Today, I went for a run while DH hiked. We each had a dog in hand.
Nary a soul on the trail.
It was heaven.
Solitude.
Cool day, crisp breeze off the Mississippi River.
I logged three and a half miles. Frankie lead the whole way.
She's now sixteen months old.
Such a big girl.
Tomorrow, we sit around the table counting blessings, eating enough stuffing to officially count as an "entire baguette" (per person!) and keeping leftovers in the fridge hoping we (I) won't have to cook again for at least another five days.
I have had an especially good year (knock on wood).
No broken bones, still running, no serious illnesses, time with family and friends, etc.
So many more things. But to keep this focused, I thought I'd stick with these few that come to mind.
(There are thirty-seven more days left in this year. I know!)
First of all. . .
For my husband, and the four-legged kiddos.
For brioche knitting.
What!?
Learning brioche knitting nearly did me in.
There were major knitting needle throw downs.
There were a few hissy fits.
Many knots to untangle.
Because it has taken me FOREVER to figure this out.
Thankfully, no one was hurt.
I am quite proud of this knitting maneuver.
Score one for Over Fifty Brain!
There will be more brioche knitting in my future.
For our sweet little special rescue who loves everyone she meets.
She is our "senior" special needs girl.
She has taught us many life lessons.
For time with my sister.
I don't know where I'd be without her support, unconditional love and simple sisterly wisdom.
Our mother was a kitchen goddess on Thanksgiving.
It was the ONE day of the year we could count on her to really throw down in the food department.
Until she was too ill to carry on the tradition and a bucket of chicken became our Thanksgiving meal.
(Those were dark days.)
My mom's stuffing recipe resides in my heart and I make it every year.
Or some iteration of it.
It's gone through some revisions over the years, but the basic premise of it is the same.
I've noted the ingredients which have become "newly-added":
equal parts celery and onions with a stick of vegan butter cooked until onions soften
(1-2 sticks vegan butter)
two or more teaspoons sage, thyme and rosemary (yes, all of them)
(not the leaf kind of sage, the powder kind)
bread cubes--like four cups or more
*be sure ALL bread cubes are coated in butter before you add a single other thing
(this is where the nibbling/eating of the stuffing always begins--you must taste it to be sure it has a sage-y flavor)
wild rice (1/3 cup cooked--my new twist)
8 oz. mushrooms chopped (new)
chopped pecans and dried cherries (like a 1/3 cup--also new to recipe)
fresh ground pepper (lots)
a bit of salt
cook all these things together over medium heat until everything sort of smells and tastes amazing
add about 2 qts. veggie stock
add stock in slow increments over a medium heat until all the ingredients begin to bubble and most of the bread cubes look like they are disintegrating, then add more stock, cook liquid down
turn off heat
pour stuffing into casserole dish
pour a bit more stock over bread cube mixture
bake at 425 for 30-40 minutes
So grateful I watched her make this.
Thanks, mom!
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