It's that time of year again. Time to start looking for some great Thanksgiving dinner recipes. In my family I am in charge of this dinner and I want to satisfy myself and my family. I do this by trying new recipes. This way I'm challenged when time comes to cook, and my family gets their old tried and true Thanksgiving favorites and gets to try some new dishes, some of which may become tried and true too!

It's easy to do an internet search for Thanksgiving menu ideas. If you do this you'll end up with millions of search results, but how do you know you can trust a recipe? There are hundreds of thousands of food blogs out there and frankly, not all the recipes are good. The way you know you can trust a recipe is it's source. It doesn't necessarily have to come from a "food site" but, if it's referenced it should be from a cook book, or other trusted source, such as a well known chef, and that source should be named.

So what are some tasty and easy Thanksgiving dinner ideas? How about a new twist on stuffing? Try a stuffing with Sausage, Apple and Sage, or maybe even a homemade Chestnut Stuffing. How about adding a cranberry side dish such as Fresh Cranberry Orange Compote or making a tangy Cranberry Apple Chutney? These Thanksgiving side dish recipes are quick and easy.

Make sure that you use the turkey giblets to make a homemade turkey broth. A homemade turkey broth is the only way you can assure you're going to get the best flavor out of your stuffing. A well seasoned turkey broth truly makes all the difference in the outcome of your dishes. I wouldn't consider making Madeira Gravy without my homemade stock.

If you've never cooked a turkey, or if you simply want a reminder it's also easy to find tips on cooking a turkey online. Year after year I make notes about my dinner. I may have cooked too much of one thing and not enough of another. My family may not have liked a new dish or may have. Making notes after cooking my Thanksgiving dinner is a way I remember from one year to the next.

One of the tricks to successful Thanksgiving dinner is not just the recipes, it's knowing how to time the dishes. Every year I make a time-line for cooking. This way I'm assured that all my stuffing, vegetables and side-dishes come out perfectly cooked, and all at the same time. This way when we sit down to eat everything is hot and ready. Having a time-line also takes stress off of me. All I have to do is follow my list and I know that everything will be under control.

Don't forget to ask family members to bring a dish to your dinner. Share your Thanksgiving recipes with them. Maybe you can ask a sister-in-law to make a side-dish of Pearl Onions au Gratin and ask your mother to make the Bourbon Cranberry Sauce and have your sister make the Campbell's Green Bean Casserole. Perhaps you can assign each of them a dessert item like a Strawberry Trifle or Red Velvet Cake.

We love hosting our family, I enjoy trying new recipes and they enjoy tasting new dishes. It's a win-win situation for us!