A lot of my friends don't cook, sad to say, so I thought I'd pass along some Turkey Day tips courtesy of Recipetips.com!

Refrigerator Thawing
Placing a frozen turkey in the refrigerator is the best and safest method for thawing. The turkey should be kept in its original wrapper during the thawing process. Thawing the bird in the refrigerator may take a long time, especially if the turkey is a large size, but it is absolutely the safest method for thawing. 24 hours for every 5 pounds defrosting time is needed to properly thaw the turkey. This time may vary because of the individual temperature settings of different refrigerators. Also, thawing a turkey in a refrigerator with glass shelves may require a longer thawing time than a refrigerator with wire shelves.

8 to 12 pound frozen turkey	13 to 16 pound frozen turkey	17 to 20 pound frozen turkey	21 to 24 pound frozen turkey
Allow 2 to 3 days	Allow 3 to 4 days	Allow 4 to 5 days	Allow 5 to 6 days

• After the turkey has thawed, remove the packaging!  
• The neck and the giblets are usually found inside the body cavity so these can be removed and discarded, or if they are to be used, wash with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Refrigerate the giblets until ready to use.

• Thoroughly wash the turkey inside and out with cold water and pat dry.

• Season with salt and pepper and with any herbs and spices that are desired, this is optional.
• If the turkey is to be stuffed, the stuffing should be inserted into the body cavity just before the bird will be placed in the oven. It is a dangerous practice to stuff the turkey in advance with the idea that time will be saved. The stuffing may promote the rapid growth of harmful bacteria if the turkey is not cooked immediately after stuffing. Do not overstuff the turkey because the stuffing will expand as it cooks.
• The turkey may be coated with oil or butter to help brown the skin. 

Tomorrow, tips for cooking the turkey and some link to some yummy side alternatives !