To brine or not to brine, this is the question...

OK, this year, my first official I am cooking for Thanksgiving. I am taking that leap into adulthood, making the meal, at my house, for my family. How much more Hallmarkian can you get? So, the whole debate do you stuff or not stuff the bird. I am a 36 year old woman who has eaten stuffing out of a cooked turkey every year of my life and have not once contracted food poisoning from such practice. But....there is this new word that is sweeping the food channel vocabulary and it is Brine. Some people worship sports figures, rock singers, tv celebrities, me...I am a Rachel Ray Lover, Paula Dean Praiser, Alton Brown Brownnoser, and Julia, sweet Julia, she IS my Oprah.

So Alton Brown is touting the greatness of brine for the bird. And this being my first bird, I am thinking, shake it up a bit, try something new for the whole family. Just take the leap. So, I am seriously considering brining the bird. Yeah, this is what my day has consisted of me contemplating. Really, this is enjoyment for me, it is nice to be able to take a mental break from the crap that has been on my mind this week. And allowing myself some fun mind time in planning my menu and what I need to buy and serve. Yeah, I am a nerd. Pretty soon my Husbands ability to draft for fantasy sports teams will have me drafting my fantasy turkey dinner with my side items and if I win I will get to buy the butterball bird, the king of the bird birds.

So, I think I am taking the leap and going to brine the bird. Now, I gotta get my brine supplies and a huge bucket to brine the bird in. Plus all the other million other things for the meal of all meals. If it looks good enough, I might even take a photo of it.