As the busy owner of Berryman’s Salon Style, Heidi Berryman has the preparation for Thanksgiving down to a science.
The stylist hits the store a week ahead of time to buy all her dry ingredients to get ahead of the rush before the last-minute run on Wednesday for the remaining vegetables and fruits.
Chief on her shopping list are the ingredients for the turkey stuffing recipe that has been satisfying appetites in the family for generations.
“It’s been in the family for years and has always been one of the staples,” Berryman said. “It’s from my mom’s family. I’ve looked in old fashioned cookbooks and never found it. I know it’s a family recipe. It’s one of the staples we make sure that my mom makes every year we get to be with them.”
Every family has stuffing, with its own pinch of spices to separate it from others. But what makes this recipe unique is the use of potatoes.
“Most people don’t use potatoes in their stuffing,” Berryman said. “It’s also more of a wet stuffing than dry.”
The rest of the recipe includes onion, celery, butter, milk, chicken stock, eggs, sage, poultry seasoning and bread crumbs. Salt and pepper can be added for taste. Berryman suggests experimenting a bit to fit your tastes.
“It’s hard to put on paper because we do everything by taste,” Berryman said.
While some debate it, Berryman’s family usually cooks the stuffing with the turkey.
“The juices drip into the stuffing and it just tastes even better,” Berryman said.
Along with enjoying the stuffing, Berryman enjoys a short break from the salon to spend time with family, which includes five children ranging from 27 to 13. This year will be different as her 18-year-old son is a freshman at the University of Montana and will not be at home this holiday. They also may be going to Arkansas instead of hosting this year.
But the memories stirred from traditional meals, including the family’s popular turkey stuffing will help the holiday still feel like home.
Berryman can help you arrive to your Thanksgiving dinner in style with a fresh cut or styling. She can be reached at heidsnoookandcranny@gmail.com or by phone at 915-261-5118. Her shop is located at 2640 West University Drive, Suite 1266 in Denton.
Turkey Stuffing
Serves 8 to 10 people
Cook time: 45 minutes
Ingredients
1 pound of Russet potatoes
1 small yellow onion diced
4 celery stalks diced
8 tablespoons of butter
6 slices of white bread or 1 1/2 cups of seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup of milk
1 1/2 cup chicken stock
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon of sage
1 teaspoon of poultry seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients and bake 350 degrees until ready.
Wildflower Floral Boutique
Stefanie Harrington started Wildflower Floral Boutique in March as a local, online option for fresh flowers.
The former elementary teacher has always enjoyed working with flowers and helped in floral shops during breaks from teaching.
"My passion has always been flowers and plants," Harrington said. "I've always worked in a flower shop part-time. On my summer breaks from being a teacher I would help out at my friend's flower shop during busy wedding season and I just always enjoyed it."
After moving to Texas and working in another shop, she decided to open her own home studio.
She offers weekly and monthly subscriptions along with providing flowers for parties, weddings and showers.
She's preparing for Thanksgiving and the holidays and is ready to design centerpieces for your dinner party. She asks for you to plan your order a week ahead of time. Order at wildflowertx.com.
“I’ve looked in old fashioned cookbooks and never found it. I know it’s a family recipe." Heidi Berryman
