{ Thankful. }

This year I am thankful for many, many things. But most of all family.
We hosted Thanksgiving dinner in our home this year. Jerome was called out to work an 8pm to 8am shift both Wednesday and Thursday night. Savannah and I spent the evening making a last minute trip to the grocery store and stayed up late baking. We made two pumpkin pies, the stuffing (prepped but not baked), deviled eggs and a cake (thanks to the help of Paula Dean for that one). Katie and Spencer both fell asleep long before we started baking the pumpkin pies. Natalie loves to be in the kitchen, cooking, stirring, baking whatever needs to be done (except of course the dishes). After we put the pumpkin pies in the oven, I was busy cleaning up the kitchen and happened to look over and see Natalie asleep on the hardwood floor, dressed in her apron still, laying next to Molly. She made it through getting her pie in the oven, which I will say she did very good, she made this one all on her own.




My parents drove out early Thanksgiving morning to make sure to get the turkey in the oven. My sister's and I were opting this year for an already made turkey, but mom insisted we have a "real" turkey. Mom was prepping the fresh turkey getting it ready to put in the oven, when I heard Savannah yell "What is that?", it was a few small feathers, both her and I looked at each other and snurled up our noses. Mom's reply to our reaction, "Be glad you didn't have to bake a turkey in the old days, when you had to go out and get one and defeather it yourself!". Yes, I can say that is one thing I am definitely thankful for.


Mom called us all in the kitchen, because we all four sisters have complained about not being able to make a good gravy, she wanted to teach us how she makes her gravy.


We had a lot of wonderful tasting food to be thankful for!


Savannah putting the finishing touches on her deviled eggs before we sat down to eat.


Paris found my chalkboard I keep in the dining room and wrote this sweet message with a little piece of chalk.


With all the baking and cooking the house was getting a bit warm so we opened up the door on the front porch. I guess Molly could smell the food we were making and was wanting to come in, but one look at the number of people and the chaos and she quickly made herself at home on the front porch.


Little Caleb could smell all the food and was ready to eat too...


We all sat down, held hands and thanked God for all the blessings we are given. My dad was a little tearful saying the prayer, I know since my grandpa passed he has been very thankful for our family, I'm sure he was missing him this day. It was a beautiful prayer. We managed to seat eight adults, two high chairs and five children with two tables. We were certainly close this Thanksgiving dinner.
The stuffing I made didn't last long. I found a recipe for it years ago, made it one Thanksgiving, and since then it has been one of the favorites as we gather around the table.


Thanksgiving Stuffing Recipe

1 stick of butter
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 1/2 cups chopped celery
12 cups dried French bread crumbs (use French bread from the bakery, pull apart the night before, lay out on table and cover with foil so that it will dry out)
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black ground pepper
1/2 cup minced FRESH parsley
1/2 tsp. of each - sage, thyme, marjoram
2 cups chicken broth
3 large eggs

(for our large family Thanksgiving dinner I double this recipe so that we have plenty for stuffing the turkey and for enough dishes for everyone to have a serving)

In skillet melt one stick of butter. Add the chopped onions and celery. Stir occasionally, until onions seem transparent.
In large bowl mix the French bread crumbs with these mixed ingredients: salt, pepper, fresh parsley, sage, thyme and marjoram.
Add chicken broth and mix well.
Add the eggs, beaten, mix well.
Place in buttered pan and cover with foil.
Bake 400 degrees for 25 minutes, then remove foil and bake an additional 15-25 minutes without foil.

It is VERY important to use FRESH PARSLEY...I used dried parsley one year and the stuffing came out green!!


My sister Savannah and her youngest, Caleb.


It was a wonderful day. We spent time with family, we baked together and laughed together. We watched the Macy's day parade with a cup of coffee. It was a day to be thankful for.
Now if I could just be thankful for the dishes.....I am thankful I have dishes to cook with, bake with, eat with......but it takes a good bit to say I am thankful for washing dishes (only when there are this many).