I’m going to be honest: Thanksgiving is stressing me out this year. It’s not because we have a ton of people coming over (actually, Drew’s mom and aunt will be our only guests, so it won’t be much different than a Sunday dinner). It’s because of the carb-fest potential.
I feel so conflicted about serving and eating certain foods, but I’m trying to let go and tell myself it’s a holiday. I’ve eaten crackers and stuffing and bread and pie for years. Am I being unreasonable to think that these foods are suddenly going to kill me just because I’ve read a few books* this year? Probably. One meal isn’t going to make a big difference in the grand scheme of things. And it’s not like I’m going to scarf down an entire sleeve of Ritz.
So, with that in mind (I suppose I feel like I have to justify the appearance of certain items on this menu, considering how I’ve been talking up a certain way of eating as of late), here’s what I’m planning for our Thanksgiving dinner.
Appetizers
- shrimp cocktail
- deviled eggs
- crackers with homemade tomato jam and cream cheese
Dinner
- roast turkey with pan gravy
- cranberry-sausage stuffing (brought by my mother-in-law)
- baked sweet potatoes with butter and cinnamon
- mashed potatoes (just a small amount per the kids’ request)
- green beans
- cranberry sauce
- cornbread
- green salad
Dessert
- pumpkin pecan dessert (made diabetic-friendly)
- sugar-free chocolate mousse
While I’m at it, I’m also breaking my rule about serving food in canning jars. I think the exception to the rule is the small 4 oz. jars, which I’ll be using for the desserts. Not only are they admittedly adorable, but making the desserts in the jar will simplify refrigerator storage (because you can’t stack pie plates, my friends) as well as save me the hassle of finding dessert plates.
Hopefully I will be able to relax a bit about the food and be able to just enjoy the day.
* Why We Get Fat and What to Do About It, by Gary Taubes; The Paleo Solution, by Robb Wolf; Wheat Belly, by William Davis (OK, I haven’t read this entirely yet, but I’ve read excerpts and interviews to get the gist.)