to roast a turkey

this year i got a bee in my bonnet to roast a turkey for christmas day lunch.  never done it before....but how hard can it really be?  i watch food network all the time and they talk about brining the turkey first and then you stuff it with all kinds of herbs and rub it with butter and then let it cook forever.  so i first tested mymichael on the idea...he wasn't against it but suggested maybe i try it on a smaller bird first and see how it turns out and then decide if i want to take on the christmas turkey.  yea, that's totally not me...i feel that i work much better under pressure.  so next i tried the idea out on my parents who dad was all for...mom a little more hesitant but did state that grandma would probably love the idea of not having to do it herself. 

a couple of weeks ago grandma and grandpa were in town and we had a very interesting turkey discussion...we were all eating at los cabos and i told grandma my plan...she was fine with the idea.  since mymichael and i wouldn't get to the farm until early christmas eve evening, i told her that she would need to have the turkey thawed so that i could immediately put it in the brine b/c that takes 12-16 hours or so.  i then thought out loud, "i wonder if you can buy a fresh turkey so you don't have to go through the thawing out process".  well, that led to my dad thinking that was a great idea and us trying to figure out where you would buy a "fresh turkey".  my dad being the person that he is decided to ask our friendly waiter who happened to be straight from mexico city.  his idea of a "fresh turkey" is much different than my idea of a "fresh turkey".  you see my idea is a DEAD {not frozen} fresh turkey.  our waiter proceeded to tell us that we could probably find a place out in bixby that raises and sells turkeys.....real, live turkeys....and that we could pucrchase it there.  well, as soon as mymichael heard that he got really excited b/c that would mean that somehow/someone would need to take to killing the poor christmas turkey and dressing {i think that's what you call it} it.  now, my grandma having grown up on a farm knows how to do that and proceeded to show everyone how to kill a chicken/turkey.  to say the least our dinner turned educational very quick!  we were all laughing at the thought of having to catch a turkey ourselves, kill it, clean it and then me cook it.

anyways, all that to say i am cooking the christmas turkey this year and want a good recipe!  i have found a couple that sound pretty good....one is a recipe from Ina Garten....it's for a turkey breast but i think i could use the same principle on a whole turkey.  then there is Paula Deen's recipe that sounds yummy as well, but more sweet, oh and another recipe of hers.  And here is  a recipe one from Ann Burrell. 

So, here is my question to you guys.....which one OR do you have a great recipe i could try????