Growing up we didn’t celebrate thanksgiving in our family. I learned the customs from my friends at school. Nevertheless, I had come to embrace this holiday–how could I not given the overwhelming mounds of food that are served.

With this holiday being so popular in the U.S, where I study, I realized that I either have to go on holiday, celebrate it with a friend, or find myself alone. I chose holiday/celebrate.

As many of you may know from my Instagram page (link above), I went to Washington, DC during the thanksgiving break. As well as being able to experience a real authentic southern thanksgiving–as the hostess of our thanksgiving day put it–I had also tried some of the best food spots.

I had sweet potato and marshmallow casserole, Osso Buco, and authentic ramen for the first time… I was not disappointed by anything! Burgers, nachos, buffalo wings, enchiladas, ect. were a must as well.

After my four days of fun, visiting landmarks, and outrageous amounts of food, I decided that it shouldn’t just end. I hosted a Friendsgiving dinner the week after thanksgiving to gather all my closest friends and I before we went off on our merry ways to see our family’s during Christmas break.

The way I put it was that it was a perfect in between of all the holiday happenings. We got to gather and enjoy each other’s company while eating a lot of food–I don’t think many people would disagree with that.

In light of this wonderful dinner I hosted, which was a potluck if I may add, I decided to cook my first Turkey. Ahhh!

How to cook a turkey 101: use a Reynolds Turkey bag… They never fail.

Mother always cooked all her turkeys in a turkey bag and honestly I have never tasted something so moist each and every time. Not wanting to disappoint my friends with a dry turkey I thought it best to use mothers never failing method.

Believe it or not, the turkey was a huge hit and everyone enjoyed it. It was picked clean off the bone!

Ingredients:
•1 Whole Turkey
•1 Reynolds Turkey Bag
•Salt
•Lemon Pepper
•Pepper
•Allspice
•1 onion
•6 cloves of garlic peeled
•1 Lemon
•1 table spoon of flower

Preparation:
•Once your turkey has completely thawed out, clean it by taking out all the things that have been left inside.
•Give your turkey a quick rinse and pat it dry with some paper towels.
•Rub your spices on your turkey.
•Put the flower in the turkey bag and coat well-this is to prevent the bag from sticking.
•Cut the onion and lemon in big chunks and put some inside the turkey along with a few cloves of garlic and a couple bay leaves.
•Put the Turkey in the bag and add the remainder lemon chunks, onion chunks, and garlic cloves around the turkey.
•Close your bag tightly with the clasps provided with the bag.
•Bake at 335 degrees.

*Time varies depending on the size of the turkey and whether or not it is stuffed. My turkey was 15.75 pounds and took about 2 hours and a half.