Grateful is the Operative Word

I am grateful to be able to write this blog post.

I am grateful for my wife, my family and friends.

I am grateful for the opportunities I've had and being able to follow my dreams.

I am grateful for all the people who have helped me in life and business.

I am grateful to be an American and live in this wonderful country.

This morning in our office meeting, I expressed how grateful I am for our team and the work we are blessed to create and be a part of. I asked them to take 30 minutes and phone 3-4 people. No emails, no texting. Call them, thank them for their friendship and support. Tell them you appreciate them.

Especially with the turmoil in the world and in our own backyard, it's more important than ever to stop and give thanks.

Who are you going to call?

Happy Thanksgiving!

It's Turkey Time! Grill Your Best Turkey Ever This Year!

Turkey is not an easy bird to cook perfectly. Naturally I wander over to amazingribs.com where the turkey section compounds in size every year. More science, more techniques, checklists and even Meathead's concern about winning the war on Thanksgiving. When Black Friday encroaches on the traditional Thanksgiving meal and people are in stores or working in stores we are losing an important part of our American heritage. Meathead opines that Thanksgiving is the most important American holiday and he's right.

Gather the family, cook a turkey, cook all day, be together, and most important of all be grateful.

I'm not exactly sure what recipe we'll be doing with our Turkey, that is the boss's job... I just know it will be grilled or maybe smoked. Here's a handy chart to help you grill your best turkey whether you are smoking, roasting or grilling.  Remember, you can't grill a great turkey without a quality meat thermometer.

3 Recipe Ideas for Roasted, Smoked or Grilled Turkey:

• Whole Roasted Turkey with Sun-Dried Tomato, Pesto and Bacon
• Deconstructed Maple Brined, Sugar-Maple Smoked Turkey
• Spatchcocked and Brined Grilled Turkey

One more resource I found very informative was Chris Mark's of The Good One Smoker. Chris recently posted The Science of Cooking Turkey with an emphasis on smoking. I am lobbying to smoke our turkey this year after reading Chris's article.

Please share your comments and ideas and enjoy being part of a 400 year old American tradition to give thanks!