A Thanksgiving Lesson I Didn’t Expect to Learn (From a Turkey)

I’ve never been a natural cook — I’m the person who proudly buys pre-chopped vegetables and considers that meal prep. My friends joke that when “JB cooks for you,” it usually means Chinese takeout. Guilty!

But last Thanksgiving, something surprised me — and honestly, it changed the way I think about both cooking and slowing down. I watched a chef prepare a turkey in the simplest way imaginable: he brined it. No complicated steps, no fancy techniques… just salt, citrus, herbs, and time.

It was a good reminder that sometimes you need to pause and “stop to smell the roses” — or in this case, stop to smell the turkey. 

She focused on one thing: the brine.

Just salt. Citrus. A few herbs.

And then — the part I would have definitely skipped — she let it rest for a full day.

The next afternoon, she roasted it with almost no effort. When that turkey came out of the oven, it was incredible: juicy, golden, flavorful in a way I had never achieved with my usual “cross-your-fingers-and-hope” approach. Ugh. It always came out dry. 

When I asked how it turned out so perfectly, she said something that stuck with me:

“Most things turn out better when you give them the right ingredients… and a little time.”

I’ve thought about that a lot this year.

It applies to more than turkey:

• settling into a new home
  
  
• rediscovering community
  
  
• deciding what’s next
  
  
• letting life unfold instead of forcing it
  
  

Sometimes the magic isn’t in doing more — it’s in slowing down and letting good things soak in.

And because no good story should end without the secret itself, here’s the chef’s brine that made even me feel like a culinary genius:

The Simple Turkey Brine That Changed Everything

(Prep 24–48 hours ahead — totally worth it)

Ingredients

• 1 cup kosher salt
  
  
• ½ cup brown sugar (optional but delicious)
  
  
• 2 oranges, sliced
  
  
• 2 lemons, sliced
  
  
• 4–6 garlic cloves, smashed
  
  
• 3–4 sprigs each of rosemary, thyme, and sage
  
  
• 2 bay leaves
  
  
• 1 tablespoon peppercorns
  
  
• Enough cold water to fully submerge the turkey
  
  

Instructions

1. Add all ingredients to a large pot or brining bag.
   
   
2. Submerge the turkey completely (remove giblets first).
   
   
3. Refrigerate 24–48 hours.
   
   
4. Remove from the brine, pat dry, and let it sit uncovered in the fridge for 6–12 hours for extra-crisp skin.
   
   
5. Roast as usual — the brine does most of the work for you.
   
   

The Result:

A Thanksgiving turkey that tastes like you spent hours planning… even if you didn’t — and fills your home with the most delicious, comforting aromas of the season.

Wishing you a warm and joyful Thanksgiving — and a home that reflects the lifestyle you love.