Thanksgiving-2016

Thanksgiving Dinner- Turkey, mashed yellow potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes with cinnamon and nutmeg, cauliflower puree, corn, green beans, GF stuffing, and GF biscuits.

Every Thanksgiving, we are faced with the decision of where to go to celebrate. We switch back and forth between my side of the family and Brian's, but even then it isn't a straight forward decision, since ALL of our extended family (both of our parents sides) live in the area, and we really actually have about 5 parties we would be welcome to attend. BUT, Brian works every Thanksgiving, so we never get to have to big sit down lunch with everyone, and to be honest, it's kind of lame to show up to a party where everyone else has just stuffed themselves and are usually in the middle of games but the time we can make it. So, this year, we decided we want a nice Thanksgiving meal together as a family, and we will just go to a party after that. So I made our Thanksgiving meal all myself, and I have to say, it was really nice to sit and enjoy it together before heading down to my parent's house for some fun time.
Making Thanksgiving dinner yourself really isn't hard, as long as you plan ahead. I made the turkey a week before Thanksgiving and then froze it in several containers for later. I picked up the turkey from Costco; one of the "fresh, young turkeys", so there was no defrosting needed! Big time saver!
Cauliflower puree and potatoes are both something I normally batch cook anyway, and the corn and green beans took no prepping either.
So that left the stuffing and the biscuits. The stuffing was the important thing for me to get right. Brian really looks forward to the stuffing, and his Mom is kinda known for her stuffing recipe, and last year, I made a cornbread stuffing, which Brian really didn't like...so, yeah, it was just basically about getting the stuffing right this year. :) After reading about 20 recipes, I proceeded to make my own, which is the way I normally cook. I think I cook too emotionally to follow a recipe. Lol Anyway, not to brag, but normally I am not a stuffing person and Brian and I both loved this stuffing! The secret ingredient is pork sausage, and it gives it a really tasty flavor and keeps it moist but not soggy. The kids gobbled it up too, Sophie having inherited her Daddy's love for stuffing. By the way, I learned in my quest for the perfect stuffing that "stuffing" is only stuffing if it's baked inside of the turkey, dressing is baked alongside or separately. SO technically, this is dressing...but whatevs.
The biscuits were last minute, and I did not follow recipe for them either....which is risky for biscuits, or any baking in general. But I have made biscuits enough times, and read enough recipes, that I decided to just go for it, since I haven't found a recipe yet that really ends up the way I want it to. Gluten free baking is tricky! The flours are all so different, so a combination is necessary, and you have to know how each flour will work so you know how much and which ones to add. These biscuits used a combo of almond flour, coconut flour, tapioca starch, Bob's Red Mill 1-to1 GF blend, and oat flour, plus baking soda, butter, egg, almond milk, and salt. They didn't rise super high, but enough to be soft and fluffy, and they tasted really yummy. With some Kerrygold butter and raw honey on top, I could eat them for dessert!
After our meal, we went to my parent's house and enjoyed a nice evening of visiting and even some games with my family. Oh, and desserts and snacks. I brought my pumpkin bars, which always go over well. One of my sisters brought Puppy Chow/Chocolate Chex Mix/Muddy Buddies (why so many names?!), which is one of my favorite treats. MMMmm. :)
We had a very happy Thanksgiving and I think this will be our new tradition; meal at home together, then extended family party in the evening.
I am so thankful for my beautiful little family, and good health, and for all the good gifts our Heavenly Father has lavished upon us. I pray that we would be grateful and generous, and be a help to those in need.