Cooked Goose

mind this, huh?”
    She pointed to her new do, which was now red, a red that a few women in the world might actually have naturally. Also, she had removed the ring from her eyebrow, the studs from her nose and tongue, and had exchanged her black and blue makeup for shades of dark red.
    “You look beautiful,” Savannah told her. “You were beautiful before, but I was so busy looking at all the ‘stuff’ that I didn’t notice you as much.”
    “Thanks.” She blushed and, for a moment, looked incredibly sweet and vulnerable.
    “Are you about ready to eat?”
    “I’ve been ready for hours. The smell of that turkey is making me crazy. But I think we’re going to have a visitor first.”
    “A visitor? Who?” Savannah said.
    “Just don’t be scared when you see him,” Margie replied. “Gibson asked me if I thought it was okay, under the circumstances, and I said, sure, because it’s for the kids, you know?“
    “No, I don’t know. I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
    “She’s talking about a visit from old Father Christmas... or Saint Nicholas, as you Yanks call him,” said a deep, deliciously refined, British voice behind her.
    Savannah turned and got the start of her life. There was Santa, standing in her living room, a large bag of loot slung over his shoulder, a broad smile between his mustache and beard.
    A few dozen images flooded her mind. All of them frightening and sad.
    That was yet another evil Titus Dunn had committed. An entire community had lost its innocence, had lost a beloved icon and symbol of love and generosity.
    But there was no time like the present to reclaim it. Savannah strolled over to Santa, tweaked his rosy cheek and said, “Mr. Claus, I want you to know I’ve been far more nice than naughty this year. Not that I wouldn’t have welcomed the opportunity to be naughty, but my social life being what it is...”
    He threw back his head and gave a rather theatrical, “Ho, ho, ho... I understand completely. That’s why Santa has brought you something special.”
    Reaching into his pack, he pulled out a bright red envelope with her name written on it.
    She tore it open and found airline tickets and prepaid vouchers for a deluxe, two-week vacation at a singles club in the Bahamas .
    “Oh, Gibs-... I mean, Santa, you shouldn’t have,” she said, “But I’m so glad you did!”
    Santa tossed his bag over his shoulder once again and gave Margie a nod. “Come along with me, young lady,” he told her. “I’ve given my elves the afternoon off and I find myself in desperate need of a Santa’s helper.”
    Savannah followed the two of them into the backyard and watched the twins go crazy with delight at the sight of him.
    She looked over at Dirk and Tammy and saw that their reactions were similar to hers. They would all need some time to heal.
    But as she watched Jillian and Jack scampering around “Father Christmas”—-opening their own gifts and joyfully distributing more to the adults, and their new brother and sister beneath the magnolia tree—she knew that the children were the balm that would aid in that healing.
    Once again, she felt seven years old, and Christmas was the happiest, most magical, time of the year. At least for the moment, there was peace on this little bit of earth that was her backyard. And there was goodwill galore.

Down south, many people consider the dressing (stuffing) to be the best part of a holiday dinner. Traditionally, many Southern cooks don’t stuff the turkey or goose, but bake the dressing separately in its own pan. Savannah’s Aunt Gondi is known, far and wide, for her incredible dressing. We are proud to share it with you.

    Aunt Gondi’s Dressing

    1 cup chopped onion
    1 cup chopped celery
    2 tablespoons butter

    Lightly saute onions and celery in butter.
    Place onion/celery mixture in large bowl along with:

    4 slices toasted, crumbled bread
    4 cups crumbled cornbread (see recipe below)
    1 teaspoon salt or to taste
    ¼ teaspoon pepper
    2 tablespoons sage (more if you like)
    2 eggs lightly beaten

    Add:
    3-4 cans chicken broth heated
    1 stick of butter, melted in broth

    You will want the mixture to be very moist, almost soupy, as it will dry out while baking.
    Put mixture into a greased (or sprayed) 9“ X 13“ pan, and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

    The basis of any great Southern dressing is great cornbread. No one has ever made better cornbread than Ma Johnson. Her cornbread was wonderful in dressing or