Thanksgiving Dinner Will Cost More Than Last Year

Thanksgiving dinners take eighteen hours to prepare. They are consumed in twelve minutes. Half-times take twelve minutes. This is not coincidence.
~Erma Bombeck

The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) estimates the cost to make a Thanksgiving meal for 10 people in 2011 is $49.20. Last year the cost was $43.47. The AFBF survey shopping list includes turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, rolls with butter, peas, cranberries, a relish tray of carrots and celery, pumpkin pie with whipped cream, and beverages of coffee and milk. The list purportedly includes sufficient quantities to serve 10 people and provide leftovers. (Not my family!) I wonder where they shop and how big that turkey is?*

Note: Here is a Turkey Dinner Calculator to estimate how much turkey you will need. It said I needed 22 pounds of turkey and 38 cups of stuffing, so it may not be the most accurate tool on the internet.

Something else I learned: Turkey is a favorite loss leader item at grocery stores.

*UPDATE: It is a 16 lb turkey. No way would that feed the group that comes to my house for dinner! Not even including a ham!