Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Holidays bring such good thoughts and I have been holiday-reminded while making a list of items needed from the grocery store to prepare that annual Thanksgiving dinner. I had my recipes out, so I would not forget anything.

I enjoy cooking when the occasion calls for it, although doing it all at one time causes me to tire pretty quickly. So I like to plan ahead as I prepare and freeze some things.

I seldom share recipes in the column anymore, but with Thanksgiving almost here, I couldn’t resist. Maybe it will stir up my preparation thoughts.

One southern food must for most any holiday meals is dressing — or you may call it stuffing. Many use turkey, but also consider a hen or a duck — according to one’s preference. I usually just stir up cornbread dressing from memory, so I don’t really have a printed recipe.

Last year, on Nov. 29, we lost the best dressing and dumpling-maker in our family, Daisy Lang. Daisy suffered with heart disease for many years, but never let it get her down. She was always ready to get things done… including cooking something delicious! I have her recipe for dressing and I know she would be happy for me to share it.

It is sort of a stir-together, guess-a-little recipe too, but maybe you can follow. I know it will be delicious. Her preference was usually a duck or a hen — not a fryer chicken or turkey — but you can use either. Just save the drippings from a baked turkey … or also use chicken broth.

 

Daisy’s Cornbread Dressing

1 hen (or duck), cut up

Boil in water until tender. Debone and save broth.

2 to 4 pans cornbread, crumbled

She mostly used Martha White yellow cornmeal mix, making double the recipe on back of package — or use your own cornbread recipe.

1 dozen eggs, boiled and mashed

2 bunches green onions, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

1 large bell pepper, chopped

1 bunch celery, chopped.

Cook these green items in small amount of water in microwave (or on stove top) until tender.

Mix them with cornbread, meat, boiled eggs and enough broth to make a thick mixture, adding:

1 or two sticks butter (according to how fat the meat)

1 Tb. Sage

Salt, pepper and paprika to taste

She doesn’t say, but I usually grease my baking pan before adding the mixture. This amount will probably make a big pan full. (If it is too much, freeze part of it for later use).

Sprinkle the top with a little of the sage, salt and pepper mixture. Bake one hour at 375 degrees.

 

Dressing is not hard to make, and served with some cranberry sauce, it has to be so good. Add the traditional green bean casserole, sweet potatoes in any form, green salad, yeast rolls and top it off with pumpkin pie.

We so miss Daisy all the time, as she was such a sweetheart — but especially at family-eating times. She always made the most interesting foods.

A very Happy Thanksgiving to all of you as we pause to remember and be thankful for all the people who have graced our lives and all the goodness God continues to bring to us.

 

Bob Ann Breland can be reached by email at bobann70@att.net.