This year will be the first that I host Thanksgiving. Last year I held and "un-thanksgiving" feast in honor of turkey being on sale. It wasn't a disaster but it wasn't great either. The food was awesome but the timing sucked. This year I have to remember that a turkey takes longer to cook then you think and it's hard to get all the side dishes finished at the same time.

All this month's cooking magazines are featuring recipes for Thanksgiving. I've been pouring over them and everything sounds so good that I don't know how to decide. Most of the people I will be serving are not adventurous eaters so I need to mix the traditional sweet potatoes with marshmallows with the more adventurous butternut squash soup. While I can make fresh cranberry sauce there will also have to be a gelatinous tube of goop to go alongside.

So I'm making list of everything that sounds good. Then when November hits I will narrow it down. I'm thinking about wines and candlesticks and trying to remember that I need a platter for turkey. My little sister will be helping in the kitchen. We are both voracious cooks so we should be able to turn out a yummy feast.

Now I just have to decide whether to spring for the organic free range turkey or the cheaper Butterball.