Rosemary (Brine)
    3 x Brussels Sprouts
    Smoked Trout
    Creme Fraiche
    Brown Sugar (Brine, Crisp)
    GF Oatmeal (Crisp)
    Honey (Brine)
    Sugar
    Light Brown Sugar
    Evaporated Milk
    Whipping Cream
    Eggs

Jen & Bryan

  • Cream of Mushroom 2 - 10.75 oz. cans
    8 cups Green Beans
    Large French Fried Onions
    Soy Sauce
    Milk
    Sweet Potatoes
    Brown Sugar
    Ginger
    Crushed Pineapple
    Nutmeg
    Heavy Cream
    Bourbon
    Cinnamon
    Cayenne
    Mini Marshmallows

Notes

Shopping round two will take place when we pick up the Turkey, it’s all stuff that we didn’t want to go bad or that we needed from Fresh Market. Seem to be missing shopping notes that contain frittata ingredients and stuffing ingredients.

INITIAL PREP

Shopping: Round Two

Dad & Amy

  • 3 x organic oranges
    Dried apricots
    Kerry Gold
    Creme fraiche
    Smoked trout
    parsley
    chives
    dill
    2 x thyme
    2 x rosemary
    Blackberries
    Vanilla ice cream
    Prosciutto
    Sour Dough
    Harbison
    Purple haze

FOOD PREP

The Brine

Brining Begins

1:09pm Tuesday

Brining Ends

7:45am Thursday

Dieter’s Turkey Brine Recipe

ingredients

2 Gallons Water
2 Cups Kosher Salt
1 Cup Honey
1 Cup Brown Sugar
2 Bunches Fresh Thyme
2 Bunches Fresh Rosemary
8 Crushed Garlic Cloves
2 Tbsp Ground Black Pepper
One Orange, cut into 8 pieces
One Lemon, cut into 4 pieces
One Lime, cut into 4 pieces
4 Stalks Celery, chopped
4 Carrots, chopped
1 Sweet Onion, chopped

PREPARATION

Combine water, salt, honey and brown sugar in a large pot. Heat to almost boiling. Turn off the heat and add the rest of the ingredients. Squeeze the citrus pieces before you toss them in.

Cover and place outside, letting it cool completely. Refrigerate if necessary until chilled at least 2 hours.

Put the turkey in the brine, allowing 2 hours of brining for each pound of turkey.

This recipe is already doubled.
Brines a 20-22lb turkey.

Brining Notes

We have brining bags to last us through 2027

Pop pop and Amy made the brine on Monday at Pop pop’s house. We picked up the Turkey on Tuesday morning, got it cleaned and into the brine at 1:30. We placed it in a brining bag in the blue igloo, with a bag of ice, on the back porch. We made the brine exactly as listed above. We’re curious to see if an air-chilled Turkey absorbs more brine than a water-chilled turkey.

who was there

In Attendance

Dieter, Joan, Jen, Bryan, Stephanie, Amy

WHAT WE ATE

Breakfast

Amy made a frittata with butternut squash, shallots, spinach, saffron and tarragon. It was served with a mixed greens salad with fennel, carrots, pomegranate seeds and toasted pepitas dressed in a a dijon, honey, lemon and olive oil dressing.

Mimosas were enjoyed.

What we ate

Charcuterie

Cheeses

Alp Blossom
Truffle Gouda
Rogue River Blue
Brillat-Savarin
Herbs de Humbolt

Meats

Iberico Salchichón
Finocchiona
Prosciutto di Parma
Smoked Trout Dip

Accompaniments

Fig Jam
Olives

Spiced Pecans
Hot Honey

Green Apples
Pumpkin Pear Butter

WHAT WE ATE

Turkey

The Bird

Bell & Evans
Air-Chilled Turkey

Weight

23.74 lbs

Out of the Oven

4:40 pm

Into the Oven

10:18 am

Notes

Bird was stuffed and coated in a whole stick of butter by our hero Jen. Don’t forget to put the carrots, celery, white wine and chicken broth in the pan. Always make sure we have enough foil. Raise the rack one more level next time. As per usual, the popper was considered suspect until it dutifully popped at 4:20.

WHAT WE ATE

Side Dishes

Stuffing

Steph’s making the stuffing with the Brauer Family classic recipe

Sweet Potatoes

Bry and Jen are making “Amalgamom” sweet potatoes with marshmallows. Added a bit of Roknar Rye

Cranberries

Steph’s cranberry’s with lemon, orange and ginger

Brussells Sprouts

Roasted with evoo, lemon, S+P

Green Bean Casserole

Bry and Jen’s classic recipe with the addition of mushrooms

WHAT WE ATE

Desserts

Pumpkin Pie

The classic recipe with Joan’s pie crust

Apple Crisp

Ina Garten’s Old-Fashioned crisp (1.5’d the topping mixture)

WHAT WE DRANK

Wine

Pre-Dinner

Gonet-Medeville Premier Cru Champagne
2022 Ferraton Père & Fils Samorëns Côtes-Du-Rhone
2023 Domaine Alain Chavy Chardonnay

With Turkey

note