Hello and welcome back to The Stone Soup Cook–so glad you’re here!
Thanksgiving is next week! Where. Has. This. Year. Gone? I do actually know, but I’m still processing much of what has happened this year, so please bear with me…
But remember Thanksgiving holidays when you were a kid? Four whole days off from school, frosty weather, the tingle of excitement for the upcoming holiday season, and anticipation of that food that was about to fill the table–and our bellies! The smells, sneaking a taste of the dressing, and the moment when a glossy, deep caramel-colored turkey emerged, steaming and juicy from the oven–it was a heady time:
I have eaten the same things for Thanksgiving dinner my whole life: turkey, cornmeal dressing, sweet potato casserole, spinach casserole, three-bean salad, jello salad, cranberry sauce, pecan and pumpkin pies. I still love it even after all these years–perhaps because I only get those particular dishes once or twice a year, so I don’t get tired of them.
This year, however, will be different. We are excited to be joining one bestie for the big day at her house with her family, and I will be having my other bestie, Paul, for turkey with all the trimmings on another day. Paul has a very restricted diet for health reasons and I cook with virtually no carbs specifically for him when he joins us for a meal. This year, he has told me that for a day, he is going to abandon his dietary needs so he can enjoy the splendor of the season–and the meal!
Since Paul will be indulging in everything on my menu for this holiday, I have decided to shake it up a little with him in mind. Who knows? Maybe these substitutions will become new traditions!
He has told me that he prefers fruit desserts to pecan pie, so I’ll be making apple crumble instead of pecan pie:
[OK, who am I kidding? I’m never totally giving up pecan pie (I might even make one in addition to the apple crumble this year), so that’s not going away ;-)]
And since prior to his adopting his restricted diet, he told me he wasn’t a fan of sweet potatoes, I will be making hasselback potatoes:
We will still be enjoying turkey, dressing and spinach casserole. But there might be a few other surprises this year, too.
So stay tuned!
Until then,
Peace, love and good food,
Keri
