“Stovetop” Stuffing

This week has truly sucked rocks. One of my coworkers passed away on Wednesday. I found out my Aunt Janis is deathly ill. And because I am having problems with my phone, I can’t reach out to the people I normally do when the shit hits the fan. I am starting to feel isolated and alone. I think it is time for a gratitude post.

Gratitude posts are my way to remember to be thankful for the little bits of good that are wrapped up in the bad. I usually write them in a notebook by my bed but today I wanted to share 5 things I am grateful for this week with my lovely readers.

1. Being able to help a new coworker with some clothes and a pair of shoes. Her ex roommate stole all her clothes and money. I can’t help with the money. I do, however, have a pair of shoes and several pairs of pants and some tops that don’t fit me but should fit her.

2. Having enough money leftover from buying groceries to get a pretzel and a soda while I waited for the bus.

3. An extraordinarily good batch of my homemade spaghetti sauce.

4. Steph stopping by work to see me because we can’t text each other a million times a day.

5. The first season of MASH on DVD.

I was amazed at how this tastes exactly like the boxed version of stove top stuffing. It doesn’t take long to make even if you don’t make the packets ahead of time. Although it is good right out of the pot, it is even better if you bake it in a 350ndegree oven to get crisped it a little bit. Sometimes I even season a chicken breast or thigh and lay it on top of the stuffing as it bakes, 30-40 minutes.

Stuffing Mix

• Difficulty: Easy
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Ingredients
¼ tsp marjoram
1 tsp onion powder
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp basil
1/8 tsp thyme
1/8 tsp black pepper
½ tsp garlic powder
Mix all ingredients together and store in an airtight bag. 1 packet

Poultry Stuffing
¼ stick butter
1/2 cup water
1 packet stuffing mix
2 cups bread cubes
In a saucepan, heat the butter, seasoning packet, and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the bread cubes. Let sit, covered, until liquid is absorbed.

Adapted from Family Feasts For $75 a Week

A Solitary Thanksgiving Feast–Homemade Stuffing

There are two kinds of people in my family, those who like onions and those who loathe onions. So there are always two kinds of stuffing on our Thanksgiving table, a homemade stuffing with onions and a box of Stove Top stuffing without onions. Since this blog is a reflection of the way I eat and the food traditions I grew up with, there will be both kinds of stuffing posted here.

We will start with the homemade stuffing with onions. I tried several different kinds of stuffing before I settled on this one and in the process discovered a few things. I prefer bread stuffing to grain stuffing. I don’t like tarragon. This is really good stuffing.

This time of year, unseasoned, dried bread cubes are easy to find in any bakery so feel free to grab some. If you want you can make them too. Save all the bits and pieces of bread that you didn’t quite get around to eating. When you have a bunch, cut the bread into cubes and spread onto a sheet pan. Cover the cubes with a clean towel and let sit 24 – 48 hours. When dry, store in a air tight container until you are ready to make your stuffing.

Holiday Stuffing

• Difficulty: Easy
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Ingredients
½ cup diced celery
½ large onion, diced
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup butter
1 ½ tsp dried sage
½ tsp dried rosemary
½ tsp dried thyme
½ tsp celery seed
5 cups dried bread cubes
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
4 oz pork sausage, cooked and crumbled

Lightly saute the celery,onion and garlic in the butter until tender. Stir in the sage, rosemary, thyme and celery seed. Simmer for 5 minutes. Combine the dried bread cubes, cheese and sausage in a bowl. Add the butter herb mixture and about ¾ cup water. Stir until the croutons are lightly moistened. Use to stuff a bird or place in a covered dish and bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes

Adapted From The Kitchen Witch’s Cookbook