How did your turkey and dressing come out this year? Our turkey came out better than ever this year. About a week before Thanksgiving we got a packet in the mail of a Turkey glaze mix (a powdery substance). We had never used a glaze like this before. It was from a freebie that was sent for and listed in Tightwad Tidbits.

We just patted it over the turkey. The meat was more tender this year, and had a better flavor. Now my husband wants to know where to get more. I don’t even remember how long ago I sent for this particular freebie. However, my husband is now sold on glazes, and we will be looking around for other mixes.

Our stuffing came out well also- not dry or too wet. This is not always the case. We've had our share of overly dry or moist stuffing.

There are some general rules you can follow to minimize this from happening. Since many people will also be serving turkey for Christmas, here are some tips to help your stuffing come out better. If you've never made stuffing from scratch before, you may want to give it a try.

Homemade Stuffing Tips

*Stuffing can be made out of many types of bread. Be sure and choose the kind your family likes best. Your stuffing will turn out better if made out of a bread with a firm texture.

*Cut your dry bread into 1/2 inch cubes. Try and get them as uniform as possible.

*Choose ingredients your family likes to add to the stuffing. Some choices are: onions, celery, mushrooms, bacon bits, and nuts. Finely chop up all the ingredients you add to your stuffing.

*Flavor your cooking oil or butter before you begin the sauteing process. This will give your celery and onions a better flavor. You can do this by sauteing fresh garlic in the oil before you add the rest of the ingredients. Remember not to cook the garlic too long, as it burns easily.

*Once your vegetables begin to get soft, turn down the heat and add your bread crumbs and seasonings and mix well. You want to mix the flavors together by cooking another 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

*The most common spices are garlic, poultry seasoning, paprika, oregano, parsley, sage, salt and pepper.

*For your final flavoring, you are going to add some vegetable stock. This is where you have to be careful not to add too much or too little. Add just enough to lightly moisten the bread.

Many people just add water to their breadcrumbs, figuring the spices will add enough flavoring. This is the difference between good food and great food. Water has no flavor. If you want to be a great cook, use less water! Great cooks are known for their sauces. Make a good vegetable stock, or buy one in a can, and use it in the place of water to add wonderful flavor to many dishes.

*In order to make your stuffy light and fluffy, be careful not to pack the bird too firmly. The stuffing will expand as it is cooking.

*One safety tip: Do not add the stuffing to the Turkey until you are ready to put it into the oven. Remove it as soon as the turkey is done cooking.

Try and add one special ingredient to make your stuffing special. Perfect a recipe using ingredients such as chestnuts, apples, pecans or cornbread. Try using leeks instead of onions, real butter instead of margarine, adding pork, pecans, or different spices.