Sausage & Herb Stuffing

image courtesy of foodnetwork.com

I have revamped this recipe to make it easier. Plus, I just wasn't getting the results I wanted with thick chunks of bread. Our stuffing would fall apart, and while everything was tasty, I wasn't a big fan of eating individual bites of celery, sausage, and bread.

The original recipe comes from the Barefoot Contessa. The recipe can be found here. There is a quick video. Watch it, as it clarifies a couple of steps in the directions.

2 boxes of stove top stuffing - favorite flavor
1 bag of dried cranberries, 6 oz
1 pkg. Johnsonville Sweet Italian Sausage links
2 stalks of celery, diced
1 large onion, finely diced
parsley to taste
1 large granny smith apple, diced (unpeeled)
1 stick of butter

1. Cook sausage. Remove casings, and brown sausage in large skillet. Drain & set aside.
2. Dice celery, onion, & apple. Saute in large skillet with olive oil until vegetables are soft about 10 minutes. Add parsley, salt & pepper to taste.
3. In large pot, boil 3 cups of water. Add 1 stick of butter. Once butter is melted & water is boiling, add 2 packages of stove top. Stir, remove from heat, and cover with a lid for 5 minutes. (This is the package directions)
4. Combine everything, including cranberries, in the large pot & stir. Add cranberries to your liking. (I used about 3/4 the package.)

Put everything in a large, sprayed 9 x 12 pan. Spread out in pan. Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes.

I cooked this in my largest rectangle pan, and it filled it to the top.

Paula Deen's Raspberry Streusel Muffins

Click here for recipe

I had a bunch of berries bought fresh and had frozen. Which may have been my problem in this recipe. Paula calls for fresh, and what I had was frozen, previously fresh. I did let the berries defrost (well most of the way) before I put them in. Since I had some raspberries and lots of blueberries that is the combo I used. We loved the blueberry part, and not so much on the raspberry. The raspberries did not retain their shape, and kind of made a mushy mess, albeit tasty, in the bottom of the muffin.

We loved the streusel! I would make these again, and just use blueberries.

Greatness

The reason I don't take pictures professionally.

Imagine if someone had paid me for this.

Baby Shower Gifts

Here's a ballerina piggy bank I made for a friend's baby shower. It was super simple! I lucked out and found everything at Hobby Lobby.

I should have planned ahead and took tutorial pictures, but I didn't, so imagine.

You need:
- 1 painted piggy bank
- 1/4 yard of tulle
- ribbon 7/8th inch thickness
- 1 bow (I'm good at making hairbows...but Hobby Lobby had these already pre-made, and with a 40 off coupon, it was too tempting to go the simple route. I just broke off the clip & hot glued that sucker on.)

For the tutu:

1. Fold the tulle in half (so you have a long skinnier piece.)
2. Use a needle and thread on the open ends and sew a running stitch from one end to the other (start with a knot.)
3. Gently pull the thread to create a gather. Measure against your pig's belly to make sure it's the right distance. Adjust gather as needed & then tie off with a knot.
4. Use your glue gun to glue the tulle, sewed side closest to the slot. (I went right at the end of it, so that it doesn't block any of the hole -- I'm feeling a lot of "that's what she said jokes" in this post.) Then glue gun a ribbon to cover up thread. Glue a hairbow on one ear & you are done! So easy!

I finished it all of with a paper mache gift box!

You need:
mod podge
5 sheets of 12x12 scrapbook paper
tulle - optional
paper mache box

Directions:
1. Measure one side of the box without the lid.
2. Cut paper 1/4-1/2 inch shorter than measurements.
3. Mod podge the paper on the box. Use a light coat. When dry, add a 2nd light coat.
4. Repeat steps for lid.
5. Let box & lid dry separately overnight.

Adam's Kindergarten Graduation

Last month Adam graduated Kindergarten.
Adam, this year you've learned to read, add & subtract, made new friends, and gained independence & responsibility. You are still very much our wild man, and we struggle to keep up with your daily abundance of energy. You've come along way though, and we are so proud of you!

When Adam's class lined up, he insisted that he was the only one facing the correct way, even though all the other students knew to face the audience.

I don't have any pictures of Adam getting his diploma because he excitedly ran down to get his when another student, with the same first name, was called. I wasn't expecting him to do that, so my camera wasn't ready. Stinker!

Here's Adam with his amazing teacher Mrs. Brown. We love her!
We are so lucky, because she's moving to first grade and Adam gets to have her a 2nd year!