Birds & Stuffing

Lots to be thankful for! I am supremely thankful that I am about to be on vacation for the next ELEVEN DAYS. Kids, my house is gonna look like the North Pole at the end of next week! But, first...Turkey Day! I am in charge of the dressing and I have decided to share my top-secret recipe with y'all. It will bring the house down! Happy Thanksgiving Y'all!

Southern Cornbread Stuffing
This recipe is about as close to Grandma Myrtle Johnson’s recipe as I can get it! There are many things you can substitute or add to the basic recipe according to what you have in your pantry, or to suit your taste. The secret is to get it to the right consistency - not dry, but good and wet. For our big holiday gatherings at Mama’s house, I generally double the recipe and it makes so much I have to mix it in a large stock pot! Just experiment and make it your own!

For the cornbread:

1 cup self-rising cornmeal
½ cup self-rising flour
¾ cup buttermilk
2 eggs
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

For the dressing:

Cornbread, recipe above (or one box Jiffy mix)
7 slices oven-dried bread
1 sleeve saltine crackers or Ritz crackers
8 tablespoons butter
2 cups celery, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
7 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sage (optional)
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning (optional)
5 eggs, beaten

For the cornbread, preheat oven to 350°. Combine all ingredients and mix well. Pour batter into a greased shallow baking dish. Bake for approximately 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

For the dressing, preheat oven to 350°.

In a large bowl, combine crumbled cornbread, dried bread slices, and crackers; set aside.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the celery and onion and cook until transparent, approximately 5 to 10 minutes. Pour the vegetable mixture over cornbread mixture. Add the stock, mix well, taste, and add salt, pepper to taste, sage, and poultry seasoning. Add beaten eggs and mix well. Reserve 2 heaping tablespoons of this mixture for the giblet gravy. Pour mixture into a greased pan and bake until dressing is cooked through, about 45 minutes. Serve with turkey as a side dish.

Mountains and Valleys

Wow, I just realized how long it has been since I actually blogged last. And I realized just how much has happened in my life in just 3 short weeks.

Through the valley, I trudged through the death of my Nanny and her funeral. She was my inspiration, my mentor, my prayer warrior and my cheerleader. She left me a legacy of recipes, family photos and many notes and journals written by her throughout her 85 years. Her bible is dotted on most every page with her thoughts and notes - it is a special item that I will treasure forever. On the mountainside of this story, are the many friends and relatives that have shown their love and support. What a wonderful bunch of friends and family Nanny had that rallied around her! My love goes out to all of them, every one.

My other mountaintop experience is the baptism of my new baby niece, Abigail Samantha Goforth. And the best part - I am her Godmother! Y'all, this was a special time, I am telling you! Being raised in a Southern Baptist church, I had never experienced a Catholic Christening, and I was just amazed! She coo'd and smiled through the long, and rather formal ceremony...a big accomplishment for a tiny girl! I am looking forward to doing all the spoiling that comes along with being an Aunt and a Godmother!

My FL/GA Scary Halloween Football Party went off without a hitch, including the big win by the Gators! We had twenty-something family members cheering for their respective teams and eating from the huge Low Country Boil that my husband prepared. It was a great time, but sadly, my 13 year old informed me that he was going trick-or-treating with his older cousins WITHOUT ME. Sniff. The passage of time yet again...

And lastly, I am conquering the FLU... This. Stuff. Is. Horrible. Keep using the antibacterial goo because I assure you, this flu is not something I would wish on my enemies. Ok, maybe one or two. KIDDING.

I did have a great recipe given to me by my great cooking cousin, Lawton. This was an awesome dish and I am excited to share it with you...

Lawdog's Georgia Shrimp-n-Rice

1-1/2 lbs medium raw shrimp (deveined and peeled)
2 lbs cooked rice
1 10-1/2 oz can Cream of Mushroom (with garlic) soup
1 10-1/2 oz can Cream of Shrimp soup
1 medium sized green pepper (diced)
1 medium sized sweet onion (diced)
1 stick butter
3 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 cup Cheddar cheese (shredded)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
In a skillet, Sate the green peppers and onions over medium heat stirring often. Once the onions are semi translucent, add the shrimp to the skillet and cook until the shrimp is cooked thoroughly. Once cooked, strain excess liquid from mixture.

In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients together except the cheese. Place the mixture in a 13x9 dish and bake for 30 minutes or until bubbling, then add cheese topping and return to oven for 10 minutes.