Thanksgiving 2010

We are spending a quiet day at home, cooking a turkey and thinking about how we can use all the leftovers..Turkey Hotdish, Turkey and Biscuits and Gravy and Turkey Salad Sandwiches are some of our favorites.  We will make two different kinds of stuffing/dressing..one with sautéed  giblets for Far Guy and one with apples and raisins for me. I like the dark meat, Far Guy likes the white meat.

How many of you remember this Thanksgiving song by Lydia Marie Child?  Far Guy and I tried to sing it the other day, neither of us could remember all the words. We both learned it in grade school. I wonder if the music teachers use this song anymore?  It was written in 1844 as a poem. 

Over the river, and through the wood,

To Grandfather's house we go;

The horse knows the way to carry the sleigh

through the white and drifted snow.

Over the river, and through the wood—

Oh, how the wind does blow!

It stings the toes and bites the nose

As over the ground we go.

Over the river, and through the wood,

To have a first-rate play.

Hear the bells ring, "Ting-a-ling-ding",

Hurrah for Thanksgiving Day!

Over the river, and through the wood

Trot fast, my dapple-gray!

Spring over the ground like a hunting-hound,

For this is Thanksgiving Day.

Over the river, and through the wood—

And straight through the barnyard gate,

We seem to go extremely slow,

It is so hard to wait!

Over the river, and through the wood—

Now Grandmother's cap I spy!

Hurrah for the fun! Is the pudding done?

Hurrah for the pumpkin pie!..Lydia Marie Child

It is a balmy –8 F  this morning.  Happy Thanksgiving! :)

All About The Stuffing

How do you make your stuffing? Do you dry your own homemade bread for the stuffing? Do you buy it in a bag? Heavens to Betsy..you don't use the kind in a red box ..do you?

Personally I want some of my Grandmother D's stuffing. I think hers was the best I have ever tasted. It had apples and raisins. It was moist, never dry, and never cooked to the sides of the roaster. Oh come on..you know the kind I am talking about..the stuffing that was in the oven for too long or the oven was too warm. It coats the inside of the roasting pan in a layer so thick it has to be soaked for a day or two. Then you think..hey I should have spayed that pan with something..it is always too late by the time I remember that too.

Sometime along the way, Far Guy got put in charge of the stuffing. He doesn't put in any raisins or apples. He cooks up the giblets and uses them in the stuffing. He chops them up really fine, so unless you know they are there, you hardly realize it. All these years he has been sneaking some liver into our diets.

I remember one Thanksgiving, he and Dick (Son in Law) were in charge of dinner. Dick has what I call a highly tuned gag/vomit reflex..he gags very easily..one hand into that stuffing mixture and he was a goner. Far Guy thought it was pretty cool, and pushed both of Dick's hands into the stuffing. Dick came running out of the kitchen calling Far Guy a sick pervert. Far Guy went on to explain that only sissy's mix stuffing with a spoon. They are not very compatible in a kitchen.

I have had corn bread stuffing when we lived in Florida, it is OK. I have had wild rice stuffing here in Minnesota, it is OK. I have had stuffing in a fancy restaurant, theirs was pathetic. I told them to tell the Chef that the stuffing sucked, but I was glad they used real potatoes instead of the kind out of a box. I like to often temper my negative comments with something positive. No one should ever ask me how was your meal?..how is everything tasting?..did you enjoy your meal? Far Guy will sometimes request my silence.."Please don't say anything bad." OR "Could you hold onto your opinion until we are in the car?" I could..but WILL I? Sometimes I am greatly challenged to walk out of some place knowing that I was served inferior food, and when asked for my opinion I bit my tongue so Far Guy could feel more comfortable for the rest of the day. What about me? I swear once we reach the car, he goes into an ignore mode anyway, that meal is behind him and he is just worried about the next one.

Stuffing..everyone has their favorites..care to share yours?:)