Gluten-Free Thanksgiving

2011 will be my first Gluten-Free Thanksgiving. Last year around this time I was having horrible stomach pains and decided that I would go on an elimination diet AFTER the holidays. Why would I want to give up cookies, dinner rolls, stuffing, cake, pie, crackers, and all the great food that comes along with giving thanks and opening presents? I didn't. So, I decided to eat all I could until January 2, then I would start my diet.

After eliminating gluten from my diet, I don't have stomach pains and my regular headaches went away. It has been great actually...although I do cheat occasionally because there are just so many good gluteny snacks! My doctor didn't understand why I would want to "eat socially" and therefore eat gluten occasionally. I wanted to say, "uh, hello, does nacho Doritos mean anything to you?!"

Anyway, besides the occasional 1/2 bag of chips or one home-baked cookie, I am doing pretty well. I have learned some new ways of cooking and I am experimenting with new recipes all the time. The only down sides are that I have not found a good pizza crust (although Garlic Jim's gluten-free crust is AMAZING, I haven't been able to make it myself) and I introduced eggs back into my baking. I have found some great gluten-free/vegan recipes but sometimes gluten-free items need eggs or else they just crumble. I still don't eat things like omelets or scrambled eggs because that grosses my shit out but I do have to crack an egg sometimes to make cupcakes.

So for this Thanksgiving, I have decided to make a few things so I hopefully don't eat other things with gluten. Plus, I am a vegetarian too so that means I need to make sure I have something I can eat. To Mr Pepperworth's family Thanksgiving I am bringing:
- My family jello with cranberry sauce, celery, and sour cream. But of course made with agar, agar because eating the horse hooves in jello is something I like to avoid. (p.s. although that jello combo doesn't sound great, omg, it is!)
- Gluten-Free Veggie Pot Pie. I made this a couple of weeks ago and it is hella good!
- Gluten-Free Carrot Cake. I was going to go with pumpkin cupcakes but I made those and wasn't that impressed.
- Mushroom Gravy. No turkey drippings for muah.

With those things, I still plan on eating mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole (I'll have to live with the gluten in the soup to make that), and I will forego the yummy biscuits and stuffing. Those things I don't feel like making. Bread is hard.

Oh lordie, I'm hungry!

p.s. I am thankful for my mommy, my daddy, my husband, my sissy, my in-laws, my unborn niece/nephew, my babies, Gussy, my house, my job, my co-workers, my heat, my new fridge, my books, and my 7 year old laptop.