This is a letter I sent to a friend who is having Thanksgiving at the home of a friend who has a very supportive mom.
I am very excited to share my ideas with you and mom, especially since I am doing the same thing myself. She is a doll to be so supportive of you. When I went to visit my son last weekend and we went out to eat (first time since I started my new way of eating) it was so exciting to be able to eat a couple of things from the menu so I was "like everybody else" but also be prepared with a couple of my own things so I didn't feel deprived or hungry. I'm going to make a list of typical Thanksgiving menu items with my adaptations. Please let me know what are your and your host family's favorites so I can make adapted suggestions.
Can you find out from your doctor if you can have ghee? It's real butter with the milk solids removed. My doc says it's fantastic for the gut, and it's awesome to have something that tastes like butter. (I love butter!!)
Turkey
If she buys a turkey with no additives (not a pre-basted one like a Butterball) and doesn't baste it with butter, you can eat the turkey!
Gravy
Reserve some of the pan drippings before you make gravy for the rest of the family. Add a little water and blend in a blender with a little bit of cooked potato to thicken it. Season with salt and pepper. I'm also going to try this with cooked rice for Sam.
Mashed Potatoes
Buy Yukon Gold potatoes if the family likes them. They are so buttery and flavorful! Set aside a portion for you before mashing the rest, and mash yours with salt and pepper, garlic powder, and ghee if you can have it. I love mashed potatoes with the skins.
Green Beans
You can have steamed green beans while everyone else has green bean casserole if that's a family favorite. Or everyone can have steamed green beans. If they eat green beans from a can you will want to look at ingredients.
Sweet Potatoes
If the family likes a casserole with sugar and butter in it, just save one sweet potato and bake it in the skin for you to eat separately. It is delicious and very sweet just with sea salt. If the family is not picky about their sweet potatoes, cut them in chunks, toss with coconut oil and sea salt, and bake. (See recipe on blog.) Delicious!!
Stuffing
Enjoy the aroma. It would be best not to bake this in the turkey so the gluten doesn't touch the turkey. If the family has their heart set on stuffing that's cooked inside the turkey, then maybe mom can purchase a turkey breast to bake separately for you.
Jello
Enjoy how pretty it looks.
Cranberry Sauce
I think this has a lot of sugar so just enjoy how pretty it looks.
Orange Rolls
Enjoy the aroma and have some delicious fresh orange slices.
Dessert
Roasted apple slices. Absolutely delicious! (See recipe on blog.)
Keeping Things Warm
Having cooked at least 20 Thanksgiving dinners in my life, I know it is a lot of work and making adaptations to it can make it feel like more work. If you or mom has an extra crock pot, you could get it pre-heated on the warm setting, and put your items in it (mashed potatoes, string beans, sweet potato, etc. as they come out). You could also make some of these items the day before.
Having been doing this myself for over five weeks, I can tell you that this is a mind game as much as anything. Notice how I *choose* to enjoy *all* of the foods, even the ones I am *choosing* not to eat but just to look at or smell. As long as I have plenty to eat, I feel blessed and satisfied and not very tempted by the things I choose not to eat.
Happy Thanksgiving! I love my healthy food provided by a loving God!
