Feel free to discuss any topic of general interest, so long as nothing you post here is likely to be interpreted as insulting, and/or inflammatory, nor clearly designed to provoke any individual or group. Please be considerate of others feelings, and they will be considerate of yours.
Day???
Here's my menu:
GF 12# turkey,rubbed with extra virgin olive oil, and garlic cloves & fresh rosemary & lemon slices shoved under the skin of the breast / salt/pepper outside of turkey
GF 6# ham glazed with a dijon mustard & crushed pineapple
Mashed potatoes with GF gravy
Baked sweet potatoes topped with sugared pecans
Popovers (GF kind of like a dinner roll)
Cranberry salad
Small veggie tray( baby carrots, celery, cucumbers) with my wasabi dip
Pumpkin pie (GF made with a nut crust
Coconut Cream pie (GF made with a pecan crust)
Flourless walnut & pear torte
Oh!! Forgot! I'm going to surprise my nephew from Michigan with his favorite pickled eggs & beets.
If anybody needs any suggestions just yell for me!!!!!!!
Love
Dee~~~
"What the heart gives away is never gone ... It is kept in the hearts of others."
You're really ambitious. I wish I had half your energy. I thought I'd try one of those GF, pre-stuffed, pre-cooked, partially-deboned, Cajun-flavored, hen things this year. (I forget what they call them). Along with a smoked ham, and the usual mashed taters, sweet taters, cranberry sauce, (out of a can, LOL), etc. I don't plan to feed a mob, though, the way you will.
I'll never understand how you keep from gaining weight, with all that good food.
Love,
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Wayne,
If I knew it would make it all the way to Texas the way it should all plated up, You'd be the first to get a meal from Dee for your Thanksgiving!!!
Love
Dee~~
"What the heart gives away is never gone ... It is kept in the hearts of others."
Yeah, it's a shame that there's at least a thousand miles between us. I'm sure the UPS guys would appreciate a first class meal, though.
I appreciate the thought, anyway.
Love,
Wayne
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Well, Here goes
A smoked in Mesqite Ham
A small smoked Turkey Breast
Cornbread Dressing
Candied Yams
Green Bean Caserol
Mashed tators and Gravy
Chocolate pecan pie
Pumpkin Pie
Homemade yeast rolls
May I be more compassionate and loving than yeterday*and be able to spot the idiots in advance
Welp, I've already thrown a couple of small turkey legs and a couple of small turkey thighs into a rather small crock pot, and it came out really tender. (It was finished cooking about 2:30 in the morning, but it was worth it.) I just threw in some Bell's seasoning (hopefully, it's gf and free of other stuff that we can't have), also, used a 1 cup size container of chicken stock that comes in a yellow carton for the liquid part as it gives lots of flavor.
Reason for the crock pot and the dark meat was that my mother can now barely eat any solid food, and then, not much at a time, and it has to be very tender, so the crock pot really helps with that. Instead of warming it up in the microwave for her the next day, I threw some of it that I'd chopped fine with a knife into a small skillet with some extra fat and juice that I'd held over from the crock pot. The fat really helps her to get it down the throat. With it, she had some cranberry sauce jelly, and I'd also wiped together three root vegetables -- skinned red potatoes, a "rude baker", and a couple of large parsnips. It was pretty good, but one of them contained too many strings in places, but we worked around it in feeding Mom. For seasoning for that, think I put in some dry thyme for lack of a better idea at the time. Of course, everything was nicely salted and peppered to taste.
That was about all Mother could use for her first course. She had some milk to wash everything down this time instead of Ensure.
I decided that since she really doesn't know the days anymore, I'd just give her little holiday flavors over several weeks. Don't think I could put a complicated meal together all in the same day anyway.
If I can find more of those small turkey thighs and legs, I just may do them in the crock pot again, only more this time. The rest of us will probably have a smoked one for Thanksgiving or Christmas if not both.
Will probably give her some canned creamed corn in place of cornbread dressing. Rest of us usually have a cornbread made with substitute alternative flours to wheat, and subs for dairy and eggs as well. It's so good, even the inlaws and normal people like it. The first big Thanksgiving we had here before Mom and I moved in, my sister fixed an all gf, df, ef, sf, yf traditional dinner. She took this special cornbread and made it into dressing. By the way, pine nuts are a part of the cornbread, and also sprinkled on top.
After that year, we decided the cornbread was so good by itself, that we wouldn't bother to make dressing out of it, and that's become our tradition.
Also, that first big gf Thanksgiving here, my sister made an allergen-free pecan pie, only, in addition to that aspect, it had m'drool dates in it that was only apparent in that it changed the flavor of the filling just a tad. (I can never remember the name of those dates you like, Polly!) The crust was, of course, of alternative flours, but delicious, and there were several suggestions for alternatives to corn syrup. We don't have a problem with corn, but I know that several of you do. Anyway, for grins, we just picked agave nector, and it was way gourmet. I couldn't eat a very big piece as it's for sweet lovers, but I could appreciate how delicious and different it was. I don't see why we couldn't do a regular pecan pie that way, do you?
One year, I "cooked" a mixture of canned pumpkin, pie seasoning, maybe gf vanilla, and coconut milk without any eggs or dairy in it. It can be kinda sloushy that way, but you can spoon it out, and it will, at least, taste like something. Of course, I didn't write down the proportions when it came out best. To cut down on the gigling, I have tried adding some gf plain gelatin. It did make it more firm, but the gelatin is a little different than the way eggs normally make pudding taste and feel in the mouth. Any suggestions on proportions, etc., on this would be greatly appreciated. I just cook the stuff in those little glass ramicans (sp). I may get some of that spray on whipped cream for Mom and my brother-in-lay to top off some of their goodies, but will have to find out if the stuff is gf so Mom can eat it.
Speaking of whipped cream, I'm thinking of ways to take our traditional fruit salad, chop it fine enough for Mom to handle, and find a way to substitute for the non-gf orange yellow. That should be hard one -- any ideas for that flavor. (Jello's just for the flavor as it's not ever hardened like gelatin.) Think for very special occasions, we used to add pecans, but Mom couldn't handle those. I have found that Macadamia nuts seem to be more easily made into a paste, but I'm not sure that would impart the same taste as our old traditional pecans did. Perhaps I should just go with the fruit salad without any nuts. Can you think of a good way to substitute for coconut shavings? I remember that pretty essential to the plot in our old fav fruit salad. At any rate, I'll grind up everything that I think it's safe and easy for her to swallow. She'll probably enjoy the whipped cream just as much anyway. Should be a real treat for her. Sis and I will just leave the whipped cream off. Welp, that's enough for tonight. Wish I had some specifics on your individual dishes. Some of them we could probably have. Thanks for sharing.
Oh, just thought of something -- how would coconut flavor taste and what would it do for the texture of the fruit salad. Might could even throw some into the pumpkin "pie" mixture to thicken it up...hmmm. Whatcha think? We have a neighbor who's a big believer in the use of coconut flour and other products. Think she has a book with lots of recipes, so just may have to borrow that or get one of our own. Thanks again!
Yours, Luce
Hate to say it but definitely not cooking this year. We are headed to the Outer Banks in NC to visit with friends at a lovely home on the beach. Dinner will be out and the place has a wonderful buffet that is all home cooked and has fish, meats and the traditional turkey. Have been told it is great so I should be GF free for the meal.
The flourless pear and walnut torte sounds wonderful. Will look and see if you posted a recipe for that one.
Love, Maggie
Maggie Scarpone
___________________
Resident Birder - I live to bird and enjoy life!
Turkey
2 Dressings ~ 1 regular, 1 with oysters
Mashed Potatoes ~ Gravy
Corn Pudding
Green beans
Broccoli Casserole
Cranberry Pear relish
Rolls
Jello Salad
Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
Croissant Bread Pudding
Apple Pie
. . . .pretty much traditional food & I'm sorry to say it's not GF, but crammed with as many fat grams I could possibly cram into it.
My favorite thing to make is the Cranberry Pear relish, it makes the house smell wonderful for a couple days. I make about of gallon of it, so I have lots left over to give to family and friends. It last about 6 weeks in the fridge, so there's always plenty left for Christmas.
I adore Thanksgiving, so a few years back I decided that I was entitled to enjoy the day like everyone else and started cooking and freezing EVERYTHING ahead of time. Being a slave in the kitchen doesn't make me feel very Thankful !! My brother-in-law even cooks my turkey for me. His smoker can do about 8 birds at once...so on Thanksgiving day all I do is, heat and serve!
Today I begin the day long process of baking our gingerbread house parts. I bake about 20 of these molds. On Thanksgiving after everyone's gotten over the "binge eating effects" we begin our month long village project. My grandson and I have fun shopping for all the parts and pieces we use, of course everything must be edible. On a large styrofoam base covered with white icing we all make our own house. All through December we add to it, so by Christmas, the village is a truly a site to see.
Since Thanksgiving is usually the last time we are all together before Christmas we have our family picture taken, which becomes our Christmas Card. We find the funniest and most tacky Christmas sweaters, ties, and vests ~ you name it, the pets aren't even spared. We are usually crying with laughter before we get "just the right one". If I can remember, I'll post the winning pic next week.
Lucy,
Tell me what you usually put into your fruit salad and then maybe I can give you some suggestions.
As far as thickening it up can you use arrowroot or cornstarch??? The juice from pineapple and the addition of whisking in some arrowroot or cornstarch make a good fruit thicker. Also, jello brand vanilla pudding , not the instant kind, using DF milk and a thickener like arrowroot or cornstarch works well. If you use the cookable pudding mix, add 3 tablespoons of the mix and 3/4 cup DF milk. Maybe you could get the coconut flavored pudding and that would solve using shredded coconut.
You can use the same 2 thickeners in you pumpkin thingy that you made also. As I stated above, the tablespoons of the pudding mix and 3/4 cup DF milk. That works like a can of evaporated or condensed milk in recipes.
Sorry, I can't remember what intolerances that you have.. Let me know, okay??
Dee~~~~
"What the heart gives away is never gone ... It is kept in the hearts of others."
I'll be sure and post a photo nearer to Christmas. It's usually a month long project as we work on them in short spurts. My two sons, 26 & 30 are a tad competitive, it's hilarious to watch them work on theirs. I love to look at some of the big contest winners from across the country - my gosh, talk about work! ..... ours look a tad more juvenile in respect to those, but I bet we have much more fun doing ours as there is always a bottle of wine somewhere in the pictures while we are working on them. (LOL - maybe mine will be a Winery this year). I keep a photo journal of our progress as we build, because we don't keep them for long after the holidays, but we always have our memories, and photos. Also we cheat a tad since I use a mold, it makes it easier for the little ones to assemble and decorate.
I'll make a note to share a few photos as our village progresses.
Visit the Microscopic Colitis Foundation Website
Day???
Yeah, it's a shame that there's at least a thousand miles between us. I'm sure the UPS guys would appreciate a first class meal, though. 
On Thanksgiving after everyone's gotten over the "binge eating effects" we begin our month long village project. My grandson and I have fun shopping for all the parts and pieces we use, of course everything must be edible. On a large styrofoam base covered with white icing we all make our own house. All through December we add to it, so by Christmas, the village is a truly a site to see.