Martha Monday--Turkey time!

There are only 18 days until Thanksgiving, and my mouth is already watering for delicious turkey and cranberry sauce. Thanksgiving may not have all the fun of Halloween or the glitz associated with Christmas, but when it comes to meals, it definitely has the best one. 

If you are hosting Thanksgiving, check out Martha's Everything Thanksgiving holiday section. She features instructions and recipes for turkey, side dishes, appetizers and pies galore. She even has great ideas for Thanksgiving decor and what do to with all those leftovers.  Sign up for the Everything Thanksgiving enewsletter to have menus, recipes, tips and more delivered right to your inbox.

A lot of my Thanksgiving meal preparation comes from Martha: my turkey is adapted from her Roast Turkey with Herb Butter recipe (see picture above).  And I brine my turkey each year per Martha's instructions--I'll have a tutorial for you next week.  Of course, my apple pie recipe is from Martha as well.

If you are looking to change up your normal Thanksgiving day menu, take a look at Martha's 19 different options, complete with recipes. Or mix and match if you prefer.  There's plenty of inspiration and ideas to make your Thanksgiving memorable, whether you are hosting or bringing a dish to someone else's house. 

Finally, if you are tired of the standard mashed potatoes and gravy, I recommend baking this Potato Gratin.  I made this a few weeks ago as a side dish, and it was delicious!  I am always amazed when just a few simple ingredients come together to make something so perfect. 

If you must have mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving, then give this recipe a try for a weeknight side dish. Everyone is going to love it.

Happy Thanksgiving season!