gobble

menu, check. cranberries, check. "turkey"artwork, check.  Looks like mother nature intends for us to have a small celebration of thanks, just the four of us. Snow and ice have made "over the river and through the woods" much too hazardous. it's ok, I suppose. Thankfully I know a fabulous stuffing (or dressing?) recipe and have a turkey breast on hand. I always thought Thanksgiving meant big gatherings and lots of extended family and friends even though my childhood rarely saw such celebrations. I longed for them. I want my children to know holidays like that despite our distance from all our family members. Sometimes it's nice to be just at home, other times it's good to be with the clan. Blast this stupid Idaho weather. But we'll make the best of it. Starting with the stuffing (or dressing?)

Our Favorite Stuffing
3/4 pound sweet italian sausage, casings removed
1/2 cup butter
3 yellow onions, chopped
2 cups celery, chopped
1 TBSP fresh sage, chopped
2 TBSP fresh parsley, chopped
6-8 cups cubed very dry cornbread (croutons)
1 cup dried cherries or cranberries
1 1/2 cups chopped tart apples (i.e. granny smith)
1 cup raw cashews, toasted
2 cups chicken stock, plus more as needed
2 TBSP fresh thyme, chopped
kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350.
Saute sausage in large skillet over medium high heat until just cooked through, crumbling with a spoon as you go. About 10 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and discard fat. Add butter, onions and celery to the pan and saute  until tender, 10 minutes or so. Add to sausage along with herbs and cornbread. Stir to combine.
In another bowl, combine cherries, pecans and chicken stock. Add to cornbread & sausage mixture until moist but not soggy. If it's too dry, add more chicken stock. Season to preference with salt and pepper. Transfer to a baking dish and cover with foil. Bake 1 hour. Uncover, and bake until top is golden, about 20 minutes.