I have become quite the slacker on blogging lately. I apologize for that.
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, my favorite holiday of the year!
My menu this year is simple.
Turkey
Stuffing (made with Udi's gluten free bread this year)
Mashed Potatoes (from scratch)
Gravy (from scratch)
Cranberry Orange Relish (one of my favorites - I grew up in cranberry country and it just isn't Thanksgiving without cranberries!)
Brussells Sprouts (from my garden)
Veggie Tray
Cranberry Fluff (My son Andy's all time favorite)
Raspberry Pie (My husband Dan's favorite - made with frozen raspberries from my garden)
For those of you who aren't familar with Cranberry Fluff, it is so easy to make. Just mix together one can of drained crushed pineapple (the bigger can, not the flat one), one tub of Tru Whip , one package of mini marshmallows (one of the very few times I allow corn syrup in this household is to make this once a year), and cranberry orange relish. Chill well before serving.
What is on your menu this year? Please leave me a comment and let me know what you are eating.
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!
Showing posts with label Thanksgiving. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thanksgiving. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Friday, November 21, 2008
Veggie Tray for Thanksgiving
Doesn't this look yummy for Thanksgiving?
I got it in a newsletter from Miss Roben's. Sorry, I didn't get proper credit. I had saved this to my hard drive to make later and didn't keep the whole newsletter. By the time I posted it here I remembered that I got it from Miss Roben's but not that they had gotten it elsewhere. My apologies - this idea actually comes from Eating With Food Allergies. You can see their original post by clicking HERE.
Turkey Veggie Tray
Ingredients
Romaine or leaf lettuce
1 cucumber, sliced
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
2 bags baby carrots
2 black beansToothpicks
1/3 celery stalk
Directions
1) Slice the bell peppers crosswise & then cut each circle in half. Cut one 1/2" piece off of one of the red pepper slices & set aside (this will be used for the face). Set aside the bottom part of the peppers for the turkey's body.
2) For the feathers: Cover a platter (a round one works well) with the leaves of lettuce. To make the turkey's feathers, start with forming a circle with the cucumber slices towards the bottom of the platter. Above the cucumbers, form a semi-circle with the red peppers, then the yellow peppers, then the green peppers. Place the baby carrots vertically above the last row of peppers.
3) To make the turkey's body & face: Break two toothpicks in half. Put two of the toothpicks where the eyes will go. Push the black beans onto the toothpick making sure that the toothpick doesn't go all the way through. Cut a triangle out of the leftover bottom from the yellow pepper. Attach with a toothpick below the eyes. Attach the reserved red pepper piece to the left of the yellow pepper "beak".
4) For the legs: Cut the piece of celery in half lengthwise. On each piece, carefully slice lengthwise from the end of the celery piece to almost the center. Do this twice on each piece. Place the celery in ice water & place in the refrigerator until the ends curl. When curled, nestle the un-curled end under the cucumbers.
If anyone attempts this, please take a pic and send it to me - I'll post all of the pics. I think this would be awesome if I were having guests for Thanksgiving. I may do it for just us - I'm not sure yet.
I got it in a newsletter from Miss Roben's. Sorry, I didn't get proper credit. I had saved this to my hard drive to make later and didn't keep the whole newsletter. By the time I posted it here I remembered that I got it from Miss Roben's but not that they had gotten it elsewhere. My apologies - this idea actually comes from Eating With Food Allergies. You can see their original post by clicking HERE.
Turkey Veggie Tray
Ingredients
Romaine or leaf lettuce
1 cucumber, sliced
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
2 bags baby carrots
2 black beansToothpicks
1/3 celery stalk
Directions
1) Slice the bell peppers crosswise & then cut each circle in half. Cut one 1/2" piece off of one of the red pepper slices & set aside (this will be used for the face). Set aside the bottom part of the peppers for the turkey's body.
2) For the feathers: Cover a platter (a round one works well) with the leaves of lettuce. To make the turkey's feathers, start with forming a circle with the cucumber slices towards the bottom of the platter. Above the cucumbers, form a semi-circle with the red peppers, then the yellow peppers, then the green peppers. Place the baby carrots vertically above the last row of peppers.
3) To make the turkey's body & face: Break two toothpicks in half. Put two of the toothpicks where the eyes will go. Push the black beans onto the toothpick making sure that the toothpick doesn't go all the way through. Cut a triangle out of the leftover bottom from the yellow pepper. Attach with a toothpick below the eyes. Attach the reserved red pepper piece to the left of the yellow pepper "beak".
4) For the legs: Cut the piece of celery in half lengthwise. On each piece, carefully slice lengthwise from the end of the celery piece to almost the center. Do this twice on each piece. Place the celery in ice water & place in the refrigerator until the ends curl. When curled, nestle the un-curled end under the cucumbers.
If anyone attempts this, please take a pic and send it to me - I'll post all of the pics. I think this would be awesome if I were having guests for Thanksgiving. I may do it for just us - I'm not sure yet.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Countdown to Thanksgiving cont.
Today is the day before Thanksgiving. I accomplished all that I wanted to yesterday.
Today I plan on:
Making an apple pie and baking a pie shell for a lemon meringe pie. I don't like to make lemon meringe ahead of time as it doesn't hold as well.
Peeling and cutting up potatoes and storing them in the fridge in water until I cook them tomorrow.
Cut up bread cubes for the stuffing (the recipe I use is in the archives - just click on thanksgiving and then choose the one that says and all the fixins).
Make cranberry relish - and maybe cranberry bread or muffins.
Spend time with my family since Dan is off work today and Andy doesn't have school.
Today I plan on:
Making an apple pie and baking a pie shell for a lemon meringe pie. I don't like to make lemon meringe ahead of time as it doesn't hold as well.
Peeling and cutting up potatoes and storing them in the fridge in water until I cook them tomorrow.
Cut up bread cubes for the stuffing (the recipe I use is in the archives - just click on thanksgiving and then choose the one that says and all the fixins).
Make cranberry relish - and maybe cranberry bread or muffins.
Spend time with my family since Dan is off work today and Andy doesn't have school.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Countdown To Thanksgiving
Planning ahead takes the stress out of a GFCF Thanksgiving.
I usually start pre-cooking for Thanksgiving several days in advance so I can relax and enjoy the day stress free. Since we are not having any guests, I haven't done as much in advance as I would if we were having guests - but I still want the day to be perfect and stress free.
Here is what I have already done -
Sunday -
I went to the health food store to pick up items that I will not be able to get at my regular grocery store. The closer it gets to Thanksgiving, the more crowded the grocery stores get so it is good to plan ahead and not be there on Wednesday. Also - if they are out of something and you have to go somewhere else to find it, you have time to do that.
I baked pumpkin cookies and froze half of them so there will be some on Thursday!
Monday -
I didn't do a lot on Monday because I had to work and then had a conference at Andy's school in the evening. I did take the turkey out of the freezer and put it in the fridge to thaw. If you haven't already started your turkey thawing - do it now! The larger the bird the longer it takes to thaw - I usually start thawing on Sunday but we are having a smaller bird this year.
Today is Tuesday and the last day I have free time - Andy is off school tomorrow.
Today I plan to:
Bake bread so I have plenty for making stuffing.
Go to Super Target and do my regular grocery shopping.
Cut up onions and celery and store in the fridge for making stuffing on Thursday.
Make pie crust dough - so the dough is super chilled when I want to roll it out and make the pie tomorrow.
If I have time I may also peel potatoes and store in the fridge covered in water to be ready to rinse and boil on Thursday.
I hope hearing about my preparations ahead of time help some of you plan your time and alleviate some stress for you.
I usually start pre-cooking for Thanksgiving several days in advance so I can relax and enjoy the day stress free. Since we are not having any guests, I haven't done as much in advance as I would if we were having guests - but I still want the day to be perfect and stress free.
Here is what I have already done -
Sunday -
I went to the health food store to pick up items that I will not be able to get at my regular grocery store. The closer it gets to Thanksgiving, the more crowded the grocery stores get so it is good to plan ahead and not be there on Wednesday. Also - if they are out of something and you have to go somewhere else to find it, you have time to do that.
I baked pumpkin cookies and froze half of them so there will be some on Thursday!
Monday -
I didn't do a lot on Monday because I had to work and then had a conference at Andy's school in the evening. I did take the turkey out of the freezer and put it in the fridge to thaw. If you haven't already started your turkey thawing - do it now! The larger the bird the longer it takes to thaw - I usually start thawing on Sunday but we are having a smaller bird this year.
Today is Tuesday and the last day I have free time - Andy is off school tomorrow.
Today I plan to:
Bake bread so I have plenty for making stuffing.
Go to Super Target and do my regular grocery shopping.
Cut up onions and celery and store in the fridge for making stuffing on Thursday.
Make pie crust dough - so the dough is super chilled when I want to roll it out and make the pie tomorrow.
If I have time I may also peel potatoes and store in the fridge covered in water to be ready to rinse and boil on Thursday.
I hope hearing about my preparations ahead of time help some of you plan your time and alleviate some stress for you.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Tips for a Successful GFCF Holiday Season
Tips for a successful GFCF Holiday Season
The holidays are upon us – it’s hard to believe that Thanksgiving is just a few days away. Chanukah, Christmas and New Years are not far behind. If this is your first holiday season GFCF or if previous holiday seasons were a disaster you might be looking for some tips to make this year better. Here are some of my best tips. Feel free to leave comments with your own tips – together we will all survive this stressful time of year.
Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff. Set priorities and keep in mind what is truly important – and that may not be the same for all of us. My number one goal is to keep Andy GFCF – while eating organic, and totally eliminating high fructose corn syrup along with artificial flavors and colors is something I try and do every day – sometimes something has to give. If treats are brought into school that are GFCF but have HFCS in them or have red 40 in them, I will go ahead and let Andy have them. Sometimes it is equally important to allow Andy to have normal social experiences.
Give yourself permission to change traditions. My home used to be the place to be on Thanksgiving – everyone knew there would be lots of wonderful homemade food. I never asked anyone to bring anything because I love to cook and this was my chance to show off – but if they showed up with something we put it on the table. Our first year GFCF was a disaster – I asked everyone to please not bring anything as I did not want any food in the house that Andy couldn’t eat. Some people just don’t like to show up empty handed – and I felt bad turning away their food so I let them bring food in – and when my back was turned – Andy was fed a piece of regular pumpkin pie. The next two years we went away on Thanksgiving. I just didn’t want to deal with it and keeping Andy safe was more important that hurting other’s feelings. So we rented a luxury condo at a water park and went and had fun. I still made a turkey since we had a full kitchen – but while it was cooking I kicked back in the hot tub in front of the fireplace on the four seasons porch with a glass of champagne while Dan took Andy down to the water park. It was heaven! Last year we stayed home and just didn’t invite anyone – since we took a couple of years off and everyone found somewhere else to go we were now off the hook for entertaining. So do what you have to do – to keep your family safe.
Ask for help using reverse psychology. If there is a gathering that you just must host or attend, pick out the person that you are most worried about not respecting your boundaries and ask them to help you. If it’s your mother in law that thinks that a little bit won’t hurt – ask her to help you. People can’t resist helping. Pull her aside and tell her how you are so glad she is going to be here because you really need help. Explain to her that not everyone is as conscientious as she is and you are really worried about your child getting into something not on their diet and getting sick. Can she imagine how terrible it would be if you ended up having to run Johnny to the ER in the middle of the party? Can she help you watch out for him? She will be so busy watching others and trying to catch them that she won’t have time to try and feed him something herself.
Try and keep routines as normal as possible. If you usually eat lunch at 11:30 and dinner at 5:30 – try and keep to that schedule. If you really can’t because it is at Grandma’s house and she always does Thanksgiving at 1:30 and she’s not budging – then bring food along and feed your kids on their normal schedule. They can eat again at 1:30, but just give them small portions and don’t expect them to finish. If your children are young and still napping – make sure they get their naps. There is nothing worse than a toddler that needs a nap at a family gathering. Make sure you take care of yourself and get adequate rest yourself so you can keep up.
Plan ahead. Regardless of if you are cooking or traveling – try to anticipate what you will need and don’t catch yourself short. If you don’t know what is on the menu that is GFCF and you don’t know what will be available to buy locally, bring some of your child’s favorite foods with you. If you are cooking, do as much prep work ahead of time as you can. I cut up onions and celery and things like that all during the week prior to Thanksgiving so on Thanksgiving morning I can get that turkey stuffed and in the oven early. Check and make sure you have all ingredients ahead of time – you don’t want to find yourself without a key ingredient when it’s a holiday and the stores are all closed.
Don’t experiment on important days. Thanksgiving Day is not the day to experiment and see if digestive enzymes will work in place of the diet. If you want to see if your child can cheat occasionally ad use enzymes in place of the diet – experiment ahead of time. Trust me – I’ve been there and done that – not on Thanksgiving – but it was disastrous just the same. We were traveling to visit family and I thought it would be easiest to use enzymes. Andy, being celiac, needs to be gluten free – the enzymes did nothing for him. A very short time after arriving he got terrible diarrhea and I was left scrambling to find GFCF foods in an unfamiliar town – and poor Andy spent 3 days in the bathroom and covered with terrible rashes. The time to experiment is at home in a familiar environment.
Keep in mind that the holidays are stressful no matter what. Most everyone experiences some stress during the holiday season. Sometimes just realizing that helps. Do everything you can to keep yourself stress free and just try and relax and enjoy this busy time of year.
I do have lots of great recipes posted here from last Thanksgiving – be sure and search my blog for recipes that will work for you. I am always glad to help if I can.
The holidays are upon us – it’s hard to believe that Thanksgiving is just a few days away. Chanukah, Christmas and New Years are not far behind. If this is your first holiday season GFCF or if previous holiday seasons were a disaster you might be looking for some tips to make this year better. Here are some of my best tips. Feel free to leave comments with your own tips – together we will all survive this stressful time of year.
Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff. Set priorities and keep in mind what is truly important – and that may not be the same for all of us. My number one goal is to keep Andy GFCF – while eating organic, and totally eliminating high fructose corn syrup along with artificial flavors and colors is something I try and do every day – sometimes something has to give. If treats are brought into school that are GFCF but have HFCS in them or have red 40 in them, I will go ahead and let Andy have them. Sometimes it is equally important to allow Andy to have normal social experiences.
Give yourself permission to change traditions. My home used to be the place to be on Thanksgiving – everyone knew there would be lots of wonderful homemade food. I never asked anyone to bring anything because I love to cook and this was my chance to show off – but if they showed up with something we put it on the table. Our first year GFCF was a disaster – I asked everyone to please not bring anything as I did not want any food in the house that Andy couldn’t eat. Some people just don’t like to show up empty handed – and I felt bad turning away their food so I let them bring food in – and when my back was turned – Andy was fed a piece of regular pumpkin pie. The next two years we went away on Thanksgiving. I just didn’t want to deal with it and keeping Andy safe was more important that hurting other’s feelings. So we rented a luxury condo at a water park and went and had fun. I still made a turkey since we had a full kitchen – but while it was cooking I kicked back in the hot tub in front of the fireplace on the four seasons porch with a glass of champagne while Dan took Andy down to the water park. It was heaven! Last year we stayed home and just didn’t invite anyone – since we took a couple of years off and everyone found somewhere else to go we were now off the hook for entertaining. So do what you have to do – to keep your family safe.
Ask for help using reverse psychology. If there is a gathering that you just must host or attend, pick out the person that you are most worried about not respecting your boundaries and ask them to help you. If it’s your mother in law that thinks that a little bit won’t hurt – ask her to help you. People can’t resist helping. Pull her aside and tell her how you are so glad she is going to be here because you really need help. Explain to her that not everyone is as conscientious as she is and you are really worried about your child getting into something not on their diet and getting sick. Can she imagine how terrible it would be if you ended up having to run Johnny to the ER in the middle of the party? Can she help you watch out for him? She will be so busy watching others and trying to catch them that she won’t have time to try and feed him something herself.
Try and keep routines as normal as possible. If you usually eat lunch at 11:30 and dinner at 5:30 – try and keep to that schedule. If you really can’t because it is at Grandma’s house and she always does Thanksgiving at 1:30 and she’s not budging – then bring food along and feed your kids on their normal schedule. They can eat again at 1:30, but just give them small portions and don’t expect them to finish. If your children are young and still napping – make sure they get their naps. There is nothing worse than a toddler that needs a nap at a family gathering. Make sure you take care of yourself and get adequate rest yourself so you can keep up.
Plan ahead. Regardless of if you are cooking or traveling – try to anticipate what you will need and don’t catch yourself short. If you don’t know what is on the menu that is GFCF and you don’t know what will be available to buy locally, bring some of your child’s favorite foods with you. If you are cooking, do as much prep work ahead of time as you can. I cut up onions and celery and things like that all during the week prior to Thanksgiving so on Thanksgiving morning I can get that turkey stuffed and in the oven early. Check and make sure you have all ingredients ahead of time – you don’t want to find yourself without a key ingredient when it’s a holiday and the stores are all closed.
Don’t experiment on important days. Thanksgiving Day is not the day to experiment and see if digestive enzymes will work in place of the diet. If you want to see if your child can cheat occasionally ad use enzymes in place of the diet – experiment ahead of time. Trust me – I’ve been there and done that – not on Thanksgiving – but it was disastrous just the same. We were traveling to visit family and I thought it would be easiest to use enzymes. Andy, being celiac, needs to be gluten free – the enzymes did nothing for him. A very short time after arriving he got terrible diarrhea and I was left scrambling to find GFCF foods in an unfamiliar town – and poor Andy spent 3 days in the bathroom and covered with terrible rashes. The time to experiment is at home in a familiar environment.
Keep in mind that the holidays are stressful no matter what. Most everyone experiences some stress during the holiday season. Sometimes just realizing that helps. Do everything you can to keep yourself stress free and just try and relax and enjoy this busy time of year.
I do have lots of great recipes posted here from last Thanksgiving – be sure and search my blog for recipes that will work for you. I am always glad to help if I can.
Thursday, November 30, 2006
The little touches....
The little touches can be what makes Thanksgiving fun for the little ones. Sometimes we get so busy with all of the cooking that we forget to put fun things on the table too - even if it is just your family. I collect napkin rings and use them for special meals. I let Andy pick out the ones we use - and if he picks snowmen and there is no snow on the ground yet - that is OK. And if he picks 3 different ones for each of us, that is OK too - just makes it more fun!
Sunday, November 26, 2006
And all the GFCF fixings!
I made extra stuffing as well as mashed potatoes and gravy. Here are my recipes:
GFCF Bread Stuffing
Chop up 2 cups of onions and 4 cups of celery (adjust to your own tastes). Melt one cup of margarine, add onions and celery and cook until tender. Dice up 15 cups of soft GFCF bread and place in large bowl. Add celery, onions, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 3 teaspoons sage, 1 teaspoon thyme, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and toss until well mixed. Gradually add one cup chicken broth until moistness desired. This is enough to stuff a 12 lb bird and have 2 quarts to cook on the side (cook in 350 degree oven until heated through - 20 to 30 minutes).
GFCF Mashed Potatoes
Peel and cube 5 lbs of potatoes. Wash and put in large saucepan with water to cover. Add 1 teaspoon salt. 1 tablespoon dried minced onions and 4 teaspoons dried minced garlic. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer until tender (about 30 mintues). Drain well. Put in a large bowl with 2 sticks of GFCF margarine and 1 tub of Tofutti Sour Supreme. Beat until Fluffy.
GFCF Chicken Gravy
Mix 1 can of GFCF Chicken Broth with 1/4 cup corn starch. Add 2 cups of water. Heat over medium heat until it thickens and boils. If it is too thick - add more water. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
GFCF Turkey
Here is the turkey ready for carving. It was a butterball and I stuffed it with GFCF bread stuffing. It was juicy and wonderful!A GFCF Thanksgiving
I hope everyone had a wonderful and tasty GFCF Thanksgiving. We sure did. This picture shows our entire meal except for the pie - everything was GFCF and tasty.
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