Status Post Gastric Distension

Do you have certain things you always do when you prepare the Thanksgiving meal?

My family prefers ham to turkey, so I've only done the turkey thing once, and had good results from squeezing an orange over it before roasting.

We eat green beans all the time. We like them with salt and pepper and a little dill and butter, or roasted shallots, or perhaps even some brandied chestnuts...

I always make apple pie - flaky, all-butter crust, Granny Smith apples seasoned with sugar and cinnamon...mmmmmmmmm.

What was your favorite Thanksgiving recipe this year?

My sister-in-law made this Better Homes and Gardens chorizo cornbread stuffing last year that was to-die-for, and her mom graced Thanksgiving dinner with it once again this year:

• Preheat oven to 350F.


• Grease twelve 8- to 10-ounce casseroles or a 13x9x2-inch baking pan or dish; set aside.


• In a large skillet cook 1 lb chorizo 10 to 15 minutes until cooked through, stirring to break up sausage; drain off fat.


• Transfer to bowl, set aside. Carefully wipe out skillet.


• Melt 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter in the skillet over medium heat.


• Add 2 large chopped onions, 2 fennel bulbs cored and sliced (if not using apple), 3/4 cup chopped celery, and 2 minced garlic cloves.


• Cook 10 to 15 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add 2 large apples cored and chopped (if using instead of fennel); cook and stir 2 minutes.


• Add vegetable mixture, 16 oz cornbread stuffing mix, 1 cup dry-roasted, salted pistachios, and 3/4 cup dried cranberries to sausage in a bowl; toss to combine.


• In medium bowl combine 14 oz reduced-sodium chicken broth and 2 lightly beaten eggs; add to sausage mixture. Toss to combine. (For moister stuffing, add 1/2 cup water.)


• Transfer to prepared dish or pan.


• Cover, bake 20 minutes for individual casseroles (35 minutes for large).


• Uncover, bake 10 to 15 minutes more or until heated through (165F) and top is lightly browned.


• Makes 12 servings.
  
  Better Homes and Gardens also suggests this blue cornbread and blue cornmeal chorizo stuffing, which is seasoned with sage and gets a little kick from some jalapeños.

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Dr. Cris at The Scalpel's Edge tagged me with this Kreativ Blogger award. Thank you for thinking of me!

In response to this award I am invited to share six things I'm happy about right now. Not a ready task when one is on call Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday all in one week!

But it's Thanksgiving weekend, after all, so here goes:

1. My family - adorable kids, supportive parents and in-laws, and a loving husband who sends me e-mails when I'm on call with sympathetic sentiments like, "How are you hon? I don't like not hearing from you. It means you are busy. Miss you. :( "

2. Writing. Especially here, on my blog, my little home away from home.  And books.  Books make me happy. Even just being around them is enough to inspire contentment.

3. Playing the oboe.

4. The opportunity to get R&R in a very special place.

5. Christmas

6. The Vietnamese take-out crispy eggplant I just had with some of the nurses on postpartum while listening to some Christmas music. It was so yummy. I truly lived in the moment...for a moment.

I am also supposed to tag other people, but as may have become apparent recently, I have gotten very shy / very bad about tagging folks, and many of the folks I thought of had already received this award! I'm honored to be counted among the Kreativ Bloggers out there.

Belated Happy Thanksgiving to all!