\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Thanksgiving is one of those holidays where bits and pieces of memories from years past weave their way through my mind creating a rich Thanksgiving tapestry of sorts.\u00a0 So many stories come to mind and whole scenes from different eras in my life and lessons learned.<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0When I was a young kid, Thanksgiving was not an extended family affair. This was because my parents were both European, and not only was our extended family too far away, they also didn\u2019t celebrate Thanksgiving.\u00a0 My parents, who became US citizens of their own right, were dedicated to all American Holidays, however, and to make the occasion grand they always arranged for a traditional Thanksgiving feast and for us to share the day with family friends.<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Thus, even though I am of European descent, my memories of\u00a0Thanksgiving as a kid include the sound of American football playing on the TV in the background, a bowl of whole nuts next to a roaring fire, and a very traditional feast with Turkey, cornbread, stuffing, rolls, some decadent vegetables\/cream\/cheese casserole, yams or sweet potatoes and of course mashed potatoes and gravy.\u00a0 My favorite dish was the stuffing \u2013 specifically my mom\u2019s version \u2013 which she must have had to figure out on her own without the benefit of family tradition . . . the torch got passed, however, and when I first got married and realized we wouldn\u2019t be able to make it home for Thanksgiving, I called my mom to get her recipe.\u00a0 (Below is the well-loved index card where I recorded her recipe.)<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0The morning was always dedicated to cooking, the afternoon to eating and the balance of the evening to playing games. Pie and a walk generally happened at some point during the evening festivities.\u00a0 In those days, the ultimate goal was to stay up long enough to have a turkey sandwich at midnight!<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Beyond the basics of the day, my memories of Thanksgiving also come with thoughts of gratitude and grace.\u00a0 There have been many Thanksgivings where one or another person held us spellbound as they recited their version of grace, or where they shared their grandmother\u2019s favorite grace, or made up their own, or where we all contributed and reflected on what we were thankful for.<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0But I remember one Thanksgiving learning about another kind of grace too.\u00a0 On this Thanksgiving we had been invited to my Auntie Jeanie\u2019s house (she was a beloved adopted “auntie”). . . and now just thinking of her immediately makes me recall the moment, while she was in the process of dying, that she asked me to speak her eulogy, and me in reflecting on her beautiful life and it\u2019s undeniable impact on me and those around her, summed her life up in two words: \u201cdignity and grace.\u201d Auntie Jeannie was lovely and charming \u00a0through and through.<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0On this particular Thanksgiving, as we all sat down to dinner, we became aware that a Thanksgiving Day travesty had occurred:\u00a0 the turkey was burned to an absolute crisp.\u00a0 Auntie Jeannie, however, did not fret for even a second.\u00a0 She never apologized.\u00a0 She never worried about her cooking or what we all might be thinking or what we were going to do without a turkey.\u00a0 She simply put the charcoal black turkey on a beautiful serving platter in the middle of the table and said simply \u201cOh, it looks bit black\u201d.\u00a0 Not a single additional word was said.\u00a0 And, with that leadership, we all took heed and turned the focus back to each other and the conversation to more interesting topics.\u00a0 There was plenty of other food and we feasted gloriously, turkey or not.<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0To me this simple act captured the essence of grace.\u00a0 She knew instinctively what was important that day\u2013and the fact that she had burned the turkey was not the most important thing, not even worthy of further comment really.\u00a0 We were, after all, ultimately most grateful to be spending the day together and enjoying each other\u2019s company.<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n

—<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Now so many years later, our Thanksgiving feast has had to change to accommodate wheat free, meat free, sugar free dietary constraints.\u00a0 Thus many of the stalwart favorites that seem to be the cornerstones of a Thanksgiving feast are not options\u2013is this a travesty?\u00a0 Not a chance\u2013no matter what ultimately ends up on the table, we get to spend the day together cooking and conversing \u2013 what could be better?<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Below is our menu from this year\u2019s Thanksgiving feast:<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>One small turkey breast (for the non-vegetarians)<\/div>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>One Quorn Turk\u2019y Roast (a meat-free, non soy product)<\/div>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>Gluten Free Vegetarian stuffing (see below)<\/div>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>Mashed Potatoes<\/div>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>Vegetarian Gravy (Allrecipes.com)<\/div>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>Red Onion, Orange and Grapefruit salad<\/div>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>Green Beans with shallots and onions (WholeFoodsmarket.com)<\/div>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>Sweet Potato and Pistachio Quinoa (Food.com)<\/div>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>Stevia Sweetened Pumpkin Pie in a nut crust<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0I don\u2019t plan to write out all the recipes\u2013just the gluten free vegetarian stuffing, (But, if you are interested, feel free to contact me for any of the recipes above) It was a fabulous feast!\u00a0 Old stories were told and new ones were born . . . .<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n

Gluten Free Vegetarian Stuffing:<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n

Mom\u2019s recipe\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Udi\u2019s\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Mine<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\n 1 lb loose pork sausage \u2013 spiced with salt, pepper, nutmeg, sage, poultry seasoning<\/div>\n<\/td>\n	<\/td>\n	\n Omit \u2013see seasonings added below<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n Prepared spiced bread crumbs (Pepperidge Farms)<\/div>\n<\/td>\n	\n 1 loaf Udi\u2019s Whole Grain Gluten Free Bread; 1 loaf Udi\u2019s White Sandwich Gluten Free Bread<\/div>\n<\/td>\n	\n 1 loaf Schar Classic White gluten free bread; \u00bd loaf gluten free rye bread<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n 2 -3 onions chopped<\/div>\n<\/td>\n	\n 2 onions chopped<\/div>\n<\/td>\n	\n 2 onions chopped<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n Chopped celery (lots)<\/div>\n<\/td>\n	\n \u00bd cup chopped celery<\/div>\n<\/td>\n	\n 1+ cups chopped celery<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n Homemade chicken broth<\/div>\n<\/td>\n	\n 1 cup low sodium chicken broth<\/div>\n<\/td>\n	\n 1 cup vegetable broth<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n 1 egg optional<\/div>\n<\/td>\n	\n 2 large eggs, lightly beaten<\/div>\n<\/td>\n	\n 2 eggs, lightly beaten<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n chopped parsley<\/div>\n<\/td>\n	\n \u00bd cup heavy cream<\/div>\n<\/td>\n	\n \u00bd cup heavy cream<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n	\n \u00bc cup chopped flat parsley<\/div>\n<\/td>\n	\n 1 Tbl chopped flat parsley<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n	\n 3 Tbl chopped fresh sage<\/div>\n<\/td>\n	\n 3 Tbl chopped fresh sage<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n	\n \u00bd cup chopped fennel<\/div>\n<\/td>\n	\n 1 Tbl ground fennel seed<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n	<\/td>\n	\n Some of mom\u2019s seasonings added to taste:\u00a0 nutmeg, rosemary, thyme<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n Salt and pepper to taste<\/div>\n<\/td>\n	\n Salt and pepper to taste<\/div>\n<\/td>\n	\n Salt and pepper to tasteMom\u2019s version:<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Fry pork then saut\u00e9 onions in pork fat<\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n \n \u00b7<\/span>\u00b7\u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><\/span>Mom\u2019s version:\u00a0 Fry pork then saut\u00e9 onions in pork fat<\/div>\n \u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>Gluten Free version \u2013 make bread cubes:<\/div>\n o\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>toast bread and cut into cubes, put in a bowl with parsley sage, salt and pepper<\/div>\n \u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>Vegetarian version:\u00a0 saut\u00e9 onion in olive oil<\/div>\n \u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>To onion mixture add fennel, celery<\/div>\n \u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>Combine onion mixture with bread crumbs\u00a0 and add eggs, stock, cream and gently toss<\/div>\n \u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>Add any extra seasoning to taste<\/div>\n \u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>Transfer to a buttered shallow baking dish and bake covered for 30 minutes at 325 degrees; to brown cook uncovered for an additional 20 minutes<\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n \n ——-<\/div>\n<\/div>\n So Thanksgiving, 2011 has come and gone, but I will leave you with one final postscript and my favorite recipe using Thanksgiving leftovers, which I picked up from my mother-in-law and which has become a tradition in our house too:<\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n Turkey Burritos!<\/div>\n <\/div>\n These turkey burritos are no ordinary burritos \u2014no these infamous burritos include\u00a0all<\/i><\/b> the thanksgiving dinner leftovers:<\/div>\n \u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>mashed potatoes<\/div>\n \u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>turkey (cut into cubes) or Quorn<\/div>\n \u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>stuffing<\/div>\n \u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>green beans or other vegetable casserole<\/div>\n \u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>gravy<\/div>\n \u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>sweet potatoes<\/div>\n \u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>cranberry sauce<\/div>\n \u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>everything! \u2013 all mixed up in one big skillet.<\/div>\n <\/div>\n \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0After heating and mixing all the leftovers in one big skillet, you wrap it all up in a tortilla (corn or flour) and add a little homemade salsa (tomatoes, onions, and jalapeno) and voila! Yum!!! \u2013 McCandless Family Turkey Burrito leftovers — perfect peasant cooking food.<\/div>\n <\/div>\n \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0So, take a look in your fridge \u2013 are there still Thanksgiving Day leftovers?\u00a0 Forget about Turkey soup \u2013 make Turkey Burritos.\u00a0 You will love them.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n And last but not least my mom’s stuffing recipe, faithfully recorded and, as I mentioned, showing much love from Thanksgivings past . . .<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Thanksgiving is one of those holidays where bits and pieces of memories from years past weave their way through my mind creating a rich Thanksgiving tapestry of sorts.\u00a0 So many stories come to mind and whole scenes from … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":60,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[61,81,1],"tags":[84,134,86,133,85,88,83],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"http:\/\/www.cookingupstories.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/Thanksgiving-2BStuffing.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p5EkKv-C","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.cookingupstories.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.cookingupstories.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.cookingupstories.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.cookingupstories.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.cookingupstories.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/www.cookingupstories.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":83,"href":"http:\/\/www.cookingupstories.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38\/revisions\/83"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.cookingupstories.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/60"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.cookingupstories.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.cookingupstories.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=38"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.cookingupstories.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}