Thanksgiving with a Family of Friends

I hope your Thanksgiving was full of people and things to be thankful for! I'm baking bread, so I'll let the pictures tell the story.

This is the turkey and stuffing I cooked so we'd have 'leftovers', 

because you have to have leftovers. 

A Dinghy Dock and Melones Beach Thanksgiving

Chef Neil behind the bounteous buffet

Friends, good food, wine...I am thankful!

Dee discusses desserts

I had no idea so many people went out to eat on Thanksgiving!

Toasting silhouettes

Pumpkin scone, champagne and Walt (with Audrey and Mattie back there)

Our man Celestial Chuck

Jeff and Francie

Proud Dad Mike and Helena, who is taller than me (and when did that happen?)

Neil, transformed from chef to Packers fan

Melones nearing sunset

Day is done, gone the sun. A beautiful ending to a wonderful day.

My Dad's Turkey Stuffing

2 bags Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoned Stuffing (yes, yes, I know I should make it myself and there is even the original recipe, sort of, online, but this is what I grew up eating and this is what I make and that's how that is!)

1 large onion, diced

3-4 large sections of garlic, minced

Turkey giblets (heart, liver, gizzard), chopped small

Turkey neck

Two tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 bunch fresh parsley, finely chopped or 2 tablespoons dried 

Salt and pepper to taste 

Take the neck and put it in a pot with about 2 cups of water, simmer 20 minutes or so (until you have a nice broth, the neck should be cooked through). Take what bits of meat off the neck you can get and give the rest of the neck to the cat. If you don't have a cat, give it to someone else's cat. The neck goes to a cat, that's the law.

In a large skillet, put the butter and olive oil in and saute the onion and garlic. It can get a little bit crispy, that just adds to the flavor. Crispy, not burnt!

Add the the parsley, giblets and turkey neck meat. Saute until meat is lightly browned.

Add the broth and stuffing, mix well. You've got stuffing! You can put this in the bird, along with some extra roughly chopped onion in the other cavity, or keep it warm and serve separately. I stuff the bird and if some is left over, leave in in the pan and then mix it all up at the end of the turkey cooking. Your choice!

Have a free range Friday! Do something festive (like having festive dreams sleeping off yesterday).