Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! I hope you all have a great day today.

We have been just kind of lazing around this morning. I was trying to straighten up the house, but got caught up in my blog and playing with Photoshop and lost track of time. I now have showered and need to finish getting ready and make stuffing and rolls. I am making my Artichoke, Sausage and Parmesan Cheese Stuffing (recipe follows) and rolls to take to our neighbors' house (by our new house). We are having dinner there because my mother-in-law is out of town and we invited the neighbors to our house, but they wanted to have it at their house because it is bigger. That was fine by me because it meant I didn't have to clean house. Woo hoo! Tim is at the house painting the bathroom today and hopes to get that done without being disturbed. He will come home about 2:30 to shower and get ready and we will go over at about 4pm.

Artichoke, Sausage and Parmesan Cheese Stuffing

15 c 1-inch cubes crust-less sourdough bread (from two 1-pound loaves)--I don't cut the crust off because we like it better that way

3 T Olive oil

1 1/2 c Italian sweet sausages, casings removed

2 c chopped onions

3/4 c chopped celery

2 large garlic cloves, minced

1 8oz pkg frozen artichoke hearts, thawed, coarsely chopped

2 t chopped fresh thyme

1 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 3 oz)

1 c (or more) low-salt chicken broth

Preheat oven to 350. Divide bread between 2 baking sheets. Bake until cubes are dry but not hard, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.

Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage and saute until cooked through, breaking up with back of fork about 5 minutes. Add onions, celery, and garlic. Saute until celery is soft, about 10 minutes. Mix in artichokes and thyme; saute 2 minutes longer. Transfer sausage mixture to large bowl. (Bread and sausage mixture can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately. Store bread at room temperature. Refrigerate sausage mixture and reheat to lukewarm before continuing.)

Add bread to sausage mixture; toss to blend well. Mix in cheese, then 1 cup broth. Season with salt and pepper.

To bake stuffing in turkey:

Loosely fill main cavity and neck cavity of turkey with stuffing. Add enough broth to remaining stuffing to moisten slightly (1/4 c to 3/4 c, depending on amount of remaining stuffing). Generously butter baking dish. Spoon remaining stuffing into prepared dish. Cover dish with buttered foil, buttered side down. Bake stuffing in dish--alongside turkey or while turkey is resting--until heated through, about 25 minutes. Uncover stuffing in dish. Bake until top of stuffing is slightly crisp and golden, about 15 minutes longer.

To bake stuffing in dish:

Preheat oven to 350. Generously butter 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Add enough extra broth to stuffing to moisten (3/4 c to 1 1/4 c). Transfer stuffing to prepared dish. Cover with buttered foil, buttered side down. Bake until heated through, about 40 minutes. Uncover and bake until top is slightly crisp and golden, about 20 minutes longer.

Makes 12 servings

I put this in the crock pot after it has cooked in the oven and let it keep warm so I can make it earlier in the day. It also stays very moist this way.