Posted by
Dawn on Tuesday, November 25, 2008 8:06:49 PM
My precious grandmother has now been gone for just over 50 years this last September. Thinking about her always makes me smile and sometimes to tear up just a little. Memories of Thanksgivings past spent at my grandparents` house always revolve around the food.
Our family was very large at that time. We are all spread out now. There were my grandparents, their six children with accompanying spouses and the various offspring, of which I was one! Other relatives and friends would come, too, if not for dinner, for dessert. Childhood memories fade over time but I would make a guess she cooked for 50 people!
Grandma, my mother and my aunt spent several days preparing for the meal. Baking the bread and making the pies. Peeling the potatoes! Massive amounts for those very hungry men! Now that I am older, I wonder how they could work for three days to prepare a dinner that would be devoured, but much appreciated, in an hour! Thanksgiving Day would start very early in order to get the dressing made, the turkey stuffed and in the oven. Grandma had a wood stove with electric burners on the side. I think she only used those burners on holidays!
We always had a turkey with pork sausage dressing, giblet gravy and mashed potatoes. There was also a ham and I remember wondering why! Fruit salad with real whipped cream, green salads, canned green beans from her garden, cranberries, relish trays and black olives that fit on your fingers. (Confess! You still do that, too!) Homemade bread and rolls. Apple and pumpkin pies with more real whipped cream. My uncles always liked to eat their pie with warmed milk and still do. The adults drank the homebrew and wine made by my grandpa. We kids drank rootbeer and koolaid!
Every family has its own special dressing for the turkey. Here is my grandmother`s Pork Sausage Dressing, she did not use measuring cups or spoons but you can adjust it to your own tastes.
Brown pork sausage with chopped onions and celery. Do not drain! Melt 2 cubes of butter. Pour mixture into large bowl of bread crumbs. Add poultry seasoning and sage, salt and pepper to taste. Mix thoroughly. Stuff the bird, bake and enjoy. Calories and Cholesterol removed.
We are fortunate to have happy memories of past good times and to also make new memories as we continue down the winding paths of our lives. The Staff at Cheeky Monkey wishes everyone here on the Town Hall Blog Trail a very happy and peaceful Thanksgiving!