Make Ahead Gravy aka Thanksgiving is coming!

As I may have mentioned before, I am hosting Thanksgiving this year for hubby's folks, my folks, and my little sister.  I have spent countless hours pouring over recipes trying to find the perfect combination of side dishes and desserts and snacks.  Then once I had a list, I changed my mind and looked at more recipes.  It has been an ever evolving process, but one thing has not changed... the gravy.  For fear of ruining Thanksgiving dinner, I have been practicing some of the side dishes, and I have actually already made the gravy.

I found this recipe online for make ahead gravy.  I thought the idea was great since gravy is always the last thing you have to do, and after that much cooking, all I would want to do is sit and eat.  Because of this, making the gravy ahead of time is a perfect way to taste the gravy and not have to worry about putting it together at the last minute.  While my mom was in town, I decided to make the gravy since I hoped her previous gravy experience would help us ensure ultimate delicious-ness.

In order to make gravy, you have to start by making turkey.  We got some white and dark meat pieces at the store without much difficulty.  Little by little, we went through the instructions, which didn't always make 100% sense, but after some improvization, we came up with the gravy.  It was creamy and tasty with garlicy twist thanks to some added garlic powder.  Once it had cooled, we put the gravy in a freezer safe bag to wait until Thanksgiving.

 We cooked up some turkey using the drippings and pan crustiness for added flavor

 We boiled the bones and some vegetables to make turkey broth

 After lots of stirring and thickening, the gravy was ready

We'll see how it actually turns out with the turkey and such this Thursday.  I will be taking lots of pictures as we prepare Thanksgiving dinner (so glad I will have my helpers).  Can't wait to share them with all of you!

Happy (early) Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving Menu Preview...
Turkey (of course!)
Yvonne's Italian Stuffing
Cranberry Sauce
Make Ahead Gravy
Maple Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Loaded Mashed Potatoes
Aunt Susan's Corn Casserole
Brussel Sprounts wiht Balsamic and Cranberries
Pumpkin Soup
Salad
Apple Pie
Chocolate Pecan Tart
Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake

We'll see how much of that list actually happens... lots to do between now and Thursday!