Central and eastern Kansas have the rolling hills and more abundant moisture - lots of trees there. Central and west more dry climate, winds from Colorado over plains supply more wind. If you're a big-city oriented person then eastern Ks.and larger cities are for you. Land available around there,too. I guess I have never been in a situation in all the times I've lived in the country to be bored. Lots of small-town activities(auctions, sales, backetball and especially football games) and church activities. I suppose I think of homesteading as essentially "country living". Simpler, more personal, a way to connect with the land and to be more self-sufficient. I like trees too, but I also enjoy looking out and seeing small towns in the distance from the top of a hilltop rise. Visiting these town is a precious pleasure to me. Always something going on if you bother to look!

I must say - this was probably the most organized Thanksgiving turkey dinner I've cooked. Thank goodness. My oven behaved - probably because I took care to tuck in the wings this time - so that the dripping grease wouldn't drop down onto the burners causing a bit of a "flare-up" which My oven is prone to do if something boils over. Anyway, I cooked the bird as I usually do - upside down on the "X" shaped rack that has been a stand-by for such an event each turkey day. The bird is then slow cooked at 250 degrees - not basting until the skin hardens a bit. This seals in the juices, making the bird more moist. About half way through after the underside is nicely browned, I turn the bird over, to brown and cook the breast. When the breast reaches 180 degrees internally, we grab the carvers and that beautiful creation soon becomes a mess. Everything turned out quite well - expect perhaps for the marshmallows that were put on the sweet potato/pineapple dish - they refused to melt and perhaps the toasting oven was a bit too toasty. Ahem. So - now for making the pies. I liked my scheme last year - freezing the turkey, dressing and gravy in a pie pan shaped container. Then it is ready for use - either put in a pie shell - adding frozen peas, and top crust and baking. Or - just heating it up for another plain meal. Either way, lots of good left-over eating in store. As luck would have it - I had lots of volunteer help with clean up - and yours truly was ready for early retirement. Hope you had a nice holiday. Soooo - on to the next big bash - right. What are you planning on eating for X-mas - another turkey perhaps/or? Oh yes - about the dressing - it was a bit moist - will add less moisture next time, but tasty nevertheless. Some sage would have been nice tho. Just my 2 c's. Bejay

beezee, I've done it both ways. In my family, stuffing goes inside the turkey. (Yes, I know it's unsafe unless it reaches 165F so test it as well as the turkey) So, if I'm doing a whole turkey, I line the Nesco with foil, spray the foil, then put in the turkey and the stuffing, with any extra stuffing that doesn't fit inside the bird at the end of the roaster. No rack. My mother loves those crunchy edges, so she likes this technique. It really works best if you put it inside a pan and put the pan in the roaster, though, if you aren't stuffing the bird or if you have extra to cook. Annie

Busybee, the gingersnap crust was sooooo much better! It wasn't soggy at all. While I still prefer the thicker custard-like regular pie pumpkin pie versus the chiffon-type of filling, the pumpkin chiffon with the gingersnap crust was definitely good. When discussing desserts with my mother, she said my niece was bringing a sweet potato pie, and my mom would make the regular pumpkin and this chocolate pie my kids love. I told her we'd do the pumpkin chiffon and also an apple pie. She thought that was too many pies for 17 people, but I knew that everyone would want some leftovers. Dh's apple pie was so good that not a morsel was left by the end of the night and only about 1/4 at most of each of the other pies so very few leftovers! I didn't even get a second piece of pie tonight. I think I'm going to have to make a second apple pie this weekend since I only had a tiny sliver last night b/c I was afraid I wouldn't get any (and I almost didn't - i took a tiny sliver right b/f my nieces and their boyfriends came in and finished it off). So I think from now on dh will make the pumpkin chiffon with the gingersnap crust - I'm not sure why in the past he used a graham cracker crust since it calls for a gingersnap crust. Definitely way better with gingersnaps! Hope everyone enjoyed their meals and the company of family and/or friends.