“Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food.”
― Hippocrates
The Jenne's Thanksgiving Feast~
Our friends and family have been asking what we will be eating for thanksgiving this year since we aren't eating sugary desserts and breads. The credit for this entry goes to our daughter-in-law Rachel, who has a gift for working with foods and modifying dishes. I will share our menu with you along with the links to the recipes. We have not yet tried any of these recipes, so come Wednesday we will begin, but since you need to get your shopping done and your ideas going, we are sharing this information with you for starters. If you have been off sugar for 3 weeks or more, do not give in on this day! If you do, you will not have a pleasant experience so it's not worth trying! We already did that weeks ago, trust us on this one! Remember this is an adventure so try something new!
Tim will grill the turkey as he does every year
Cranberry Sauce
http://www.mybodybalancenutrition.com/blog-0/bid/324412/Cranberry-Sauce-with-Chia-Seeds
***We made a double batch of cranberry sauce and used 3/8 teaspoon of stevia to reduce the tartness from the cranberries, it turned out fabulously!
Green beans with bacon added (everything is better with bacon)
Cauliflower rice in place of potatoes
http://losinitwithpink.blogspot.com/2012/04/coconut-cauliflower-rice.html
*Note: when we had this dish during the summer, the cauliflower rice tasted much better the second day, so we will be making this up on Wednesday and reheating it. I will be modifying this recipe by not using coconut milk because I could not find any without guar gum. I'm going to use Chicken broth instead.
***We used the chicken broth today and it turned out marvelous!
Creamed Kale as a side dish
http://www.ouichefnetwork.com/oui_chef/2012/03/creamed-kale-gratin.html
Pumpkin Mousse for dessert
Pumpkin Mousse Recipe:
Rachel made this recipe with stevia last year and it worked great. So don't use the sugar or graham crackers noted in this recipe!
3 1⁄2 cups pumpkin flesh (from can or roasted pie pumpkin)
1 1⁄2 cups sugar (or stevia to taste) ***stevia is NOT a 1 to 1 ratio with sugar. You may only need a teaspoon of stevia for the right level of sweet!
1 tbsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 tbsp Pure Madagascar Vanilla Extract 2x (double strength) or 2 tbsp single strength Pure Madagascar Vanilla Extract
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 envelope or 1 1⁄2 tsp unflavored gelatin (grass fed or organic if possible)
Directions: Combine pumpkin, sugar, and Pumpkin Pie Spice in a saucepan over medium heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Set aside to let cool completely. In a separate bowl, beat cream to soft peaks and set aside. Mix gelatin with enough water to make a thin paste (about 1 – 2 tbsp). Microwave the gelatin mixture for 15 seconds. Stir until completely dissolved. Slowly pour the melted gelatin into the cream while continuing to beat until stiff peaks form. Fold about 1/3 of the whipped cream into the pumpkin mixture until just combined then add the pumpkin/cream to the rest of the whipped cream. Continue folding the mixture until thoroughly combined. Refrigerate for an hour before serving. Serving tips: For individual desserts, spoon into individual serving cups before refrigerating. For a sweet hors d’oeuvre or mini-dessert, fill piping bag with the mousse before refrigerating then pipe onto graham crackers or ginger snaps. Try it in a graham cracker pie crust for a new spin on pumpkin pie.
Here are a few additional ideas that Rachel presented to me that might work better for you on your menu:
Eggplant Stuffing:
http://www.lowcarb-ology.com/low-carb-sage-stuffing-recipe/
Apple Fennel Celery Slaw in Vinaigrette:
http://www.lydiasflexitariankitchen.com/apple-fennel-slaw/
Grain-Free Recipes that may need modifications for low carb or no sugar:
http://www.naturalgrocers.com/sites/default/files/Grain%20free%20Holiday%20Recipes_0.pdf
When all is cooked and eaten, may you also remember the things that you are grateful for. Have a blessed and happy Thanksgiving.
Our friends and family have been asking what we will be eating for thanksgiving this year since we aren't eating sugary desserts and breads. The credit for this entry goes to our daughter-in-law Rachel, who has a gift for working with foods and modifying dishes. I will share our menu with you along with the links to the recipes. We have not yet tried any of these recipes, so come Wednesday we will begin, but since you need to get your shopping done and your ideas going, we are sharing this information with you for starters. If you have been off sugar for 3 weeks or more, do not give in on this day! If you do, you will not have a pleasant experience so it's not worth trying! We already did that weeks ago, trust us on this one! Remember this is an adventure so try something new!
Tim will grill the turkey as he does every year
Cranberry Sauce
http://www.mybodybalancenutrition.com/blog-0/bid/324412/Cranberry-Sauce-with-Chia-Seeds
***We made a double batch of cranberry sauce and used 3/8 teaspoon of stevia to reduce the tartness from the cranberries, it turned out fabulously!
Green beans with bacon added (everything is better with bacon)
Cauliflower rice in place of potatoes
http://losinitwithpink.blogspot.com/2012/04/coconut-cauliflower-rice.html
*Note: when we had this dish during the summer, the cauliflower rice tasted much better the second day, so we will be making this up on Wednesday and reheating it. I will be modifying this recipe by not using coconut milk because I could not find any without guar gum. I'm going to use Chicken broth instead.
***We used the chicken broth today and it turned out marvelous!
Creamed Kale as a side dish
http://www.ouichefnetwork.com/oui_chef/2012/03/creamed-kale-gratin.html
Pumpkin Mousse for dessert
Pumpkin Mousse Recipe:
Rachel made this recipe with stevia last year and it worked great. So don't use the sugar or graham crackers noted in this recipe!
3 1⁄2 cups pumpkin flesh (from can or roasted pie pumpkin)
1 1⁄2 cups sugar (or stevia to taste) ***stevia is NOT a 1 to 1 ratio with sugar. You may only need a teaspoon of stevia for the right level of sweet!
1 tbsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 tbsp Pure Madagascar Vanilla Extract 2x (double strength) or 2 tbsp single strength Pure Madagascar Vanilla Extract
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 envelope or 1 1⁄2 tsp unflavored gelatin (grass fed or organic if possible)
Directions: Combine pumpkin, sugar, and Pumpkin Pie Spice in a saucepan over medium heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Set aside to let cool completely. In a separate bowl, beat cream to soft peaks and set aside. Mix gelatin with enough water to make a thin paste (about 1 – 2 tbsp). Microwave the gelatin mixture for 15 seconds. Stir until completely dissolved. Slowly pour the melted gelatin into the cream while continuing to beat until stiff peaks form. Fold about 1/3 of the whipped cream into the pumpkin mixture until just combined then add the pumpkin/cream to the rest of the whipped cream. Continue folding the mixture until thoroughly combined. Refrigerate for an hour before serving. Serving tips: For individual desserts, spoon into individual serving cups before refrigerating. For a sweet hors d’oeuvre or mini-dessert, fill piping bag with the mousse before refrigerating then pipe onto graham crackers or ginger snaps. Try it in a graham cracker pie crust for a new spin on pumpkin pie.
Here are a few additional ideas that Rachel presented to me that might work better for you on your menu:
Eggplant Stuffing:
http://www.lowcarb-ology.com/low-carb-sage-stuffing-recipe/
Apple Fennel Celery Slaw in Vinaigrette:
http://www.lydiasflexitariankitchen.com/apple-fennel-slaw/
Grain-Free Recipes that may need modifications for low carb or no sugar:
http://www.naturalgrocers.com/sites/default/files/Grain%20free%20Holiday%20Recipes_0.pdf
When all is cooked and eaten, may you also remember the things that you are grateful for. Have a blessed and happy Thanksgiving.
A feed to feed on, ketogenic recipes galore: http://www.reddit.com/r/ketorecipe
Snacks to save the day:
Roasted and Salted Cashews
We purchase raw cashews from Trader Joe's, roast them on a cookie sheet in coconut oil in the oven at 285* F for 15 minutes, flip them for another 15 min, then roast until golden brown, then salt them with sea salt.
Roasted Pecans
We purchase raw pecans from Trader Joe's, roast them in salted butter in the oven at 285*F for 15 minutes, flip them for another 15 min, then roast until golden brown, then salt them with sea salt.
Toss these in your lunch box or computer bag
Very Dark Chocolate 78% or better, with minimal sweeteners and other ingredients - high fats and low carbohydrate
Raw Milk Cheddar Cheese that is sliced in thin strips, about 1-2 ounces
Dry Roasted and Salted Macadamia Nuts from Trader Joe's- we buy these already done, they are low in carbohydrates and proteins and very high in fats!
Snacks to save the day:
Roasted and Salted Cashews
We purchase raw cashews from Trader Joe's, roast them on a cookie sheet in coconut oil in the oven at 285* F for 15 minutes, flip them for another 15 min, then roast until golden brown, then salt them with sea salt.
Roasted Pecans
We purchase raw pecans from Trader Joe's, roast them in salted butter in the oven at 285*F for 15 minutes, flip them for another 15 min, then roast until golden brown, then salt them with sea salt.
Toss these in your lunch box or computer bag
Very Dark Chocolate 78% or better, with minimal sweeteners and other ingredients - high fats and low carbohydrate
Raw Milk Cheddar Cheese that is sliced in thin strips, about 1-2 ounces
Dry Roasted and Salted Macadamia Nuts from Trader Joe's- we buy these already done, they are low in carbohydrates and proteins and very high in fats!