How to solve the most common Thanksgiving dinner disasters?

Don't panic and there's practically no Turkey day fiasco that can't be fixed. Really! You'll need: Aluminum foil, a sieve, flour or cornstarch, chicken broth, a casserole dish, cheese grater. Butter, cheese and cans of whipped cream or heavy cream for whipping. Optional: salt, soy sauce, fortified wine, port, or bourbon and chicken stock.

Step 1.

Got to thaw your Turkey. Put it still wrapped in the sink tub and covered with cold water. Replace the water every half hour. It will take about thirty minutes per pound to thaw completely. Tip: You did thaw the bird but forgot to put it in the oven in time for dinner? Simply cut it into pieces, rub them with oil, pan-fry until the skin is crisp and then bake them in 350 degrees for about an hour.

Step 2.

Speed up a slow cooking bird by turning up the oven to 450 degrees but no higher. Cover with foil to avoid burning the skin. Uncover the bird ten minutes before taking it out of the oven. Tip: Don't worry if you forgot to take giblet packet out of the turkey. Today's packaging as he proved: it won't harm the bird.

Step 3.

Smooth the lumpy gravy by putting it into a sieve. They can too thin gravy by dissolving a teaspoon of cornstarch flour and to a few tablespoons of cold water, then slowly adding it into simmering gravy. Then thick gravy with some water or chicken broth. Tip: Spice up bland gravy with salt, soy sauce, pepper, chicken stock and/or a dash of fortified wine port, or bourbon.

Step 4.

Moisten dry turkey by putting slices into a casserole dish. Cover them with two cups of chicken broth that you brought to a boil with some pan trippings, covering the dishes with foil and baking it for about ten minutes.

Step 5.

Rescue slightly burned dinner rolls by stripping off the black parts of the cheese grater.

Step 6.

Save soggy stuffing by spreading it on a greased cookie sheet, separating it with a fork and baking it uncovered at 325 degrees for about fifteen minutes.

Step 7.

Salvage gloomy mashed potatoes by transferring them to a casserole dish. Topping them with butter and grated cheese and heating.

Step 8.

Solve practically any cheese cakes you have by spooning the good parts of the desert into parfait glasses. Alternating with layers of whipped cream.

Step 9.

Speaking with cream. Keep the tool on hand to artfully cover unsightly desserts, Stretch any small ones. Your guest will never know the difference.

You do know: The Butterball Turkey Talk-Line established in 1980 is mostly manned by to home economics teachers.