I love, love, love eating asparagus and have been eating it all winter. I would rather eat local asparagus especially the thin wild stalks that I have picked along county roads. I put it in a frying pan with a tiny bit of water and just cook until the colour turns bright green then I sprinkle with a few drops of lemon and a grind of pepper. My brother once gave me a crate of asparagus from his store and I ate every bit of it. Funny story about my Mom. Asparagus was her favourite vegetable. Like you she would eat it canned or frozen or in soup. After a time after she had Alzheimer's I put asparagus on her plate and she "freaked" out and threw it on the floor. She said she didn't know what it was and there was no way she was going to eat that funny looking thing on her plate. I told her it was her favourite vegetable and she told me she hated it and wouldn't eat it. She ate it a week before that and never ate it again. LOL Anne

This didn't do it for me. I know, I know, I didn't make the biscuits, but still...it didn't have much flavor. I used Imagine Chicken Stock too and fresh thyme. I should go back and look at y'all's chicken and dumpling recipes. Also, I tried the frozen Reames noodles for the first time and they suck. I've tried the ones Harper recommended--the das Klausman ones or whatever and those are the best so far. Had them twice now.

Alton Brown has had a show on brining for a long time and he explains it well. A pail is fine if you have a walk in cooler like the 4time felon, but for normal people, a cooler is a better option. You still need to keep the bird cold. Be warned: do NOT brine an "enhanced" bird, like a "Butterball" or the like! They're already injected with a lot of extra salt, extra fat and other fluids and if you add more, ugh. (shudder) Also, many have opted for the pre-salting method rather than brining. (Same caution applies.) You can also dry rub the turkey for a different taste. Frankly, AFAIC, basic is often better with turkey. If it's a decent bird and cooked properly (and of course assuming you like poultry) it's virtually always good. Sometimes you can mess up a good thing by trying to do too much with it. Seriously give some thought to an electric roaster as a second oven. That's what it is. They're fabulous for the holidays and can be used year round for a variety of things. Social gatherings, picnics, BBQs, graduations, block parties, baking, warming, making chili for a crowd, there's a bunch of uses and they're inexpensive. They cost less than a crockpot and a far more useful!

and i'd like to swat the parents for letting it go so long! yes, we have problems with our grands (no kid is going to be perfect), but all 7 are better behaved because they've been taught from the day they sat at the dinner table! did like the idea of the cookies rolled in different flavors, though!