Thankful Day 19 - My Sweet Boy & Kelli's Thanksgiving - A Recipe

My Day 19 post for 30 Days of Giving Thanks, hosted by Joyce, Brookside Cottage, is gratitude for my sweet, sweet son! Jacob has been a joyous gift from the moment he was placed in my arms. When our daughter was 8 years old we were so very blessed to adopt our sweet Jacob. He was a funny kid and he's even funnier now. He was a loving child and he's even more so as a grown man. He cries like a little girl (at his own admittance) when someone else is hurt or at a movie. I love the fact that he has always run to hug and kiss his father and I and yells to us from a great distance "I love you" - even when he was in high school and in front of friends. It just tickles me to death that he tells everyone that the only person he has ever been afraid of in his entire life is his mother - I'm 5'2 and he's 6'2", 240lbs! I think it is terribly sweet that he loves babies and wants lots of them. And of great importance, he might be a grown man but he LOVES his mommy! Jacob moved out into his own home in May and he will be married in June to his absolutely precious Jen. I can hardly wait to watch them grow together! I think it will be pretty special. So today I am expressing thankfulness for my precious son!

First Thanksgiving

Venison for stew and roasting,

Oysters in the ashes toasting,

Geese done to a turn,

Berries and wild grapes

Mixed with dough and gently kneaded

What a feast!

Indian corn in strange disguises,

Ash cakes, hoe cakes,

Kernels roasted brown...

After months of frugal living

What a welcome first Thanksgiving

There in Plymouth town.

~By Aileen Fisher

Kelli, There Is No Place Like Home, is organizing Thanksgiving posts this week. I would like to share another recipe, this time on of my mother-in-law's.

Gram's Famous Stuffing Balls
3 loaves white bread (or any mix you like)
1 pound butter
1 teaspoon chicken bullion
4 cups chopped onions
4 cups chopped celery
1 teaspoon dried ground sage
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
5 eggs

Cut the bread (crust on) into cubes a little less than 1 inch the day before you make these. Allow them to dry a little overnight in a roaster or bowl, stirring occasionally.

The next day, saute the celery and onions in 2 sticks of butter until nearly soft. Pour the cooked vegetables over the bread cubes. Melt the remaining 2 sticks of butter in the skillet and allow it to brown. Add bullion to soften. Pour it over the bread cubes. Beat the eggs and pour those over the bread cube mixture. Add sage, salt, and pepper. Mix it all up gently so bread cubes do not become mushy - you want them to retain their shape. Form the stuffing into 3 or 4 inch balls, just pressing them together loosely. You should still be able to see the cube shapes. Place the balls in baking pans.

Preheat oven at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes and bake uncovered until golden brown. Serve hot.

You can prepare these early and refrigerate. This recipes makes 3-4 dozen stuffing balls, depending on the size you make them.

Have a happy day!
Kathy