So the food coma is over, and yesterday was a rousing success. Had not one, but two, Thanksgiving dinners. I have not yet stepped onto a scale today, but if I gained less than five pounds I'll be supremely happy! I did try to eat as healthy as I could yesterday, trying to skip using too much gravy, or eating too much dressing, so I am slightly optimistic.

Tips to cooking your bird ... if you take the tin-foil off for the last hour, and rub some butter on the skin, it browns very nicely. In addition, the tin-foil cover really keeps the bird moist. I've used the turkey bags before, but all the juices collect at the bottom and I don't like a soggy bird.

Today, I'll be making turkey soup (which is why it looks like a chest burster took out the turkey I cooked yesterday). Take the dark meat you have remaining (in particular the wings) and drop it into a half pot of boiling water (use a large pot). Let it simmer for about an hour or so and pull out the meat. This will help flavor the water (making a turkey stock of sorts) and will loosen up the meat on the wing bones. You can also add 15 ounces of chicken broth/stock and remove an equal amount of water. Throw away the skin and pull off whatever meat you can. Put the wing meat back into the soup and take the rest of the turkey you wish to sacrifice to the soup gods, cut or shred into little pieces and drop them into the pot. Add carrots, celery, and onion (at least five or six [of each] large carrots and sticks of celery, chopped, diced, or sliced [how you prefer]), and salt* and pepper to taste. Simmer for a couple of more hours. Eat. Enjoy.

*Garlic powder works wonders here, as does Ms. Dash