Dressing, check! Derby pie, check!

Thanksgiving dinner was a success at our home. I made all the traditional fixins: mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, etc. Ricky roasted the 16 lber to perfection - moist white meat with hints of citrus and savory fresh herbs!

The only thing missing was our sweet mothers who have shared with us their expert cooking skills, time honored traditions and mucho mucho love!!! We miss these two ladies the most today. But honored them in the best possible way! My mom Ludi and I always (since I can remember) make Grandma Connie's cornbread dressing together. Every year we get out Grandmas's handwritten recipe. Her penciled in instructions and ingredients have faded over the years (I'm curious when she wrote this down -so thrilled she did!)  and I'm almost positive there is butter crusted on the paper. Not to mention the instructions are extremely vague. The cornbread dressing always comes out perfect as mom and I add stock, then spices, then stock, then more spices, and then another egg!
And of course I made 2 Derby Pies to fill my hubby's belly with a sweet taste of home! Rich, sweet and warm just like my mother-in-law - the best MIL in the whole wide world!!!
I cut fresh flowers and lit candles to decorate our little rental table and warm things up a bit. Really looking forward to living with our own possessions, which will be arriving on Dec. 10. Woohoo!