Thanksgiving Dinner

I hope everyone has had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  I am truly grateful for my children and husband, my extended family, my friends, my church, my home--all of the many blessings God has bestowed on me.  There are so many things to be grateful for, that I refuse to allow Celiac Disease, Gluten Intolerance, Dairy Intolerance, or food allergies to interfere with our ability to enjoy our holidays!  (For those of you who are interested in my thoughts concerning CD and its affects on my life and to read a post that I just did yesterday concerning Thanksgiving and CD, click here.)

So how much time did you all spend in the kitchen Thanksgiving Day?   I'm just curious because I spent all day long in the kitchen, making up new recipes.  I had a lot of fun doing it, and since our Thanksgiving holiday lasts from Thursday through Sunday (Thanksgiving Dinner at my mom's), I really didn't mind spending all that time cooking, and I came up with some delicious recipes and some ideas for making certain things ahead of time next year which will make my next Thanksgiving Day much easier.

I was speaking to my sister on the phone Thursday, and, of course we were talking about what food we were making.  She asked me to post some of the recipes on here for her (and you) to try.  Even though I only made these things once, I figured I would go ahead and share.  Just be aware that these recipes may change just a little after Christmas since I will be making them again and tweaking things just a touch.  This is just bare bones here right now--no pictures or huge explanations.  I wasn't planning on posting these just yet, so I didn't take pic's. and don't have time to write out all the directions in detail.  I'm just putting these up real fast before I leave for the day, so my sister (and you) can look at them.  I will come back later and edit this post to include pictures and directions, so make sure to check again later if you want more direction.  I'm basically sharing our Thanksgiving Day Menu with you.  Some of the items listed are not accompanied by recipes since I am assuming you already have your own way of making these basics.  Enjoy!

11/29/10 Edit--I took these dishes to my mom's dinner yesterday and got some feedback.  I also took them to my in-laws' house and got feedback there, as well.  Basically, the Crockpot Candied Sweet Potatoes and the GF Cornbread and Rice Blend Stuffing got rave reviews.  Nobody really tried the Green Bean Casserole because they were all so full from all the other food, and there was already a dairy and gluten-filled green bean casserole there for them to eat.  The Cranberry and Orange Chutney was liked.  I got a little bit of mixed feedback.  My mother felt it wasn't sweet enough, so more sugar is needed.  My grandmother thought it was perfect the way it was, but she has Diabetes and normally eats things with a lot less sugar than most people.  So, I think that you will have to taste it and see if you need to add more sugar.

One more thing, my Green Bean Casserole was not made with mushrooms or mushroom flavoring because Nathan and Chuck hate mushrooms.  However, Nathan could not get past the IDEA of it being a green bean casserole that LOOKED like regular green bean casserole, had a similar TEXTURE as a regular green bean casserole, and a similar TASTE?  Really?  Even without any mushrooms?  LOL.  I guess next time I attempt this, I will just count him out because those are the very traits I am trying to mimic with this casserole, and that's what he doesn't like!  :-)  Chuck liked it, though.  Otherwise I would have to consider making it with canned mushroom pieces and some mushroom stock instead of turkey stock, because I kind of miss the cream of mushroom flavor, though I still liked my version.  


Lastly, please keep in mind that these recipes make A LOT.  For instance, the stuffing recipe makes enough stuffing for 3 meals for us.  Of course, it all depends on how big the servings are, how many other sides you have, etc., but I would plan on having leftovers.  I haven't tried freezing this, yet, but I am definitely going to try it and see how it tastes after being frozen for awhile.  If you want less, just cut the recipe in half.  Personally, we love having leftovers.

Crockpot Candied Sweet Potatoes--Nate's favorite meal item of all, and he's a VERY picky eater!
4 lbs. sweet potatoes
4-6 apples
1/2-3/4 c. maple syrup
few handfuls craisins
few handfuls chopped walnuts
1/2 c. Earth Balance
cinnamon to taste

Turkey and Gravy
Mashed Potatoes

Green Bean Casserole
16 oz. mimic creme
2 c. turkey broth
1 Tbs. nutritional yeast
2 t. Herbamare (more or less to taste)
1 t. Worcestershire sauce (make sure it's GF--in the U.S.A. regular Lea & Perrins is GF, but double check label)
1 t. lemon juice
1/4-1/2 t. black pepper (to taste)
1/4 t. onion powder
1/4 t. garlic powder
6-7 Tbs. sweet rice flour
1/2-3/4 c. blanched almond flour, GF bread crumbs,
    OR a batch of homemade GF French Fried Onions
    (I used almond flour because I didn't have time for the onions, however I will be making them for the next batch!)


GF Cornbread and Rice Blend Stuffing--turned out excellent--Elijah said, "Mom, it tastes like it's got gluten!"
1 batch GF cornbread (12 muffins or 1-9x9)
7 slices Udi's GF sandwich bread (or use your own homemade GF bread)
2 c. Lundberg Farms gourmet brown rice mix
4 c. turkey broth
1 t. herbamare
1 lb. ground sausage
7 stalks celery
3 large carrots
1 large onion
2 Tbs. dried parsley
2 t. herbamare
1/4 t. black pepper
1/2 t. sage
1/2 t. thyme
5 c. turkey broth

Cranberry Orange Chutney
4 c. cranberries
2 oranges
3/4 c. organic sugar
1/2 t. cinnamon
1 c. orange juice
3 Tbs. arrowroot

Organic Cranberry Sauce (from a can for Nate since he can't have oranges)

GF/DF Pumpkin Cheezecake--needs more work, turned out like pumpkin pie, not cheezecake
2 c. almond flour
1 c. walnuts
1 c. soft pitted dates
1/2 t. salt
3 c. cashews, soaked
1-2 c. water
1 can pumpkin
1/2 c. lemon juice
1/4 c. maple syrup
1/2 c. honey
4 t. cinnamon
1 t. nutmeg
1/2 t. ginger
1/4 + 1/8 t. cloves