Thanksgiving is a bittersweet holiday for me. I love it, and I'm so thankful for the family that I have, and thoroughly enjoy going to my sister's mother-in-law's house, and being part of a big, happy crowd of food lovers. But, I also miss the way it used to be, when my mother was still here.
We celebrated the holiday on Cape Cod back then. My mother and grandparents still lived there, and I'd head down from Boston for a long weekend. My mother always had to work. She waitressed at the Riverway Lobster House, and you wouldn't think a 'Lobster House' would have much of a crowd on Thanksgiving, but they did. It was a very traditional restaurant, and attracted an older crowd who brought their families in for the holiday. I worked there for many years myself, and actually never minded working on this particular holiday. There was a set menu, a choice of 5 things, including turkey and ham, and everyone was in a good mood, and tipped generously. It gave us a chance to run around, and make a nice bit of money, before heading home to visit with the family and stuff ourselves.
When I started working in the city though, we changed our routine and instead of going to my grandparents, who would do the cooking while we worked, I took it on, and enjoyed it so much more than I ever thought I would. I never got stressed out, even the first year, when I had no sense of how to time it. The rest of the family was quite alarmed though, when they arrived and there was flour everywhere, and dishes and pans all over the countertop, but it somehow managed to come together. By the next year, I fell in love with it, and developed a rhythm that worked.
My best friend and her sister would pop by around 11:30 for coffee cake and a mimosa, then they would head off to their families, and my mother went to work. And I would start to putter. I went at a leisurely pace, peeling, chopping, boiling, baking, mixing, etc. By the time the family arrived, my grandmother with her thermos of carefully mixed manhattans, my grandfather, aunt, and eventually mother, and occasionally a few surprise guests, everything was ready, and the kitchen was clean.
There was something just so relaxing, and enjoyable about having the whole day and kitchen entirely to myself to just play, and make all of our old favorite dishes, and a few new ones. The one absolute must have, was Grammy's sausage stuffing. Spicy and rich with sausage and bread, it was my favorite side dish. I'd stuff the bird with some, and cook the rest in a small ceramic casserole, and my favorite part was the top, a nice, crunchy crust. So, I've decided that even though I'm going elsewhere for the holiday, I just might pick up a small bird, and make a batch of stuffing to snack on over the long weekend. And perhaps enjoy a mimosa and a toast to my mother, aunt, and grandmother, who will be missed.
Meanwhile, my 89 year old grandfather is going strong. Each time I talk to him lately it seems that he has to climb down off his stepladder and stop scraping wallpaper or painting. His latest project is painting each wall of his bedroom a different color. He is a colorful guy, with amazing energy. He'll be swinging by tomorrow, and then we'll be heading off to our Thanksgiving feast with the family.
I hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday. If you're so inclined to make a new stuffing, check out Grammy's recipe, below.
Grammy's Sausage Stuffing
1 pound package of Jimmy Dean bulk original sausage (looks like a giant sausage)
2 loaves white bread, day old, chopped into small cubes
2 onions
1/2 box Bell's Seasoning
6 stalks celery, minced
1 egg, beaten
1 stick butter, melted
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup chicken broth or water
In large saucepan over medium heat, melt the two tablespoons butter, and add chopped onion and celery. Saute about five minutes, until softened. Then add sausage, break up and cook for another five minutes or so, until browned.
Meanwhile, in a big bowl, add bread, seasoning and beaten egg, then add the sausage, celery and onion mix, along with the melted butter. Mix well, then add the chicken broth or water, a little at a time, until mix is moist, but not too wet. Add a little more or less, as needed.
Stuff into turkey, or into a buttered casserole dish, and cook at about 350 for 45-60 minutes, until top is nicely browned.
Enjoy!
:) Pam