Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours. In this post I have included the recipes I make each year for Thanksgiving. I have also included two recipes (from fellow friend bloggers) that I include in my Thanksgiving feast. I hope that this time of year finds you well. I hope that you are able to find moments of calm and peace. I hope that you are surrounded with friends and family who make you feel special and loved. Find the joy and laughter in each day. Choose happiness and always…find gratitude. xo,–Amber Continue reading
Category Archives: Thanksgiving
My Favorite Thanksgiving Recipes
Labels: holidays, Thanksgiving, thanksgiving desserts, thanksgiving side dishes.
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Roasted Turkey with Garlic, Thyme, and Lemon w/ Paleo Gravy
I’ve been hosting Thanksgiving dinner for several years. Because I enjoy cooking and can plan and multitask like no one’s business, Thanksgiving is totally doable for me. And I love that I can make it all gluten, dairy, and cane-sugar free, and everyone always, every year, raves about the food. They can’t tell my stuffing is gluten free, or that the sweet potatoes aren’t swimming in cane-sugar, or the gravy is Paleo (gasp)! So when I started hosting the thought of roasting an entire turkey was completely unappealing. I mean, yes, it looks lovely, but it takes so long and it just made more sense (to me) to buy turkey parts and roast them to their appropriate doneness (as we all know, white meat cooks differently than dark meat). I’ve also noticed that turkey legs are really popular and I like having more than two available. I’ve really enjoyed preparing turkey this way and my guests seem to enjoy it as well. Perfectly moist breast meat and perfectly moist dark meat?! Yes please. I wanted to share my method with you in case you were feeling a little overwhelmed by the whole bird. By the way, brining turkey is a necessary step to that delicious, moist meat…so don’t skip it! Gobble-gobble. Continue reading





Easy Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread
I was so excited to finally make some pumpkin bread last week! It’s been so darn hot here that baking felt quiet unappealing. This year I made my own gluten-free flour mix, and it worked great for this recipe – yay! If any of you fine folks out there have been following me since I started blogging four years ago, you will know that baking has been a journey for me. I have been experimenting for a couple of years now and I’m happy to say that baking no longer feels like a burden or chore, rather, it’s something I enjoy. It goes to show you that practice makes perfect, err, practice makes comfortably okay. Ha ha. Baking is never perfect, right. I hope you enjoy this recipe. I’ve made it several times with both my gluten-free mix and the suggested flours in the notes section of the recipe. It’s been well received by family and friends. So enjoy…and happy fall. Oh and it rained today! So cozy and wonderful. So happy. xo Continue reading
Labels: Breads, fall cuisine, fall treats, gluten free, holidays, Pumpkin, Thanksgiving.
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Perfectly Whipped Sweet Potatoes
Fall where are you! It’s hitting the mid 90’s again this coming week (insert big eye roll here). I am yearning to wear my sweaters and boots! Soon…soon. Around these parts it starts to really feel like fall at end of October, early November, so we have a few weeks yet. But this hot weather is not stopping me from making some yummy fall inspired food. I made some absolutely out-of-this-world delicious whipped sweet potatoes on Saturday night for dinner. Seriously tasted like dessert. SO GOOD. My kids loved it! My daughter said, “Mommy, what’s in here…it tastes like pie.” I made the sweet potatoes with this pork dish (sans the applesauce) that is so easy and always a hit and the two went together like gangbustas. Anyway, if you are looking for a new way to eat sweet potatoes, try whipping them up. I am totally going to make these whipped sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving and I’m so excited about it! They are seriously delicious. Look out fall…I’m coming for ya. Continue reading
Labels: ACD, AIP, GAPS, holidays, Paleo, sides, Thanksgiving, thanksgiving side dishes, vegan, vegetarian, winter cuisine.
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Dairy and Cane-Sugar Free Pumpkin Pie (SCD, GAPS, Paleo)
- 1¾ cups fresh baked pumpkin or 1 can of pumpkin puree
- cream from 1 can of full fat coconut milk
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 eggs
- 7 large soft Medjool dates (optional)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 extra egg for crust (this is an optional step)
- Soak dates in warm water for at least 2 hours before making this recipe.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees
- To a blender, add in all the above ingredients (except the extra egg) and blend until well incorporated (about 15 seconds), then pour the mixture into a pie crust.
- Beat the extra egg in a small bowl and brush the egg onto the entire exposed crust. I like to cover the crust with this silicone crust shield (it's awesome and my crust never burns).
- Place the pie onto a baking sheet (to catch overflow) and bake for 15 minutes. Then turn the oven temperature down to 350 and bake an additional 35 minutes. When the middle poofs up, your pie is ready. The middle will be jiggly, and that's okay. It will thicken as it cools.
- Remove pie from baking sheet and allow to cool on a cooling rack.
-I like to use dates in pumpkin pie because it adds a natural sweetness and helps thicken the mixture. If you don't want to use dates, just add additional sweetener (another 2 or 3 tablespoons).
-Maple syrup or coconut nectar is a nice substitute for the honey.
- I generally bake my pumpkin pie the night before and let it sit out at room temperature. When ready to serve, top with vanilla bean coconut whipped cream.
- Cream from 1 can of full fat coconut milk
- ½ cup cashews soaked for 4 to 6 hours (for a thicker whipped cream as shown in the picture, use 1 cup of soaked cashews)
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla, maple syrup,or coconut nectar.
- 1 vanilla bean cut in half and scraped out
- In a blender (high speed preferably) add all the above ingredients and blend until smooth.
- Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours.
- Mix well before serving.
Labels: dessert, fall cuisine, GAPS, nut free, Paleo, SCD, Thanksgiving.
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Perfectly Moist Crock Pot Stuffing (gluten and dairy free)
–7 cups homemade dried bread cubes/crumbs
-2 tablespoons coconut oil
-1 medium yellow onion, chopped
-1 1/2 cups chopped celery
-2 cups chopped mushrooms
-1 apple, peeled and chopped
-2 cups chopped sausage of choice (optional)
-1 tablespoon fresh sage (or 1 1/2 teaspoon dried)
-1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
-2 teaspoons garlic granules
-2 teaspoons of salt
-Few turns of the pepper grinder (roughly 1/2 teaspoon)
-4 cups broth
-1 egg (this makes the stuffing very moist and almost souffle like- which I LOVE)
–1 cup dried cranberries and/or 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)





THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW – Face shoving time! 😛 lol
Yaaaas! Can’t wait. 🙂
What a wonderful spread! I love your Thanksgiving wishes for all of us, Amber. Wishing you and your family the same! Btw, I included your green bean casserole in my latest recipe roundup on gfe. 😉
Happy Thanksgiving Eve Eve! xo,
Shirley
Hi Shirley. What an honor. Thank you for including my green bean casserole. 🙂 Yay! Happy Thanksgiving friend. xoxo
Thanks a million for sharing your great Thanksgiving recipes at our recipe round up last week. I hope to see you again at the party that is now live on my blog! http://allergy-friendlytastebuds.blogspot.com/2015/12/thursday-recipe-round-up-starts-now-and.html
Pleasure. 🙂