Author: Launi

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The Great Stuffing Fest

I know that Thanksgiving is over and we are all moving merrily onward to Christmas and all that shiny, sparkly stuff that we can’t get enough of. But in the interest of true disclosure, I want to share a few photos from last week. I think it’s is only fair to show you who you are really dealing with here.

I might be sorry…

We’ll see.

To say that our family loves stuffing–would be like saying, “a two thousand pound canary is a pretty big bird.” Yeah. We are certifiably stuffing psychos. We dry bread for daaays–7 loaves worth. And that’s just for our family. When my sister’s bunch and mine had Thanksgiving together, it was more like 12. So don’t look for counter space ANYwhere at our place, because we are using it.

WE’RE DRYING BREAD. Pans and pans and pans of it.

Are you frightened yet?

Perhaps you should be.

We have this big bowl. My sister and I share it because there can’t possibly be two bowls like this on earth. Oh, it’s a big bowl alright (remember the canary?). It’s so big that we have to store it out in my dad’s bake shop, hanging on the wall, because there is no cupboard big enough to hold it–it’s too big. It holds 12 loaves of dried bread without even whining. That’s big.

Have I said big too many times?

It’s for dramatic effect.

So then, it’s a given that someone will need to be willing to sacrifice their life in the service of their fellow family, by cutting up the hoards of onions that a batch like this requires. Jillian selflessly volunteered–and we nearly lost her–

but in the end…

she pulled through.

She is also personally offended that I said we nearly lost her.  Again, for dramatic effect.

Next, we boil the buttery, sagey, oniony broth until it is absolutely perfect. I’m not sure when that is exactly…it’s something that only a true stuffing genius knows.

We’re born with it.


The secret, magical, perfect broth is then poured over the unsuspecting dried bread…mushed around until all the spices are mixed evenly. I don’t have a picture of that because I was busy doing the mushing.

It is then toasted in the oven and fed to the awaiting crowd.

Ok…all that white meat was a big hit too.

They say turkey puts people to sleep…

but we know the truth.

Stuffing’s the culprit.

It’s a knock out…

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“The” Stuffing Recipe

You could probably make big money selling this recipe on the black market. If you do–remember…I get half.    :]

Nov. 30 055

Secret Magical Stuffing

(For a Bus Load of People)

Ingredients:

8 small cans of Campbell’s Chicken Broth (Please don’t substitute something else–it won’t be the same)

6-1/2 cubes of butter

3-1/2 Tbsp salt

2 medium onions diced up or run through blender

1-1/2 Tbsp pepper

4-5 Tbsp rubbed sage

1 Tbsp chicken bouillon powder

8-10 loaves of dried, broken up bread (Depends on how big the loaf is)

You are gonna need a big bowl. And no, sorry, you can’t borrow ours…we’re using it.

Dry bread for at least 3 days–5 is better. It needs to be dried hard. Don’t toast it in the oven–it will crumble instead of break.  Break it up in a huge bowl.

Reserve about 6 cups of the broken bread off to the side.  Boil all the other ingredients together for about 15-20 minutes. Pour a cup full at a time over bread and toss until the bread is well coated. You will have some saturated pieces and some that are still dry, so I stir through the bowl and take many of the soaked pieces and smush them onto the dried pieces as you’re tossing it.

That’s really the best way to distribute the broth evenly. If you have plenty of broth, add the rest of the reserved bread a little at a time. Put bread in a foil lined pan and cover with foil–shiny side towards bread– at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Use a spatula and turn the stuffing in the pan so the top pieces can have a turn getting brown and golden. Bake for another 30 minutes.  For the last 5-10 minutes, remove foil so the top can be toasty as well. This is the best stuffing in the world.

You must trust me on this.


"The" Stuffing Recipe
 
Print
:
Ingredients
  • LARGE RECIPE
  • 8 small cans of chicken broth
  • 7 cubes of butter
  • 3-1/2 Tbsp salt
  • 2 onions diced up or run through blender
  • 2 Tbsp pepper
  • 4-5 Tbsp Rubbed Sage
  • 1 Tbsp chicken bouillon powder
  • 8-10 loaves of dried, broken up bread
  • ----------------------------------------------------
  • I've added a much smaller version of the recipe--about ⅙ the size of the one above. The instructions are basically the same.
  • SMALL RECIPE
  • Ingredients:
  • 3 cans Campbell's Chicken Broth
  • 2 cubes Butter
  • 1-1/2 tsp. Salt
  • 1 Onion diced or run through a blender
  • ½ tsp Pepper
  • 1-3/4 Tbsp Rubbed Sage
  • 1 tsp Chicken Bouillon Powder
  • 2- 3 Loaves of Bread
Instructions
  1. Dry bread for at least 3 days--5 is better.
  2. Break it up in a huge bowl.
  3. Boil all the other ingredients together for about 15-20 minutes.
  4. Pour a cup full at a time over bread and toss until the bread is well coated.
  5. Put bread in a foil lined pan and cover with foil--shiny side towards bread-- at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Turn bread in pan and return to oven to brown again for 30 minutes.
  6. For the last 5-10 minutes, remove foil so the top can be toasty as well.

 

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Filled Glass Ornaments

Gather your family and make these pretty glass ornaments–filled with just about anything. The possibilities are endless…

Step 1: Buy a pack of clear, glass ornaments. You can find them nearly everywhere, but if you go to a craft store like Michael’s or Robert’s–they were a bit cheaper. Laurie says, to try the dollar store too. These ones were about $3.00 for 12.

Step 2: You must solemnly swear not to skip this step–even if you think you are very careful and brave. Just mind me anyway. Take a small strip of masking tape and put it around the top of the ornament. Fold the top of the tape down inside so that no sharp edges are exposed anywhere.

This could actually be a project that you do with a middle aged child–as long as the edges are covered and they remember to handle the glass carefully. I know, I know…I sound like somebody’s mom. Sorry.

Step 3: Curl and cut up tons of curly ribbon…no kidding…tons. Kids would love this part too.

Step 4: Wad up bunches of ribbon and stuff it in the glass ball. Snap in the gold ornament topper. It’s that simple–you’re done!

Try filling some of the ornaments with random things—we used old video tape, yarn, raffia, and yes…those are push pins. Just be OK with letting everyone’s personality come out. Lyndi thinks gummy bears would be good. I’m a Cheetos kinda gal myself, but they won’t fit…I know. I tried.

The good thing is that you can always empty it again if you don’t like how they look. Chances are—you’ll just love them!

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Personal History Prompt Jar

~What could you see from your childhood bedroom window?

~What did you do, as a child, that got you in big trouble?

~Do you remember a favorite nursery rhyme?

~Have you ever gone fishing?

These are just a few of the personal history prompts that we’ve folded up mysteriously and sealed into a class jar. Someone you love–grandma, grampa, mom, dad–then, chooses one question each day to trigger a slew of childhood memories. It doesn’t matter so much if they write them down in a formal journal or a simple spiral notebook, as long as they start putting it on paper…for the rest of us to enjoy.

Probably the number one reason people hesitate to begin a journal or personal history in the first place, is because they have no idea where to start. So what better gift to give them than a box or bag or–in our case–a cleaned candle jar–of daily prompts with intriguing questions that will actually be fun to write about. If they answer only one question per day–in six months they will have quite an impressive history. And who knows? That history may just be their Christmas present to you–next year!

Instructions:

Click on the link below to make your own copy of the prompts. Print them on white or colored paper–or both. Cut them into strips. Fold them and store them in a bottle or box. Tie a ribbon around it–and there you have it. A family heirloom in the making. Oh, and adding a pretty pen and notebook or journal is a nice touch too.

 

 

Click the following link:

Personal History Prompts