10 Steps to Cook the Best Thanksgiving Turkey Ever

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I like good turkey and I don't like bad turkey. I'm sure you feel the same way. Instead of a deep heavy post this Thanksgiving I'm going to tell you how to cook a REALLY killer turkey.

I'm passing this on to you with a couple of provisos I'd like you to understand. 1) My wife cooks the turkeys. She is Italian and a very skilled homemade cook. I'm blessed. I'm sure she was meant to marry a fatter guy who would take advantage of her cooking more, but she got me... 2) I believe what has come to be known as Allie's recipe is actually inspired from cooking scientist Alton Brown.

Before you follow any of these steps thaw the turkey thoroughly.

1. Cook the turkey for the lowest hours suggested for your its weight.
2. Take all the stuff out of the turkey, including the neck and do whatever you want with it.
3. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
4. Drown turkey in your cooking oil of choice (Olive, corn, etc.). Even put the oil inside the turkey.
5. Liberally sprinkle salt, pepper, and garlic powder on the turkey.
6. Take sticks of margarine and flatten them with your hands. Blanket the butter over the turkey (Especially the breasts). Make sure to stick some on the legs too.
7. Place it in the preheated oven.
8. About 1/2 way through cooking the turkey loosely cover it with a sheet of aluminum foil, making sure to tuck the aluminum foil under the sides the turkey.
9. Let it cook the rest of the time needed.
10. Take it out of the oven and let sit uncut for 30 minutes. CUT IT RIGHT BEFORE SERVING so that it is still moist when you eat it.

There you have it. That is my wife's turkey and it's marvelous. In the comments tell me what you thought after cooking the turkey. Also, if you have any questions leave those there too. I'll ask my wife and try to get back to you quickly.

I Wander What To Do... (This week it is a play on words)

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The family and I went on an epic journey this past Sunday after church. I'm a bit of an explorer at heart, and I saw a bridge. It wasn't just any bridge, but a bridge to nowhere. This was a big bridge the kind that  could be driven over. When I looked it up on Google it led to a little island that was completely uninhabited. The explorer in me wanted to see what was on this small island and why there was a bridge leading to it.

The "Bridge to Nowhere"

So we packed some water, grabbed the stroller, and commenced the journey in ninety degree weather. Along the way we made some stops and a few wrong turns. What I had told Allie was going to be a one and a half mile trip turned into a five mile trek. Two hours in and we had not made it to the elusive bridge to nowhere. We could see it but we couldn't figure out how to get there. Creeks and miles still separated us. Quentin was getting grumpy, Maggie was getting loopy, and Allie was losing the italian explorer within. We decided to turn back and try again another day. Hopefully a little more experienced and a lot more prepared.

While walking miles in that heat I could not help but think of the Israelites wandering in the desert for forty years! I was losing hope after only two hours. I never lost faith in God in those two hours, but I was able to glimpse how quickly you could. You start to feel like you're never going to make it to the promised land.

We had the choice to turn around and head home, but imagine being Moses and having to convince the people that wandering the desert was God's plan. It's difficult for me to comprehend following for only one year, but can you imagine forty years of wandering?! It took a huge amount of faith for Moses to continue. Hebrews 11 pummels us with the words "By faith Moses..." I encourage you to head over to Hebrews and read the whole chapter on faith. It will encourage you that our God is faithful.

Lego Moses... I thought that was really cool.

My walk illustrated two things to me. 1) I have far too little faith. Moses' faith was beyond what I'll probably ever achieve. 2) I'm not thankful enough for what God has provided. We look down on those Israelites as they complained and questioned, but I guarantee most of us would join them.

Let's learn to be thankful for what we have. Let's learn to trust God in the tough times, and not forget Him on the good days. Let's learn to, by faith, follow God even if it's into the fire. Let's back up what we say by actually living it out.

Please share this post with someone that needs it and hit the +1 below. THANKS!

Don't Be A Crap Factory!

Tweet As promised, here is the message from Steven Furtick about being grateful for what you have. Watch it, enjoy it, and comment your thoughts below. Thanks Seacoast for getting this video up! My favorite line, watch for it, is about people being crap factories.

Did you think it was as powerful as I did? What are your thoughts? Comment below.

-Ivey