No Boxed Stuffing at Grandma's House!

One cannot have a holiday dinner without stuffing. It seems that the only times to prepare stuffing are for Thanksgiving and Christmas. That is how it was done when I was growing up. From what I can remember, Grandma usually made her Moist Bread Stuffing. It had the best aroma while cooking. And sometimes, I was lucky enough to help her chop the celery and onions. She trusted me with a knife at a pretty young age, after a few lessons of course. I loved her butcher knife. It had years of use, the handle was worn down in places but the blade was as sharp as if it were brand new. I remember shopping for holiday meals with her. She'd always buy a loaf of French bread for her stuffing. No boxed stuffing for our family. Everything was from scratch, even if it took more time. She said it was worth it. There were some convenience foods that she would use but not very often. I remember that she used her electric knife to cube the bread. When I hear that sound, I'm taken right back to childhood on Volante Drive. It's interesting how sounds and smells will bring back such vivid memories. That happens to me often. When I made this recipe for Thanksgiving this year, I had Bing Crosby playing on my Ipad, I was using many of my Grandparents kitchen gadgets and at one point, tears started to well up in my eyes, not the sort of tears that come from sadness though. These tears were from a place of gratitude. I felt incredibly thankful to have had such a rich and blessed childhood with these two people. I have many special memories to look back on. Treasured moments, words exchanged, comforting hugs, security. Continuing family traditions is necessary for me to handle life without them. I find peace when I do something as simple as prepare one of the recipes that Grandma made. Life is still good. I am happy and blessed. Memories keep me grounded. And I have amazing ones.

I hope you enjoy my grandma's recipe. It was our family's favorite.

Moist Bread Stuffing

1 cup butter
2 cups diced celery
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
1/4 cup minced parsely
2 1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp pepper
18 cups French bread cubes
3 eggs, slightly beaten

1. In 8 qt Dutch oven over medium heat, in hot butter, cook celery and onions until tender, about 10 minutes.
2. Add parsley, salt, poultry seasoning and pepper; stir until thoroughly mixed.
3. Stir in bread cubes and eggs; mix together well.

Bake in a covered, greased casserole dish for 30-45 minutes.

I generally pour chicken broth over the top of the stuffing before baking. It is something that I always saw Grandma do. It seems to add extra moisture to the bread without leaving it soggy.