Grandma Hull's Thanksgiving Stuffing

This will be my first year COOKING Thanksgiving dinner. I'm actually really excited. But of course that meant Grandma's Stuffing. I looked and looked for my copy of her recipe, but it was nowhere to be found. I pestered Angie, and cousin Lisa (who got a copy when I did), and finally called Mom. As I talked with her on the phone, it occurred to me to look on my computer (embarrassingly enough, where I keep all my recipes). Sure enough, there it was! 

But in the end, I was glad, because Mom's version and my version are slightly different. So here are both, make what you will:

Here's MY version (Cousin Lisa and I followed Grandma around on that last Thanksgiving before her stroke and wrote down what she did, I think): -->

5 quarts bread (cubed) (~2 loaves)

4 cups Turkey broth

1 can chicken broth

1 cube butter

1 cup chopped onions

3 tsp rubbed sage

¼ tsp pepper

1 tsp salt

bake at 350 (pan in oven) till it's browned

OK, that one was SO simple (too simple?)! Mom's version of Grandma's recipe varies slightly, but has more complex instructions:

Bread Stuffing
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1  large onion, chopped
1 tsp. dried thyme
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1-½ tsp. dried sage
2 cans (14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth
2 loaves (24 oz. each) sliced firm bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

In skillet, melt margarine or butter over medium heat. Add celery and
onion, and cook 15 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.
Stir in thyme, salt, pepper, sage, chicken broth, and water from
boiled giblets; remove skillet from heat. Place bread cubes in very
large bowl. Add broth mixture; toss to mix well. Spoon stuffing into
13-inch by 9-inch glass baking dish; cover with foil and bake in 325 F
oven for an hour or more, until heated through; or, cook in roaster
oven, stirring occasionally, until browned.

*Mom's note: I think that I use dried onions stirred in rather than sautéing.  I
think that Grandma added the raw ones chopped.

St Patrick's Day treats

St Patrick's Day ideas (since I know you're already getting excited...)

This rainbow of fruit was a lot of fun. The one I saw had the "clouds" in separate bowls, but I kept it simple for easy transport to a dinner. You could also make it for any lesson at church or homeschool that had to do with rainbows (Noah), weather, etc.

I made these cupcakes with a regular white cake mix. I just split the batter in four bowls, colored each section a different color, and scooped in a bit of each one to my cupcake papers. White frosting or whip cream work great on top. I was going to put a Werther or chocolate coin on top but didn't get around to buying them.

Diaper Cake

OK, so it isn't a food but it is a cake and I was proud of myself for making it. It made a great gift and decoration. I found lots of instructions on the internet but I basically just rolled up diapers and wrapped them around a box of wipes, some hand sanitizer, and a few other diaper-themed gifts. You can roll up receiving blankets, onesies, etc. Fun fun fun.

Elmo Cupcakes

Elmo cupcakes! Made by Michelle...

No need for words