Ok, I promised you guys a funky Thanksgiving recipe for the upcoming holiday . Well just printing a recipe doesn't take a whole lot of thought nor does it make it interesting or fun. It's the story behind it that provides entertainment.

So here goes. When I was young holidays were scheduled well in advance. Ma always did Christmas, Easter got bopped around. Aunt Lisa and Uncle Timmy got the 4^th of July (big yard, nice pool) and Nana always did Thanksgiving.

Being of Italian decent, most holidays took on an ethnic flare but not Thanksgiving. No sir, Thanksgiving was as traditional as John Smith and Squanto (look it up). Turkey, mashed potatoes, squash, corn, green beans, yams, stuffed celery, corn bread, cranberry sauce and my personal favorite sausage stuffing. We only had sausage stuffing on Thanksgiving, once a year, that was it.

The underage crowd drank spiced apple cider and the older folk drank spiked apple cider(boy I can't wait for next Thursday). Spiced cider was cold and the spiked cider was mulled. I use to think it was muled because it had such a kick.

Any how, that's how it went and continues to go God willing for a long time to come. So here's Nana's pork sausage stuffing and Gramp's mulled apple cider. Enjoy and happy Thanksgiving to all.

2lbs. pork sausage meat (out of the casing)

½ cup of water

6 or 8 peeled potatoes, diced small

½ cup chopped onion

1cup chopped celery

½ cup chopped parsley

1 teaspoon salt

In a large skillet brown the sausage meat, add the other ingredients and cook until the potatoes are slightly tender. Let cool and stuff your bird before roasting.

In a large sauce pot pour in a gallon of pure apple cider, add a ¼ cup of honey, ½ a teaspoon of nutmeg, cinnamon, and apple pie spice each. Warm the mixture without letting it boil. Let stand for about 10 minutes then add a 1/5^th of your favorite rum and let the party begin.