Thanksgiving is around the corner! For this installment, Robin would like to offer her mother's famous spicy Portuguese turkey stuffing recipe.

And, as a bonus...Bourbon Pecan Pumpkin Pie! We had this after our Thanksgiving dinner last year... and it was awesome!

4-5 onions - chopped
1 green bell pepper
6 linked sausages removed from casings (I use the spicy Italian links)
3 stalks of celery - chopped
Salt
Pepper
A pinch of cumin
1 teaspoon sage (** careful not to add too much... very powerful)
1 tablespoon of bell seasoning
Chicken broth (bullion cube disolved in hot water)
Italian bread or French (let it go stale a couple of days before) -- break into pieces (not too small or too big)

Brown the sausages, then add the chopped onions, chopped pepper and celery and heat until onions are somewhat translucent. Remove from heat and let cool, then add to the broken bread pieces in a large bowl.

Add the salt, pepper, cumin, sage and bell seasoning. Squish everthing together with your hands..., and add the broth mixture as needed. Be sure not to add too much broth. You want to just "moisten" the ingredients
all together.

Stuff the bird the night before, and then the next morning your good to go!

Bourbon Pecan Pumpkin Pie

3 Eggs -- slightly beaten
16 ounces Pumpkin
3/4 cup Brown sugar -- firmly packed
1 1/2 cups Half & half
3 tablespoons Bourbon (I like MakersMark)
1 teaspoon Cinnamon -- ground
1/2 teaspoon Ginger powder
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1 Pie shell, 9" -- unbaked
2 tablespoons Butter
1/4 cup Brown sugar -- firmly packed
1 cup Pecan halves
1/4 cup Bourbon -- divided

Combine eggs, pumpkin, 3/4 cup sugar, half-and-half, 3 tablespoons bourbon, cinnamon,
ginger, and salt; mix well.

Pour mixture into the pie shell; bake at 425 for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350, and bake an
additional 45 minutes or until set. Set aside to cool.

Combine butter and 1/4 cup brown sugar in a saucepan; cook over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolved. Add pecans and 2 tablespoons bourbon, stirring to coat. Spoon mixture over the pie.

Heat the remaining bourbon in a saucepan just long enough to produce fumes (DO NOT boil); remove from heat, ignite, and pour over pie. Serve pie the when flames die down!