THANKSGIVING FOR FOLKS WHO DON'T GET ALONG & HAVE WEIRD DIETS

It is that time of year again, when I "do not go gentle into that good night." Thanksgiving--like Christmas--is a land mine for some of us. I know there are wonderful, loving families who kneel and say the rosary together at night; who volunteer at Soup Kitchens; who go to church and then gather at Grandma's or Aunty's for syllabub and meatballs; and families that have the word "forgiveness" tattooed on their hearts.

But for many of us, this is not so. There are deep divisions--like dark ravines hacked by coal miners--which have not healed or been backfilled yet. I wish it weren't so. I wish I could fix things, although, as one of my favorite priests told me after Confession, "You can stop being Mrs. Fix-it, Annie." Yeah, believe it...I'm still trying.

So, although we are not in a Norman Rockwell painting, let's figure out how to navigate the coming holiday, both in terms of helping people to feel safe and relaxed, and also serving food which does not cause allergic reactions or churning tummies the following day.

I have to find dishes for my younger son who has a thyroid condition, necessitating special foods, i.e.: non-gluten, no dairy, no soy, no alcohol, and only natural sugars. Whew. That torpedoes my entire eating plan right there. But I have some brilliant ideas after researching on Pinterest:

1/ A sweet potato casserole with pecan crumble on top, courtesy of the "Nutritional Foodie" on Pinterest.  This uses coconut oil, vegan butter (Earth Balance is a good substitute--always read the tiny labels as soy is present in so many foods!)), maple syrup, almond milk, palm sugar, 3 & 1/2 lbs. of sweet potatoes, and 1 cup of pecans, & spices. The title of the recipe is: "Best Ever Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole."  When you go on Pinterest, just type that into the Search bar above, and you will find it. (This takes about an hour to make and cook, more if you have squinty, older eyes like mine.)

2/ I am thinking of some roasted brussel sprouts with bacon (everything is good with bacon, don't ya think?), maple syrup, and a sprinkle of balsamic vinegar. This should go down well with the restricted diets. I take one large container of brussel sprouts from the market, wash them, cut off the ends, and submerge in boiling water for 8 minutes. Drain the sprouts, toss them with 1/4 cup olive oil, salt and pepper, 1/4 cup maple syrup, & a dash of balsamic reduction. Arrange in single layer on greased shallow pan, and put into preheated 400 degree oven to roast for around 20 min. Meanwhile, cook 4 slices good, organic bacon in microwave for 4 min. (between paper towels). 5 min. before sprouts are done, open oven, pull pan out CAREFULLY with oven mitts, and sprinkle cooked, crumbled bacon on top. Once done, keep warm in a covered bowl until serving.  (Estimated time to prepare & cook: 35 min.)

3/ My older brother and his wife are taking care of the turkey, (which my son can eat), stuffing and a pie, thank you, Lord. But stuffing is out for my gluten-free son, and the pie will have gluten in the crust and possibly dairy products in the filling. Instead, I am going to make a Mexican crust pumpkin pie which I found on Pinterest. It comes from the blog, "FeedMePhoebe," by Phoebe--surprisingly--who is a "Hashimoto's advocate". This made me tremble with excitement, as my son has Hashimoto's, an autoimmune disease where your immune system attacks your thyroid. Phoebe's site (see pic above) is fabulous for those who have this condition and those of us who cook for them. Check out her blog on Pinterest and find, "Gluten-Free Pumpkin Tart With Mexican Chocolate-Almond Crust." This calls for coconut cream & coconut oil, organic pumpkin puree, hazelnut or almond meal, unsweetened cocoa powder, & spices. (Phoebe claims it takes 55 min. to prepare and cook. We'll see about that! I will report back after actually making it.)

I am going to be perilously brave and prepare this delicious desert without testing it first in Annie's Amazing Kitchen. I trust Phoebe! This will be over the top. I will do the same with the sweet potato casserole and will take pics of the final treats to post on the blog. Wish me luck or perhaps pray for me. (Who is the patron saint of cooks, anyway? Ah, it is San Pasquale, and guess who just bought a tiny, hand-crafted figurine from Guatemala? Moi!)

This saint's blessing, as he worked in the monastery kitchen, is as follows: "I joyfully celebrate the food I am given. May it deeply nourish everyone I feed." This is a great blessing for the Thanksgiving table.

And for drinks for those who cannot or will not consume alcohol--including myself, as I am on the 3rd day of "The 30-Day No Alcohol Challenge" from James Swanwick-- I might bring Blood Orange Juice from our local organic market, also bottled lime juice which you can mix with Pellegrino and some lime slices. We want to go for the festive, colorful feeling here.

Then, we are left with the folks who do not love each other much and perhaps even find liking each other a bit of a stretch--as in, don't put me in the same room with them! Drinking doesn't work well here, trust me. Perhaps smudging the room with burning sage might help? Or using Reiki?  I have a radical suggestion--stop trying to make the homophobic aunt love your trans cousin.  Forget about joining up the 2 family members, still angry about your deceased Dad's will.  Have TWO Thanksgivings! Do one on turkey day with the folks who get along, and then do a smaller one on the following Saturday (two days later) for the refugees from forgiveness. Our job is to extend compassion, warmth, and good food to folks, and not to make judgments. I am still working on this...

The way to save your sanity is to double the recipes, stick the extras in the fridge, and bring them out to heat up for "Turkey Day # 2." Just slice some of the breast meat from Turkey Day #1 onto a microwaveable platter, pour gravy over it, and put that in the fridge. Voila! You are covered, and you don't have to fret about people getting along.  Perhaps you will do what my beloved Grandmother Gray used to do at our big gathering: write little prayers of thanks on cards and give one to everyone. Then you say grace, and it will descend like a light shining on all the people you love, maybe even softening the stony bits in peoples' hearts.