I'm doing a little holiday baking this morning (cranberry bars that will go in the freezer and be brought out a few at a time to go on plates of cookies given to friends and neighbors). Mostly I'm doing advance prep for tomorrow's family thanksgiving dinner, postponed from last Thursday due to travel plans. I'll make the cranberry sauce today (once I discovered how easy it is to make I swore off of the jellied canned stuff). The turkey is in a tub in the sink finishing thawing and will go in brine at bedtime. I'll have the bread machine set up so I can make rolls early and have them out of the way as I advance on two types of potatoes and a couple of large pans of roasted mostly-root vegetables. My ex will be bringing the apple and pumpkin pies (one kid doesn't like pumpkin and the rest of us love it, so we make two pies.) He'll be over here today getting a lesson in making pie crust (we have complained for years about the store-bought tough crusts he uses, so he's going to try homemade.)

I have a roaster oven that will be put into service possibly for the vegetables because I don't think the turkey will fit once it is spatchcocked. I also have crock pots and a toaster oven and at some point during the day any or all of those things could be pressed into service. First, clear the counters.

I love these meals but they are exhausting. At least this year, for the first time in recent memory, the whole family and their partners are here. It will be worth it.