Author Archives: Nancy

CORNBREAD DRESSING

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With Thanksgiving thankfully behind us, we packed up the Thanksgiving decorations last weekend and started hauling out the Christmas decorations.  We enjoyed the smaller, saner Thanksgiving gathering this year, and we’re looking forward to spending Christmas with just our immediate family this year.  Honestly, I’m appreciating this 2020 “time out.”

So how was your Thanksgiving?  Ours turned out OK.  My amaryllis cooperated and bloomed on cue:

And I was pleased with my first attempt at making a floral centerpiece using a combination of grocery store flowers and foliage from my yard:

Most of the side dishes were the same ones we serve Every. Single. Year.  But I also made  cornbread dressing for the first time, and it’ll definitely be making a repeat performance next year.  It was moist and savory, and could be a meal in itself.  Maybe it was (don’t judge).  Some people like to make stuffing cups by baking the dressing in muffin tins, and I’m sure this would be excellent too.  Or maybe they just like to do that because it’s so fun to say “stuffin’ muffins.”  You know, like “puddin’ pops.”  I baked half of the recipe in a pie plate, and it looked nice — the other half went to a friend.  This was by far my favorite leftover!

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CORNBREAD DRESSING
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Ingredients
  • 1 package prepared cornbread mix, crumbled*
  • 3 slices toasted bread, crumbled or chopped into small pieces
  • ⅓ cup butter
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 4 stalks celery, diced
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 1 teaspoon dried sage
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1 can cream of chicken soup
  • 1 cup shredded cooked chicken (rotisserie works well)
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • *Prepare the cornbread mix according to package directions at least a day before. When cool, crumble it into a large bowl and cover it with dish towel -- this will allow it to dry out a little before using in the recipe.
Instructions
  1. Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and celery, and saute until they begin to soften, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
  2. Place the crumbled cornbread and toasted bread in a large bowl. Add the onion, celery, chicken broth, sage, eggs, cream of chicken soup, shredded chicken, and salt and pepper to taste, and stir until well combined.
  3. Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish (or two large pie plates) with cooking spray, and pour in the dressing.
  4. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes, until dressing is set and lightly golden brown. (To test for doneness, gently shake the dish -- if the center of the dressing moves, then it is not cooked through and needs to bake longer). Serve hot.

 

CRANBERRY VODKA & CANDIED CRANBERRIES

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I found this vintage photo of this somber-looking Thanksgiving dinner on eBay:

The back of the photo tells us that John and Bill were hungry, and Anne loves pheasant (the ceramic pheasant centerpiece?):

I feel their pain — holidays can be rough.  Come to think of it, I don’t think the pilgrims were that excited about Thanksgiving either:

So how’s your Thanksgiving 2020 looking?  Is it going to be a day of mourning like it seems it was for John, Bill, and Anne?  In a year that has been pockmarked with disease, death, dementia, discord, and depression — and that was just March — I’m trying my best not to let it get in the way of my family’s enjoyment of the holidays. Although it’s trying it’s hardest.

So I’m proceeding as usual, including creating my annual front porch fallscape:

I made the wreath with wooden cones — got the idea here.  I also made this wine cork wreath:

I got out my turkeys, laid in a supply of plants and floral materials to make centerpieces, and planned a Thanksgiving menu.  Since there will just be a few of us this year, I’m packing up half of it to share with a friend who has hit a bit of a rough patch lately.  I’m trying to decide whether the theme for my Thanksgiving dinner this year will be (a) You Get What You Get and You Don’t Pitch a Fit, or (b) May the Odds (of Not Catching Covid) Be Ever in Your Favor.  What do you think?  UPDATE:  We went with (a).

Honestly, though, it’s probably going to take a fair amount of alcohol to get through the holidays this year.  Inspired by the vintage photo and hoping to have a better time than John, Bill, and Anne, I made Cranberry Vodka.  I found the recipe here, and made it last year.  It was so good, that this year I wisely made a double batch.

To make Cranberry Vodka you’ll need two ingredients — cranberries and vodka.  Doh.  For each liter of vodka, you’ll need 2 cups of cranberries cut in half.  Make sure they’re not squishy, or your vodka will be nasty.

Pour the vodka into a large clean Mason jar, add the cranberries, and screw the top on tightly.

Set the jar in the refrigerator or a cool dark place for 1-2 weeks (2 weeks being preferable):

Strain the vodka through a cheesecloth-lined strainer set over a bowl, and then transfer the vodka to the original bottle:

Gorgeous, huh?  As an added bonus, the pectin in the cranberries gives the infused vodka a lush, silky feel.

But what to do with all those vodka-soaked cranberries?  

Candy them, of course!  You’ll be rewarded with gorgeous, sweet, tangy, jewels:

I haven’t tried coating them with chocolate yet, but will update if/when I do.  Meanwhile, I’ll probably toss some into salads, fold some into oatmeal cookie dough, or maybe spoon some of the cranberries with their syrup over vanilla ice cream.

Thanksgiving 2020, I’m ready for ya with my double batch of Cranberry Vodka!  However you’re celebrating this year, I hope there is much that you’re thankful for.

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CRANBERRY VODKA
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Ingredients
  • 2 cups fresh cranberries, halved
  • 1 liter vodka
Instructions
  1. Put the cranberries in a large clean glass jar. Add the vodka to the berries (and save the vodka bottle). Cover the jar and screw the lid on tightly. Keep the jar in the refrigerator or a cool, dark place and let the cranberries infuse for 1-2 weeks. Give the jar a shake every day or so.
  2. When the vodka has reached the desired intensity, strain the vodka through a cheesecloth-lined colander set over a bowl. Use a funnel to pour the vodka back into the original bottle.
  3. Reserve the strained vodka-soaked cranberries to make candied cranberries (recipe follows).

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CANDIED VODKA CRANBERRIES
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Ingredients
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ¼ cup water
  • 2 cups vodka-soaked cranberries
Instructions
  1. Place sugar and water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Add cranberries, reduce heat, and simmer for approximately 15 minutes until cranberries become translucent. Remove from heat and allow to cool, then transfer to a jar and store in refrigerator.