Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Happy Thanksgiving: Cornbread or Bread?

I have so much to be grateful for - this Thanksgiving will having deeper meaning for me. I hope as well for you all.















Tomorrow is Thanksgiving - it rather sneaked up on me despite the annoying Christmas commercials and even Christmas movies that have been on since Holloween *sigh* . . . But, who cares? Today GMR and I get cookin' and tomorrow is all that bounty. I can remember hungry
times . . .

Once, when I first left home as a teenager, I only had a head of lettuce, a loaf of bread, and a jar of peanut butter. That was it. And it had to last me for longer than it was meant to. I can also remember a time when we were kids and the church brought us a "care package" - it was a box of food, and one of those items was a cake mix. Do you know the heaven of a cake when you can't afford to have "luxuries" such as that? So much is taken for granted. When I was in my first marriage, those first years, I once made hamburger helper without meat . . . well, my then husband caught some crawfish and we used those for the meat. One time I was so hungry, but my pride was great, and when my then mother in law came for a visit, she brought a sandwich from Jay's BBQ. I pretended I wasn't hungry. I didn't want her to know the pantry was bare. I smelled that sandwich, my stomach grumbling, my mouth watering. I let it sit there. I said to her, "Oh, thank you for the sandwich. I've had lunch, but I'll save it for supper." She was no sooner backing out of the driveway, than I was stuffing that sandwich down my hungry mouth, barely chewing. Pride. Hunger. Those two things together are strange things.
But now? Well, now I have food in the pantry. Plenty. I never go hungry. This is something to be incredibly thankful for. I am healthy. I have a new granddaughter. So much more to be thankful for. Yes.


I hope you and yours, who celebrates Thanksgiving, has a wonderful delicious warm and lovely holiday with your family and/or friends. GMR and I are having our Hart Theater Regulars over for thanksgiving dinner. We wish our family, and some friends from South Louisiana (Angie-*sob*), could be here, but . . . alas, no.


I'll not be posting tomorrow, and I may unplug for Friday and Saturday - make this a Real Holiday! I should do that, shouldn't I folks? Should unplug this laptop and take a break from it all. I could watch movies and maybe even work on that 'scrapbook' I've been meaning to do - I have a stack of things I want to put in some kind of order in a big folder thing with plastic you put your photos and writings, etc, in. We're finally going to have some chilly weather, instead of this spring-like weather we've had, so it'll be a wonderful time to sit in front of a fire, drink hot chocolate, and step away from the world wide web.


Today I'm baking the cornbread for my cornbread dressing. So, I have to ask you: Cornbread dessing or Bread stuffing? Growing up in my house (those early lean years of my childhood forgotten as we plunged into our Thanksgiving), it was always cornbread dressing . . . there was NEVER Bread stuffing. And we never stuffed it inside the turkey, but always in a casserole dish. GMR makes Oyster stuffing - with bread - humph. I make the REAL thing - Cornbread Dressing. What about you? And, do you do canned cranberry sauce or make your own --I did the canned for years and years, but now I make my own with fresh cranberries and spice and other ingrediants . . . it's always a hit!

Tell me what you eat - what your traditions are! And everyone: thank you; thank you for your support and love and well-wishes and for everything and everyone you are. *Muwah!* Happy Thanksgiving.


google image of thgv banner: http://hiddenoaksfamilycampground.com/images/Happy%20Thanksgiving.jpg


24 comments:

Anonymous said...

Morn, Kat. I love the bread dressing -- oyster dressing like GMR makes. I don't think you ever forget that hunger feeling. And for me, at times, that meant living off of toothpaste. But now, like you, my pantry is full as is my life. Hugs and Happy Thanksgiving to you and GMR. <3

Barry said...

Happy Thanksgiving, Kat.

Even if family can't be there in person, I know you are in their thoughts.

NCmountainwoman said...

Sage bread stuffing here.

Amazing to reflect our our early days and realize how far we've come. So much to be thankful for...where we are now and what made us who we are.

Janna Leadbetter said...

I'll take any and all. Except the oyster stuff, sorry GMR!

Happy Thanksgiving!

And that new grandbaby is gorgeous.

Unknown said...

What a beautiful new granddaughter, you lucky lady!!!!
Congratulations!!!!!! Have a marvelous Thanksgiving. We already ate ours last month. Turkey and all the trimmings. YUM! Enjoy, and thank you for all the love and kind wishes you have sent our way. (((HUGS)))xoxo

Katrina Stonoff said...

I remember a time when the only food I had -- for some weeks -- was a case of red kidneys my mother had bought on special and given to me. I ate half a can in the morning before I left, and the other half in the evening when I returned.

No wonder I was so thin!

I make bread stuffing, but I'm like you about cranberries. I have a to-die-for cranberry relish I make from scratch (though we also bring one can of the other stuff for folks who don't trust food unless it's out of a can).

Unknown said...

Happy Thanksgiving, Ms. Kat! "Art" and I wish you Turkey-Day happiness and joy throughout the year!

I grew up with bread stuffing, in the bird. "Art" grew up in Venezuela so ... no Turkey Day. Now we're vegan so ... we're having a Tofu Turkey stuffed with some kind of "surprise" that "Art" whips up. He's the primary chef for the holidays. My contribution will be cranberries made from scratch. :)

We're thankful for your friendship! Take care ... and enjoy your time off!

Small Footprints

Sandra Leigh said...

I am an In-the-turkey-bread-stuffing traditionalist. From time to time, I've seen recipes for cranberry-glazed turkey and other such exotica, but I've always ended up falling back on my family tradition.

As for the cranberry sauce, my mother always used the canned stuff, but I make my own (with orange juice and a bit of orange rind) instead. Some traditions are less worth cherishing than others. ;>)

I'm glad that your cupboard is full, Kat, and that you have a loving family and friends with whom to spend Thanksgiving. Have a great time.

Karen said...

Oh, cornbread, cornbread. Looking back and always looking forward, makes us thankful. Happy Thanksgiving!

Diane said...

She arrived just in time. So blessed! :O)

Linda Leschak said...

I think we make our own traditions. Mine are so different than the ones I remember growing up on the farm with mom doing all the cooking. She was a great cook, managed to make the BEST stuffing. She made it out of bread, the heels that she'd saved up and let get stale. It had lots of onions and celery and she always shoved it in the bird and then used string to tie it all up inside there. Weird huh?
Anyway, I make a great cornbread stuffing with sausage and apples and onions and pecans and dried cranberries. It's terrific. I love my stuffing more than life itself. Well, maybe not that much but it's pretty darned good if I have to say so myself.

Sheila Deeth said...

Cornbread vs bread became a big question when I had to go gluten free. All my attempts at wheatless cornbread came out like bricks - though bricks work okay in stuffing. And my gluten free bread turned to mush when I tried to make bread stuffing.

Unknown said...

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!!

sage bread stuffing here, just put it in the oven with the turkey!

have a wonderful and blessed weekend!!

Deb said...

I've been to the place where I've lived and fed my kids on white bread and apple jelly for weeks on end. These days I'm obsessive about putting up food, growing, canning, freezing, buying oatmeal by the 25lb sack...

I've never heard of cornbread stuffing, sounds intriguing though. I'm a sage bread stuffing girl. Boy, I'm missing out up here in Canada today!

Happy Thanksgiving Kat! Enjoy your many blessings and your time off the blog!

Marguerite said...

Crawfish and hamburger helper? Hey, that doesn't sound that bad, but of course, I love crawfish and anything! :) Definitely cornbread dressing, however I did make oyster bread stuffing, with French bread, also. Have a great weekend, sha!

Vodka Mom said...

That was an amazing story! We live month to month here, but I am very thankful for the Ramen Noodles and Mac and cheese, etc. I am VERY thankful that there is always SOMETHING for the table.

Thanks for reminding me that about what is truly important.

xxxxx

Deb Shucka said...

I'm a bread stuffing person all the way. In fact if there were no other food for the holiday, I'd be perfectly happy.

I wonder if our early deprivations serve to make us even more grateful during times of abundance.

I hope you take some time for yourself, and enjoy the bejeebers out of it.

Unknown said...

Hi Kathryn!!

I have been honored with an award and have passed it on to you!!

t i m said...

Awww, what a beautiful baby pic of the recent addition to your family.

Hope you had a good thanksgiving [a tradition that's completely alien in europe i'm afraid].

ps: do let me know where to send your christmas card as i generally ignore e-cards :)

Rick said...

Hello Kathryn! And I hope your holiday was wonderful.

My son and I eat turkey sandwiches at Arby's while we play chess. From there, we go to my mother's who cooks for us all. A nice tradition to be with family. I know we had turkey, mashed potatoes, ham, cranberries, etc. But the best part is just being with family. And, of course, a glass of crumbled Ritz crackers and milk. Incidentally, when we were growing up we were so poor that my mother made apple pie using that Ritz cracker recipe on the box- you know, the one with Ritz crackers instead of apples. You had to be there to appreciate it!

Debbie said...

Isn't it against the law to do anything except cornbread dressing in the south? I'm pretty sure it is.

Zuzana said...

I hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving.;) Very cute pictures.;)
I love the shots from NC; I lived in Durham for almost ten years and often visited the mountains, beautiful nature.;)
Thank you so much for your visit and kind comment.;)
xo
Zuzana

Jeannette StG said...

My stuffing comes from a box, and I mix it with sauteed onions, carrots and celery. In Holland they don't do stuffing or cornbread, or turkey! So, for the holidays I'm going American!! I wouldn't want to miss the sweet potatoes, the cranberries, and the pies:)
Sorry you had to go through hunger - am glad things are better for you now.

Terri Tiffany said...

I'm late but I know your holiday must have been wonderful. And as a grandma- I am loving your baby pictures!!! When do you go hold her??
You really have learned how to be thankful, haven't you? I've never gone hungry and can't imagine how that would feel. Have lived off deer meat one winter and lost a zillion pounds as I hated the stuff but that is it.
Blessings!