THANKSGIVING AND MAMA'S DRESSING

THANKSGIVING AND MAMA'S DRESSING

Buon giorno and Good Day!

In just a few days Americans will again celebrate one of their most beloved holidays, Thanksgiving.

A time when family, friends, and even the grudge-filled enemies put down their axe to grind and join around someone's large table to remember the "good things" God has bestowed on them and to acknowledge the privilege to live in the greatest country in the world, America. It may be the only day in which some actually pray a prayer, but statistics state that most families do join in a prayer and may even hold hands. Imagine that!

To really appreciate the Thanksgiving Day we have to go back to 1621 when in a place called Plymouth Plantation, a tradition was started by the Pilgrims to hold a Harvest Festival and thank God for the great bounty of vegetables received from the past year. Indians were also involved in the harvest celebration and actually supplied the Pilgrims with food. This tradition was kept year after year until finally in 1863, President Abe Lincoln declared Thanksgiving Day to be a national holiday.

Since that day, Americans have celebrated the biggest, richest, and most elaborate feasts they could possibly imagine. With the centerpiece being a large roasted Turkey, the table cannot usually hold all the side dishes of creamed corn, mashed potatoes and giblet gravy, candied sweet potatoes, cranberry salad, date-nut pudding, sweet yeast rolls, pumpkin and pecan pies, and last but not least ….Mama's dressing!

Yes, it seems that no matter who I talk to, the main coveted dish of the entire Thanksgiving Dinner is Mama's dressing. So, in putting together my *Rosalie Serving Country Cookbook*, I knew I wanted to have the best Southern Turkey Dressing I could find. If only I could find that "Mama! " But then that would be impossible because she is everybody's Mama.

So, I set out to practice making dressing. In the last 2 weeks, I have made Cornbread dressing, White bread dressing, and Wheat bread dressing. I have been inspired to add celery, onions, green peppers, apples, pecans, chestnuts, cranberries, oysters, sausage, sage, poultry seasoning, nutmeg, eggs, chicken broth, beef broth, bouillon cubes, the kitchen sink and the back door. Again, I say, where is that Mama? I even put off sending out my Weekly Newsletter in hopes that I could perfect this "special dressing" that somehow would appeal to all, so that I could include the recipe in the Weekly Recipe.

And perfect it, I did. It wasn't until last evening when I made the last batch of many, many, dressings that this "Southern Cornbread Creation "seem to excite the palate of my faithful taste-testers; my co-worker nurses. I also had the Pastor of our church try it, since it was church night. I knew they would be truthful, so I promptly drove the big pan of dressing up to the church and the hospital. I had two types, one strictly cornbread, the other a mixture of cornbread and white bread. The vote was finally unanimous; "yes", they said, "The dressings are delicious, and good enough for your country cookbook.

So, for all you faithful fans who may want to try my "Southern Cornbread Dressing", just look for it in this week's recipe that follows this newsletter. I hope it taste a little like your Mama's. God bless, and have a blessed Thanksgiving.

Look for me this Saturday, November 22, at Miss Aimee-B's Tea House for a book signing. It is located at 837 First Capitol Drive, St. Charles, MO. See you there!

Buona sera and Good Evening!

Rosalie