Broccoli Chicken Halloween Snake

(Recipe adapted from my friend, Amy's, Broccoli Chicken Braid)

2 C. cooked chicken, chopped (about 3 cooked chicken breasts)
1 C. broccoli, chopped
1/2 C. red bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 C. Cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 C. mayonnaise
1 tsp. dill weed
1/2 tsp. rosemary
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. salt

1 recipe bread stick dough (or use 2 - 8 oz. pkg. refrigerated crescent rolls)

2-3 egg yolks, lightly beaten
food coloring
2 pimento-stuffed green olives or green pepper


Prepare bread dough. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Grease cookie sheet.

While dough is rising, mix chicken, broccoli, red bell pepper, garlic, cheese, mayonnaise, and seasonings in a bowl. Use part of the red pepper to make a snake tongue.

Roll out dough into 24" X 6" rectangle (about 1/4" thick). Spread filling evenly over middle of dough, leaving 1-2" on each side. Fold both sides of the dough over the filling lengthwise. Press all sides to seal. Roll over so seam is on bottom and carefully transfer to pan, forming desired snake shape.

Mix egg yolks with desired food coloring; use pastry brush to paint and decorate the snake. Add green olives or cut green pepper for eyes and red pepper tongue to dough snake.

Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

Potato Salad with Asparagus

This is a "grown-up" potato salad, and I make it every year for Easter so I figured this would be good timing to post this recipe now.

3 lbs small red new potatoes
1/4 c + 2T olive oil, divided
2 lb fresh asparagus
1 c chicken stock
2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 c pine nuts
1/2 c chopped fresh basil
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Rub potatoes with 2T olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast them in the oven for 25-30 minutes, until cooked through but still firm (this is important; if you cook them too long and they get soft, you run the risk of having a potato mush as the end result). Let them sit until cool enough to handle.

Meanwhile, blanch your asparagus. Any time I make asparagus, I have people asking me how to prepare it. The bottom of the stalk can be really tough, chewy, or stringy, and I think it's a very underused vegetable that a lot of people don't know how to prepare. To make sure you have tender asparagus without the chewy ends, just gently bend the stalk. It will snap where it is tender, and you just discard the bottom. Some may snap over the halfway mark, and some may snap really close to the base so there's no formula, just let the asparagus snap itself!

But I digress....on to blanching the asparagus. While you're preparing your stalks, bring about 2-3 inches of salted water to a boil. Drop the asparagus in the boiling water and boil it JUST till it gets really green, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from the boiling water and immediately plunge the asparagus into some ice-water. Again, you cook these too long or fail to use the ice bath and you'll risk having mushy asparagus as the end result.

Drain the asparagus and pat it dry. Cut it into 2 inch segments (I think it looks prettiest cut on the bias). Cut the potatoes into quarters. Heat the 1/4 c olive oil in a large saucepan - add the potatoes. Heat them through. Add the asparagus, stock, and garlic. Simmer 3-5 minutes, until everything is thoroughly heated. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from pan and stir in pine nuts and basil.

This is best if it's served immediately, but it also makes really great leftovers. It's also much, MUCH simpler than it sounds.

Joanna Pruess's Molasses Spice Cookies

from Carole Walter's Great Cookies cookbook

¾ c (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter
2 c all purpose flour, spooned and leveled
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
¾ tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cloves
2 c sugar, divided
¼ c dark molasses
1 lg egg

Melt butter in a heavy duty saucepan over low heat. (This cookie is mixed by hand in the pot). Cool to tepid.
Strain together 3 times- flour, soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt, and cloves. Set aside.
Using a wooden spoon, stir 1 ½ c of the sugar, molasses, and egg into the butter, mixing until smooth.
Add dry ingredients, ½ at a time and blend well.
Cover with wax paper and chill for 30-45 minutes until firm.
Position shelves in upper and lower third of oven. Heat to 375. Moderately butter cookie sheets.
Shape dough into 1 in balls between palms of hands.
Place remaining ½ c sugar in a shallow dish and roll the balls of dough in sugar.
Place balls 2 inches apart on cookie sheets. Bake 8-10 minutes or until tops begin to crack. Toward end of baking time rotate pans from top to bottom and front to back.
Remove from oven and let stand 2-3 minutes.

Datenut Pinwheels

These have always been one of my favorites at Christmas time. I realize the dates might scare you off if you've never had anything with dates (I haven't had anything else with dates so I am not sure how they are in other things) but these are great. I've had them every year since I can remember and as I said above, they're one of my very favorites!


Mix thoroughly:

½ c shortening
1c brown sugar
1 egg
½ tsp vanilla

Add:
1 ¾ c flour
½ tsp baking soda

Divide dough into 2 equal parts.
Tear off a piece of wax paper for each half. Roll each piece on top of the wax paper into rectangle 11 in x 7 in. (you will be rolling the dough up in the wax paper so don't skip this)

For the Filling, cook ingredients below in a saucepan until thickened, stirring constantly:

¾ lb moist pitted dates cut up (I get the already cut dates that come in a purple box, way
easier than trying to cut sticky dates!)
1/3 c sugar
1/3 c water

Once thickened, stir in:
1/2 c finely chopped nuts (I like pecans)

It will look like this when thickened:


Spread 1/2 of the filling on each dough piece and spread out. Roll up the dough.



Next roll the wax paper around the dough to enclose it. Twist ends of wax paper and refrigerate for several hours.


Heat oven to 400 and cut into 1/4" slices.
Place on lightly greased baking sheet and bake 10 minutes or until lightly golden.


You can bake as many as you want and store the rest in the wax paper. It also freezes very well in the wax paper.

Sugar Cookies

The nutmeg and sour cream in this recipe makes it my favorite for sugar cookies!

3 1/4 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 c. butter
1 c. sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. sour cream

Sift together first five (dry) ingredients. Cream together remaining five ingredients. Mix dry ingredients into wet. Chill in refrigerator for 3-4 hours. Roll out to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut into shapes. Bake at 350 ° F for 9 minutes.

These cookies are even more amazing with cream cheese frosting, but any kind will do!

I'm not sure where the recipe originates, but I received it from my friend, Melissa Landon.

Mexican Wedding Cookies

Recipe from Creative Cooking Collection.

1 cup butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar, divided
2 cups flour, divided
2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup pecans, ground

Beat butter and 1/2 cup powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Add 1 cup flour, vanilla, and salt. Stir in remaining flour and nuts with spoon.

Form dough into ball, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 1 hour or until firm.

Preheat oven to 350 ° F. Roll tablespoons of dough into 1-inch balls; place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until pale golden brown. Let cookies stand on cookie sheets 2 minutes.

Place 1 cup powdered sugar in 9X13 dish. Transfer hot cookies to dish and roll in sugar, coating well. Let cookies cool in sugar. Sift remaining 1/2 cup powdered sugar over sugar-coated cookies before serving.

Store tightly at room temperature or freeze up to 1 month. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Pumpkin Cake Roll

One of my all-time favorite holiday treats!
Recipe from The Essential Mormon Cookbook.

3 eggs
1 c. sugar
2/3 c. pumpkin
1 tsp. lemon juice
3/4 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. powdered sugar
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese
4 Tbs. butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Beat eggs and sugar together. Add pumpkin and lemon juice and mix together. In a separate bowl sift together flour, baking powder, spices, and salt. Fold into pumpkin mixture.

Line a 15 x 10 1/2 inch pan with waxed paper. Grease lightly. Spread pumpkin mixture evenly in pan. Bake at 375 ° F for about 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Turn out immediately onto a clean towel sprinkled with powdered sugar, removing waxed paper. Sprinkle more powdered sugar on top of cake. Start at on end, carefully rolling towel and cake together. Cool on counter top.
Combine the 1 cup powdered sugar, cream cheese, butter and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Gently unroll cake, removing towel. Spread cream cheese filling over top. Roll back up. [Note: After you roll the cake up with the filling, place it seam side down. I didn't really think about it when I made it, but I think it would be prettier that way.] Cover with waxed paper and chill in refrigerator. Best when made a day ahead. Will keep in refrigerator 6 to 10 days (well wrapped). Freezes well. Cut cake roll into slices using a bread knife. Makes approximately 20 servings.

A Christmas twist on Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is my Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe, and the main reason Dalyce invited me to be part of this blog. :)  Anyway at Christmas I like to replace the chocolate chips with chopped up candy cane kisses.  I have actually never done nuts with the kisses so I don't know how that would be. I hope you like it!

1 ½  C shortening                                          

¾ C sugar                                                         

1 ½ C brown sugar                                            

1 ½ tsp vanilla                                                  

3 well-beaten eggs                                            

3 1/2 C flour

 1 ½ tsp soda
 1 ½ tsp salt 
 3 C chocolate chips
 ½ C nuts, chopped (Optional)

Cream together shortening both sugars, add vanilla.  Beat until light and fluffy.  Fold in eggs and mix well.

Sift together flour, soda, & salt.  Add to first mixture and stir in chips and nuts.  Mix well, drop 1 spoonful on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake at 375 for 10 min.

Double-Coconut Cream Pie

When we were young, my siblings and I were not big fans of pumpkin pie (one of my sisters even threw up after eating it and still won't touch the stuff!), so my mom would take requests and make whatever we wanted for Thanksgiving. Pumpkin pie was not a staple, or really that necessary at our house. My husband thinks we are so weird. "It's not Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie!" Whatever! Though I do like pumpkin pie now, there are plenty of pies way more delicious than pumpkin. Some of our favorites were chocolate, lemon meringue, and banana cream; you know all the sweet, creamy pudding pies. In honor of our family tradition, I will be making Coconut Cream Pie, because that is what I requested this year. And Cody can have his pumpkin.



3 egg whites
1/4 c. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt
2 c. milk
3/4 c. cream of coconut
3 beaten egg yolks
2 Tbs. butter
1 c. flaked coconut
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1/3 c. sugar
1 9-inch baked pie crust shell
2 Tbs. flaked coconut

1. Let egg whites stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, for filling, in a medium saucepan combine cornstarch and salt; stir in 1/4 c. of the milk until smooth. Stir in remaining milk and cream of coconut. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more.

2. Remove from heat. Gradually stir about 1 c. of the hot filling into egg yolks, stirring constantly. Pour yolk mixture into remaining hot filling in saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil. Cook and stir for 2 min. more. Remove from heat. Stir in butter until melted. Stir in 1 c. coconut and 2 tsp vanilla. Keep warm. Preheat oven to 350 ° F.

3. For meringue, in a large mixing bowl combine egg whites, the 1/2 tsp. vanilla, and cream of tartar. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed about 1 min. or until soft peaks form (tips curl). Gradually add the 1/3 c. sugar, 1 Tbs. at a time, beating on high speed about 4 min. more or until mixture forms stiff, glossy peaks (tips stand straight) and sugar dissolves.

4. Spoon warm filling into the cooled baked pie crust shell. Immediately spread meringue over warm filling, carefully sealing to edge of pastry to prevent shrinkage. Sprinkle with the 2 Tbs. coconut. Bake for 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Chill for 3 to 6 hours before serving; cover for longer storage. Makes 8 servings.

From Better Homes and Gardens: All-Time Favorites Cookbook Volume 2

Turkey Stuffing

A traditional stuffing recipe that has been passed down four generations (and for good reason)!

1 1/2 loaves bread
2 c. onion
1 1/2 c. celery
6 eggs
1/2 c. butter
12 boullion cubes, dissolved in 1 1/2 c. water
1 tsp. poultry seasoning
1 tsp. sage
pepper

Saute onions in 1/2 of the butter. Cut bread into bite size pieces. Add seasoning to bread, then onion, celery, eggs, and butter. If not moist enough, add some water. Add salt to taste. This recipe is enough to stuff a 12 lb. turkey or 1 1/2 the recipe for 18 to 20 lbs, 2 times the recipe for 25 lbs. Or do like I do and cook it in a crock pot for 4 to 5 hours.

Sweet Potato Pie

I'll be honest, growing up I was scared of anything yam or sweet potato. But only because everyone else was. Then I tried my in-laws' sweet potato pie. And I went back for seconds, and thirds, and probably fourths. Now I love all things sweet potato. This one has got to be the best though, because it is pretty much dessert but you get to eat it as a side with the rest of the meal. No waiting necessary. My kind of vegetable!

1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 c. butter, melted
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. sugar
2 Tbs. cream
8 oz. yams (or sweet potatoes, technically they are not the same thing, but I interchange them and can't tell much difference)

Mix until well combined. Spread in greased pie dish.

Topping:
1/4 c. butter, melted
3/4 c. brown sugar
3 Tbs. flour
1/2 c. chopped pecans

Mix and sprinkle over potatoes.

Bake uncovered at 350 ° F for 30 minutes.

Shrimp Dip

My in-laws always, ALWAYS, make shrimp dip for Thanksgiving and Christmas. We all gorge ourselves on it while waiting for the Turkey feast to be ready. Then we eat even more with the meal... and after the meal... and you get the idea. It is so good and so addicting. A must in the Rowland household. A tradition I will very gladly be carrying on.

8 oz. cream cheese
1/3 c. cream
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. grated onion

Cream together.

6 oz. canned shrimp
Dash Worcestershire sauce
1 carton cottage cheese

Add, stir to combine. Serve with potato chips or crackers.

Traditional cranberry sauce

If you are not a fan of the crazy cranberry chutneys like I am, here is a more traditional cranberry sauce / jelly.

2 bags cranberries
2 1/2 c water
2 1/2 c sugar
1t pectin

Bring cranberries and water to a boil and cook for 20 minutes.
Strain pulp as much as possible (as in almost break your wooden spoon, or in my case, literally break your wooden spoon and send bright burgundy sauce flying all over your kitchen)

Put the juice back on the stove and cook for about 3 minutes to let it thicken.
Add the sugar and pectin. Cook for 2 more minutes.

Grease your mold VERY well, and fill with the jelly. Chill and turn out.

Orange-ginger cranberry chutney

This is NOT the same flavor as canned cranberry sauce. A little goes a long way. It's strong and bitter, but I love it. Also, it makes a lot, so you can freeze it and add 2/3 of a cup to plain muffin batter and you'll have the greatest muffins ever.

2 cups water
3 cups sugar
2 whole oranges, peel included, diced, seeded, and finely chopped in a blender
1 2-inch piece ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
4 cups fresh cranberries
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup golden raisins


In a medium pot, combine the water and sugar and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Add the oranges and ginger and reduce the heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes.

Add the cranberries, cinnamon and cloves and simmer, uncovered, for about 15 minutes, until thickened. Add the raisins and cook for about 7 minutes more, until big bubbles appear in the sauce. Cool in a bowl before serving.

Spiced candied walnuts

I originally made these as a garnish for a fall soup I had made once, but they were so good I decided that they deserved to be more than just a garnish, and now I make them every Thanksgiving as an appetizer. I make them the night before and set them out Thanksgiving morning. Everyone grazes on them all day long while they wait for the feast, which I love because it gives them something to curb their appetites, but it's not so heavy that they don't have room for the dinner that I slaved over for two days. Win win.

Peanut or canola oil
4c walnut halves
1c sifted powdered sugar
1/2 t cayenne pepper
1/2 t ground cinnamon
pinch of salt
1/4 t freshly ground pepper

In a large skillet or fryer, heat 1 inch of oil to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, stir together cayenne, cinnamon, salt, and pepper.

Bring a pot of water to a boil and blanch the walnuts for 30 seconds. Drain and transfer to a bowl. While the nuts are still hot and slightly damp, add powdered sugar and toss until coated, and all the sugar has melted into the nuts. The sugar must all be melted.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the nuts in small batches into the hot oil. Fry until med. brown, about 45 seconds. Do not overcook. Scatter on a large baking sheet to let cool. Continue in small batches until all the nuts are fried.

While the nuts are still warm, transfer them to a bowl and toss with about half the spice mix (sprinkle it evenly over the top, it will clump if you just dump it). Add more spice mix to taste and toss well after each addition.

This will keep in an airtight container for 2 weeks. Wait until cool to store.

Not your grandma's pumpkin pie

I will let everyone in on a secret. I hate pumpkin pie. I mean, I really hate it. I love pumpkin. Really anything pumpkin. And when I say love, I mean to an unhealthy degree. But I think that pumpkin pie is a scourge on the good name of pumpkin goodness. It's too orange and too spiced and too dense and too sweet and too....pumpkin pie.

I do, however, love MY pumpkin pie. There are several differences that make me like mine over any other, and they are: I only use fresh, not canned pumpkin; I use cream cheese instead of evaporated milk or sweetened condensed milk (no it is not a pumpkin cheesecake, although those are delicious); and I beat the crap out of it until it's super fluffy. The end result? A light, fluffy, tasty pie that isn't so sweet or rich that you can only eat a couple bites. I have literally eaten an entire pie by myself. In one sitting. For breakfast. And later discovered that my mother-in-law, her husband, my father-in-law, AND his wife, all did the same thing. :)

Here goes:

1 8oz cream cheese (softened)
2 c pumpkin FRESH roasted pumpkin (if you don't know how to do that, ask and I will write a tutorial...you know who you are)
1 c sugar
1/4 t salt
1 egg + 2 egg yolks, beaten
1c half and half
1/4 c butter
1t vanilla
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t ginger
pie dough (2)
(I'm not going to leave a recipe for this. If you want one, ask and I will - you know who you are!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line your pie crust with foil and fill with weights or beans, and bake for 10 minutes. Remove foil and beans and bake again for another 10 minutes. Cool.

Beat cream cheese. Add fresh pumpkin and beat. Add sugar and salt beat again. Add eggs, half and half, and butter and beat. Add vanilla, cinnamon, and ginger, and beat again. Pour into pie crusts and bake, 50 minutes.

*Depending on my oven and altitude, I have baked this pie anywhere between 50 minutes and an hour and a half. Just take it out when the center is no longer jiggly.*

Whole wheat dinner rolls

I hesitate to post this because it is my father-in-laws recipe that has been passed down through several generations, but after some deliberation, I decided this recipe needed to be shared. I have honestly never had a better roll than this, and it just happens to be whole wheat. They are so soft and slightly gooey - something you don't really find with whole wheat rolls.

3 packages of yeast (if you're using jarred, 1 pkg = 2 1/4 t)
1 c warm (not hot, it will kill the yeast) water
1/8 c sugar
3 c warm milk
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1c sugar
4t salt
2 squares oleo, melted (or 1c other fat, like shortening or butter)
8-10 c flour

Mix yeast, water, and sugar together and let sit for 10 minutes, or until bubbly.
Mix in everything else except flour.
Add 7 c flour and mix well. Mix in as much more flour as needed to make a dough that just barely sticks to your finger. Cover and let rise, about 20 minutes. Punch down, cover and let rise again. repeat 2 more times, until it has risen for 1 hr. Roll out and use a pizza cutter or knife to cut them into square rolls. Dip them in butter in put them in a pan. Let them rise while you preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Cook for 10-15 minutes, and brush with butter when cooked.

Butternut squash soup

There are a lot of fall soups out there, and a lot of butternut squash variations. I know that many of them are a sweet and sour type, with apples or other fruit. If that's what you like, you may not like this one. I enjoy the more savory soups, so this has leeks and bacon. Just so you know what you're getting before you try to make it.

1 butternut squash
1 onion or leek (whichever you prefer) chopped
1T fresh grated ginger
3T butter
3c broth
1-2 c apple cider
salt and pepper
heavy cream
sour cream
cooked bacon, crumbled

Quarter and bake your squash for 40-45 minutes. Once cool, scoop out the pulp.
Cook onion and ginger in butter in a saucepan over low heat for about 5 minutes. Add broth and simmer for 10 minutes, covered. Remove form heat and add the squash pulp and puree till smooth. Add cider to desired consistency, and salt and pepper to taste. Return to the stove and cook till hot. When ready to serve, add a splash (or 5) of cream. Garnish with a dollop of sour cream and crumbled bacon.

Green Bean Casserole

This is fresh, people. No canned veggies or condensed soup here. And it's the bomb.

3 lbs green beans, strung and snapped
2T unsalted butter
2T fresh thyme
2T fresh chives
2T olive oil
2 pounds mixed mushrooms (I use button, shitake, cremini, and portobello, but you can really use whatever you like)
2 shallots, sliced
1c heavy cream
salt and pepper

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add some salt and the green beans. If you like your green beans crisp, cook them for about 5 minutes, as they will cook more in the oven. If you like them more tender, cook for 8-10 minutes. Drain them and set aside.
Melt the butter and olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and shallots, and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the shallots are tender and the mushrooms have released all their liquid. Pour in the cream, thyme, and chives, and cook for 5 more minutes. Add the green beans and stir well. Season to taste. Pour the mixture into a greased baking dish and top with desired topping (choices listed below). Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly.

*Toppings*

Croutons:
1 loaf crusty Italian bread
1T fresh chives
1T fresh thyme leaves
1T fresh rosemary
2T parmesan cheese
3T olive oil

Cube bread (2" cubes). Put them in a bowl with all the ingredients and mix well. Spread onto a baking sheet and bake at 375 until it turns just golden (about 10 min). If using the croutons, sprinkle a little more parmesan cheese on top of everything before baking.

Fried onion strings:
1 large onion
1 egg plus dash of milk
1c flour
1t garlic powder
1t season salt
1t salt
1/2 t pepper
peanut oil or other frying oil

Mix egg and milk to make a batter coating.
Mix flour, garlic powder, season salt, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
Heat oil to 350 degrees. Thinly slice your onion into rings. In batches, dip in egg mixture and lift out, letting excess egg drip off. Toss in the flour mixture until coated. Shake off excess and fry in hot oil, about 3 minutes, until golden. Place on paper towels to drain and repeat with remaining onions. Use enough to coat the casserole. You don't need to add these until the last 5 or 10 minutes of baking time. Place unused onion strings in an airtight container. Will keep for about 2 weeks. Longer if stored in the fridge.

Or you can just use a can of French's fried onions if you want to cut down on your work.

*I use the homemade onion strings - they're a lot easier than they sound, and they are amazing!!!

Superman Turkey

This is my absolute favorite turkey, hands down. It got the name "superman turkey" because of a cooking method I use to have a perfectly crispy skin but a moist bird, that involves making an aluminum foil "shield" for the turkey to wear. It will make you laugh, just warning you now. Your turkey will look like a little knight or a superhero of some sort. And let's face it, it's way more fun to eat a cute turkey in a costume than it is to eat some plain, boring poultry with no sense of humor.

Moving on.....

First step: you want to brine your turkey. The high amount of salt will allow your turkey to absorb the liquid and flavor, making a juicy flavorful bird.
Brine:
1 c salt
1/2 c brown sugar
1 gallon vegetable stock
1T whole black peppercorns
1/2 T allspice berries
1/2 T candied ginger
1 gallon iced water

Combine all brine ingredients except ice water in a stockpot and bring to a boil. Stir to dissolve solids, then remove from heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate until completely chilled. Early on the day of cooking (or late the night before), combine the brine and the ice water in a clean (do I really need to say that?) 5 gallon bucket. Place the thawed turkey breast side down in the brine. Cover and set in a cool area for 6 hours. Turn turkey over once, halfway through brining.

As I've stated before, I don't stuff my turkey, I use aromatics. Here's my favorite blend:
1 red apple, sliced into wedges
1/2 onion, sliced into wedges
1 cinnamon stick
4 sprigs rosemary
6 leaves sage
1c water

Okay, on to cooking:
A few minutes before roasting, heat your oven to 500 (yes, 500) degrees. Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick, and water in a bowl and microwave for 5 minutes. Remove turkey from the brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Place the turkey on a roasting rack inside a wide low pan, and pat dry with paper towels. Add the steeped aromatics to the cavity, along with rosemary and sage. Tuck the wings back (pull them up and out, then tuck the tips behind the shoulders like he's just lounging. He'll look super cute and relaxed). Coat liberally with canola or other neutral oil (NOT olive oil, as it has a lower temperature tolerance. It will smoke you out of your house. I recommend canola or peanut oil).

Roast your turkey on the lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cover the breast with a double layer of aluminum foil (get a large square and fold it in half into a triangle. Place it on the breast, point down, flat side on the top toward neck. Pinch a section of it to make a handle to make it easier to remove). Insert a probe into the thickest part of the breast and return it to the oven, reducing oven temp to 350. Set the thermometer alarm to 161 (yes, 161) degrees. A 12 pound bird should require 2 - 2 1/2 hours. (15 - 20 min. per pound). Let the turkey rest, loosely covered, for 15 minutes before carving.

*If you want to skip the brine (some people do), I recommend mixing some softened butter and some sage leaves and slipping it between the skin and the meat of the turkey, all over the bird. That way you'll at least get some flavor in there.