Roasted Turkey with Thyme and Sage

I usually follow my Dad's recipe for roasted turkey but this year I decided to wing it (no pun intended). Since it was only going to be the four of us, I bought a small 9 lb turkey. I sprinkled it with some seasonings and stuffed it with celery, onion, garlic, fresh thyme, fresh sage and an orange. I basted it every 30-40 minutes until it was done. I didn't put the exact measurements of spices down because I simply sprinkled them all over the entire bird (sorry). I usually spread seasonings and butter directly on the breast, under the skin, but decided to make it a little less fattening this year. It was still really moist and tender and had outstanding flavor.

• 1 9 lb turkey
• 1 sweet yellow onion
• 10 cloves of garlic
• 3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 3-4 fresh sage leaves
• 2 stalks of celery
• 1 orange, sliced in half
• Olive oil
• Sea salt
• Fresh cracked black pepper
• Dried ground sage
• Dried thyme
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Remove turkey neck from the cavity and the giblet bag from the neck. Rinse bird with cold water, inside and out. Rub olive oil all over the bird. Season the bottom side of the turkey with all seasonings. Place the turkey breast side up on a roasting tray in a roasting pan. Season the inside of the cavity with all seasonings and place half the onion, 8 cloves of garlic, fresh thyme, fresh sage, celery and orange halves in the cavity. Place the other half of the onion and 2 cloves of garlic in the neck. Season the top of the turkey with all of the seasonings. Place the meat thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh and place in the oven. Roast for about 3 hours or until the thermometer reads 180 degrees, basting every 30-40 minutes. Let the turkey rest for 20 minutes before carving. Enjoy.

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