In the last 54 years, I’ve not made Thanksgiving dinner only twice, once because of our daughter’s wedding, and last year they wouldn’t let me out of the hospital.

When I first attempted making Thanksgiving dinner, I was newly married, six months pregnant and had used the oven only to store newspapers. On that fateful day, I stuffed the bird and popped it in the oven, only to learn later that I was supposed to remove the neck and bag of gizzards before stuffing.