Yep, you can definitely do it the way you did it. Some people do it in their ovens as well. I just like having the ensured consistency of my yogurt maker, and the fact that it only takes up a foot of space on my counter (versus an entire cooler, or taking up the oven). But anyway you can do it that works is the way to go! I've never tried using Dannon as a starter -- I've always used organic brands, and they tend to give somewhat tart results, at least in my experience. Also, the first batch I make is always fairly bland -- further batches that use that yogurt as the starter tend to be much tarter progressively. I actually prefer mine a little bland versus tart, but the fun thing about doing this is you get to play around and figure out what works for you. I've been planning to try using Greek yogurt at some point as a starter -- some people say it's really awesome. If you have a Whole Foods or other health food store near you, go take a gander at all the different kinds of yogurt you can use as a starter -- it's kind of exciting. (I've always found that using actual yogurt as a starter works better than "starter kits", although other people are happy with those. YMMV.)

The Turkey Roulade turned out great. My brother's significant other ended up making that whole thing. DH also made turkey on the grill and that was good too. And other friend made a roasted brussel sprout dish that was yummy. We had quite a few things I'd never tried before and it was fantastic to have new and different flavors. I loved that make ahead gravy - I don't much care for gravy but I sure liked having it made ahead of time. People really liked the Cranberry Jezebel - even those who said they couldn't eat anything spicy. The greatest thing was a cousin I rarely see called on Friday to see if there was a time he could stop by to see if we could get together while my brother he was in town. Turned out they could join us for dinner and we had just a wonderful time - and a few more mouths to eat all this food. Here's the Turkey Roulade - from Ina Garten. I didn't do the dressing quite as described. I used egg beaters equivalent to 2 eggs instead of one extra large regular egg. Dressing was literally runny which I'm assuming was due to my egg substitution. So I used the whole bag of dressing mix instead of three cups which was perfect because I really wanted double batch of dressing. Roasted Turkey Roulade (Serves 6 or 7) 3/4 cup large-diced dried figs, stems removed 3/4 cup dried cranberries 1/2 cup Calvados or brandy 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter 1-1/2 cups diced onions (2 onions) 1 cup (1/2-inch-diced) celery (3 stalks) 3/4 pound pork sausage, casings removed (sweet and hot mixed) 1-1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves 3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted 3 cups Pepperidge Farm herb-seasoned stuffing mix 1-1/2 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade 1 extra-large egg, beaten Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 whole (2 halves) turkey breast, boned and butterflied (5 pounds) 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted Place the dried figs and cranberries in a small saucepan and pour in the Calvados and 1/2 cup water. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, then lower the heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large (12-inch) skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and celery and sautuntil softened, about 5 minutes. Add the sausage, crumbling it into small bits with a fork, and sauté, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes, until cooked and browned. Add the figs and cranberries with the liquid, the chopped rosemary, and pine nuts, and cook for 2 more minutes. Scrape up the brown bits with a wooden spoon. Place the stuffing mix in a large bowl. Add the sausage mixture, chicken stock, egg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and stir well. (The stuffing may be prepared ahead and stored in the refrigerator overnight.) Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Place a baking rack on a sheet pan. Lay the butterflied turkey breast skin side down on a cutting board. Sprinkle the meat with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Spread the stuffing in a 1/2-inch-thick layer over the meat, leaving a half-inch border on all sides. DonÂt mound the stuffing or the turkey will be difficult to roll. (Place the leftover stuffing in a buttered gratin dish and bake for the last 45 minutes of roasting alongside the turkey.) Starting at one end, roll the turkey like a jelly roll and tuck in any stuffing that tries to escape on the sides. Tie the roast firmly with kitchen twine every 2 inches to make a compact cylinder. Place the stuffed turkey breast seam side down on the rack on the sheet pan. Brush with the melted butter, sprinkle generously with salt and pepper, and roast for 1-3/4 to 2 hours, until a thermometer reads 150 degrees in the center. (I test in a few places.) Cover the turkey with aluminum foil and allow it to rest at room temperature for 15 minutes. Carve 1/2-inch-thick slices and serve warm with the extra stuffing.

North Carolina is the number one producer of sweet potatoes in the US, 40% of the nation's supply. We have a Ham 'n Yam festival in Smithfield in May where huge crates are set out with paper bags for anyone attending the event to fill for free. Most of the restaurants offer baked sweet potato and fries. Sweet potato pies far surpass pumpkin and are home baked year 'round. In the chain grocery stores the prices are about 89c but the farmers markets have them for 25c to 35c per pound most of the year. They keep a long time open in a cool dark pantry but not near regular potatoes, onions, or apples. Don't refrigerate them unless they are cooked or they will become bitter. Cook them with the skins on for the best flavor, and eat the skin too for more nutrition. The county extension agencies discourage backyard gardeners from planting sweet potatoes to prevent potentially harmful blights, pests or bacteria's from affecting the big farmers cash crops. If you have a sprouted sweet potato, cut it and suspend it over water with toothpicks, put it on your window sill and soon you'll be rewarded with beautiful leaves as the vines and roots grow. My mom grew them that way from the earliest time I can remember, and pinned the vines to her curtains over the sink where they grew happily into the winter.

I just bake the potatoes, remove most of the potato but leave enough to support the skin "boats." I mash the potatoes with milk, butter, salt and pepper. To that I might add sour cream and shredded cheddar. Then I shovel the potatoes into the boats, top it with a pat of butter (and more cheese or not) and stick it into the oven to warm through. You can add anything that appeals to you for mashed potatoes. I like chives, but DH doesn't. Sometimes I do not add cheese and just top it with cheese. You could use chicken broth instead of milk. It all depends on what you like.