This year I’m not having Thanksgiving at home, but instead will travel to California to celebrate the holiday with #1 Daughter, #1 Son-In-Law and my grandchildren. They live south of San Francisco, in the Palo Alto area, and this has become one of my favorite destinations. First and most importantly, my family lives there. But almost as important to me is the scenery, which is always beautiful. Beaches and rolling surf and tide pools and golden hills and fields full of produce we just don’t grow in Texas. I have developed a fascination with the artichoke plant. Who knew it got so big?

I will be in California for almost a week and plan to post a full report of our adventures after I return home. In the meantime, I seem to be dreaming of Thanksgiving recipes, even though I won’t be doing as much cooking as normal. For some reason, that doesn’t seem to matter. Late at night I find myself immersed in cooking magazines and cookbooks and my binders full of favorite recipes. And what is my most favorite Thanksgiving recipe? Hands down, it’s Sausage, Cranberry and Cornbread Stuffing, which was published in Epicurious in 1997: 

I’m a huge fan of lots of cranberry sauce with my dressing, and since this recipe includes fresh cranberries in the dressing, it’s just perfect (at least in my humble opinion!). Plus it has sweet Italian sausage and pecans. Heaven! It’s the only side I will probably insist on for Thanksgiving dinner. Perhaps I should share this link with #1 Daughter!

Note: there is a link within this link – the recipe for the cornbread. You’ve probably already figured that one out, but I will confess it took me several years to find that hidden recipe. Silly me! Also, instead of the seven leeks called for in the recipe, I usually just use a whole yellow onion.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!