We like to expand out our Thanksgiving preparation to three, or sometimes even four, days. The first day this year I baked a couple of loaves of sourdough wheat bread for one of the dressings (I like to have two types each year), Mary Ellen put together our favourite cranberry chutney, I got the sweet potatoes baked for the sweet potato soufflé, and I made the brine for the turkey.

Tomorrow we will make the pumpkin pies, cornbread (for the second dressing), applesauce, tomato aspic, and put the turkey into the brine. And finally on Thanksgiving day the turkey gets packed with spices, herbs, aromatics and then slow roasted on a bed of vegetables, the dressings get assembled and baked, and the garlic mashed potatoes, green beans, broccoli and salads get made.

This year we are trying heirloom birds for the first time. The last few years I stuck with the Diestel Ranch birds which are good, but I just wanted to try a different bird this time.