A Countdown to Thanksgiving!

I love Thanksgiving, I don't appreciate the "early advertising" for Christmas, and I feel sometimes Thanksgiving can be ignored.  When I was a little girl, Thanksgiving was a big part of our family traditions.  We made a very big deal about the holiday.  It was a time to give thanks to our Lord, and get together with our close knit family, and enjoy the feast that my mom so lovingly prepared for us. I try to instill these traditions in my family today, and my children have grown to love the holiday as well. 

This year I am not hosting the special day, but my sister Lois will be.  We are looking forward to spending the day with my Mom,  Brother and his family, and my Sister and her family.  I miss my Dad, he's been gone now over 3 years.  Dad was a big part of our Thanksgiving Day, when we were younger he made a point for us to learn to be thankful to our Lord for all His blessings.  And I truly am.  Dad carved the turkey every year, we enjoyed his SLOW CARVING, it took him a very long time to carve that big turkey, and it was frustrating at that time, but now I would love to have my Dad back, and help carve our Thanksgiving Turkey this year! I do miss him.

I will be posting some really delicious Thanksgiving Recipes over the next several days.  I hope you will try one or two.  Enjoy!

Sausage Cornbread Stuffing
1 lb ground sausage (I like to use the frozen uncooked in the tube, not italian)
1 bag Cornbread Stuffing Cubes such as Pepperidge Farm or Arnold
2 cans Chicken Stock
2 tsp. ground sage
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. pepper
1 stick of butter melted
4 stalks celery chopped small
3 onions chopped small
1 whole bunch of parsley minced
EXTRA butter for dotting

In a large skillet, melt the stick of butter, add the onions, celery, saute until soft.  Add the uncooked sausage and cook really well, and break it up until little bit size pieces, DRAIN all the grease.  In a large bowl, add the package of stuffing cubes, the sauteed onions and celery, sausage, and minced parsley.  Add the 2 cans of chicken stock, salt, pepper, and sage.  Taste it, what does it need, more salt, pepper, sage?  Add them to your liking. 

I don't usually stuff the turkey with this stuffing, I do enjoy it in a casserole dish.  Put the stuffing in a 9x13 greased casserole dish, and dot with EXTRA butter on top, and cook covered in a 350 oven for 1/2 hour.  YUMMO!