Thanksgiving Commandment: Thou Shalt Not Pulverize the Stuffing

I always use my grandmother's stuffing recipe for my turkeys. I have this recipe in her handwriting, and a friend of mine laminated it for me so I could have it forever.

The recipe does not call for those boxes or bags of prepared "stuffing bread." Instead, it involves spreading out two sandwich loaves all over the kitchen table and letting the bread get good and stale. My kids helpfully wander through every few minutes and inspect the bread for staleness. They also willingly sit around the Very Big Bowl and break up the bread once it's stale enough.

Big Brother just wandered through and asked, "When can I help crush the bread?"

"No, no, no, no, NO! You do not PULVERIZE stuffing, or you will wind up with this really disgusting mush inside the turkey."

He was properly contrite, as he's old enough to appreciate the importance of Following the Family Recipe. Plus, he loves stuffing.

I can't wait until the morning when I get to open my brand-new box of Poultry Seasoning.

I am SUCH a stuffing geek.