Ahhh, that sounds so sad! No big family around to argue with? From the eats you described below I was wondering if you actually eat that lot or climb it.

>Considering that a turkey is typically cooked for a large group of people, not a single family, I'd say the average is 20-25lbs. Many cook it outside to leave the oven available for cooking the side dishes (and warming the ham). Today my friend roasted a 26lb turkey for 15 people. Nowadays I usually just cook a turkey breast and have cold turkey sandwiches for a couple of days afterwards. Yum.
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>>For roast meals like this, with chicken or turkey - the trad. "Sunday dinner" we have roasties. Withg all the other veg's ther's no room for no room for mash too :-)
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>>BTW the US families on your bases over here have to have larger ovens than are trad. in UK (c 60 cm wide) cos your turkeys won't fit in ours. Now just how much turkey does a family need! ?
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>>>I love roasted potatoes with rosemary. I love fried potatoes the way the German's fix them (my absolute favorite) in lots of butter with onions. I grew up on those. Thanksgiving has always been mashed potatoes and gravy though. A tradition :o)
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>>>>>Start cooking! :o) Turkey, ham baked in brown sugar and butter or syrup, stuffing, candied sweet potatoes, cranberries, home baked rolls and bisquits, mashed potatoes and gravy, every vegetable dish you can imagine, cold salads, pickle trays, raw vegetable trays with dips, sweet potato pie, pumpkin pie, apple pie,et al. It's no wonder more people gain weight during this time of year than at any other time!
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>>>>And you've STILL not cottoned on to roast potatoes (esp. done in fennel seeds)
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>>>>>>>Celebrated in the United States (otherwise known as “the colonies”). Do not eat too much and enjoy the day with your family and friends.
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>>>>>>Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours Tom and to all the other UT members who celebrate it. Wish I was in the US to experience it.