Nancy is exactly right about that, and I remember the frustration of trying to free up one of those buttons in my 1959 Chevy. WD-40 worked eventually as I remember, but not for long. Replacing the switch was not a great alternative, either, as the bolts holding it on were fused to the floor in a solid mass of rust, both inside and outside the car. The rubber floor mats did a wonderful job of holding moisture underneath them in constant corrosive contact with the floor. I was happy when my first non-American car came with a stalk-mounted dimmer switch. Unfortunately, the rest of the car rusted twice as fast as any car I had ever owned before. They are sure making all of them so much better now. TM

totally agree with gellcom on the thermometer. I have the one that you insert the probe into the turkey and watch the temp of oven and temp of turkey that sits outside the oven. It was about $40 at Fante's but worth every penny since in the years before my turkey was always done 2 hours early. My oven is off! Definitely go by the reading of the thermometer even if the turkey is done well before it is supposed to be. Nothing worse than dry turkey. It tastes awful and is very hard to carve. I have parked mine on the counter for up to 2 hours in the past. When the turkey is done, start your sides. Also, invest in a good non stick roasting pan and a rack. Bed Bath & Beyond have them for a reasonable amount of money. The set is usually the pan and the rack. Macy's is where I got mine years ago, and they weren't that expensive there either. If you are doing gravy, it will be worth it. Those disposable pans are a mess. I know its one less thing to wash, but for me not worth saving the little time in cleaning the good pan. Use your innards except for gizzards and heart in a separate saucepan with water to make some turkey stock for your gravy. Start this early when you are cleaning your turkey and getting it ready for the oven. Herbs de Provence is my staple for seasoning the outside of the turkey and then I do roasted carrots with the same seasoning. Compliments abound. I am fortunate enough to have a set of Wustoff knives (b-day present one year). If you cannot afford a set, just buy the carving knife. Well worth the money. Can't say enough about having good knives and keeping them sharp. I just got an email from Sur La Table that they are sharpening up to 3 knives for free so they may be having a sale at this time. After I clean my turkey I cover it in olive oil, rub it in really well, then season. I don't stuff it. I do everything I can possibly do ahead, even if I just chop the components of different recipes the nite before, I put them in ziploc bags and mark what they are for. Sometimes, I shouldn't say sometimes, Thanksgiving day will start to get a little crazy and this is your first time out. The more ahead you do, the more relaxed you will be. Make a menu, make a grocery list, post it on the fridge. Post every recipe or put them all together where they can be found and followed easily. I do dressing on the side because it affords me more oven room and the ability to juggle what I am doing in the oven vs. what I am doing stove top. I try to do 4 stove tops - 1. Mashed potatoes., 2. sauteed green beans with either lemon and butter or butter and slice almonds. I do the green beans ahead - day before I blanch and put into a ice bath and then into a ziploc which stays in the fridge till the last minute when I saute them and dress them up, 3. my stock pan and usually another unusual veg that I change up from year to year. Last year it was Southwest Succotash from an old Bon Appetit. Very different and very very good. I hate having the same old stuff. Somethings you have to have, others I like to change up. I do my own cranberry sauce, but serve the stuff that comes in the can as well for those who won't try the homemade. I make mine a week ahead and park it in the fridge. I usually find a fall garland at a local craft place to use as a runner down my table. If you start with this, you can embelish with gourds or anything "fall-like" that you can find. I put my candle sticks zig zag within the garland down the table. You could also use votives. Just don't use scented candles. Don't forget an hor de overs (sp?). Don't overdo, but have a little something. I serve buffet style. I also usually have been 12-14 and if I were to set the table family style, no one would be able to move. You will need water and wine glasses. A pitcher for the water. Set your table the night before. I have three cats, I know it is an issue, but get a squirt bottle and start practicing now with keeping the kitties off the table. I have cats that jump up on the table, but I don't think your guests are going to want to see your cats walking across the table they are going to be eating at:,). Most of all, be creative, look at what you have. You may be surprised if you think out of the box. Things always have more than one purpose. You can really get creative with your serving dishes. No matter what, do not appologize for anything you don't think is exactly right. Short of poisoning someone, just be quiet and accept the gratitude of your guests. Good luck and have a great Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is the only day we eat turkey. The rest of the time, give me a roast capon or a duck prepared almost any way at all. DH and I are just not turkey lovers. My niece makes a very fine brined and roasted turkey, but once a year is enough for us. We're sauce and gravy people. Stews, braises, casseroles - we love them. I do a fair amount of cooking and a lot of dining out, and we hold that a fine sauce is a work of art. Even though we eat a lot of steaks and roasts, a great sauce is always to be admired. There are too many bad ones around to not acknowledge when something is done correctly. One of our favorite restaurants does a great poached monkfish. This is the fish known as "the poor man's lobster" for both its taste and texture. It's a great little fish, with wonderful flavor. But nap it with Amoricaine sauce, and it rises to a whole 'nother level. This is a Bretonnese classic, and for good reason. Red wine and marrow Bordelaise on a rib-eye? Absolutely! Black truffle cream sauce on a filet? Yum! Mop that goodness up with a well made starch - roasted fingerling potatoes, barley risotto, fresh pasta, freshly baked bread rolls. Gravy and sauce was the way to extend meat to feed a lot of people. Most of the world still loves sauced dishes as treasured childhood memories. Like soup, they are warmth and comfort, soothing and homey. Chicken strips that are velveted and steamed with lop cheong sausage (classic Chinese technique) are stunningly tender, almost as soft as sous vide but we like the flavor and texture better. Perfect with a roasted garlic-oyster sauce gravy over lots of rice! Far better than stir-frying or roasting. As Charles Phan of The Slanted Door restaurant in SF points out in today's WSJournal, steaming is considered the ultimate test of a professional chef in Asia. Getting back to the NY Times' and Pepin's suggestions for steaming, one of the greatest dishes in Chinese cuisine is steamed sliced chicken breast with thin slices of Hunan ham. My mother introduced me to this dish (she took classes from one of the leading Chinese restaurateurs in San Francisco) and it still ranks with DH and me as one of the three finest poultry dishes we've had in our 45 yrs of dining. A glaze should always be light. Heavy-handedness is the mark of a bad cook. Peking Duck would not be the same without the glaze applied, for example.

I also had a day which I am sure I won't forget. My family was together for the first time in quite a while and I was feeling so content. Almost finished with dinner when oldest daughter took offense at something my middle daughter said in jest and certainly not maliciously. Oldest daughter said very loudly that we all come and eat her food that she has prepared and then criticize her and the way she lives. She said if we don't like the way she is we can just stay home. We all sat in shock including her husband. He kept saying that we were just having fun and honestly and truly there was nothing mean or disrespectful said. She ended up leaving the table and when I tried to approach her she told me to leave her alone. We have had so much sadness and difficult times in the last few years and this seemed to be a special holiday. I just don't even know what to say to her and we are supposed to be going out of town tomorrow (me and her family). I am really heartbroken and I think this may cause a permanent split in the family. I never in a million years would have expected this from her and Im very sad. Caroline, I am so sorry-didn't mean to hijack your post. I do want to let you know I understand the pain and empty feeling you must have. Satine