on Saturday, fear not! It's not a complicated process at all. Just follow these simple steps from thawing to roasting and enjoy a moist, brown, beautifully cooked bird: BUYING A TURKEY Frozen: Buy any time but keep frozen until 1-4 days before coking. Allow 11 lbs. per person.

Fresh: Buy 1-2 days before cooking. Do not buy any pre-stuffed. Allow 11 lbs.

per person.

Pre-Cooked: Serve immediately within 1-2 hours of removal from oven. Allow 11 lbs. per person.

THAWING A TURKEY Thawing time in refrigerator for whole turkey: 8 to 12 pounds: 1 to 2 days 12 to 16 pounds: 2 to 3 days 16 to 20 pounds: 3 to 4 days 20 to 24 pounds: 4 to 5 days Thawing time in cold water for whole turkey: 8 to 12 pounds: 4 to 6 hours 12 to 16 pounds: 6 to 9 hours 16 to 20 pounds: 9 to 11 hours 20 to 24 hours: 11 to 12 hours Thawing in a microwave: Check manufacturer's instructions for the size turkey that will fit in your oven, the minutes per pound, and the power level to use for thawing.

Preparing the turkey: After thawing by any method, remove neck and giblets, wash turkey inside and out with cold water, drain well. Important: Wash hands, utensils, sink and anything else that has come in contact with raw turkey.

Stuffing a turkey: Allow 11 cups of stuffing per pound, ready-to-cook weight.

Mix and stuff ingredients immediately before putting in oven. Stuff lightly.

Fill the body of the turkey and neck cavity with stuffing. Fasten the openings by sewing shut or using poultry pins or skewers. Fold the wing tips back under, in toward the body. The wings will act as a brace for the bird in the roaster, and on the platter. Cover the tips with foil to prevent burning.

Bring the legs together and tie them securely. Then, with the same piece of cord, tie to the tail. Rub soft butter or margarine all over the turkey and roast in a moderately slow oven (see separate chart).

Separate stuffing: If you are in a hurry, bake stuffing in greased, covered casserole during last hour while turkey roasts.

How to roast a turkey: Place turkey on a rack in large, open roasting pan with no water. Baste from time to time with drippings. If the turkey is becoming too brown, cover with a piece of cheesecloth, which you may baste when you baste the turkey so that it remains moist. Or use aluminium foil, fitted loosely over the top of the turkey. Be careful not to tuck foil in, or there will be steam and the process will not be roasting. Remove the covering for the last 15-30 minutes to let the skin crisp and brown evenly. Let stand at least twenty minutes before carving.

Cooking times: This depends on the weight of the bird. Follow instructions which come with the turkey. As a guide, a 12-16 lb. turkey should be cooked 31 to 41 hours unstuffed and 41 to 51 hours stuffed. A 16-20 lb. bird should be cooked 4 to 5 hours unstuffed, and 51 to 61 hours stuffed.