That's No Turkey

 Chickens and Rooster from a friend's farm in Michigan

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.  Our turkey will be eaten on Wednesday this year.  Yep, there's just too much going on this weekend to have to tackle dinner, too.  The turkey is defrosting in the fridge and is almost ready to be cooked.  Not stuffing the turkey this year, instead we will cook the stuffing seperate.
I bought a 10.4 lb. turkey on Friday and it's been defrosting ever since.  I'm doing some things the easy way, like a frozen Mrs. Callendars pie and frozen vegetables.  The potatoes are real as are the gravy and the stuffing.  These are the most important elements of the Thanksgiving dinner.  We will also have sparkling wine and sparkling apple.  I have been making the same stuffing twice every year (Thanksgiving and Christmas) for at least 15 years.   It's been tweaked ever so slightly over the years and one Thanksgiving I made it with fresh herbs.....it just wasn't the same.  The flavor wasn't as intense as the dried herbs.   

Just in case you would like to try my recipe, here it is:
Sandy's Stuffing
1 yellow onion, diced
4 ribs celery, diced
10 slices of day old white and/or brown bread, dried in oven, crumbled
1 baked cornbread recipe from the corn meal container or from a mix, dried in the oven, crumbled
1 cup craisins (I used the pomegranate flavor)
3/4 cup pecans, chopped
1 lb. cooked pork sausage, sage flavor (if you can get it)
         I have also used the reduced fat sausage
1-2 TBSP. dried sage
1 TBSP. poultry seasoning
1 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
2-3 cups chicken or turkey broth
Saute the onion and celery in 3 TBSP. unsalted butter until soft and translucent.  Place all the breads, craisins, nuts and seasonings in a large bowl.  Stir in the cooked onion and celery.  Stir in the sausage.  Gently pour enough broth into the bowl to make it the consistency you like it may be more or less than I've listed.  Stir and pour all the stuffing in a greased dish.  Cover with foil and place in a preheated 350 degree F oven for about 45 minutes.  You can also stuff the bird, but be sure to stuff loosely.  DO NOT pack the bird and use a little less broth.  Sew the opening closed with kitchen twine or use skewers to close.  Cooked in the bird, the stuffing temperature should reach 165 degrees.  The meat on the bird should reach 180 degrees F.  Serve the bird seperate from the stuffing on the table for up to 2 hours.  This recipe will serve 8-10 people. 
Enjoy!   ;o)