Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
We were blessed this year to have our friends Brent and Renee here from Iowa. They arrived on Monday and left this morning. The boys had lots of fun having house guests to play with! Brent and Renee taught them lots of silly faces!
One day Renee, me and the boys had a fun day of Christmas shopping while Jimmy and Brent went golfing. The guys got their annual hike in together while I prepared our Thanksgiving meal. Thankfully Renee was here to help keep the boys entertained for me!Bryce and Drew have never really eaten a Thanksgiving meal before. Bryce loved turkey dipped in gravy and a mediterrannean cheese dip. When he wanted more turkey, he said "More gobble, gobble please!" Drew loved the cheese dip and cranberries!
Stuffing is one of my very favorite Thanksgiving side dishes. I grew up eating Stove Top stuffing and still enjoy it, but I prefer something a little more hearty and fresh! This is my favorite "homemade" stuffing.
Sourdough Bread Stuffing
1-pound loaf sourdough bread
8 tablespoons butter
10 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced 1/2-inch thick in both directions
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 to 4 stalks celery with leaves, halved lengthwise and sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
About 10 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves stripped from the stems
10 to 12 fresh sage leaves, chopped
3 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley leaves
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 2-quart baking dish and set aside.
Cut or tear the bread into 1-inch cubes and spread it evenly on 2 baking sheets. Toast the bread in the oven until completely dry and beginning to crisp and brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and a few pinches of salt and saute, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add celery, onion, 2 tablespoons butter, and thyme. Once the butter has melted, cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes. Add sage and remaining 4 tablespoons butter. Add chicken broth to skillet and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Transfer toasted bread cubes to a large bowl. Pour the chicken broth mixture over the bread cubes and toss to combine until the bread cubes absorb the liquid. Pour the mixture into the greased baking dish, and sprinkle with parsley. Bake in the center of the oven until heated through and the top is golden brown, about 40 minutes. Remove the stuffing from the oven and allow to cool about 15 minutes before serving.
Cut or tear the bread into 1-inch cubes and spread it evenly on 2 baking sheets. Toast the bread in the oven until completely dry and beginning to crisp and brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and a few pinches of salt and saute, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add celery, onion, 2 tablespoons butter, and thyme. Once the butter has melted, cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes. Add sage and remaining 4 tablespoons butter. Add chicken broth to skillet and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Transfer toasted bread cubes to a large bowl. Pour the chicken broth mixture over the bread cubes and toss to combine until the bread cubes absorb the liquid. Pour the mixture into the greased baking dish, and sprinkle with parsley. Bake in the center of the oven until heated through and the top is golden brown, about 40 minutes. Remove the stuffing from the oven and allow to cool about 15 minutes before serving.
Grandma and Papa had a bag full of goodies for the boys. One of their favorites was this "
The weather was beautiful while they were here so we tried to get outside as much as possible. We went to the local pumpkin patch and had fun...
Going on a hay ride!
And walking through the corn maze!
We had fun shopping at the outdoor mall and watching our favorite water show
We enjoyed brunch at our favorite Lodge and playing on the fall displays. The boys "rode" the corn stalk 
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