by Linda Henderson

When the Halloween candy has been consumed, the summer leaves have fallen and the air has turned cool, then my favorite holiday, Thanksgiving, will soon be here. 

Thoughts of my loved ones all together, thoughts of past Thanksgivings and sweet thoughts of loved ones who are no longer here are all a part of my celebration. It is a holiday full of gathering with family, friends, feasting and giving thanks for everything we have. It’s a time of remembrance and gratitude.  

Traditions run strong in our family and we very seldom vary from what was done last year.  I think traditions and holiday rituals nurture a family’s bonds. They give us a feeling of belonging. They bring strength to the connections from one generation to another.

Holiday traditions teach the values each family feels are important and need to be passed to the next generation. Designated time together each year creates closeness and fosters genuine concern and support for one another. Spending time together during the holiday keeps us in touch with each other. We know this kind of relationship is not always the norm and we are grateful to have it.   

I will always remember Thanksgiving as a child with Aunt Sammie and Uncle Guthrie. We would drive to Little Rock each year on Thanksgiving Day to their house. Their house was big and always decorated with pumpkins and the table was always set with colorful fall linens.  

The fare was traditional, but Uncle Guthrie was in command when it came to the dressing.  The dressing he made each year was moist and full of fall spices. The smell of roasted turkey, sage and poultry seasoning permeated the whole house. Some of the loved ones that oversaw Thanksgivings plans each year when I was a child are no longer here on this earth. Now, my generation is the one who organizes and plans and does much of the cooking for the yearly Thanksgiving Day celebration.  

It took me years of trial and practice to perfect and duplicate the taste of Uncle Guthrie’s spicy dressing. I am now known as the “Cornbread Dressing Fixer” in our family. My dressing is made in a crock pot, using store-bought short cuts. I am not sure if Uncle Guthrie would have approved, but it has now become our family’s cornbread dressing recipe.  

The recipe has been shared with many and it is made by family members from Florida to California. My son and daughter-in-law celebrate Thanksgiving in their home each year in California and Mom’s Crock Pot Dressing is a part of their “California Thanksgiving” along with either Pacific Ocean surfing or snow skiing at Tahoe on Thanksgiving Day.  

The Henderson Family now celebrates each year at our cabin in the foothills of the Ozarks.  The cabin’s kitchen will be filled with delicious smells; the dining table will be filled with family favorites. Our country table will be graced with Jim’s smoked ham and turkey, my cornbread dressing, Missy’s corn casserole, Mimi’s fruit salad, Amanda’s pies and the adult nieces will bring cookies, brownies and other sides. 

The table will be decorated with Missy’s wooden pilgrims. The house will be decorated with colorful leaves and my homemade cloth stuffed pumpkins. Prayer for the meal and God’s gracious blessing will be said as we all hold hands in a circle of love, then laughter and sweet dialog will be heard around the table. The meal will be consumed, and the family will head outside to take the annual Thanksgiving pictures.  

Although not all family members will be together for Thanksgiving from year to year, which means our “kids” have grown up and established their own families and traditions, we still will wish we were all there under one roof. But soon Christmas will be here and if the Lord permits, we will all be together for another Christmas Eve.  

Linda Henderson’s
Crock Pot Chicken and Dressing

9×12 pan of cornbread (it can be made by using a commercial cornbread mix or homemade)

1 small onion, chopped

2 stalks of celery chopped

1 box of prepared cornbread stuffing

1 can of cream of chicken soup

1 can of cream of celery soup

1 carton of chicken broth

1/2 stick of butter

1 and 1/2 teaspoons of sage

2 teaspoons of poultry seasoning (I sometimes add a little more)

1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste

1/2 teaspoon pepper or to taste

2 cooked and diced chicken breasts

Make cornbread according to the directions on the package. Add the chopped onion and celery stalks to the cornbread batter. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.

When cornbread is done, allow it to cool enough that it can be crumbled.

While the cornbread is baking, combine cornbread stuffing, cans of soup, chicken broth, butter, sage, poultry seasoning, salt, pepper and chicken breasts.

After cornbread is slightly cooled, add the above ingredients and cornbread to a large crock pot. Cook for 2 hours on high or 3 hours on low.