Gearing Up for Turkey

Thanksgiving is nearly upon us. I'm really looking forward to it this year as I've decided to branch out and try a few new recipes again. The past several years I caved to the not-so-into-new facet of the family at large and have been sticking with the traditional, mostly boxed fare (StoveTop Stuffing vs. trying something on my own, that type of thing). But this year, I feel like cooking and as the doodle is mad to help in the kitchen these days, I'm using him as my excuse. I'm not sure how much he'll really be able to help with, but anything that needs stirring is going to be all him.

The dilemma I'm looking at now though (and honestly, sometimes I'm amazed at how easily I turn anything into a dilemma. It's like I went to bed one night normal and woke up a dithering idiot the next morning and have never really shaken it since.) is when to buy the groceries. (See? Not really something worth dithering over!) I need to hit the grocery store, probably this afternoon after nap time, tomorrow at the latest. Because the cupboard? She is bare. So normality would say to get all the groceries now and save myself a trip. Also it would save me the insane lines that abound when shopping for Thanksgiving on, say, Wednesday of next week. Also probably everything I want to serve can still be found right now - next week I would end up making crazy, on the fly substitutions.

There's something about the crazy substituting that is somewhat fun on a mentally challenging level. (I said challenging, not challenged. Hush.)

Of course, if I'm going to shop today (or tomorrow) then it would behoove me to get my list in order. Perhaps I ought to go do that. Before I do, I will share for your perusal the plan:
Turkey (duh)
Parmesan Creamed Spinach
Stuffing
Apple Almond Yam Cakes
Cranberry Orange Relish
Artichoke Flan
Mashed Potatoes
Greenbeans
Pumpkin pie with whipped cream (the which I am buying from Costco...cause their pumpkin pie beats any I have ever made, easily. And they're $5. And bigger than my head.)