Sweet Love and Ginger

holidays

Venison Sausage Stuffing

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I’m so incredibly excited to share this recipe with you today.

It’s a recipe that I got from Miss Amy, kind of. She’s not exactly one to write down what she does or how she does it, so there is definitely some improvisation in nearly everything she makes based on what she has on hand. This of course makes it difficult for me or anyone else to recreate it. I can usually figure it out pretty easily. I mean most of these recipes I have seen made about 8 bajillion times but once in a while there is just one that I cannot for the life of me get right.

This is one of those recipes.

It only took me 2 or 3 YEARS to get right. I didn’t make it often at first because I could never get it right, but this winter I made it my life goal, and after several unsuccessful attempts I think I’ve finally gotten it.

You see this is one of Chuck’s favorite things ever so it’s kind of imperative that I get it right. I don’t think it would make or break the relationship or anything but I like pleasing him, so it became pretty important to me, and he was happy to be my guinea pig.

The thing is with stuffing that it’s very dependent on personal preference. I know quite a few people who prefer it dry and others that prefer more of a chunky-pudding consistency. Personally I like it exactly in the middle, and that’s what made getting it right hard.

Now if you don’t have or are not a fan of venison sausage just swap it out for any other sausage you prefer, it will change the flavor a bit, but not the recipe.

If you do prefer it moister I would suggest not uncovering it while it cooks, before you try adding more liquid. It makes a big difference. If you like it dryer simply uncover it sooner. However I would do this in small increments because a lot can happen in a minute or two in the oven.

Venison Sausage Stuffing
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4 to 6 Servings
Ingredients
  • ½ lb venison sausage
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 onion, peeled & chopped
  • 1 celery rib chopped
  • 3 cups chopped toasted bread of choice (I like to use
  • different types for texture)
  • 1 cup vegetable broth
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • ½ tsp thyme
  • Salt & Pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 Degrees.
  2. Place bread cubes on a rimmed baking pan and bake for 6 to 8 minutes, until toasted and golden.
  3. Meanwhile in a large skillet cook and crumble the sausage until browned over medium high heat. Discard excess fat if any (venison usually doesn’t have much but beef or pork sausage will) and remove from pan and place in a 9×12 inch baking pan.
  4. In the same pan add butter, onion, celery thyme, parsley, salt and pepper. Sauté over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are softened. Remove from heat and combine with sausage.
  5. Deglaze the hot pan with broth and allow it to simmer over medium high heat until reduced slightly (you should be left with 1 ½ cups liquid), scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pan while it simmers.
  6. Combine the toasted bread with the sausage and vegetables. Add the reduced broth and toss to combine.
  7. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes until browned on top and hot in the middle.

Similar Recipes:

Caramel Apple Bread Pudding

Leftover Turkey & Stuffing Casserole

Leftover Mashed Potato Pancakes

 

 

 

Fitness Update & Man Cookies

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It’s time to recap my fitness journey again.

Only I have nothing to recap.

Whoops!

I actually worked out a couple days in the last 2 weeks! Aren’t
you proud?

My excuses are simple, I was sick for like a week, and then
we had an impromptu weekend long party when a bunch of our friends came into
town.  Let me tell you 5 people and 4
dogs in our tiny apartment make for a very good time.

I’m pretty sure I now have enough beer cans to cover our
grocery bill this week.   

Sunday morning when we woke up there was a little speed
cleaning to get the 4 square feet of counter space we have in our apartment
clean enough to make “man-cookies” and my raisin spice cookies
for the cookie party that I was co-hosting with my dear friend Amanda.

We did this last year to, and it’s a good time.

Basically you invite everyone over and each of them has to
bake a dozen cookies, not like your typical chocolate chip though because 12 dozen
of those would be boring. Everyone brings over their cookies; we make some
boozy cocoa, and proceed to put ourselves in a sugar coma. I may suggest that
you have some veggies and dip around to provide a slight break from the
sweetness. We also play some dorky games, like you know guess the movie, guess
the scent, Pictionary (Who doesn’t love Pictionary?). Then we split up the
cookies and head home to continue the sugar coma for the following week.

Since the man cookies are always a hit I thought I would
share the recipe here, again this is CHUCK’S RECIPE. He wants to make sure
everyone knows it. The original recipe can be found here, though Chuck’s version has a few changes, mainly the size. 

Man Cookies

1 package brownie mix

2 sticks butter

1 cup granulated sugar

¾ cup packed light brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tbsp vanilla

3 ½ cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Prepare the brownies according to package instructions (tip
use the largest pan possible, to make the brownies thinner and easier to wrap).
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cream together the butter and sugars, then add
eggs, vanilla and continue to beat the mixture until it is well combined.
Continue to beat while slowly add in flour, salt, baking soda. Once combined
use a spoon to mix in the chocolate chips. Place a large spoonful (or two) on
top and on the bottom of a 2inchx2inch brownie. Pinch the dough around the
outside of the brownie to cover it. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and
bake for 18-22 minutes or until they begin to brown. Allow them to cool a bit
before serving.

So that’s my story and about why I’m just continuing to
spiral into flabbiness. I suppose that it could be worse, and there’s always
next week. Thank god for next week.

How are the holidays helping your fitness goals?

Valentine’s Day Table settings

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I am getting excited for Valentine’s Day. We are planning on a simple evening at home, but I still want to make it a little special with a romantic table setting. I am using these as my inspiration.
I like the rose petals and the chalk board paper in this one.

I like the idea of strawberry dipping. That could be very romantic.

I just love this idea.

Christmas Decorations: Minimalist Style

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I am a huge fan of minimalist decorations, especially around Christmas. One could go crazy with all the decorations that are available. Being a renter we don’t always have the storage for piles of Christmas decorations, or the room to display them all. Personally I find minimalist decorations to be more suited for our lifestyle. Things like pine boughs and strings of cranberries add cheer, while making our home smell wonderful, and at the end of the season they can simply be thrown into the compost pile. No cleaning, repacking or storing. It’s so much easier, and still fairly cheap!

Popcorn and cranberries cost roughly $5, while the string and sewing needle I used to string them were basically free. The paper snowflakes are made from scraps of paper in the recycling bin at work. The adorable set of jars I found in the cupboard and filled with leftover cranberries, and some tea lights. The front door is adorned with simple cedar boughs, pine needles, and pine cones, all wrapped up with hemp. See simple and easy.