Ben's Stuffing and Life and Trees

The Famous Ben Stuffing

Very labor intensive, but most of the chopping can be done the 

day before, but Ben said he likes the idea of the work 

"on the day".

We enjoyed mimosas while HE worked.

The pooches were at his feet all morning

hoping for an errant nibble.

In the center pic you can even see Justice standing

by while he texted.

*******

1 3/4 pounds sweet Italian sausages, casings removed

5 to 6 TB butter

2 1/2 fennel bulbs, chopped

1 1/4 pounds onions, chopped

1 tablespoon fennel seeds

1 1/4 pounds firm but ripe Bosc pears, peeled, cored, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

2 large red bell peppers, chopped

2 teaspoons dried thyme

2 teaspoons dried marjoram

2 teaspoons dried rubbed sage
1 loaf sourdough bread cubed

3/4 cup dry white wine

Preheat oven to 400°F. Spread bread on 2 large rimmed baking sheets. Bake until just golden, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Transfer to very large bowl. Set aside.

Cook Italian sausage in large pot over medium-high heat until browned, breaking up pieces with back of fork, about 12 minutes. 

Using slotted spoon, transfer to small bowl. Melt 4 tablespoons butter in same large pot over medium-high heat. 

Add chopped fennel, onions and fennel seeds. Sauté until fennel and onions are tender and golden brown, about 15 minutes. 

Reduce heat to medium. Add pears, bell peppers and herbs. Sauté until pears and peppers are just tender, about 10 minutes. 

Add wine and boil until most liquid evaporates, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. 

Add sausage and fennel mixture to bread cubes. Season stuffing to taste with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously butter 13x9x2-inch square glass or ceramic baking dish. Add enough broth to stuffing to moisten (about 3/4 cup to 1 1/2 cups.) Transfer stuffing to prepared dish and dot stuffing with 2 tablespoons butter before baking. Cover with buttered foil, buttered side down; bake until heated through, about 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until top is crisp and golden, about 20 minutes longer. Top with fennel fronds, if desired, and serve.

( I took the fennel tops and stuffed them inside my bird)

My brother Scott and his wife Crystal have

 a wonderful mini tree farm.

It is located on the lot next to their home in 

New Castle PA.

Each year Scott tends and trims these trees to perfection.

Look at these beautifully shaped trees.

Only Blue Spruce for them,

and only $20.00!

Those are not lala land prices!

Offspring of the folks 

who bought 20 years ago are now coming to

buy these beautiful Blue Spruce trees,

family traditions established and nurtured.

Nurtured in the nursery

for future generations..

Absolutely worth the drive if you are

 anywhere within the Pittsburgh area.

Please remember to tell them I sent ya...

and give em a big hug for me.

If you wish to call and check ahead, email me.

Also please check out Maynard Greenhouse

here and here if you haven't already.

If you are passing through, or live within

a nice long drive,

Maynard Greenhouse is a Must 

stop for Carole's Christmas shop and 

their Christmas trees have arrived also.

Give George and Carole my love and pet Petey

and the kitties.

Filled with love and gratitude today.

My son is still here visiting, he is asleep upstairs.

The joy I feel when the kids are under my roof,

asleep and happy and safe at home.

I am blessed with a great family 

and friends here and in blog land.

sigh...

Do you ever have those days 

where you just want to hug yourself with joy?

Life is good.

Difficult at times, but good.

Z

Here's the Tale

So here's the tale:

What do you get when you try to tent 

your entire garage and string it with 

twinkle lights and drape it with glitter

 and garlands and stars and fill it 

with hundreds of supplies

and have ten crazy fun women over 

for the day to create and glitter 

and eat..and eat some more?

You get 11 obsessed women playing and laughing

and making wreaths and ornaments and learning new techniques and munching treats and...

 having fun, and being wonderful, strong,

delightful women and

I love them all

and I am blessed with each class

for all these 25 +years of Gatherings,

and now that we did the first trial run of the tent,

I have grandiose ideas for the next one.

I'll be painting the ceiling blue and let's see..

about 50 more yards of tulle Tanya, and...

Heather has promised decent shots 

of the event to come soon..

days like yesterday,

 I just cannot take any worthy photos

 so excuse these, but I wanted to share,

 even though there is no way to explain the energy, 

or play a tape of the laughter..

and we soldier on through diet sodas

 and peanut butter cups

 and after dinner we head back 

out for more, and eventually cannot even

 see the table tops or find anything.

(those shots to come hopefully)

..and Lord help me, she's gonna kill me for this,

but you get a pal who will decorate herself 

after the first 10 hours with her wreath and it's parts

 to get the laugh out of a few great friends who all grab

 their cameras for a shot!!

(Tanya and Heather's hands in the corner lol)

oh Lord how I love these women...

I hope you are as blessed with friends

 like this in your life.

Each bringing their own special qualities to the mix.

Think of pine cones, snow and glitter, 

 berries and fruit and leaves.

all intertwining, supporting each other's 

textures and colors and finishing 

off an unbroken circle..

A wreath of friendship.

One I can hang my joys and fears

and dreams upon and know in that circle,

I will find what I need to nourish my soul.

Ladies, you're the best.

with love,

z


a small postscript
pictures from the day
far better than mine
here

BREAKTHROUGHS

It has been a week of breakthroughs.

Not always in the usual sense.

I refer to my broken toilet,

and broken porch light on a vintage timer that 

is no longer made, requiring new rewiring,

a broken garage door opener,

broken wi fi so daughter's computer won't work,

a broken pipe under my sink,

and now a flooded side yard

due to broken valves or some such thing.

No repairman in site that I can afford, and the

one I can afford has not shown up, and the other

has not returned my desperate phone calls.

Although I want to stamp and yell

or plunk down and cry,

I will do neither...

For this week has been spent cheering

 from the sidelines for my friends at their first

booth in a national show.

It has been a week spent reading 

alongside darling daughter.

It was a quick lunch with a dear friend 

recovering from many years of illness,

and a chance reunion with a friend 

who had slipped out of my life. 

The week was several phone calls

 from a far away friend always offering 

support and laughter in the midst of another 

personal disappointment that also came my way.

I caught myself thinking

"When is it my turn for things to be easy?" 

only to quickly retract 

the thought for my blessings are abundant.

These blessings come with each new daybreak.

I bend, I do not break.

I wish to remain like these sunflowers that 

touch almost to the ground in the raging storm and pop back up only to sway far over the other way.

Regardless, they always keep their sunny disposition.

This is me.

and how are you all doing? 

catch me up please..

Suzan

I Am So Blessed

See this beautiful woman?

She is the mother of six.

Don't hate her because she is beautiful,

love her because she is a wonderful dear friend whom I love.

I am old enough to be her mother (YIKES) but when

 we met while working together a few years back,

 we just connected.

  In the years that have followed we have been 

 separated by mileage and by busy lives,

but when we call after months and months have gone by,

 we pick up right where we left off. 

We had one of those calls this evening

 and I am ending my day with that warm fuzzy feeling

 you only get after a long (very long) chat with a good bud.

She is a wonderful Mother, a beloved wife,

a caring and charitable human being.

She is my friend.

Kristin

I am blessed to have you in my life.

Life is yin and yang

up and down

good and bad

The events of last Sunday threw me a bit I must confess,

but were book-ended with a brunch on Saturday with 

friends wishing me congratulations

 and lovely presents from two gal pals;

followed by today with a wonderful visit with Kristin.

It's all a teeter totter, and just when I think 

I am going to get slammed down hard to the ground, 

a balance is struck and I gently bounce back into rhythm.

Events can knock us off kilter, but those we love

 and who return our love, ground us,

keep us strong, give us hope.

I am so blessed.

Suzan