I LOVE Thanksgiving! And I obviously can’t get enough turkey because I keep posting pictures of them. Thanks to my farmgirl friends over at Mary Jane’s Farm for all their advice about free range vs. organic turkeys. I have decided to order a free range turkey for Thanksgiving and an Organic turkey for Christmas. We will taste test and report back to you.

On one hand I’m wishing that my table was going to look more like this:

I’m dying for that tablecloth!  On the other hand, my table will have placemats in the shape of a turkey with lots of decor fashioned by small hands. Those precious little turkeys make my heart skip a beat (both the children and their crafts). It will be soon enough that they will find those things baby-ish and we will have a more sophisticated spread. For now, bring on the construction paper, scissors, and glue. We have some decorating to do.

The Crockpot Lady has been kind enough to compile a list of Holiday foods that we can make in the crockpot. With so many dishes to prepare, it’s nice to make something ahead of time and let the crockpot keep it warm. We do this with the mashed potatoes. I think I’ll try the Pecan Topped Sweet Potatoes.

I wondered.. what exactly is a Farmstead Thanksgiving? Basically, it is celebrating using ingredients grown locally, off the farm that are easy-to-find. Williams-Sonoma has several holiday recipes on their website including

• Smokey Bacon Biscuit Dressing
• Roasted Pumpkin Soup with Cider Cream
• Pecan Pumpkin Butter Pie with Butterscotch Cream.

Okay, I like cream. The catalog says, “These comforting dishes evoke a bygone era, when families gathered around the farmhouse table to share a home-cooked meal for the holiday.” I am so hooked at this point.

Then I see the turkeys. I know I’m going to need a turkey. I usually buy “fresh” ones a few days before the big day. Last year we had a family debate over whether the turkey was REALLY fresh or if it had been frozen at some point, and if the frozen ones are REALLY more fresh because they are flash frozen…and so it went. No one really cared because it tasted great, but I live in a family where everyone knows everything. Don’t you want to join us for the holidays?

This year I am going to buy one of these new-fangled, healthy choice birds from Willie Bird. I need your help. I can’t decide on the organic turkey or the free-range turkey. I’m not sure exactly what the difference is. And for those of you who do the organic thing, tell me why you do organic. My DH is very green and he could regale me for hours on the virtues of pesticide-free, but I’d rather you tell me your thoughts. (I’ll ask him on our next long car trip). Also, what are the benefits to free range? I’m really needing your help here. Please leave me your comments!

Fun Find: Real Simple and William Sonoma’s Contest to outfit your kitchen.